Blog Archives

Is giving an offering — as an expression of worship — dying?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

With online giving through a congregation’s web site, or texting a contribution, or bank drafts, or offering boxes in a corner of the worship space or narthex, or discouraging visitors from giving an offering at seeker services, or giving through…

Tagged with: Apple, Christian, Church, churches, congregation, Congregatons, financial advisor, generation, generosity, George Bullard, iPhone, offering, Scripture, stewardship, Sunday School, tithe, tithing, Triune God, worship
Posted in Blog Posts, Church Finance, Ministry, Spiritual Formation

My marriage fell apart the day the dog died

Posted on May 22, 2013 by George Bullard — 1 Comment ↓

I am sure you’ve heard the old adage that married life begins again when the last child leaves home and the dog dies. Frequently I also hear people say they moved to a new house without a forwarding address so…

Tagged with: camper, Children, Church, churches, Club Sandwich Generation, congregation, congregations, dog, empty nest, empty nesters, family, George Bullard, grandchildren, household, households, husband, Marriage, parents, Sunday, timeshare, wife
Posted in Blog Posts, Generational Differences, Marriage, Ministry, Parenting

Gene Puckett, my father, and the best member of our family!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

In 1978, Gene Puckett was the major speaker at the retirement dinner for my father, G. W. Bullard, as executive director-treasurer of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey. He and dad had gotten to know one another in 1966 when…

Tagged with: Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey, Baptists, Biblical Recorder, burial, editor, G.W. Bullard, Gene Puckett, George Bullard, Maryland, Maryland Baptist, Penn-Jersey Baptist, Pennsylvania, prophetic, R.G. Puckett, Raleigh, Re-envisioning Baptist Identity, real estate, retirement, South Carolina, Southern Baptist Convention
Posted in Blog Posts, Death, Leadership, Religious News Voices

Running the race on the first saturday of May

Posted on May 7, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Reflections from Saturday May 4th I’m pondering the significance of this day–the first Saturday of May in 2013. Traditionally in my place of residence, Columbia, S.C., it marks the beginning of the transition from spring to summer. Temperatures typically start…

Tagged with: anniversary, Baptist World Alliance, Belmont Stakes, Bible, Churchill Downs, Columbia, George Bullard, global warming, Hebrews, Jamaica, Kentucky Derby, May, Mother's Day, Preakness, race, Secretariat, thoroughbred, Triple Crown, wedding, witnesses
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Spiritual Formation

Don’t call your next pastor. Draft your next pastor.

Posted on May 1, 2013 by George Bullard — 2 Comments ↓

The pastor search process might be a whole lot more fun (or funny) if it was run like the National Football League draft. Why go through months—even years—of searching for the right pastor when you just need to be ready…

Tagged with: Church, churches, congregation, congregations, free agent, George Bullard, Methodist, narthex, National Football League, NFL, novel, organ, organist, pastor, pews, pulpit, Seminary, staff, Tim Tebow, United Methodist Church
Posted in Blog Posts, Humor, Leadership, Sports

Holy week demanded holy dialogue

Posted on April 3, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Did Holy Week this year seem to shout out for a new dimension of holy dialogue? It did to me. It was an unusual and disruptive week in several ways. It caused me to think about the need for a…

Tagged with: Atlanta, basketball, Catholics, Christian, Christians, dialogue, DOMA, Duke Blue Devils, Easter, gay marriage, George Bullard, gun violence, holy, Holy Week, Immigration, immigration reform, Kevin Ware, March Madness, NCAA, Protestants, resurrection, Roman Catholic Church, Supreme Court, University of Louisville
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Leadership, Ministry, Social Issues

Since it is not 1955, we have to do church different

Posted on March 28, 2013 by George Bullard — 1 Comment ↓

One of my favorite expressions by a key mentor in my life, Lyle Schaller, relates to what time it is. During the 1990s Lyle often said, as an example, “Next year is 1995. The trouble is that too many congregations…

