I have had the privilege of being friends with various missionaries over the years, and they helped changed the way I think about missions. I have always been willing to “Go” on the mission field. There is nowhere I’m unwilling to go; God has simply kept my calling as a local pastor. So until God … More Missionaries Changed the Way I Think About Missions
I’m going to focus on 2 groups of people here – 20somethings and Retirees. These 2 generations could not be more different from one another. Yet, there is one common thread – they go to whatever church they want. Isn’t that true for everybody you ask? Nope. Kids have to go to whatever church their … More Becoming a Truly Multi-Generational Church
I wrote a drama when I was like 18 or 19 years old called Paranormal Schizophrenia. It basically was a quasi-humorous story about a teenager who was put in an insane asylum by his parents for being a Christian. Here’s an excerpt: Doctor Well, Christopher, we haven’t heard from you this whole time. Chris … More Paranormal Schizophrenia: The Next Reason Why Christians Might Be Persecuted
School is about to start. As a kid, that meant waking up way too early, not getting to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it, and way too much school work. As a parent, it means that finally I can go to the bathroom in peace, I get to do … More So What the Heck Is “Quality” Family Time?
When it comes to marriage, both arguing and not arguing can be very destructive. You might argue a lot and have a great marriage. You might never argue and have a terrible one. And vice-versa. Arguing is more of an art than a science. Now this list is for 3 types of couples. And … More Rules for Allotta Arguing
VBS is kind of like giving birth. For months, the average churchgoer doesn’t even realize there’s a VBS coming. It’s not until you’re just a few days from the due date that anyone offers you help in any way whatsoever. Actually giving birth to a VBS takes way longer than you remember. You start on … More What VBS Teaches Your Church
I’m sure there are some reasons that Christian Camps are detrimental, but I’ll let someone else be Debbie Downer. I love camp. I love everything about camp. Teenagers are over-worked, over-stressed, and over-stimulated. The norm for a teenager is an inconsistent 65 hours of sleep meaning they get 5 hours some nights and 11 hours … More Why Christians Should Send Their Teens to Camp
The pastor not preaching on a Sunday is weird for everyone. The congregation wonders what the pastor is getting paid for and a dozen or so people won’t show up because the pastor isn’t there to “take attendance” (if the pastor gets a break, they should too.) For me personally, it’s not only strange because … More Confessions of a Pastor on Vacation
So you think you found an error in Scripture. Quick, what do you do? A) Become an Atheist Seems a little extreme, but the truly committed non-believer thinks that every Christian is but a un-crossed “t” or an un-dotted “i” away from throwing their faith in the garbage like left-over Taco Bell that got stuck … More Uh Oh, I Might Have Found a Mistake in the Bible
I fully realize the consumer mentality that all Americans have, and American church-goers are no different. Fortunately, most cities in America probably have just about as many churches as they do restaurants. If we have a bad experience or our palate simply changes, we can pretty easily find a new church. So imagine a restaurant … More Think of Church Like a Restaurant
Joe Allotta 