Aug 18
I am thankful for young preachers going into the work. I am particularly excited this year as there are a couple of my friends who are starting their freshman year studying to become preachers. I am optimistic about their studies and the impact they will have for the Lord. This got me to thinking about …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/essential-items-for-a-new-preacher/
Aug 03
Our our vacation we stopped by the campus of Focus on the Family (See this link about visiting their campus). Focus on the Family is a ministry started by James Dobson dedicated to strengthening the family. We have been blessed through the writings of Dr. Dobson. He has written classics on parenting and disciplining children. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-stop-by-focus-on-the-family/
Aug 02
We just returned from vacation in Colorado. It was a wonderful time. We visited the Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday, July 29th. We were walking to this historic site when we crossed this creek. This creek looks very ordinary and small. You wouldn’t think much about it, except to observe its natural beauty as …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/it-is-just-a-little-creek/
Mar 30
We just got back from our congregations first year to attend the Lads-to-Leaders Convention. I know your congregation may be considering this ministry. I wanted to write about our experience and how we went about it in the hope of helping you as a first-timer as well. I am going to use a bullet list …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-churchs-first-year-at-lads-to-leaders-convention/
Jan 26
You want to know how your preacher often feels? Go shovel snow to clear your driveway, knowing that the work is only temporary, to understand what he often feels like. I know it sounds pessimistic, and even maybe a little heretical, but emotionally ministers regularly wonder is their work making any longterm difference. Is …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/shoveling-snow-and-church-work/
Jan 03
The beginning of each year I fire myself! Thankfully I have not actually been fired by my employer any of these years. Years back, I heard Andy Stanley suggest that we know what needs to be done more than anyone else. But we are so entrenched into the system that we fear making those changes. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/fire-yourself-to-begin-this-year/
Aug 06
I am a first generation preacher. I never really planned or expected to be a preacher. I was lead that way through a series of events which I wrote about yesterday. I am thankful to be a preacher. I tend to think preachers can exaggerate in their own minds the difficulties and burdens of the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/reasons-i-love-preaching/
Aug 05
My decision to become a preacher cannot be pinpointed to one specific moment, but rather was a series of events and experiences that took place over several years. I grew up in the church and got some experience speaking at my home congregation and with Lads-to-Leaders. I went to Freed-Hardeman intending on being a farmer, my …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-i-became-a-preacher/
Aug 04
Nearly a year ago I wrote about Amanda’s “Weekly Hug Project.” The jest of this project was Amanda having the kids hug a different widow each week before worship. The ministry has been a blessing for the kids and the widows, but Amanda ran into one problem! Landon kept going to the same widow. Landon …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/an-unlikely-bond/
May 19
I am still a fairly young preacher, but I have been doing this for 17 years now. So I thought I would pen a somewhat humorous post for other preachers, especially ones new to the calling of preaching. Maybe other preachers will add their translations into the mix too. By the way, to those who …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-helpful-translation-guide-of-comments-for-young-preachers/
