Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 56

Ten New Year’s Resolutions for Every Pastor

It’s that time of year when people partake in the annual ritual of making well-intended promises that end up broken by February. I also realize the presumptuous nature of this post—as if I could tell you what promises to make (and then inevitably break). However, I do believe every pastor should consider these ten resolutions. Perhaps they will get you thinking.

1. I will pray for church members daily. Start by praying for your most outspoken antagonists. One of the best resolutions you can make is to pray more.

2. I will share my faith at least once a week. Most church leaders bemoan the lack of evangelism in North America. Our churches would grow if we expended the same amount of energy sharing Jesus as we do complaining about church members not sharing Jesus.

3. I will read my Bible devotionally. If you preach regularly, you’re likely reading your Bible often. But too many pastors neglect the devotional reading of Scripture. Then we wonder why our sermons are dry.

4. I will listen more to my congregation. So much is said about leadership vision and the compelling effect it has on followers. Unfortunately, far too little effort goes into listening to people. Grand vision flops when it lacks the foundation of listening. You can’t lead people without listening to them.

5. I will have an attitude of gratefulness. Let’s rid ourselves of a sense of entitlement and be grateful God provides people for us to shepherd.

6. I will practice forgiveness. Practice makes perfect, and most of us have a long way to go before glorification. Forgiveness is one of the most under-practiced spiritual disciplines.

7. I will be the chief encourager in my church. Pastors can look to the church for self-worth—feeding off the saint’s encouragement. I hope your church encourages you, but it’s the role of the pastor to lead with this spiritual gift and not feed off it. The more you lead with encouragement, the more likely your church will have a culture of encouragement.

8. I will be an example of discipline. Exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Spend the proper amount of time with your family. Read books. Keep a schedule and manage your time. Get enough sleep. Don’t dress like a slob. Your visible demonstration of discipline will speak volumes without you saying a word.

9. I will laugh more. Many of us pastors take ourselves too seriously, and our leadership could utilize more levity. Laughter disarms, and leaders who laugh tend to be more enjoyable people.

10. I will take injustice seriously. We need more sermons on justice, not less. We need more churches serving the underprivileged. We need more pastors who fight for justice.

Start the new year with a resolve to be a better pastor. The bride of Christ deserves your effort.

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Seven Church Practices We Will Be Following in 2022

I recently shared my annual trends report for churches as we head into 2022. In this article, I look at seven church practices that may emerge into major trends. With each church practice, I provide you with a link or an example if you desire to dig more deeply. Some of these resources are provided by partners we have invited to join us at Church Answers.

1. Is small group curriculum on a rebound? This practice is led largely by the huge response we see taking place with the Rooted curriculum. Will this rebound expand into other curriculum lines, or is it largely about Rooted?

2. Evangelism training seems to be growing. Though we see many different evangelism tools, the one we hear mentioned the most frequently is Three Circles.

3. Texting for both internal and external communication in churches may reach an inflection point of growth. The leader for this resource seems to be Text In Church.

4. Local churches will receive more resources directly from publishers. Publishing houses will be working more directly with churches. Church Answers and Tyndale Publishing House have entered into a partnership to resource congregations directly.

5. Community research tools are growing to the point that it’s approaching an inflection point. It seems like it will soon be a common practice for churches to get a demographic/psychographic report every year. The Know Your Community report at Church Answers is our fastest-growing tool.

6. More churches will use a hybrid approach to generosity and stewardship. We are following the work closely of Church Growth Services in this area where the company provides the resources for congregations to do stewardship and fund-raising efforts themselves.

7. The entire nature of building and remodeling church facilities is shifting. There is so much here to unpack. We have been working with the design/build firm, Brown Church Development Group. For example, we see more requests to downsize worship centers and increase the size of foyers and welcome areas.

Again, these points are not trends as much as they are subtle shifts in church practices. We will keep you updated if we see any major trends emerge from them. Also, throughout 2022 we will provide you reviews of key resources churches are using. We begin next week with an in-depth review of the Rooted curriculum.

Happy New Year!

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Four Essentials of a Great Christmas Eve Service

Christmas Eve is the most likely time an unchurched person will walk into your worship space. It’s a huge opportunity. My fear is some churches go through the motions since Christmas Eve is the peak of the busy season and volunteers are short in supply.

