Congregational Diagnosis: The SWORD Heart Exam ©

Many people use a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) as their diagnostic grid for assessing their congregation. I’ve developed a SWORD Heart Exam© (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Risks, Diagnosis) for diagnosing congregational health. God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13)—both of individuals and of congregations. The SWORD examination focuses our attention on responding proactively as we grow in understanding our congregation’s past, present, and future heart fitness for Ephesians 4 ministry.

• S: Strengths—Identifying Strengths: What Have We Done and Are We Doing Well in Ephesians 4 Ministry?

• W: Weaknesses—Recognizing Weaknesses: Where and Why Are We Failing to Embody Ephesians 4 Ministry?

• O: Opportunities—Picturing Opportunities: How Can We Move Toward Robust Ephesians 4 Ministry?

• R: Risks—Evaluating Risks: What Obstacles Stand in the Way of Healthy Ephesians 4 Ministry?

• D: Diagnosis—Diagnosing Heart Fitness: What Prescriptions Does God’s Word Suggest Given the State of Our Congregation’s Ephesians 4 Heart Health?

Identifying Strengths: What Have We Done and Are We Doing Well in Ephesians 4 Ministry?

When Jesus addressed the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, in most cases He began with a positive presentation of their present spiritual strengths. Starting your SWORD examination by assessing past and present health builds on the positive work God has done and is doing among your congregation.

This is particularly important if you’re new to your church. Your perception may be, “I have to fix this place.” The people’s perception may be, “Why does it have to be his way or the highway? Is everything going to have to change? Haven’t we been doing anything right in God’s eyes?”

We should appreciate what has gone before rather than arrogantly assuming that we’re the answer person who knows exactly what the church needs. We create trust by communicating that some things should not change, but rather be valued, maximized, and amplified.

As a spiritual conditioning coach, do what many sports trainers do—view videos of success. Don’t only observe times when your congregation struck out. Spot times when they hit a home run. Applaud them. Cheer them on. Affirm the good work God has accomplished and is accomplishing in them. Ponder together how to keep it going and growing.

We’ll start here if we believe the Bible. The Spirit promises to sovereignly assemble spiritually gifted believers to form a unified, empowered, one-another body (1 Corinthians 12).

Recognizing Weaknesses: Where and Why Are We Failing to Embody Ephesians 4 Ministry?

Engaging in spiritual conversations about spiritual weakness is never “fun.” However, it is necessary. When Jesus addressed the seven churches of Asia Minor, he pulled no punches in exposing their sin.

The objective is to isolate specific samples from the past and present where the congregation lacks Ephesians 4 heart health. Seek to discern heart reasons by looking for longstanding, underlying patterns. What in the corporate system—the congregation’s mindset about ministry—is causing heart blockage?

How do you respond to what you see? First, realize that in the assessment process you don’t have to solve everything now. You’re learning the heart of your people. Second, the eventual response will be the same response that Jesus called for in Revelation 2-3—individual and corporate repentance. There are spiritual reasons for unhealthy churches that we must address by speaking the truth in love. Third, we’ll address further responses in the chapter on change management and conflict resolution.

Picturing Opportunities: How Can We Move Toward Robust Ephesians 4 Ministry?

Here you’re looking forward toward an even brighter future. You’re priming the congregational pump so they begin envisioning future opportunities. As you talk to people who are excited about this future vision, recruit these catalyzers and change agents as part of your pilot team.

Even in negatives, emphasize positive possibilities. Ask, “What dormant gifts for Ephesians 4 ministry can we fan into flame?” “What will it look like when we turn this around?” “What resources are going untapped? Why? How can we tap into them?”

Evaluate linkage. Ask, “Where is Ephesians 4 ministry taking place, but in disjointed ways? How can we organize the organism so these natural, informal gatherings become a supernatural, normal part of our congregational life?”

Seek to determine priorities moving forward. You can’t do it all at once, so ask, “Where do we move from here in the Ephesians 4 ministry process? How? Why?” “Where should we start? What’s our next step?”

Evaluating Risks: What Obstacles Stand in the Way of Healthy Ephesians 4 Ministry?

Now you’re looking toward the future, but not with naïve eyes. You’re surveying the current landscape and scouting the potential roadblocks in the congregation’s path toward church health.

