When You Have To Let Someone Go
In my ministry, there have been three times when I’ve reached the point of writing a resignation letter. In all three instances, I was (a) out of gas emotionally, (b) concerned about my base of support with the silent majority, (c) under severe attack. I can also remember that every situation was, unfortunately, staff related.
Seven Deadly Sins of a Church Staff
The following is not so much an article but my notes for a recent presentation with our church staff. It’s part of a leadership seminar I’m working on. If you are a pastor, you might find something you identify with. If you are a staff member, read carefully. You may not agree with all of
A Final Thought On Books and Bookstores
If you are like me, you love a good bookstore. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to find some incredible Christian bookstores that have (a)put a dent in my budget and (b) blessed my ministry. I’m a sucker for a book. Currently I have over 10,000 books in my library and around 5,000 tapes of
What Is Revival?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve gone to revival meetings. I heard Vance Havner say, “Churches talk about holding a revival. I’m ready for someone to turn one loose.” I must admit I’m fascinated by revival. I grew up during the time of the Jesus Revolution and had a taste of it. I’ve read dozens
Cross-Cultural Ministry
One of the most difficult principles of New Testament Christianity to communicate is a cross-cultural ministry. We’ve bought the lie of church growth ‘experts’ that it is impossible to crossover cultural lines and build a church that is a picture of diversity. Most believers would agree that God divided the races at the tower of
What’s A Preacher To Do?
What should a preacher be known for? What is the purpose of preaching? In a day with multimedia special effects, drama and major productions, preaching and preachers have fallen on hard times. Many churches have canceled Sunday evening services because people won’t come back to hear the preacher. With the glut of TV preachers, the
Let’s Not Be Arrogant
LET’S NOT BE ARROGANT, BUT LET US BE CONFIDENT IN CHRIST – Part 2 I have a friend who was doing a meeting in a church one day. He began talking about a particular church that God was a blessing. The pastor responded by saying, my mentor is the former pastor of that church and
Let’s Not Be Arrogant
LET’S NOT BE ARROGANT, BUT LET US BE CONFIDENT IN CHRIST written by: Michael Catt What I’m about to share with you is a true story. We all have stories like this. They are nightmares to those of us in the ministry. A friend of mine has a classic line, “I can’t make up the
Ten Commandments For Funerals
written by: Michael Catt As a pastor, I’ve done a number of funerals. Some have been for people I have dearly loved. Others for relatives of members I’ve barely known. A few have been for total strangers. Funerals are a vital part of a pastor’s ministry. I know pastors who don’t do funerals. I think
Loyalty Is A Word You Don’t Hear Much Anymore
written by: Michael Catt As I was driving down the road the other day, I started thinking about the word, ‘loyalty.’ It’s a word I grew up with. It’s a word often heard in association with patriotism. It used to be associated with denominations, churches, corporations and such. Not anymore. The day of loyalty is
His Name Is Wonderful
written by: Michael Catt Chapter 4: The Head of the Family: The Eternal Father The name before us is a reference to God the Son as Creator of heaven and earth. In Hebrews, chapter one, beginning in verse ten, we read, “And, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and
New On Cable
written by: Michael Catt We live in an age of technology. One area where this technological advancement is most obvious is in television. In the last 30 years, the variety of programming has exploded onto our screens. When I was growing up we could pick up 3 or 4 stations. Of course, you had to