Sep 17
The interstate system developed during the 1950s is successful because of the ease of getting on and off the road. The highway never stops. It is a constant flow of 65+ mph traffic. Drivers choose when they want on and when they want to get off. We call these entrance and exit ramps to allow …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/getting-on-and-off-the-ministry-highway/
Dec 01
I was running one recent morning listening to the gospel of John. The readings was from John 17, which is the text about Jesus’ prayer for his disciples. Our Lord is very transparent in the prayer about his work on earth and his goals for HIs disciples. He prays for his 12 disciples that he …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-the-preacher-identifies-with-the-same-aims-as-christ/
Apr 28
I am proud of our ladies at Seven Oaks. This past Friday they held their 10th annual Ladies’ Night. Many churches have ladies’ days, which are very effective and have their place in the church. But our ladies wanted to do something different ten years back. So they started a ladies’ night. Ladies love to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-about-a-ladies-night/
Jan 18
Americans are living longer and our medical system is the most advanced in history! Both of these seem like wonderful blessings, but in reality they come with new challenges for our present generation. One of those is the need to provide care to aging family members. God has always commanded His people to honor and …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/caring-for-aging-parents/
Jan 11
What do preachers say when you ask them how things have been going? Most all of us will say, “We have been really busy!” We may even give you way more information than you desired about all the things we have been doing. This is a typical response from most working Americans today. We believe …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/preachers-and-busyness/
Nov 10
Ministers and church leaders along with their families face some unique challenges. Here are six challenges they face and the success of their ministry is often determined with how they handle these. The fish bowl complex. Leaders must not only face the normal trials of life, but must do it as the church looks on. Many …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/six-challenges-church-leaders-face/
Nov 06
[Note: This is a special guest post from Lance Leavens. Lance is the involvement minister and Deacon with the Piedmont Road Church of Christ in Georgia. He is married to Susan and has four daughters.] Not all decisions carry the same weight or consequences. Some are more important than others. Three years ago I made …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/career-choices-leaving-secular-work-for-ministry/
Oct 18
This past Sunday night 7 Oaks Church of Christ honored the emergency workers of our community. We invited all law enforcement, firemen, and EMT workers to our evening service and a meal. We advertised on Facebook and the local paper for this event. We personally invited many of our Emergency Workers and departments. The night …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/emergency-workers-appreciation-night-report/
Oct 09
Mark Sanborn wrote about the extraordinary service of Fred the Postman in his best-selling book The Fred Factor in 2004. The book tells about Fred’s generosity and commitment to excellence in the midst of normalcy. The book encourages people to be a Fred. The real Fred Shea gained some recognition from the book, but has …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/feeding-the-problems-and-starving-the-star-performers-in-the-church/
Oct 07
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologians who died under Nazi persecution wrote this in his book Life Together. “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God, who will thwart our plans and frustrate our ways time and again, even daily, by sending people across our path with their demands and requests. We …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/allowing-god-to-interrupt-your-life/