Jesus teaches how foolish it is to attempt to build something new without first counting the costs (Luke 14:28-33). Interestingly, the context for that passage is discipleship. In explaining how costly it is to commit to making disciple-makers, Jesus is encouraging disciples to gain a realistic perspective on potential hindrances to ministry. Who and what may stand against us? What apple carts might we upset? What cherished, longstanding ministries may need to die an honorable death because they no longer serve a disciple-making purpose?

We know we’re called to Ephesians 4 ministry, but how committed are we? Are we committed enough to work through the change management process? To wade into conflict resolution situations? To reach into our pockets, purses, and bank accounts to provide the necessary resources? To give sacrificially of our time and talent?

Diagnosing Heart Fitness: What Prescriptions Does God’s Word Suggest Given the State of Our Congregation’s Ephesians 4 Heart Health?

We should not expend our time or ask for others to give their time in the assessment process unless we have a plan for how we’ll use the insights we glean. Congregations are tired of “surveys” and “questionnaires” that go nowhere and accomplish nothing. Diagnosing your congregational heart fitness communicates that you value your people, what they’re doing, and the wisdom they’ve shared with you.

When your pilot team re-gathers after the cultural-analysis process, assess your assessment. Use God’s eternal vision for His Church as a spiritual EKG to diagnose the heart health of your congregation in order to establish a present baseline for envisioning God’s future dream. Pray for a big-picture understanding of who you are as a church family. Ask, “What are our past and present strengths and weaknesses as measured by the Ephesians 4 portrait of God’s healthy family?” “What are the future opportunities and risks that we face as we move toward growth as Christ’s healthy Body?”

Ask your team, “If Christ were speaking to us as He spoke to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, what would He say?” Lead your team in using the results of the SWORD Heart Exam to write an extensive paraphrase of Revelation 2-3 as if it were addressed to your church. The letters to the seven churches lend themselves very well to this. In each letter we read Christ’s understanding of the congregation, His diagnoses of their spiritual strengths and sins, His prescription of spiritual remedies, and His prognosis depending upon their responsiveness. 

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How would moving from a SWOT assessment to a SWORD diagnosis impact your congregational evaluation process?

It Takes a Congregation

The Big Idea: Learn Christ’s vision for your life in and through the church.

Sadly, in far too many churches, the people of God are second-class citizens when it comes to the work of the ministry. If a “lay” person makes a hospital visit, that’s okay, but we want to know, “where’s my pastor!”

Christ’s vision is so different. Pastors serve the people so God’s people can serve the congregation and community. Far too many “lay” people are recruited to fill a position and to fill a need—make the coffee, cover the nursery during the service—but not to fulfill a calling.

The Résumé of the People of God

Paul’s phrase “works of service” in Ephesians 4:12 elevates the ministry of God’s people. “Works” has a sense of divine calling and meaningful purpose. We could translate it as vocation and mission. The Bible uses it to describe God’s creative work. God the Creator commissions us for creative, zealous, purposeful work—work that glorifies Him as we serve one another.

Paul’s word for “service” is distinct from serving for wages, serving as a slave, and serving publicly. The basic nuance is personal service. It involves love in action through sacrificial ministry modeled after Christ’s own sacrifice.

Christ calls pastors to equip God’s people. Christ calls His people to creative, purposeful, meaningful, sacrificial, personal ministry to one another in His name. In the context of Ephesians 4:11-16, that work is nothing less than making disciple-makers through the personal ministry of the Word.

The Member Ministry Mindset Shift That Changes Everything: Every Member a Disciple-Maker

When pastors and members fulfill their purposes together then the Body of Christ builds itself up in two specific, cohesive ways: doctrinal unity and personal maturity (Ephesians 4:12-13). When a congregation knows the truth not just academically, but personally, then their love abounds in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9-11).

We often miss the vital real-life, “how-to” application of every member disciple-making that Paul embeds in this text. How does the church come to unity and maturity? Exactly what are pastors equipping people to do? Specifically how do members do the work of the ministry?

Paul answers: “By speaking the truth in love” we grow up in Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Every word in this passage funnels toward this remarkable phrase “speaking the truth in love.” Christ’s grand plan for His Church is for every member to be a disciple-maker by speaking and living Gospel truth to one another in love.

