by Dennis Bickers | Feb 5, 2016 | Opinion
Several years ago when I was still a pastor, my father ran for a local political office. One day the call came that I was dreading. He wanted to put one of his campaign signs in my yard. I refused to let him do that. I explained that although I encouraged our...
by Dennis Bickers | Jan 4, 2016 | Opinion
Some people like to look back at this time of the year and note all the things they accomplished in the previous year. If they stayed busy and had some measure of success, the year is considered successful. I think it’s better to measure our activity by how well...
by Dennis Bickers | Dec 28, 2015 | Opinion
Bivocational ministry has made great strides in recent years. While there are exceptions, there is much greater acceptance of bivocational ministry and a greater appreciation of what these ministers are capable of doing. There have been several doctoral theses written...
by Dennis Bickers | Dec 18, 2015 | Opinion
Most articles I read about bivocational ministry focus on the challenges often found in this approach to local church ministry. Having served as a bivocational pastor for 20 years and working with many bivocational churches for an additional 15 years as a judicatory...
by Dennis Bickers | Nov 23, 2015 | Opinion
Finances have long been a source of conflict in many clergy homes. Few people go into the ministry with the thought of becoming wealthy, but many are not prepared for the reality of what churches provide in the way of salary and benefit packages. Often, it is not...
