March 13, 2026
True Friends
Proverbs 17:17 sums up well the work of true friends: “A friend loves at all times.” The love of true friends is expressed in a variety of ways. This editorial identifies some of them.
Articles for tag: Gossip
January 1, 2026
Succession: When It Works, When It Doesn’t
Perhaps the greatest single benefit of succession success is that when it works, succession success honors God and results in positive momentum in the church as well as in the larger community.
March 15, 2021
Mar 21 | Application
If you want to be savvy and streetwise, read the book of Proverbs. It’s a jewelry box filled with nuggets of spiritual gold . . . a toolbox full of blue-collar common sense . . . a handbook . . .
January 3, 2019
How to Deal Effectively with Difficult People
By David Roadcup How we react to difficult people and their behavior is a test of how well we’ve implemented Scripture’s relational principles. The Word tells us how to respond when difficult situations present themselves. Effective leaders follow the teachings of patience, forbearance, self-control, careful thought, and action. When called upon to deal with a difficult person, our patience and forbearance will be strengthened as we do the right thing in dealing with those who need help. Dealing with difficult people is always a stretching experience. As James 1:2-4 instructs us, difficult situations, especially those prompted by difficult people, prompt
February 21, 2018
A Road Map for Healthy Conflict Resolution
Use these 5 tips to create a church culture that handles conflict in a God-honoring way. By David Dummitt Churches are made up of broken, messy people. That statement won’t shock anyone reading this. Problems in churches are inevitable. Conflict can lead to division. Planning ahead for how to navigate through conflict is important to protecting the unity of our churches. Whether you’re planting a church or have been leading one for years, it is never too early (or late) to create a road map for dealing with conflict within your church in a way that honors God. Here
September 28, 2016
Beware of Spiritual Riptides
By Jim Tune Paul (not his real name) had seen pastors attacked. He pledged he would always do what he could to protect his pastor. A few years later, that pastor agreed with a decision to close a program that Paul”s wife led. Paul stepped down from leadership and stewed against the pastor. He began to entertain gossip and went through a spiritually dry period. Years later, he rejoined leadership and was part of the decision to end the pastor”s tenure. He still nurses a grudge today. Paul had good intentions but found himself swept away. He ended up feeling
August 26, 2015
Behind My Back
By Jim Tune I wasn”t intending to eavesdrop. It just sort of happened. I had left the company of two close friends, but realized minutes later I had left a personal item behind. My friends were still talking when I returned, and they were talking about me. I wasn”t trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn”t keep from listening as they discussed a very personal decision I had shared with them earlier. There was nothing mean-spirited in anything they said. I made my presence known almost immediately. I had heard enough to feel a flash of betrayal and embarrassment. When I
April 1, 2015
How Healthy Is Your Team, Really?
How healthy is your elder, staff, or ministry team? “Healthy organizations engage in honest conversations,” says David Staal, president of Kids Hope USA. “This requires leaders who are willing to encourage discussions about topics that can cause a culture to capsize if ignored too long.” Stall suggests engaging your team in a discussion around the following if-then statements. While each of these may at first seem like ridiculous statements, discuss whether they are at all true on your team, in your group, or in your organization. Tailor each of these to your team or situation. “¢ If someone is an
May 11, 2011
Why Women”s Ministry?
By Susan Lawrence with Darrel Rowland Editor”s note: Why have a women”s ministry? We asked women”s ministry consultant Susan Lawrence for her answers. In addition to her ministry with women”s groups in many places, Susan coordinates women”s ministry at her home church, Taylorville (Illinois) Christian. To have or not to have a women”s ministry? It”s a question every church needs to answer, but the answer won”t be the same for every church. Many churches make their decisions to have or not to have a women”s ministry for rather twist-ed reasons. For instance, continuing a women”s ministry because “we”ve had women”s ministry for
March 31, 2011
Truth Matters
By Karen Rees Twice recently I had the job of trying to find the truth. The first instance had to do with serious allegations made by one of our church members against another. Was the allegation nothing more than vicious gossip by “member A” who was upset with “member B” over a secondary issue? Or was “member A” telling the truth? If so, “member B” needed to repent of serious sin. The second instance had to do with Priya, a Sri Lankan household servant and friend of our Sri Lankan church member. Priya had been admitted to a hospital”s psychiatric
November 8, 2009
Loving Those Who Annoy You
By Jan Johnson A confession: I have not always loved my neighbor””especially the one next door. At first, I was annoyed by how the husband parked cars on his lawn””oops, there was no lawn, just dirt and weeds. How would this affect the resale value of my home? Add the wild parties and loud fights. We tried to be friendly, but our encounters were always awkward. Take, for instance, one day when my husband was frustrated as he changed the oil in our car. The wife next door observed his frustration and prodded: “Go ahead and cuss like the rest
May 14, 2008
Some Prayer Requests Can Hurt
By Mark A. Taylor My wife used to be a part of the prayer chain at our church. Maybe you’ve participated in one of these. Somebody calls the church with a request, and the prayer chairman calls someone who calls someone who calls someone else to share the need, till everyone in the chain has been notified. My wife actually prayed about these requests. Sometimes I did too, but I must admit I was often more interested in hearing the news than taking the needs to God. Who’s having a baby? Who’s going to the hospital? How bad were the
March 9, 2008
Policy on Confidentiality (a Proposal)
By Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers Policy statements are frequently viewed as imposing unnecessary structure and tending to give churches a more corporate flavor. However, developing a policy statement in an area as critical as how we interact with those who are hurting provides a method of doing much preplanning and prevents some of the mistakes made in the heat of an emergency situation. Below is the text of a brief policy statement being proposed for our home congregation. As church leaders (elders, ministers, staff, counseling volunteers), we welcome and encourage members and friends to come to us with spiritual,
