This is the time when writers and websites everywhere are giving space to a look at the year just past. It’s a good thing. I joined them with my reflection last week on the five most popular posts on this blog in 2019. But now it’s time to look ahead. I’m not bold enough to make predictions, but I do want to talk about three trends the church must not ignore as we begin a new decade.
Read More“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” As interesting as that question has been to some, my concern is more personal: If a pastor posts a blog entry and no one reads it, does it make any difference? Thankfully, due to 16,900 unique visitors to this blog this year, I haven’t yet posted something no one has read. But several of this year’s posts were more popular than all the rest, and I want to list them here. Maybe you missed one of these. Maybe you’d like to look at one of them again.
Read MoreIn case you haven’t noticed it, there’s a feud going on these days between baby boomers and millennials. One website perfectly summarizes the accusations those in the two generations have been throwing at each other:
For a long time now, the cross-generational dialogue between baby boomers and millennials has been built atop several recurring themes. Boomers — the generation born roughly between 1946 and 1965 — scoff that millennials expect “participation trophies” for doing the bare minimum. Millennials say boomers are “out of touch.” Millennials (born roughly between 1980 and 1996) are “killing” once-stable industries like cereal by saving money, spending less, and “eating avocados.” Boomers have “mortgaged the future” in exchange for hoarding wealth while also voting to end necessary social programs. Millennials would rather complain about student debt than buckle down, work hard, and “get a job.”
I believe the church should step into this fray with a simple solution that would help both the older and the younger accusers. My proposal? Mentoring.
Read MoreAs I wrote last week, four men in my life have made me who I am. I would be a far different person without their influence. In fact, I’m sure I wouldn’t be in ministry today if it weren’t for their example and guidance.
I wrote about my dad, Jimmy DeVage. He’s my best friend and my hero. His commitment to Jesus and grit in the face of difficulty have set a standard I want to reach.
Mike Baker took a chance on me and hired me as a youth ministry intern when I was just a junior in college. He helped me grow by giving me responsibility. He urged me to use what he saw as my main gift, preaching. He demonstrated a commitment to keeping his word that’s still an example for me today.
This week I want to tell you about the other two who would make my mountain of mentors complete.
Read MoreIf I had a mountain where I could carve the faces of those who have helped me most, here are the four I’d choose:
My dad, Jimmy DeVage.
Mike Baker, senior pastor with Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois.
Drew Sherman, lead pastor with Compass Christian Church, in Colleyville, Texas.
Cal Jernigan, lead pastor with Central Christian Church, Mesa, Arizona.
Just as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln shaped our nation, these four have made me who I am. Their impact has been so great, in fact, I can’t explain why in just one blog post. So I’m taking two weeks to describe what they have done. As you read, you may think of your own mentors—or discover a strategy for being a mentor yourself.
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