By Glenna Marshall

God is sovereign over our lives. He has ordained all of our days, our ministries, the churches where we’ll serve, and the people who fill the pews each week. He sees the isolation that ministry families often feel. He knows about every stinging comment you’ve received, and He’s aware of the way your heart hurts. He knows that on some Sundays, church doesn’t feel like a very safe place for you. And He is with you when you walk in and offer a smile and a hug though everything in you wanted to stay home.

By Kellye Carmack

There are parameters in following Christ. Those parameters allow us to freely and safely live where we can experience true blessing. God’s commands, rightly applied, give life, joy and protection.

By Glenna Marshall

Because the Spirit lives in me (and you), we can love the church! Not perfectly, and not all the time. Sin is still a present reality in this life. But, with time and growth and the faithful, sanctifying work of Christ, the love that Paul writes about will grow in our hearts as the Spirit keeps His word to make us more like Jesus.

By Kellye Carmack

It feels easier for us to believe that Jesus rose from the dead than to believe that He will work all things out for our good. Friend, this is what I want you to remember: If Jesus really rose from the dead, then everything else He says is true. He promised he would rise from the dead, just like he promised to give you all things for life and godliness, just like He promised to never leave you or forsake you, just like He promised to provide for all your needs.

By Glenna Marshall

If you are struggling through a difficult season of ministry, I encourage you to spend some time in the middle of your Bible. Read the psalms, memorize them, study them, sing them, pray them, journal them. And follow the path that the psalmists do: lament your troubles before the Lord—but then remember His past faithfulness to you. Make a list if you must! He was faithful to you in the past, and He will continue to be faithful to you no matter what. While He may not end your trial when you want Him to, He will be with you through it. He sees. He knows.

By Kellye Carmack

The body of Christ is full of “worship leaders,” who never step on a stage or pick up a guitar, but whose lives constantly point others to the Savior. Your church doesn’t need you to be a dynamic teacher or an amazing hostess. They need you to love God more than anything else in the world.

By Glenna Marshall

It’s easy to let your church ministry dominate every conversation, be the point of every prayer, or be the source of every joy or discouragement. If you’re new to ministry life, it might even seem right. But your ministry is only as healthy as your marriage.

By Kellye Carmack

Taking time to examine our hearts, our work, and our relationships at church can be a good habit for a ministry family. One way to do that is with reflection questions. I love reflection questions. They’re like prodding little friends who pull the hidden mess of our hearts into the light.

By Glenna Marshall

What is it about writing and receiving a letter that bears more weight than a text or email? Why take the time to pen words and mail them when we can simply call or tap out a few words that are instantaneously read? And how can something as seemingly simple as mailing a short note in the mail help us love our congregations better?

By Kellye Carmack

I’ve had a lot of experience with unmet desires, with years of praying and longing but not receiving. Like our foster child, I’ve known what I wanted, and it has looked so good. I’ve been certain it would be the best thing for me, and I have been angry with God for not agreeing with me. I’ve spent a good bit of time trying to interpret and understand my losses through the lens of Scripture.

By Glenna Marshall

When we are perplexed about those who come against our ministry without merit, we can know that God will not hear the lie against us. Rather, He listens attentively to our prayer against the lie! When your ministry is denigrated, criticized unduly, slandered, or unfairly judged, let your vindication come from the Lord who sees, knows, and understands. If people are lying about you, the Lord will not hear it because He knows what is true. But be certain that He hears your prayers to Him for help. One day, He will right every wrong.

By Kellye Carmack

Do you have a burden to care for the hurting people in your church? There are so many resources for people who want to develop basic counseling skills for use in your local church. Today, I want to recommend a few that have been helpful to me.

By Glenna Marshall

Ministry isn’t a race. It’s not a sprint through a few tough Sundays and a fast-approaching finish line where we bask in the glow of our successes. No, ministry is life of slow plodding in quiet faithfulness, trusting Jesus for every step. Ministry involves dying to your dreams, standing firm through trials, and entrusting every endeavor to Christ.

By Kellye Carmack

If you are in the middle of a difficult season, let me encourage you to meditate on the resurrection of Jesus. Be encouraged and find joy in the victory that He won for you when He was raised from the dead. God has saved us. He will sustain our faith until the end, and He will save us in the end. Our hope in Christ is a full assurance that God is going to do good for us. He fills our earthly homes with hope and praise. He is filling our Heavenly home with a beautiful, everlasting inheritance. It’s an absolute guarantee.

By Glenna Marshall

Though that awkward dinner took place more than a decade ago, I’ve never forgotten the wisdom my friend spoke to me over lunch the next day. I’ve had many occasions to apply her advice in my relationships within the Church. When we are given candid (and sometimes hurtful) criticism from another believer, there are few things we need to do on these occasions.

By Cara Croft

Here is the truth: the bereaved are already thinking about their loved ones who have died, and they need us to ask about them. They don’t need solutions or answers. They need someone to walk with them in their mourning. They need someone to listen and lament with them. They need someone with whom they can share their stories. They need someone to hold sacred space and be a quiet presence of our loving God.

By Kellye Carmack

Conflict is inevitable in Christian circles but in Christ, peace and reconciliation are always possible. The love of Jesus covers over the multitude of sins that we commit against each other. His grace is sufficient for all of us. Battles within our churches are disheartening but be encouraged—Christ won the victory before the battle even began.

By Glenna Marshall

If you’re feeling discouraged today over what is likely a season of low attendance and involvement, stay the course. Resolve to regularly thank the Lord for your church, to pray and reach out to them, and to remember that whatever you do in life and ministry, you do for the glory of God, not man. You are never more like Jesus than when you persevere with faithfulness through the trials and sufferings of this life. He has promised to aid you in that faithfulness, and He will help you stay the course.

By Cara Croft

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite poems. Even if you do not read it all, I encourage you to take a few stanzas and listen to the heart of Christ as he heads to the cross. May it be an encouragement and a reminder of Christ’s great love for you.

By Kellye Carmack

Is a missionary from your church coming home this summer? Perhaps they are retiring or taking a much-needed break. The church should be a place where missionaries receive refreshment, encouragement, and discipleship. Here are a few suggestions for how to help them transition and recharge before returning to the field.