Rick Warren's Online Community for Pastors and Church Leaders
Mark Pierce serves as Pastor of Church Requel in Mansfield, Ohio and authors a great blog for church leaders, also called Church Requel. Catch him on Twitter @ChurchRequel.
My baby daughter, a beautiful and fashionable 23-year-old, introduced me to a new (to me) verb this year: "thrifting." She loves to "go thrifting." By this she means going to thrift stores and second-hand clothing stores to find treasures. Now I too love to go thrifting. The other day I found a beautiful sport coat that fit me as if it …
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Almost 30 years ago Mary Kay and I heard Zig Ziglar tell the story of the woman who hated her job. She came to Zig to complain about all her troubles with her employer. Zig asked if there was anything she liked about her job. She said, "I don't like anything about it." He asked if they paid her or if she did it for free. She admitted they …
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I make my bed in the morning. I eat breakfast. I color coordinate my clothes closet. And yes, I write my sermons three to four weeks in advance. I admit it. I am a perfectionist. I was raised to believe that if I would be tough on myself, then the world wouldn't be so tough on me. I'm most grateful for parents who taught me to value …
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I met with our leadership team last evening. For several weeks I've struggled with a potential shift in direction. In my prayer life I have experienced God's leading, His gentle nudging of my soul as I've watched Him work in our small church. How should I respond? What direction should I go?
Normally my leadership style is that …
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I'm in the middle of delivering my sermon from my shiny new iPad. I'm focused on making the point and communicating God's truth from His Word to His people. Then my preaching device sings a loud "ding!" Up pops a notification badge: "Want to get away from it all? Cruises for as low as $399!" It took every ounce of self-control not to …
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Recently I worshipped with my friends, Roc and Kim. Attending another church with friends is a rare and welcomed opportunity for this pastor. I tried to leave my pastor's hat behind. I really did. I wanted to worship, not analyze.
The first thing I saw, however, when entering this large, 3,000-member church, was a young woman running …
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Like many of you I have been watching and enjoying this quadrennial sporting event. We’re glued to the tube, not only because there are few other good TV options, but also because there is something about the Olympic spirit that also touches our spirits. Watching the world’s top athletes at the top of their form encourages each …
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It's Tuesday morning early in July. I sit down at my laptop computer and begin planning for the next worship experience at Church Requel. I'm not working on next weekend, five days away. I'm working on August 5th - almost a month away!
Such working ahead does not come naturally to me. In college I was the guy who could type (yes, we used …
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My health is largely a factor for which I'm responsible. In this post I'd like to consider my personal health care reform: the difference between realization and actualization.
Realizing my health is my responsibility. It's no secret that health issues are different after age 50 than before. It is remarkable, however, just how easy it is …
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The History Channel attracted almost 14 million people to "Hatfields & McCoys" on Memorial Day. This realistic retelling of the greatest family feud in history set an all-time record for basic cable.
What is about this story that attracted so many viewers? The historic accuracy of the story? The exceptional writing? Kevin …
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