Paul selects an unusual Greek word which we often translate as “speaking the truth.” Actually, we should translate it both as speaking and living the truth. We might even coin the phrase “truthing.” Paul likely had in mind Psalm 15 where the Psalmist asks the question, ‘Who may dwell in your sanctuary?” He answers: “He whose walk is blameless; he who does what is righteous; he who speaks the truth from his heart” (Psalm 15:2). Who can serve in God’s sanctuary, the church—the one who embodies the truth in relationships.

The word Paul uses means transparent, truthfulness as a core character quality, genuine, authentic, reliable, real, sincere. It describes the person who ministers from a heart of integrity and Christ-like, grace-oriented love. It pictures the person whose relational style is transparent and trustworthy, authentic and genuine. The tense and context indicates that the Body of Christ should continually, actively, and collectively be truthing in love as it walks together in intimate, vulnerable connection. In one word, Paul combines content, character, and competence shared in community!

While the word means more than speaking, it does not mean less than speaking. And while it means more than sheer factual content, it does not mean less than the Gospel. Paul uses the identical word in Galatians 4:16. There he’s clearly speaking of preaching, teaching, and communicating the truth of the Gospel of Christ’s grace applied to daily growth in Christ (sanctification, growth in grace).

Combine Galatians 4:16 with Ephesians 4:16, both in context, and we find an amazing description of Gospel-centered biblical counseling—of the personal ministry of the Word. “Speaking the truth” means communicating Gospel truth about grace-focused sanctification in word, thought, and action through one another relationships that have integrity, genuineness, authenticity, transparency, and reliability, done in love to promote the unity and maturity of the Body of Christ for the ultimate purpose of displaying the glory of Christ’s grace.

What happens when pastors focus their calling on equipping God’s people to make disciple-makers through the personal ministry of the Word by speaking and living the truth in love? In Ephesians 4:16, Paul shows us what happens through picturing the Body in robust health as it is joined together, growing and building itself up in love as each part does its work.

The normal agenda and priority of every Christian is to make disciple-makers. Christ’s training strategy for disciple-making involves pastors equipping every member to embody the truth in love through the personal ministry of the Word (“biblical counseling”).

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How will this ministry mindset shift change your purpose in the church?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 6: The Church Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 8 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

What Is the Church Here For?

In addressing the church issue, Brian asks a series of important questions. “Around what grand endeavor can we rally? What one great danger do people need to be saved from and, more positively, what one great purpose do they need to be saved for? Around what melody can we harmonize without trying to homogenize?” (p. 164).

In response, Brian believes that we must “rethink our core mission” (p. 165). Brian’s rethinking is motivated by his belief that the church has lost touch with “normal” people and that preachers have forgotten how to speak their language. He’s also motivated by his perception that the church is living within an isolated or withdrawn religious subculture, or spiritual country club.

I’m not sure what churches Brian is visiting, but I agree with him—I wouldn’t applaud those churches either. I find it ironic that Brian uses the “spiritual country club” imagery for the churches he’s against. It seems to me that an exorbitant percentage of young Emergent church leaders are all coincidentally called to minister in churches filled with cool, trendy, well-educated, philosophically-inclined, upwardly-mobile, suburban, white-collar types. Isn’t God calling any young Emergent leaders to minister to blue-collar, high-school-educated, rural, or urban people?

A Church Of Biblical Counseling

Brian also seems to think that only he and his fellow Emergent church leaders are ministering in the mess and muck of life, and that only they are speaking the language of the people. The truth is, non-Emergent churches are in the trenches, on the front lines providing ministries based upon truth and love.

Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana, under the direction of Pastor Steve Viars, is a prime example. They’re staunchly conservative Evangelical in theology and cutting-edge in ministry practice and outreach. They’re a church of biblical counseling, not just a church with biblical counseling. Their biblical counseling ministry is not just within their congregation, it is to their community.

Every week over 100 community members receive free biblical counseling from Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries. Their waiting list is seemingly endless. Someone must believe they are speaking their language.

