Skip Bell

It was New Year’s Day, 1970. I was about to give the most important gift of my life to someone whom I loved. How I hoped she would like it! I also hoped that she would say yes to my proposal for marriage. I lifted the top from the case holding…

Who defines the vocational vision for pastoral ministry? Is it the employing denomination? Is it the congregation the pastor serves? Is it the church board? Is it the demand of the moment—preaching, evangelism, mission, church planting? 

We met Krissy¹ at a coffee shop across from the Boston University campus in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a petite, almost fragile-looking brunette, attractive, around 20 years of age. Deep into our conversation, she removed three…

Watching three-year-old Marisa build the walls of her playhouse, you would not think her life was a miracle. Her black hair bounces lightly when she gathers another two
or three large plastic blocks, and then she laughs as she puts the…

Can Christians maintain their spirituality and carry out the gospel commission in one of today’s urban centers? Most western cities are dominated by secularism and lifestyles that are anything but Christian. They are case studies for the…

I hope to be among the last generation on earth when Jesus returns. As an Adventist Christian, I long to see Jesus; and I believe our Savior will physically return. Now in my 60s, strong in my faith that…

My wife, Joni, and I arrived in Oslo around 9:00 a.m., Friday, July 22, 2011. After sev­eral days exploring the Norwegian fjords, we looked forward to explor­ing City Hall, the Nobel Center, Vigeland Sculpture Park, as well as a few shops.…

Theology has distanced itself from the issues of daily life, but this was not always so. The Protestant Reformation sought to transform lives through theological reform by proclaiming God and His ways to common people with evangelistic fervor.…

People in thriving churches have it. Organizations that change the world have it. Productive people appar­ently have it. An effective spirit-filled ministry team certainly needs it.

What is this “it”?

Motivation.

Church…

Editor’s Note: Skip Bell talks with Michael Cauley who recently completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. His doctoral…

Our church grew rapidly its first two years, but for the past three membership has stood practically still; I don't under stand why God hasn't blessed my ministry here with more growth."

Pastor Smith's congregation of 140 persons…

The scene is a Seventh-day Adventist church. A small group of members is having a lively discussion following a fellowship dinner. One man, obviously frustrated by the lack of member involvement in outreach ministries, wants to know, "How…

Cleveland, Ohio is home to 3,595 Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 30 percent of whom do not attend church. When these inactive members are added to the persons dropped from fellowship but still living in Cleveland, the number of dropouts…

The pastor just announced that soon he would be moving to another congregation. At once parishioners look at each other with a sense of anxiety and concern. Prayer for divine guidance accompanies conversations regarding just how the pastoral…

Last? Our society conditions us to value being first; first in our class, first across the finish line, or first to decipher an unknown. We reward the biggest, fastest, smartest, or prettiest. We do not consider finishing second as at all…

Why did you leave your work as a conference president to teach at the Seminary?" One of my students suddenly turned our Sabbath dinner conversation to a question that made me pause and gave me an opportunity. A pause…

The din of the restaurant faded. The dink of knife on plate and spoon in bowl slowly receded into an expectant silence. A nod of the head from my conference president was all I needed to see the hopes and dreams of…

Do leadership practices correlate with successful pastoral ministry? We ask this question because we frequently notice that, while programs and resources vary and change, progress seems to be a constant with certain…

If you could redesign seminary education, what would you wish for? Three years ago we began a search for answers important to the future of professional programs in graduate theological education. Because our questions…

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North American Division emphasizes the strategy of planting new churches. No thorough research in the Church, however, has investigated the claim that church planting is a highly…

In my youth, God inspired a dream that created my pastoral vocation. As with many of you, my dream developed from an intense desire to see people come to salvation in Jesus. It fashioned a compelling image as I imagined…

Many of my Christian friends identify themselves as social conservatives and promote their chosen political organization. I also care about issues and politics, and believe we should be informed, engage in the issues that impact human life,…