Your Christmas Eve service is worth the effort. Families are often together during this time. That uncle who refuses to go to church will often capitulate and go to a Christmas Eve service since the rest of the family is going together. Those who are detached from the church will often return for sentimental reasons. Additionally, the unchurched will recognize many Christmas songs, so they are more likely to participate. If the New Year is all about resolve, then Christmas is all about hope. Christmas is one of the few traditions in our culture that is universally accepted.

With these thoughts in mind, there are four essentials of a great Christmas Eve service.

Keep it simple; keep it classic. Sing songs everyone knows. It’s not the time to be avant-garde. Most people expect a traditional feel and tone to the service. Light candles. Sing Silent Night, or something similar.

Make the service guest-friendly. You will likely have more guests at this service than any other service in a given year. Let people know when the services start, make signage clear, and advertise in as many places as you can. The community is coming to you on this day. Greeters need to be extra sensitive in helping people get to the right place. Lastly, think carefully about doing things like the Lord’s Supper. Many people in the service will not be connected to the church. Ask the question, Is this the best time for things like the Lord’s Supper?

The service should be shorter, not longer. Since most churches have limited childcare, and families sit together, the service should last about 45 minutes. I typically teach for about 10 or 15 minutes, focusing on sharing the gospel through the story of Christ’s birth.

Be more positive and less prophetic. Pastors who neglect the prophetic voice—those who are not forth-telling—are not really preaching. There is a time to call out the woes of culture. There is a time to be pointed, even angry. Christmas Eve is not that time. Understand your culture and consider your context. The setting of Christmas Eve is ripe for encouragement. Reach people in the right way with the right methods and in the right tone.

If you do not have a Christmas Eve service, then your church is likely missing a big chance to interact with the unchurched and share the gospel. Incorporate these four essentials and capture the opportunity.

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6 Things Christmas Means for Church Leaders in Tough Situations

I wish I could tell every one of my young students that ministry will always be easy and churches will always be supportive. That’s not always the case, though. Sometimes this work is just hard. If that’s the case for you today, I hope these thoughts encourage and strengthen you. Here’s what the Christmas story means for you today:

1. God keeps His word. He had announced through the prophet Micah 700 years prior to Jesus’ birth that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. By His very nature as God, He is true to His word – and even leaders in tough situations can cling to His promises today.

2. God comes through in unexpected ways. Of course, God was hardly surprised by His plan—but the Jewish people who expected a political, reigning king surely were. Little did they expect that God would show up in the form of a baby in a feeding trough in a non-descript town. If you’re hurting today, God might just surprise you by His answer to bring you comfort.

3. God delights in working through weakness. The baby was the king. The will of the Father would be His death on a borrowed cross and His burial in a borrowed tomb. He would bring salvation not by establishing a political kingdom, but by dying as a common criminal. If you feel weak today, that’s an okay place to be in God’s eyes. He will be your strength.

4. The darkest night can unexpectedly become light. That’s what happened for the shepherds in the field. The night dramatically changed when God chose to send His angels and shine forth His glory. Maybe God wants to do that in your tough situation today—or, whenever He knows is best.

5. It shouldn’t be a surprise that some folks just won’t follow God. Jesus’ coming would lead to the separation of the sheep and the goats, the reward for some and the judgment for others. From the beginning—when Herod sought to kill the Christ child—some folks have been opposed to Christ. No matter what we do in ministry, we’ll face opposition—but we need not live in fear. God has come, and God has won!

6. The gospel is still good news no matter what we face today. Simeon rejoiced when he held the Christ in his arms. Anna announced his coming to all who were seeking redemption. The shepherds glorified God. All these folks could do nothing less when they met the Savior. Regardless of how hard your situation may be today, you do still know the good news. Cling to it today.

Let us know how we in the Church Answers family might pray for you today.

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Four Success Stories from Churches that Made a Commitment to Know Their Communities Better

God is not done with our churches.

His activity and his work remain powerful and pervasive.

Let me share with you four examples of churches that have been used by God when they made a specific and powerful commitment: They wanted to serve and minister to their communities more effectively.

1. Single moms and the senior adult church. This particular church consisted of all senior adults, no young people at all. They knew they needed to reach young people, but they did not know where to begin. We suggested that they learn what the needs of their community are, so they agreed to order our report, Know Your Community. The elderly members of the church were shocked to find out the number of single moms in their community. They found ways to reach and mentor many of these young mothers. Eventually, the moms started coming to the church. And, of course, their kids came as well. The church is now thriving with kids and young adults.