As part of Faith Community Ministries, the church built a community center…not for the congregation, but for the…community. The list of need-meeting ministries is amazing, such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Community Blood Drives, Community Foster Car, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross Disaster Shelter, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Clothing Closet, Food Pantry, etc. As part of this ministry, Faith also built a state-of-the-art outdoor skate board park. Many of these “Skaters” end up in church…with their skate boards and their torn jeans to hear exegetical, expository, biblical preaching every Sunday. These young Skaters believe Faith is speaking their language.

Faith’s Vision of Hope residential treatment center offers faith-based treatment for girls age 14-28 who are struggling with unplanned pregnancy, alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders, or self-harm. State agencies and the court system regularly refer girls to Vision of Hope—with the full knowledge that the program is based upon biblical counseling. Someone realizes they are speaking their language.

Faith Bible Seminary combines the traditional M.Div. emphasis in theology, the original languages, and pastoral training within a mentoring environment in partnership with area local churches. Students gain first-hand experience with Faith Biblical Counseling, Vision of Hope, and other unique ministries. They have no problem attracting students nor do their graduates have any problem finding local church placement. People know they are speaking their language.

Spiritual Formation in Truth and Love

Brian offer’s his view of the new core mission of the church. We’re called to focus on communities that form Christlike people living as agents of transformation. “The church exists to form Christlike people, people of Christlike love. It exists to save them from the danger of wasting their lives” (p. 164). The meaning of those words depends upon how Brian answered his previous five questions. As Mike Wittmer notes:

“Brian’s shallow evaluation of our problem (no Fall, original sin, total depravity, or hell) produces a shallow understanding of salvation (love as much as you can and let God’s judgment burn your bad stuff away) which produces a shallow view of the church (it exists merely to stop people from wasting their lives).”

Brian wants to know, “How does spiritual formation in the way of Jesus differ from religious education in the way of Christianity?”(p. 170). Great question! Of course, to answer this we must go back to Who Jesus is and why He came. If Jesus is a community organizer Who came to usher in the “sacred ecosystem” (p. 165), then formation in Jesus looks like one thing. But if Jesus is the God-man Who came in Holy Love to justify, regenerate, reconcile, and redeem sinners, then it looks like quite another thing.

Brian traces the church’s problem to knowledge without love. I don’t know anyone who would argue that we should only have love or only have knowledge. But Brian seems to minimize the role of knowledge—truth, doctrine, theology. The same Paul he quotes in 1 Corinthians also says in Philippians 1:9-11 that our love must abound in knowledge and depth of insight. Paul is not pitting love against knowledge. Paul is saying that truth or love alone are never enough. Brian says the church should be a school of love (p. 170). I would say, and I believe it’s a crucial difference, that the church should be a school where love abounds in knowledge and depth of insight.

Brian also says that we need to be Spirit-saturated people. I agree. Of course, we have to ask and answer the question, “How does the Spirit saturate us?” In what ways and under what condition(s) does the Spirit enter a person’s life? I would say, through rebirth, through salvation—through justification, regeneration, reconciliation, and redemption. (See my response to Question # 5.)

Brian’s view of the Fall, of Christ, and of the Gospel all seem to call into question salvation as justification, regeneration, reconciliation, and redemption. In this chapter, Brian furthers states that the goal of the church is to save people from wasting their lives. That’s quite different from saving them from sin, depravity, and alienation from God. So, without salvation, how does the Spirit saturate a person?

I believe the Bible teaches that the goal of the church is to introduce people to Christ Who saves them. They are thus justified, regenerated, reconciled, redeemed, and indwelt by the Spirit and thus they are empowered to be formed into the image of Christ. Then, as new creations in Christ, together as the Body of Christ, we minister to one another (biblical counseling and spiritual formation) so that our inner lives increasingly reflect the inner life of Christ and so that our outer lives increasingly sacrificially minister Christ’s grace to hurting and hardened people. That’s certainly not a wasted life.

The Rest of the Story

In our next post, we respond to Brian’s answer to the sex question. He asks, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?” What does biblical counseling have to say about addressing human sexuality?

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What is the purpose of the church and how is it accomplished?

Should Pastors Pastor?

