Consider these statistics: 42% of pastors considered quitting in the last year. 50% of pastors do not make it past five years in ministry. 80% do not last ten years. We are seeing an epidemic of pastoral burnout in our day. Why? In their new book The Unhurried Pastor (The Good Book Company, 2024), Brian … Continue reading Redefining What it Means to Be Productive in Ministry
In his new book Love The Ones Who Drive You Crazy (Crossway, 2023), Jamie Dunlop makes a bold claim: Churches should be united around Christ alone, not Christ plus other shared convictions. And yet, when churches do this well, they are ripe for conflict. If we are truly committed to welcoming those with different opinions … Continue reading How to Love Fellow Christians, Even When They Drive You Crazy
One of the most central figures of the Swiss Reformation was a man named Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli spent twelve years shepherding the people of Zurich. He led and taught them how to properly worship, how to love and believe the Bible and how to live out the gospel. He helped Zurich understand Reformation. Even though he … Continue reading Ulrich Zwingli: A Life in Conflict
We live in a very divided age. Yet, this should not surprise us because, wherever there is human civilization and at least two differing opinions there will inevitably be divisions. In any given society there will be division politically, socially, economically, ideologically, morally, and religiously, etc. Unfortunately, the division doesn’t stop with the culture at … Continue reading What Should We Do When Doctrine Divides the People of God?
This year was a great year for books! There were many excellent books released in 2023 that prove helpful for followers of Jesus to think biblically. RFTG is only able to review and recommend a tiny fraction of the many books that were released this year. However, we thought it would be helpful to release … Continue reading RFTG Best Books of 2023
What if the weekly Sunday morning worship gathering of your local church wasn’t just something you attended each week, but something you looked forward to and prepared your heart for each week? What if it became for you the central event of your week, every week? How might that change your experience of going to … Continue reading Preparing Your Heart For Sunday Worship
What comes to mind when you hear the word Puritan? Do you think of old men in black robes, funny hats, and big collars? That picture is the most common caricature of the Puritans. There is also a misconception that a Puritan is someone who thinks that “somewhere in society, someone is having fun” and … Continue reading Learning to Follow Jesus from the Puritans
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways…” (James 3:1-2a, ESV). So begins one of the most widely quoted scripture verses regarding pastoral ministry, and it is truly excellent advice. I have heard it said … Continue reading The Joy-Filled Journey of Pastoral Ministry
Attending a Baptist seminary, I became familiar with Leon McBeth’s book A Baptist Heritage. The 800+ page text teaches one about Baptist history while sharing insights about other denominations. Sure, it has its flaws, but no book is perfect. Despite its imperfections, it would be great if each Christian denomination had texts summarizing its history, like A … Continue reading The Heritage of Anglican Theology
Evangelism. There is much need for it in the world today. For the gospel to go forward we must prioritize evangelism in our local churches and in our personal lives. This then raises the question: what is evangelism? Simply put, evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Apostle Paul calls … Continue reading A Call to Personal Evangelism
All throughout church history, followers of Jesus have held fast to the belief that the Bible is the word of God. There are skeptics today who seriously doubt this claim, however, it has been an essential doctrine of the church down through the ages. Modern day Christians stand on the shoulders of those who have … Continue reading Studying the Bible Through Church History
There is no shortage of books on the market today that are ready to tell us how to grow a church. Each one likely having a differing opinion on the right way to get it done. Denominations and individual churches have teams dedicated to implementing the latest strategies for church growth. The truth is that … Continue reading The Gift of Loving Your Church
