Welcome to Clergy Craftsman, a brand-new blog devoted to learning the craft of ministry. I’ve created this blog for pastors who, like myself, want to lead and minister well. My goal is to add as much value as I can to my fellow clergymen and learn as much as I Continue Reading
Honing Our Craft: Defining Self-Awareness & the Danger of Lacking Self-Awareness
Welcome back to the “Honing Our Craft” series here on Clergy Craftsman. Last post I introduced self-awareness as an essential skill for ministry craftsmanship. In this post, we’ll dive deeper by defining self-awareness and seeing the damage caused by its absence. Let’s begin with a quote by psychologist Tchiki Davis: Continue Reading
Honing Our Craft: The Necessity of Becoming Self-Aware
I recently wrote an article for Christianity Today entitled “The Craftsman in the Pulpit”. The article discussed how sustaining a passion for ministry is directly linked to being good at ministry. As you might suspect, it concluded with 3 practical steps to improve one’s ministry skills. Now that the article Continue Reading
How Incorrect Expectations Can Lead to Ministry Workaholism
A friend recently confided to me, “If there’s one thing I could go back and change, I wish I had not worked so much.” His statement didn’t surprise me. Probably because I’ve heard those exact words uttered multiple times, almost always from older men who, like my friend, were successful Continue Reading
Why a Detailed Study of Scripture Can Cause More Harm Than Good
Imagine it is Friday evening and you are at the Gheen household. My wife and I have invited you over for game night. The house you’re in looks like your average 1,500 square foot, split-level home. A few toys are still scattered around the living room because I have 3 Continue Reading