2. Changing presuppositions about what the community really looks like. Look at these words from a pastor in Virginia: “We thought we had an older, blue-collar type demographic, but things have rapidly changed over the last decade. Our community is now made up of mostly young, wealthy professionals. We are re-emphasizing children’s ministry with staff and budget to prepare to minister to many new young professionals that are starting families. We also discovered that those in our community are highly interested in health and fitness. We are now brainstorming youth and young adult outreach efforts based on these interests.”

3. Goodbye, gym. Hello, pickleball. The church in Florida was built when Boomers were in their 30s and early 40s. One major building program included the perfunctory gym since the Boomers wanted a gym. Those Boomers are now in their 60s and 70s. The entire community has transitioned older as well. This church had the foresight to change the gym to inside pickleball courts, primarily for senior adults. They got the word out and welcomed the community to the new courts. It has proven a huge success. Four senior adults became followers of Christ within three months of the new endeavor. Undoubtedly, God will bless this church with even more opportunities.

4. The Thursday night experiment. The church in Arizona was surprised to discover that one-third of the working adults in their community had to work on Sundays. Instead of doing church the way they’ve always done it, the congregation decided to experiment and try a Thursday evening service. It is a simple service, family-style (no childcare), with only one person leading worship with an acoustic guitar. The service lasts 45 minutes. After three months, the Thursday night service has an average attendance of 55, up from the first month’s average of 27. Not only is the service attracting those who work on Sundays, but it has also become an alternative time to attend when someone is going out of town for the weekend or for a long holiday weekend. A number of members in the church elect to attend the service as well when they plan to be out of town for the weekend.

These are four of many examples of churches looking for new ways to reach and minister to people in Christ’s name by getting to know their communities better.

Do you have a similar story? We would love to hear about it.

 

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What I’m Planning for 2022

Let me take you behind the scenes of our church’s communication strategy. I set aside a day every year in December to think through our church’s communication goals. I spend time thinking about what worked and didn’t work this year, and what the challenges will be for our church in the coming year. 

During this year’s planning, I kept coming back to the idea that while the pandemic did help us get rid of some communication channels that were ineffective (i.e. the bulletin), we didn’t go far enough. I still had a lingering suspicion that would go even further into getting rid of what was ineffective so we could focus more on what works. 

So I decided to take a look at our analytics to determine what was really happening with our communication channels and what was really working. Here’s what I found:

Almost 7 out of 10 people view our content on mobile devices.The majority of our engagement comes from content that gives them quick access to information (church calendar)Our storytelling is good, but it’s not great. We’re creating content that plays well in a worship service but does not fare nearly as well on social media. While we switched to mostly digital pieces versus print, we’re still creating PDFs that look nice but don’t drive engagement. 

From this information I was able to put together our two goals for 2022. 

Goal #1 Mobile First

Everything we create must be created with the idea that it will primarily be consumed on a mobile device. This means that we’ll need to trim the length of text, increase the font size, and make sure the most important information can fit on a single phone-sized screen.

This will not be easy since it will require brevity, eliminating unnecessary calls to action, and coaching our staff on why this matters.

Goal #2 Engagement First

The metric we will measure success by is whether or not someone engaged with content in the way that it was intended to be engaged. It’s not enough that someone watched a video, we want the video to compel them to the next step. 

This is going to be difficult because we will be judged not on whether we had the most creative ideas or if the content looked great, but by whether or not the content worked. This takes the emotion out of the equation and lets the numbers do the talking. 

So I’m putting those two goals together to create a theme for our church’s communication: Mobile First, Engagement First. This theme will be what helps drive and shape our church’s communications in 2022. 

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The Perfect Gift: Prayer

What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Is it putting up the Christmas tree? Gathering with family? A beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service? It’s hard for me to pick just one, but one of the Christmas hallmarks in our house is wish lists. Toys, clothes, games, and even Bibles fill virtual pages with gift ideas for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more. I love the excitement as we think about not only what is on our own lists but also what we can gift others. This year my heart has been turned to gifting beyond our home or even those in need in our community. What can I give to my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, especially those who are persecuted for their faith?

