Church and Ministry
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Are you a Spiritual Tourist?
I wish I could say that I thought of that title but I didn’t. Recently I was speaking at a pastor’s conference and one of the pastors in the room spoke of the frustration of church members moving to the church down the street in search of a “greater experience.” He referred to them… Continue reading
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Miscarriages and Mother’s Day
It has been the tradition of many churches to give out awards or special gifts on Mother’s Day to the youngest mother, oldest mother,etc. Often times special recognition is given to new moms or baby dedications take place on Mother’s Day. In no way am I recommending that churches should stop these recognitions. They… Continue reading
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Great Commission Revisited
Next month, the Olympic torch will begin its journey from Athens, Greece to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The journey will take 3 months and will cover 10,000 miles in an airplane and 12,000 more miles on the ground. Once the torch makes it to Brazil, hand after hand will pass it on until the… Continue reading
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Old Wineskin Baptist Church
One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and… Continue reading
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Myth Busters: Debunking the 5 Most Common Myths of Serving the Church
…from the whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which EVERY PART DOES ITS SHARE, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. -Ephesians 4:16 I admit that it really rubs me raw. The common excuses that I… Continue reading
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Aging white congregation in transitioning community? Yes there is hope!
I’ll be the first to admit that there are not many successful stories to share. Most older white congregations in transitioning communities either close their doors, continually decline or relocate. It is rare that you find an older Anglo church embrace their changing demographics and find a vibrant future. I find that churches in this… Continue reading
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The Greatest Sign of a Healthy Church may not be Baptism Numbers
How many baptisms has your church had this year? Pastors hear this question all the time. It is a figure that gets prominent attention when the annual church profiles are released each year. Pastors get bigger churches when this figure is up, they are more respected by peers and can even win denominational awards. Yet,… Continue reading
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Why Church Members Resist Change and What Church Leaders Can do About it.
I spoke with a lady on the phone yesterday who just needed to vent. Her new pastor has come with change on his mind and many of those changes have brought anxiety to church members. Her issue wasn’t so much with the changes but with the way they have been “forced” into the life of… Continue reading
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What your pastor wants you to know, but would never tell you.
Fall of 2010 was an awesome and horrible time in my pastorate. Things were going great at church. The previous year we had 110 additions, hitting high marks in worship attendance and Sunday school. Our 11:00 worship service grew so rapidly that we quickly had to find overflow space and it exhibited an amazing spirit… Continue reading
About Me
I have been in ministry for 31 years serving in various capacities including senior pastor, youth pastor, education, and associate pastor. I serve at Samford University as Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Ministry Training Institute. I am co-author of the book, Cultivate Disciple Making and my new book, Repairing the Missional Breach, will be released this summer. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Samford, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology from the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. My D.Min project was in the area of church health and revitalization. I earned my Ph.D. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. My dissertation title, An Analysis and Critique of Disciple Making Within Ecclesial Movements in the United States, 1970-2020, With a View Toward Implementing a Faithful New Testament Missio Ecclesia.
Dr Kevin Blackwell 