True confession: science was never my favorite subject. My university science requirements were fulfilled with courses like “Human Nutrition” (I get to talk about food every day?) and “Geology” (how hard could looking at rocks be?). During 7^th grade parent teacher conferences, my life science teacher reported I preferred talking to active participation in class (um, that was definitely the girl who sat next to me!). Studying theology as an undergraduate and pursuing a call to pastoral ministry allowed me to avoid all those labs and experiments my science-loving peers voluntarily signed up for…at least I thought so.

True confession: as a pastor in ministry, I do a lot of experimenting. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent, and continue to spend, a significant amount of time focused on youth ministry. My seminary professor Kenda Dean often asserted, “Youth ministry is the de facto research and development branch of American Christianity.” So, for me, experimenting comes with a territory. While I agree that youth ministry is a hub for inquiry and change in the church, I think those of us who serve as pastors in today’s church are, and will be, challenged to experiment more and more as we navigate a rapidly changing social, cultural, and religious environment. As I experiment in ministry, here’s what I’m learning. Continue Reading…

I have had a couple of conversations lately that started out with someone asking me something along the lines of: “What app do you use for [something]?” or “How can I do [insert your dilemma] with my phone?” So today, I thought I would simply offer up some of my favorite go-to apps that I use all the time in the hope that they might assist you in your ministry or life.

• Dropbox … if you are not yet using this – you need to! It eliminates the need for USB flash drives and I no longer have to email myself updated versions of sermon from home to the office on a Sunday morning. All you do is download the program, install it on your computer/tablet/phone, and then you have instant access to all the folders and files that you store. It functions as another storage drive on your device and is simple to use. Dropbox offers pay versions with additional GB storage, but the free one is plenty to get started with and they offer many incentives to get additional space if desired.

Continue Reading…

I love nothing more than a completed to-do list. Seeing each item crossed off fills me with a sense of accomplishment. Here’s the thing — even though I love the sight of a completed to-do list, I get bored with using that method as a means of being productive. So, in my hopes of being new and creative, I search for new ways to be productive. And let me say, I’ve tried quite a few. Books, websites, apps, and trainings—you name it, I’ve tried it (or thought about trying it!). The truth is, I never stop looking into new products and books; if I’m searching for information on being productive then I’m being productive, right?

Nonetheless, ministry (and other professions) and life require us to do certain things at certain times. To that end, I offer three ideas about how to engage when you are wrestling with productivity.

1. TRY IT ALL—AND THEN CREATE YOUR OWN! Continue Reading…