Tagged with: 1950s, attendance, Church, churches, congregation, congregations, empty nest, empty nesters, George Bullard, Kennon Callahan, Lyle Schaller, mentor, singles, singles again, target groups, worship, Worship Attendance
Posted in Blog Posts, Generational Differences, Ministry

The best change processes start now and are continual

Posted on March 25, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Some years ago I had the responsibility to lead a team moving a denominational organization of more than 100 staff persons from a 35,000 square foot building to an 80,000 square foot building less than two miles away. It needed…

Tagged with: architect, change, Church, churches, congregation, congregations, continual, denominational, George Bullard, governance, innovative, journey, organization, permission-giving, traditional, transition
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry

When all else fails, you gotta support your kids

Posted on March 21, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Two giants in North American Christian ministry died this week. One was well known across various Christian traditions. The other was not, but was no less a giant. Gordon Cosby of The Church of the Saviour fame died this week.…

Tagged with: Baptist, Baptist Women in Ministry, elevator, George Bullard, Gordon Cosby, Missions, North America, pastor, Quentin Lockwood, Rural-Urban Missions, senior pastor, solo pastor, Susan Lockwood, The Church of the Saviour, urban legend, William Tanner, Women Pastors
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry, Women in Ministry

What kind of Baptist are you?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Do you know the story that periodically makes the rounds about the guy standing on the edge of a bridge ready to jump off to commit suicide? Along comes another person who engages him in conversation trying to get him…

Tagged with: Alliance, Baptist, Baptist World Alliance, Baptists, Bible, big tent, Canada, Christian Churches Together in the USA, Conservatives, Converge, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, evangelicals, fundamentalists, General Secretary, George Bullard, Holy Spirit, Liberals, mainline Protestants, moderates, National Association of Evangelicals, National Council of Churches, North American Baptist Fellowship, progressives, Sabbath, Seventh Day
Posted in Baptist History, Blog Posts, Organizational Voices

The lifetime value of church leaders

Posted on March 14, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Last year our homeowner’s insurance company paid, minus our deductible, for the replacement of our roof. Significant hail damage over a year or two necessitated the replacement of the roof. This year we had a plumbing problem that resulted in…

Tagged with: Church, churches, collaborative, congregation, congregations, control, empower, faithfulness, George Bullard, God, leaders, leadership, lifetime value, oral tradition, power, Prodigal Son, tenure, tithes and offerings
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry

If you can say it to Jesus, you can say it to anyone

Posted on February 26, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

One of my mentors in the area of conflict mediation was Bill Treadwell. I loved that guy. I miss him. He had so much wisdom about how to deal with people in congregations. He was as much right-brained as I…

Tagged with: antagonist, Bill Treadwell, Church, churches, conflict, conflict mediation, congregation, congregations, George Bullard, Jesus, Larry McSwain, leadership, mediation, mentor, mentors, pastor, senior pastor, solo pastor, triage, Triune God
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry

Let’s drop the kids at church and go get some coffee

Posted on February 14, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

In a recent conversation with leaders in a congregation they wondered about people who drop children off at church–particularly on Sunday mornings–and then go to a coffee shop to have some “alone time”. They indicated this was an increasing challenge in…

Tagged with: Bible study, book stores, chaplain, child care, Church, churches, coffee, coffee shop, congregation, congregations, George Bullard, grocery stores, Life skills, median adults, Saturday, shopping malls, Soccer, Starbucks, Sunday, third place, young adults
Posted in Blog Posts, Generational Differences, Ministry, Parenting, Spiritual Formation, Young Baptists

Evangelism is more than confrontation

Posted on February 7, 2013 by George Bullard — 3 Comments ↓

One of my long-term church friends and I have friendly banter about my use of words and phrases that are probably more complicated than they need to be. Regularly, Lane and I have friendly conversations about the use of complex…

Tagged with: attractional, Christ, congregation, congregations, controntation, Discipleship, evangelism, George Bullard, Holy Spirit, James Engel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Leith Anderson, missional, Missional churches, receptivity, research, Triune God, Wooddale Church
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Formation