Pastoral Resources Archives - Page 6 of 9 - The Artios Center for Vibrant Leadership

Church Administration: From Fluff to Function

Brian Franks2022-07-20T13:31:14-06:00

By Andrea Slawson Administration. The sight of that word either makes you cringe or giddy with anticipation to get stuff done. Me? I cringe a little. Over the past few years I have begun to realize that “church” is not just a place where people come to meet once or twice a week and then go home. It is so much more. The body, the believers of Jesus Christ, are the church – yes. But the administration within the body are the gears that make the body operate with efficiency toward God’s mission of all being saved. Yet knowing this, I still think, “I [...]

Church Administration: From Fluff to FunctionBrian Franks2022-07-20T13:31:14-06:00

The Life of Christ: A Testimony of Beautiful Lives

Brian Franks2022-07-20T13:26:29-06:00

By Chip Hinds THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN THE LIVES OF TRUE DISCIPLES Greetings in the name of Jesus, faithful disciples of the Lord. Some of you may wonder why I am always writing positive things, even when times are difficult. First, it is a commandment recorded by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. But one of the most compelling reasons is the wonderful life of Jesus Christ I witness in the lives of [...]

The Life of Christ: A Testimony of Beautiful LivesBrian Franks2022-07-20T13:26:29-06:00

You Need a Coach

Brian Franks2022-07-20T13:20:57-06:00

By Whaid Rose To say that coaching is trending these days would be an understatement. Once exclusively related to sports, this term is associated with just about every profession imaginable. WHY THIS RAPID GROWTH OF THE COACHING INDUSTRY? Why this rapid growth of the coaching industry? Theories abound, including the impact of TV shows such as Oprah and Dr. Phil, which, in a real sense, are live coaching sessions. The theory is that as viewers yearned to experience at home the same transformative results they were seeing on television, coaching became part of the cultural conversation and took on a life [...]

You Need a CoachBrian Franks2022-07-20T13:20:57-06:00

5 Things Churches Need to Know About Mental Health

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:52:20-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz One area in which churches could be more informed and proactive is relating to individuals who have mental health concerns. Oftentimes, people who feel isolated and hopeless because of mental health issues don’t find the support and care they need from the church. It doesn’t have to be this way. Churches—particularly small churches—can serve as healing communities for people with mental health concerns. In order to do this, some basics need to be understood. Let’s look at five things small churches need to know about mental health in order to be a healing community: Mental health problems are [...]

5 Things Churches Need to Know About Mental HealthBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:52:20-06:00

How My Struggle with Anxiety Proves My Victory

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:49:00-06:00

By Caitlin Meadows “When a person struggles with anxiety, that person is not living in the victory of Christ.” That’s what I was told by someone with spiritual clout. During our first conversation, he picked up on the fact that I deal with anxiety. In an attempt to encourage me with the reminder of the victory I have in Christ, I ended up leaving feeling condemned. “If I’m struggling with anxiety and thus, not living in Christ’s victory,” I surmised, “then I must not have Christ.” With that thought, my anxiety quickly flared with hopelessness. For the Christian who deals with mental illnesses [...]

How My Struggle with Anxiety Proves My VictoryBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:49:00-06:00

ACT: Guidance for Relating to Friends with Mental Health Concerns

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:47:09-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness of empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” 1 This passage forms the basis for the acronym ACT which summarizes basic guidelines for [...]

ACT: Guidance for Relating to Friends with Mental Health ConcernsBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:47:09-06:00

Answering God’s Call: Living for a Greater Cause

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:40:43-06:00

By Whaid Rose LIVING IN A FALLEN WORLD The sobering reality of life in a fallen world confronts us early in Scripture. In Genesis 4 we find a homicide, and by chapter 6 we read this sad commentary: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart (verses 5-6). At that point it would have been justifiable for God to wipe the slate clean [...]

Answering God’s Call: Living for a Greater CauseBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:40:43-06:00

What Our Stress Tells Us About Our Work

Brian Franks2023-08-23T15:56:57-06:00

By Amber Riggs There are these little markers in my life that let me know when I’m not managing stress well. My patience with my kids tanks. I become too busy to eat. When I get in bed at night, the very act of being still will trigger nervous twitching. I’ll avoid doing things that need to be done and perpetually put them off “until tomorrow”. Instead of going to bed, I will “wind down” by staying up way too late watching a Hallmark movie. Once I get in bed, my social media feeds will be treated to a few extra [...]

What Our Stress Tells Us About Our WorkBrian Franks2023-08-23T15:56:57-06:00

Moving from Success to Significance: A Compelling Strategy for Maximizing Life’s Second Half

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:32:38-06:00

By Whaid Rose When I turned 50 I took time off to read a book which had been on my reading list for some time. The book is titled Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford. It connects that transition period during a ballgame with that point in a person’s life when a new game plan is needed for maximizing life’s second half. In a ballgame, allowances are made for mistakes and fumbles in the first half. But as the clock winds down to zero, the players know they must give it everything they have. So it is in the game [...]

Moving from Success to Significance: A Compelling Strategy for Maximizing Life’s Second HalfBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:32:38-06:00

Ground Zero Perspectives New: Remembering September 11 and the Lessons We Learned

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:30:11-06:00

By Whaid Rose GROUND ZERO For those old enough to recall them, the images remain vivid: the twin towers of the World Trade Center belching smoke and spewing debris; people leaping from the burning inferno to their death a hundred stories below; the buildings collapsing; terrified New Yorkers running, their clothes covered in ashes; the west wing of the Pentagon burning in the nation’s capital; in an open field in Pennsylvania, shocked residents viewing the scene of a downed airplane. That disastrous day is now twenty years past. It doesn’t seem so long ago. Lest we forget, this milestone anniversary is [...]

Ground Zero Perspectives New: Remembering September 11 and the Lessons We LearnedBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:30:11-06:00

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