Here at Tyndale Bibles, we have had the true honor of partnering with The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) in creating The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible. Through this partnership, my eyes have been opened to what it means to suffer for Christ. How humbling to know that one in eight of my Christian brothers and sisters around the world live in a country where they are persecuted for their faith. And even more humbling to know that what tops their lists is prayer.

When VOM’s field leaders meet with persecuted Christians to bless and encourage them, they also inquire about unmet needs. Often, the first request of the persecuted is “Pray for us!” For many of them, the greatest gift they can receive is knowing they are being covered in prayer by their worldwide Christian family. How often do we think of prayer as an afterthought? But for many who are suffering for Christ, it’s their top priority.

We can do this, Church! We can meet this need by committing to pray for these amazing men and women who won’t let their witness be silenced even in the face of death.

So what does that look like? The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible can help.

Unique prayer prompts covering a wide range of needs facing persecuted Christians today preface daily readings, each of which has an excerpt from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Engaging in Scripture and praying for our persecuted Christian family members helps us to embrace their suffering and enter into fellowship with them.

But it’s not just about committing individual time to reading and prayer. What if as a congregation you dedicated a month or one Sunday a month to learning about and praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters? Could you carve out a time in each service to pray for a specific country, maybe even a specific situation? What a beautiful gift we can give our persecuted brothers and sisters—to know we are consistently covering them in prayer. And what a gift to us that we can learn from their perseverance and commitment to sharing God’s Word no matter the cost.

Even though you may never travel to meet your persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in the jungles of Colombia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, or the desert sands of Algeria, you can fellowship with them through prayer. As you study each daily Scripture reading, remember that the Bible—especially the New Testament—was written by and for persecuted believers. Reading the Bible in this context should spur every believer on to follow Christ more faithfully, both individually and corporately.

When we pray for the persecuted and read their stories of courage, faithfulness, and obedience, we are united with them. As we allow their stories to inspire us to a deeper commitment to Christ and his Great Commission—no matter the cost and wherever God has placed us—the fellowship becomes mutual.

What will your gift to your worldwide Christian family be this year?

 

Learn more about The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible.

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Ageism: The Real Struggle for Church Staff Close to Retirement

The magical age for ministry is somewhere between 38 years-old and 56 years-old. I use the word “magical” because far too many churches look at the age of a ministry candidate as some sort of magic bullet. Any younger than the mid-thirties, and you’re too young. Any older than the mid-fifties, and you’re too old. I’ve read a lot of articles and posts defending those who are on the younger side. Some megachurch hires a 26-year-old lead pastor, and it’s championed as innovative.

However, I don’t see too many cases made for those who are older. As someone who is in the magical age range, I’ll make a case for those who are on the older side of the equation.

When considering ageism, the church may be one of the worst offenders among organizations in our culture. It’s strange given the “respect your elders” mentality in many congregations. When cutting church staff, I’ve heard of cases in which people were pushed out because of their age. Additionally, when hiring, many churches are overt in their search for ministry candidates. “We want someone young!”

Churches will survey the congregation and ask about an ideal age for a new lead pastor. The answers are always the same—somewhere between 38 years-old and 56 years-old. The national median age is 38 years-old, and the median age of a churchgoer in most denominations is someone in their mid-to-late 50s, so it’s no surprise the church would say, “I want a pastor who is like me!”

For those who are older on your church staff, what can be done? How can a church move away from the blatant ageism that seems to be so rampant in congregations?

Stop cutting older staff in the name of “stewardship.” I’ll never forget my first round of layoffs in the corporate world. We were split into two groups and each sent into separate rooms. One group survived. The other didn’t. I made the cut. I thought it was merit-based, until I looked around. The only people remaining were the twenty-somethings. They kept the cheap labor. Even the survivors felt icky. Don’t do this in your church. Even worse, don’t cut people in the name of “stewardship,” because the Bible has a much grander view of stewardship than mere cash flow.

Stop assuming older workers can’t learn. Sure, some people refuse to learn and grow. They deserve to be let go. Likely, most of your older church staff are willing to learn. Give them a chance. Don’t assume they can’t do it! You make a fool of yourself if you claim a faith that can move mountains while at the same time assuming someone in their 60s can’t pick up a new skill set. Be intentional about equipping them and giving them opportunities to learn.

Stop making personnel decisions based on a desired look. Churches after a certain look wouldn’t even hire Jesus. He did not have an attractive appearance. Such congregations have way more in common with the Pharisees than Jesus.

