by Karl Fickling | Nov 11, 2019 | Faith & Heritage
First Thessalonian 5:17 says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Many pastors might struggle to preach on this passage, as they tell me their churches are full of people who gripe about the most meaningless...
by Karl Fickling | Oct 3, 2019 | Leadership
When I visit pastorless churches, I have a fear that my PowerPoint will malfunction. That did happen in August. Fortunately, I always have handouts as a backup. Last Sunday, however, I developed a new fear. What if I don’t have any clothes! I’m not talking about the...
by Karl Fickling | Sep 6, 2019 | Faith & Heritage
I’ve had a mixed experience with the Lord’s Supper—the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. See if you can tell which is which. Better yet, give each experience your own Yelp rating. When I was ten, the Air Force chaplain snapped his Communion (the term used in Protestant...
by Karl Fickling | Aug 8, 2019 | Leadership
I gathered with 12 pastoral leaders for a day of open sharing. I know. This means there were thirteen. I’m not superstitious, so that thought didn’t bother me. I did, however, look to see who might represent Jesus, who might be the inner circle, and who might be the...
by Karl Fickling | Jul 29, 2019 | Education, Ministry
There’s a lot written about how generations are different, but sometimes there are similarities. Take, for instance, the retired pastor from the Builder generation, who came through our interim pastor training. He said, “This training is like being back in seminary,...
