I’ve watched Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel off and on since it started almost a decade ago. Partially because Rose and I have a family friend on the show, and partially because I like to imagine whether I could withstand the difficulty of the job. Just about every season there is an ice storm that…
A Short Guide to Cultural Engagement in the Pacific Northwest
A little over a decade ago every pastor in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho embraced the new moniker of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) being the least churched region in the USA. It was a battle cry, a call to arms of cultural engagement for Christians living in the area. Now when you walk into churches, especially…
Teaching Isn’t About Giving Answers
I hate the idea of becoming Mr. Pastor Answer Man. A guy approached me recently after I gave a sermon: “I’m struggling with what you shared. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do now.” Inside I’m screaming, “It’s not my job to give you the answer.” But thankfully I’ve developed a filter that didn’t…
When My Church Teaches Me About Worship
6 months ago a woman in her seventies at my church stopped me in the lobby at the end of the morning gatherings. She had tears in her eyes, as she usually does. My dad says people get softer as they get older. She’s a great example of that. “Tyler, I have to tell you.…
The Kind of Relevance That Actually Makes a Difference
Spend time in conversation with just about any Christian and the importance of relevance is bound to come up. Years ago I was at a church where relevance was one of the key areas of focus when it came to ministry. And before you start throwing stones at how awful that is, consider the other…
The Danger of Recognition
I follow over 1,000 people on Twitter, and a good amount of those people I would describe as friends. Sure, we’ve likely never met face to face, but I put enough effort to engage conversations with them, that I sense that I know them. I could pick them out of a crowd, and sit down…