Megachurch pastors are not likely to see themselves as that—pastors. According to recent findings from Leadership Network’s Large-Church Senior Pastor Survey, 81% of Sr. Pastors with more than 2,000 attendees view their role as “preacher/teacher” while only 16% see themselves as “pastor, shepherd, or spiritual guide.” And only 10% say they are strongest in pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. (You can find an article on this study in the Christian Post.)

Sad News, Not New News

While to me this is very sad news, it is hardly new news.

Pastor, author, and professor Eugene Peterson noted in a 1993 article for Christianity Today that the practice of pastoral soul care and spiritual direction was a forgotten art. Through his research he concluded that until about a century ago, pastoral work was synonymous with soul care—the Scripture-directed, prayer-shaped care that is devoted to persons singly or in groups, in settings sacred and profane.

In his 1989 book, The Contemplative Pastor, Peterson noted that pastors now focus on running a church (administration) and have abandoned their historic call to pastoral soul care. Peterson saw many of the ministers of his day as CEOs and polished public speaker. But can they relate? Do they care? Do they practice pastoral care? Are they even aware of their ancestors in pastoral practice?

“Yes, But”

I can hear you now…

“Yes, but there’s no way a pastor with 2,000 people can counsel, pastor, or shepherd everyone!”

I’m not saying they could or even should provide personal ministry to everyone.

I’m saying they should be able to shepherd someone! More importantly, the Bible says that a pastor should be able to shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-5; Acts 20:25-38; Colossians 1:28-2:2).

Objection # 2

Or, you might say, “Yes, but the work of the pastor is equipping the people to do the work of the ministry, not doing all the work of the ministry.”

I agree 100% that pastors are equippers. Of course, nothing in the survey noted this as their self-identified role.

Additionally, how can you equip people for the personal ministry of the Word (counseling, shepherding, spiritual direction) if you have little or no experience or ability or passion in that area? And how many mega-churches have equipping ministries for lay counseling, lay care-giving, lay shepherding? (Answer: a very low percentage.)

Another Potential Objection

Or, you might say, “Yes, but through the pulpit ministry of the Word, so many more are fed.”

Here’s my problem with that—if a pastor is not involved in the personal ministry of the Word (shepherding, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction), then the preaching is more from theory than from real-life, raw, relevant ministry experience.

Hiding behind the pulpit ministry of the Word can easily become an excuse to avoid the personal ministry of the Word. The pulpit ministry of the Word and the personal ministry of the Word are not enemies. They should be partners.

Join the Conversation

What do you think?

Should every pastor be involved in the personal ministry of the Word through shepherding, pastoral counseling, care-giving, soul care, and/or spiritual direction?

Should pastors pastor? Or, does pastoring a mega-church grant pastors a pass on pastoring?

Is a pastor a soul physician or a CEO/public speaker?

The Anatomy of Anxiety

Part 25: A Safe Place to Hit Rock Bottom

Note: For previous posts in this blog mini-series, visit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.

Big Idea: Does worry, doubt, or fear get the best of you sometimes? Do you wonder where anxiety comes from and how to defeat it in your life and the lives of those you love? Then we need a biblical anatomy of anxiety. We need God’s prescription for victory over anxiety.

The Safest Place on Earth?

When we struggle with issues like anxiety and depression, unfortunately, the church is often one of the least safe places on the planet. Is the church a safe place to hit rock bottom, or is it the place we get stoned by rocks?

When someone comes to us anxious or depressed, do we respond more like the loving, accepting Father or the judgmental older brother (see Luke 15:11-32)? Are we the good Samaritan, crossing over to get bloody, or are we the self-righteous Pharisee staying as far away as possible from life’s messes (see Luke 10:25-37). Are we asking, “Who sinned?” or are we praying, “How can we help bring healing?” (see John 9:1-12).

Spiritual Conversations

There are many ways to help bring healing. One way is to learn the art of “spiritual conversations.” In my book Spiritual Friends, I call these “trialogues.” In a monologue, I talk at you. In a dialogue, we talk to each other. In a trialogue, together we invite a Third Party to join our conversation—Jesus. Every interaction between Christian friends should include at least three people: you, your friend, and the ultimate Spiritual Friend—Christ—who we invite in through His Word and His Spirit.

