When this website launched in 2015, writing regular posts to equip churches and encourage leaders was more an aspiration than an actual ministry strategy. For the first five years of this website’s existence, I mustered only a handful of posts per year. No one outside of a few friends knew the website existed.
However, things began to change early last year. As the COVID shutdown began, ministry methodologies were forced to transform overnight. While the world was on lockdown, folks were stuck in their homes and staring at screens most of the day. It was then that my writing aspiration became a viable strategy to equip churches and encourage leaders.
Since that time, the readership of this blog has increased exponentially. Instead of 2,500 visits per year, traffic has grown to over 4,000 visits per month. So, to you, Dear Reader, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing some of these posts with others. Thank you for encouraging me to keep writing.
As 2021 draws to a close, here are the top ten posts from the past twelve months:
- #1: Experts Predict a Surge in Pastor Transitions. Here are 9 Reasons Why They Might Be Right – Church experts predicted an increase in pastor transitions in 2021, and their predictions have mostly proven accurate. This post provides nine reasons why many pastors are participating in The Great Resignation.
- #2: 31 Days (& Ways) to Pray For Your Pastor – This post provides a daily prayer guide for praying for your pastor during Pastor Appreciation Month and every other month of the year as well.
- #3: 15 Summer Outreach Ideas for Your Church – As the temperature began to rise during the summer months, churches stepped outside to minister in their communities. This post listed 15 unique outreach ideas to try during the summer.
- #4: Clarify Your Calling: 5 Book Recommendations If You Sense a Call to Pastoral Ministry – Every pastor once had to clarify the calling that God had placed on their lives. Thankfully, many books exist to assist in this process. This post lists five of my personal favorites.
- #5: 7 Characteristics of Effective Ministry Partnerships – As church leaders seek to develop partnerships with other churches and parachurch organizations, this post lists seven characteristics to look for.
- #6: When a Pastor Resigns: 5 Common Ways Church Members Respond – Pastoral transitions are a normal and regular part of the church experience. However, church members deal with the news that their pastor is stepping down differently. This post explains the five most common ways church members respond.
- #7: Avoid These 7 Individuals When Forming Your Pastor Search Committee – Pastor search committees have the crucial responsibility of identifying their church’s next pastor. Because of the nature of their work, the church must appoint the right people to this committee. This post identified seven individuals who should not be on your next pastor search committee.
- #8: 4 Ways to Pray During a Pastor Search – One of the most effective ways every church member can participate during a pastor search is through prayer. This post explains four specific ways to do so.
- #9: 7 Friendships Every Pastor Needs – As strange as it may sound to church members, pastoral ministry can be lonely. While pastors are around people regularly, they don’t often have many close relationships. However, sometimes they need a friend to lift them up. This post lists seven friendships that every pastor needs.
- #10: Bivocational on Purpose – Many pastors serve bivocationally out of financial necessity and others for strategic reasons. This post lists five reasons why some pastors are bivocational on purpose.
Thank you again for reading and sharing these posts with others! I pray that this blog will continue to be a place of encouragement and equipping for you in the year to come!
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
