In talking with lots of people in my church and watching the endless scroll on social media, the anxiety levels around this election seem to be at record highs. There are many talking heads and candidates who say that if this or that person gets elected, this is the end—the end of our country as […] The post 1 Thing Every Follower of Jesus Needs to do This Election Season appeared first on JoshuaReich.org ..read more

Have you ever met someone for coffee only to have them show up late? Have you ever gone to a meeting that was supposed to start at 6 p.m. but started closer to 6:20? Have you ever gone to a church service that was supposed to start at 9 a.m. but started closer to 9:13? […] The post Why Being on Time Matters in Life & Leadership appeared first on JoshuaReich.org ..read more

One of the things you hear people say throughout life is being in “the right place at the right time.” There is a lot of truth to that regarding life, relationships, finances, etc.  It also applies to leadership and pastoral ministry in significant ways.  One of the overlooked reasons that a pastor doesn’t click with […] The post The Right Pastor for the Moment You Find Yourself In appeared first on JoshuaReich.org ..read more

Looking at most churches in decline from the outside, the decline seems obvious. But when you are inside the decline, it is easy to miss. The same is true when it comes to our health or relationships. We don’t see ourselves putting on 20 pounds, but those around us do. We don’t see our marriage […] The post One Thing that Leads to Church Decline (And How to Turn the Tide) appeared first on JoshuaReich.org ..read more

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash Picture a church staff meeting. Someone comes in and says, “I was talking to someone on Sunday morning, and they had a great idea for a new ministry. What if we start a ministry to _____?” That blank can be anything: a ministry for moms, men, people who won’t come on Sunday morning, young adults, or senior adults. How do you know? Should you do every idea and opportunity presented to your church? What if you should say no? Or wait? How do you know? Here are 6 questions to ask before starting a new ministry or program at your church. 6 ques ..read more

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash One of the struggles many people have is trying to figure out where their relationship with Jesus is.  There are seasons and moments when things feel like they are going well. You are in community, spending time with Jesus through prayer, reading scripture, and practicing other spiritual disciplines. And then there are times when those things fall off, and we wonder, “What happened?” It isn’t just about practices or disciplines but about where our heart is or is not.  But how do you know? Because discerning our hearts can be very d ..read more

Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash Recently, I had several (separate) conversations with guys my age where I talked about some of the dreams Katie and I have and some of the prayers we are praying about our future. As our kids continue to grow, we are asking God how to launch them best, what pastoral ministry as empty nesters look like, and for him to give us clarity about pastoral ministry in our 50s and beyond. Why? So much life is ahead of us; we don’t want to miss all God has for us. What you do today and your decisions impact where you are in a decade or two. When I shar ..read more

Photo by li hao on Unsplash Summer is almost upon us.  In New England, we get three months of warmth, so you want to capitalize on every moment at the beach or in the woods, just soaking up the sun and having fun.  But how? Many people struggle to stop, to take their vacation days, or even to make the most of them.  As you prepare for summer, here are a few thoughts to help you make the most of it:  6 ideas to make the most of your summer vacation. Click To Tweet Take all your vacation days. This might sound like a funny first point, but decide to take all ..read more

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash On Sunday, I preached one of my favorite parts of the book of Galatians, an idea that is central to the gospel of Jesus but so hard to live out daily.  What is it? Living like a child of God.  The truth in Galatians 3:26 – 4:7 is that as a follower of Jesus, we have the same access, rights, and privileges to God the Father as Jesus.  As a follower of Jesus, we have the same access, rights, and privileges to God the Father as Jesus. Click To Tweet But according to Paul, this isn’t some future experience but a daily experience. He ..read more

Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash Every follower of Jesus is trying to grow in their spiritual practices. But what if our personalities get in the way? What if you are an introvert or an extrovert? You are stunting your spiritual growth because you only do certain spiritual practices instead of ones you tend to dislike or find uncomfortable. I kept hearing people like Jon Tyson and John Mark Comer talk about a book I had never read, “Invitation to a Journey.” They kept saying, “It’s the best book on spiritual formation.” They were right.  There were so many insights ..read more