Sustaining Spiritual Conversations: Romans 12:15

Sustaining spiritual conversations seek to empathize with another person’s hurts and struggles. They seek to communicate, “It’s normal to hurt.” And, “It’s frightening to experience anxiety.” They “climb in the casket” of anxiety, for instance, that feels like death warmed over. They weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). They face the fact that we live in a fallen world and it often falls on us.

Ponder just a few sample sustaining spiritual conversations. The idea is not to repeat these in a rote, wooden way. In fact, don’t repeat them at all. Use these samplers to create from your own caring heart person-specific interactions that communicate that you care and accept your friend exactly where she/he is.

*“I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I can see and feel your stress and fear.”

*“What do you fear the most in this situation? What’s the worst case scenario? What if that happened?”

*“When are your worries the most overwhelming? When are they the least taxing?”

*“What are these feelings of anxiety like for you? Please help me to understand, the best anyone could, what you’re feeling right now.”

*“Specifically, what are the situations and circumstances that you’re worried and anxious about?”

*“When else have you experienced feelings similar to this? How did you respond? What did you learn about God and yourself in that situation? What would you repeat and what would you change?”

*“If you knew that God would say ‘Yes,’ to your prayer about this situation, what would you be praying?”

*“What has been robbed from your life due to these fears and stresses?”

*“What do you wish were happening instead of what you’re experiencing now?”

*“Have you been able to share your heart with God? What have you said? What are you sensing from God?”

*“What might God be up to in all of this?”

*“How is your battle with anxiety influencing your relationship to Christ?”

*“What do you think the Bible says about anxiety, worry, and fear?”

*“What Scriptures could we look at that illustrate how God’s people have talked to God when they felt fear, worry, and anxiety?”

*“If you were to write your own Psalm 27, 31, 46, 55, 91, 92, 109, or 116, related to your fears, how would it sound? What would you write?

*“What Scriptures might you turn to in order to discover God’s perspective on this?”

*“What passages have you found helpful in gaining a new perspective on this? To find strength and courage and peace as you go through this?”

*“How does your faith in Christ fit into your feelings and thoughts?”

*“How could your image of Christ impact your current feelings and prompt peace?”

Keeping It Real

1. Are you a safe person? Do people feel safe hitting rock bottom with you?

2. Who has been a safe spiritual friend for you? Who enters into spiritual conversations with you that communicated, “It’s normal to hurt.”

3. Of the sample sustaining spiritual conversations, which ones would you want spoken to you? What additional samples would you add when speaking to a friend struggling against anxiety?

The Rest of the Story

In our next post we move from the casket to the empty tomb. We explore together healing spiritual conversations that communicate, “It’s possible to hope.” And, “It’s possible to experience peace even when you feel worried.”

Join the Conversation

How can we make our churches safe places to hit rock bottom?

Spiritual Friends

100 Top Resources for Your Life and Ministry

“Want to change lives?”

That’s the four-word summary of my passion that drives everything I do with RPM Ministries: “Want to change lives?”

I want to equip God’s people to change lives. I know that’s not as “user-friendly” or “seeker-sensitive” as many more self-absorbed questions.

However, I have faith that people of faith want to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth.

The Macy’s Santa Claus

Of course, I’m certainly not the only person passionate about equipping. That’s why one of my commitments is to be a bridge-builder directing you to additional equipping sources.

I like to use the analogy from the movie Miracle on 34th Street. Remember how the Macy’s Santa shocked everyone by sending customers to the “competition” (Gimbels)? Why? Because for him it wasn’t a competition! Life was all about helping others to find what they needed.

That’s the passion behind my bridge-building, resource-providing ministry.

Ministry is not competition. We’re co-workers together. God’s resources are infinite. Human needs are close to infinite. Let’s work together, building bridges and pointing each other to the best sources for changing lives with Christ’s changeless truth.

That’s why you’ll find on the right hand side of my website my blogroll and favorite websites that I follow and recommend.

For your convenience, I’ve listed below (with automatic links) these 100 top sites. Take a look, visit, enjoy–and be equipped. Because…you want to change lives.

Join the Conversation

What blogs and web sites do you recommend to someone seeking to be equipped to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth?

Where do you go to find Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed equipping for biblical counseling, spiritual formation, Christian living, and church ministry?