Be willing to move them into different positions as seasons of life change. As a person ages and enters into a new season of life, new opportunities emerge. Capture these opportunities and get creative with new staff positions. For example, you don’t meet too many pastors focused solely on Boomer ministry, but the church desperately needs them. Senior ministry was for their parents. Good luck getting your Boomers to come to your senior ministry events—not gonna happen. But a Boomer ministry? Now that sounds more appealing.

Ask your older staff for their input. Some of them may have great advice on how best to utilize their skill set as they near retirement age. They may fear taking the initiative because often it leads to questions about their viability. Rather, take the posture of wanting them to finish strong and ask them what that would look like.

A multi-generational church should hire a multi-generational staff. Most multi-ethnic churches have multi-ethnic staff. I, for one, champion this movement. What’s often missing in the multi-everything discussion is intentionality with bringing multiple generations on to the church staff. Churches should serve all people, which includes generational diversity—in the congregation and on staff.

Perhaps there are older church staff out there who haven’t spoken up because they fear it would be self-serving. As someone just older than 40, I’ll say it. Many of you have gotten a raw deal. It’s time for churches to stop with the ageism.

 

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Ten (Very Different) Church Trends for 2022

I’ve been doing trends and predictions for churches for many years. My track record is good, but it has nothing to do with my sagacity. To the contrary, my approach is straightforward. I look at the data points and try to connect them to see the trends.

This COVID year is different. We know the world has been turned upside down by the disease, and churches have definitely felt the impact. My confidence level in projecting trends in past years has been high.

But this year is different. Indeed, much has changed.

You will see how significantly COVID affected my projections in each of these ten trends. Also, this exercise is biased for a North American context. Some of the points simply may not hold in a non-North American world.

1. Worship attendance will average 80% of pre-COVID numbers. We are essentially predicting that attendance will not fully recover in 2022. As more COVID variants enter the world, there will continue to be a hesitation by many people to attend weekly worship gatherings.

2. Neighborhood churches will become a movement. We think this movement has already begun, but we will see clear indicators of it in 2022. We define a neighborhood church as a congregation that is laser-focused on ministering to a specific geographical area typically described as a neighborhood.

3. There will be more community focus than any period in 30 years. While the neighborhood church movement is a factor in this renewed community focus, it is not the only factor. We are greatly encouraged by this growing direction. Anecdotally, we see it at Church Answers. Our Know Your Community report is our fastest-growing resource.

4. The micro church could become a movement, but there are challenges. We define a micro church as a congregation with 30 or fewer attendees. The growth in the number of these churches was on an upward trend until COVID. Now, we see hesitancy to invite people into homes. We will see where this trend heads.

5. There will be more emphasis on evangelism than any period in 30 years. This trend is mostly positive. More churches and their leaders are obeying the Great Commission. But it is also a bit pragmatic as churches see other sources of growth like cultural Christianity declining rapidly.

6. More churches will merge or be adopted than any period in 30 years. There is a greater willingness of struggling churches to be adopted, and there are more churches willing to adopt other congregations than at any point in many years. This movement will prove to be pivotal to keep the doors open of churches that would otherwise close. It is also an indicator that the multisite movement will continue to grow. Once a healthier church adopts a struggling church, the healthier church is immediately multisite.

7. Denominational structures will begin to look more like networks. Many denominations realize that a top-down structure does not work in most contexts. Leaders in the denominations that are adapting are getting their guidance and ideas from the churches and their leaders who are at ground level.

8. Departures of pastors will increase by 20%. The Great Resignation will hit pastors hard. It is a conversation we have at Church Answers almost every day. There is definitely a pastor shortage on the horizon.

9. Ministry training will begin to evolve into different models. Seminaries, Bible colleges, and Christian universities are not going away. But new models will begin to grow at a rapid pace. We will have more on this trend in the next several weeks.

10. Church giving will decline 5%. Many churches experienced increased giving or at least level giving in 2020 and 2021. We are grateful for the generosity and stewardship of many faithful believers. But we also know that a large amount of liquidity was injected into the market by the government. Billions of dollars made it into the accounts of church members. We don’t anticipate future governmental support at that level. I just talked with one pastor whose church’s giving grew by 10% each of the past two years. He has decided not to budget an increase in 2022 for the very reason noted here.

