Karl Vaters

Day 2819 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

A church is not the pastor’s pet project. It is a living, breathing organism, designed by God and filled with people. And both of them – God and the people – have a greater stake in it than we do. And they’re pretty stubborn about it. A church won’t go where you want it to go. It will go where the dynamic relationship between God and the people takes it. karlvaters.com/misunderstand…

Day 2818 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

The more a church is open to change, the more we must emphasize the principles that never change. karlvaters.com/mistakes-by-b…

Preaching is one of the main tasks of pastoring, and it’s a skill we can all learn to do better. In this guest article, pastor Brian Hotrum offers six personal steps from his years of preaching, including what he’s learned from some of his mistakes. karlvaters.com/principles-of…

Day 2817 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

"’How long will it take?’ may be the question I hear the most as I work with Christian leaders embarking on a journey of character transformation.” @chuckdegroat The (partial) answer is not to rush it. karlvaters.com/chuck-degroat…

"Live streaming has a negative impact on the pastor. We are far more performative and far less pastoral when there's a camera on us " karlvaters.com/karl-vaters-1…

Day 2816 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

"The experience of your church's seniors doesn’t make them experts in every situation, but it often gives them the credibility and maturity to connect them to resources and walk alongside others through life’s most difficult moments." (Doug Beutler) karlvaters.com/disciple-maki…

Day 2815 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

As pastors, our primary ministry responsibility is to our spouse and family. This begins by giving them better snapshots of the church and the people in it. karlvaters.com/pastors-spous…

Big churches serve many great roles in the body of Christ. And the church growth movement that spawned many of them has been a great blessing to me and so many others in ministry. But numerical growth, while great, does not come without challenges. karlvaters.com/mistakes-by-b…

Day 2814 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

Some churches need to ask themselves, “what’s more important to us? Holding onto traditions that are killing our church, or letting go of some traditions to save the church?” karlvaters.com/mistakes-by-s…

The New Testament doesn’t emphasize the role of pastor nearly as much as our current church structure does. In fact, there’s just one passage – one! – in which the role of the pastor (along with apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers) is mentioned. karlvaters.com/avoid-burnout…

Day 2813 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

"The pastor is to teach, preach, correct, guide, and lead. When church leaders were faced with individual care, they delegated it to others (Acts 6)." (Shawn Keener) karlvaters.com/time-margin-e…

Day 2812 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

Check ot my convo with @dalesellerssays about the moments of ongoing personal and ministry renewal that need to happen regularly, and about those larger transitional renewals that seem to come up about every seven years or so. karlvaters.com/dale-sellers-…