New England Perspectives
A regularly updated collection of articles written by New England leaders and thinkers. Looking for news articles? Click here.
The Catalytic Leader: A New Vision for New England's Churches
In the historic landscape of New England—once the epicenter of spiritual awakening in America—a profound opportunity awaits church leaders ready to embrace catalytic thinking. This is not merely about sustaining existing congregations but about igniting a movement that could transform the region once known as the cradle of American Christianity.
We Need Shepherds
We are skeptical of authority, perhaps more so than any previous generation. It’s in our DNA. As Americans, we are, after all, born of a revolution from the tyrant King George III. In the last 250 years, our anti-authoritarian sentiment has only grown stronger. Reinforcing it, we have seen political figures get suspiciously wealthy, the “Me Too” movement expose business leaders and movie moguls, and social media billionaires playing god behind the curtain. We have reason to be wary. But is this ever-defiant attitude healthy?
5 Helpful Podcasts for Church Leaders
The number of people who learn by listening to podcasts is continually growing, and I’m a big fan of podcasts and audiobooks because they allow me to “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:14) and learn while on the go. If you already listen to podcasts, consider adding these great ones to your rotation, and if not, and you spend a considerable amount of time on the road, I would highly encourage you to make the most of that time by adding a learning component to your commute to help you continue to grow as a church leader.
Persevering as a Pastor
How do we persevere in pastoral ministry? Churches should want pastors who persevere till they go on to glory or retire – and even if retired, continue to serve in some capacity until they can no longer do so. As pastors, what can we do now to ensure we persevere to the end?
The Gift of Time
I have a big extended family. Both sets of grandparents had six kids, plus some adopted kids, and just about all of those kids had three or more kids, and so on. Family reunions were massive affairs. We are a family spread all over the globe (many are missionaries), and we are a family that likes to get together as frequently as possible.
Pastoring through an Election Year
This year no doubt will be filled with a perpetual barrage of politics. From Super Tuesday to November 5th, our church people will be bombarded with political ads, phone calls, news segments, and presidential debates. As pastors, how do we pastor through a year like this?
Dealing with Difficult People
People can be difficult. We know this because we are people! In all likelihood, you have been a difficult person to someone else at least at some point in your life. Pastoral ministry is no exception to this. In fact, being a pastor probably means you deal with a higher number of difficult people than most. How should we deal with difficult people? Here are a few suggestions borne from experience and failure.
Sitting in the Second Seat: Unique Leadership Dynamics in a Great Cape Cod Church
Rob Neufeld is an associate pastor at CapeFaith Church in Osterville, where Judson Adams serves as senior pastor. CapeFaith is a vibrant and growing church with an interesting leadership dynamic: Rob Neufeld is not only the associate pastor, he is also the father-in-law of the senior pastor, Judson Adams.
When A Pastor Should Not Leave His Church
Pastoral transitions happen. Life happens, and sometimes pastors need to move on. If not, in time our mortality will force a transition! These transitions can be extremely difficult for a pastor, his family, and for the church body. Sometimes leaving is for the better, but too often this kind of transition leaves a wake of broken hearts and missed opportunities.
Transitions and Church Revitalization: Lessons We Can Learn from Tom Brady’s Retirement
Football is an excellent teaching tool for the Church and its leadership. I have said for many years “Sport speaks.” It speaks about transitions, pressures, training, plays, setbacks, comebacks, and tensions. It is no surprise to New Englanders that quarterback Tom Brady is re-retiring from football.
Multiply Your Outreach
I am certainly not an expert on outreach. Doubtless there are pastors and churches who are far more effective than me on this. However, I’ve learned a few things, mostly from my mistakes! Let me share a few things that have worked for me, and perhaps they will spur you on to find ways that work for you and your church.
How to develop volunteers for restorative ministry
The comment I get the most is, “You are successful with your outreach, because you have a high number of volunteers”, and that is true. But, it isn’t luck, random opportunity, or some extraordinary ability either. Often pastors are discouraged from starting restorative ministries because they believe they are already overworked and they don’t believe they will be able to gather enough volunteers to do the work. So hopefully I’ll be able to inspire a few of you to trust God in this, in less than 600 words.