Many of these projected trends are good. Others are not. Stay tuned at Church Answers and our podcast, Rainer on Leadership, as we dive deeper into these projections.

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Nine Pointers for Serving Alongside Your Spouse in Full-Time Ministry

When a married individual works in full-time ministry, there can be the temptation to think the spouse should volunteer in the same area in order to help. Sometimes this temptation comes from the full-time minister pressuring the spouse to “support” his or her ministry via volunteering or sacrificing. Other times it’s the spouse that pressures herself to volunteer, believing her husband’s calling is her responsibility too. While one spouse can and should be supportive of the other spouse’s full-time ministry, that certainly doesn’t equate to having the same passion or gifts. Let me share a quick personal note . . .

My husband, Art, began serving in full-time ministry as an administrative pastor in 2008. At the time, I was in a full-time graduate program at a secular institute. While he was working to help a struggling church, I was learning about mental health issues in children and adolescents. Our daily worlds were far from similar. And yet, I found myself trying to fit into his full-time ministry. How can I volunteer in his area of ministry in order to help him?

Fast-forward 13 years. A lot has changed for both Art and me; since 2008, we have changed jobs, moved homes, relocated to a different state, and now have children. One thing remains the same: God created Art and me very differently. While Art enjoys finances, I enjoy mental health and child development. I feel things deeply, and Art is more stoic. God fashioned us differently and paired us together, which is a beautiful thing.

So what happens when God pairs two different human beings together and then calls one to work in full-time ministry? Does that calling mean the spouse needs to volunteer in the same area to help? Learn from my mistake. The question I asked myself many years ago, “How can I volunteer in his area of ministry in order to help him?” was indeed the wrong question. The better question is, “How has God designed me to live and fulfill His mission?” On the flip side, “How has God designed my spouse to live and fulfill His mission?”

Instead of trying to fit one spouse into the other spouse’s ministry, it’s okay to recognize that God has designed and equipped each individual with unique qualities. A spouse that serves begrudgingly in an area of ministry is of little benefit to the ministry or the Kingdom of God.  However, when each individual serves wholeheartedly in the way God has designed them, both areas of ministry will benefit.

Maybe you can relate. You and your spouse have very different desires and skills. What do you do when that happens? When you and your spouse have differing gifts and passions, here are a few pointers:

1. Find ways to serve together. If there are areas you both enjoy serving, try serving together. This area may not replace your main area of ministry, but serving together in a smaller capacity can benefit your marriage and other ministries.

2. Support each other’s ministry (full-time or volunteer). Ask questions, speak encouragement, and be involved when possible. Even though God has given you different areas of ministry, you can and should support activities that honor God.

3. Ask your spouse for feedback about your current area of ministry. Having your spouse share his or her input creates a team member mentality. It communicates that you value your spouse’s opinion and your spouse has a voice in your ministry.

4. Talk regularly about how God is working in both your lives and ministries. Talking about how God is moving in the lives of others is an encouragement to everyone. Sometimes God uses your spouse’s walk with Christ to convict you or grow your area of ministry.  

5. Allow God to utilize you each in different ways in different areas of ministry. It’s okay not to have the same passions or interests. Trying to force your spouse to serve in ways God has designed you will create burnout and bitterness in your marriage and within your spouse. Allow your spouse to choose where she or he is equipped to serve. After all, your spouse is serving the Lord, not you.

6. Focus less on the roles, and more on the mission. God has not called you and your spouse to the same roles, but He has called you both to the same mission. Understanding that each spouse is called to be a disciple-making disciple allows freedom in how that mission plays out in your lives.

7. Celebrate the way God made your spouse. We serve a God of complexity and diversity. It’s His beautiful design that we are all created differently. Without the differing parts of the body of Christ, we could not operate in the way He designed us. Celebrate that!

8. Don’t compare your spouse to other’s spouses. Every couple is different, and every spouse is different. The comparison game will leave you feeling either prideful or depressed. God gave you your marriage for His glory.

9. Seek forgiveness. If you have pressured your spouse to serve your ministry in certain ways, you should seek forgiveness. Don’t try and fit your spouse into how God has designed you.

You and your spouse’s various gifts and passions are a blessing when it comes to marriage. God can utilize you and your spouse in different ways in ministry to usher in His kingdom, for His purpose, in His ways, using your different gifts. Amen.

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