By Eddie Pipkin This is part-the-third of our five-part 2020 kickoff in the blogosphere in which we are looking at the elements of discipleship as they fulfill the needs of those seeking purpose and power in their lives. We’re helping people think of the healthy habits of disciples not as a chore, but as a [...]
By Eddie Pipkin In part two of our five-part blog series kick-off to 2020, we’ll continue to look at the ways in which the development of Discipleship skills are the path to a full life for those who are seeking something more but facing conflicting feelings about the traditional church’s role in helping them get [...]
By Eddie Pipkin I previewed a new series last week in which we would consider the elements of discipleship and how, when fully realized, they fulfill the basic needs in the modern search for meaning. It’s not just about the “discipline” of following Jesus: it’s a path to what’s missing in our lives (and the [...]
By Eddie Pipkin and Phil Maynard It’s been a great year at Excellence in Ministry Coaching. Phil has traveled the country working with leadership and congregations to revitalize and grow their ministries, hearing your stories, the blessings of your work and the challenges you face. A couple of days before Christmas, he and I met [...]
By Eddie Pipkin Merry post-Christmas from the gang at EMC3! We hope your holidays have been glorious, blessed with the joy of work well done, and we trust that you’re enjoying a well-earned rest. I’ve written a little poem for your amusement, titled “’Twas the Day After Christmas,” and we’ve also included a couple of [...]
By Eddie Pipkin When checking out a recently published article about how families decide whether to choose an artificial Christmas tree or a live version, I was fascinated to read about the evolving nature of increasingly realistic fake trees. You will have noticed that you can now buy trees with genuine-looking bark, needles that are [...]
By Eddie Pipkin I made the mistake last week of stepping on the bathroom scale. I am a big believer in not cramping the festive spirit of the Christmas season with such foolishness as scientific evidence that I’m celebrating a little more than is strictly advisable. But good data has a way of holding us [...]
By Eddie Pipkin On the heels of Thanksgiving, my inbox included a gift of an article which detailed the science behind the link between gratitude and giving. There is increasing research that corroborates – and explains – the correlation between expressions of thankfulness and the practice of generosity. As ministry leaders, we understand the implicit [...]
By Eddie Pipkin Traditionally, we embrace this season of family, friends, and glorious food by counting our blessings. We gather together in celebration of one another and the good things in life. We are thoughtful about expressing our appreciation. We take the “gratitude challenge,” and post something new to be thankful for each day on [...]
By Eddie Pipkin In our recent “no fences” blog series, in which we explored the many ways we can make ministry more accessible to more people, I boldly stated a premise that we needed a new set of metrics to measure progress and success. As ministry is changing, I argued, the old, familiar measurement tools [...]
