Today one of my family’s best friends is moving away. Casey Alexander is heading south to the ATL. It’s God’s doing, so I’m for it…but we’re pretty sad at the McCarter house. But I’m not worried about us…I’m worried about the church. Casey, and people like her, make churches go. You see, people come to [...]
Whatever will we do?
The other day I asked Matt, “What are church bands going to do when it’s not cool to rip-off U2 and Coldplay anymore?” It sounds angsty in print, but it wasn’t. It’s a legit question, ‘cause the day is coming…in fact, it might already be here. It’s been a good run (I’d say a good 10-12 [...]
How I use the iPad, and why it's great for pastors
There’s plenty of debate about whether or not the iPad’s a big deal. But as a pastor, it’s been a pretty big deal for me. Here are 9 ways I use it to do ministry that have made a significant difference: Teaching notes. Sometimes I need nothing more than an index card for sermon notes. [...]
Living on the edge.
I can’t stand that arcade game with the quarters that get pushed to the edge (but rarely off). I can almost feel the tension of those coins hovering over the edge waiting to fall, but somehow, against all odds, they manage to hang on. The game somehow defies the laws of physics, it spits in [...]
Vision for 100
One year ago I accepted a challenge from Michael Gatlin. It boiled down to this (paraphrasing wildly): “Set a goal for how many people will be led to Christ through the ministry of your church in the next year. Be bold about it, and then have the guts to tell your church about it, and [...]
Who's going to watch you die?
“Death Cab for Cutie” might be my favorite band. If you’re unfamiliar with then, the name probably paints the wrong picture. I like their sound (they’re known for their vocals, but their drummer is phenomenal). But I’m a fan because of their occasionally brilliant lyrics. The lead guy (Ben Gibbard) does most of the writing, [...]
Are Christians intolerant (2 of 3)
“The trouble with religion is it’s intolerant because it presses other’s to adopt a particular set of beliefs.” That statement is, by it’s own flawed definition, intolerant. Tolerance cannot be pretending that we don’t have conviction about the truth. That’s just dishonest. Those who protest the concept of “absolute truth” do so because they have [...]
