If there’s one thing I’ve noticed from growing up around ministry work and those occasional high school English classes, it’s this… a story usually does one of three things: it informs, entertains, or persuades. But a good story? A good story does all three. And the best part? You don’t have to be a professional…

I don’t usually lead with stories like this, but every now and then, a little vulnerability is worth the awkwardness. So here goes. A few years back, I lost my temper. Not the “raised my voice in a meeting” kind of temper. I mean, I literally punched a wall in our office during a call…

So many times when we get into conversations with ministries about communication, we end up talking about something else entirely: conflict. Sometimes it’s rooted in misunderstandings. Other times it’s tied to ego, territory, or unresolved relational dynamics. The truth is, conflict can show up in ministry settings more often and more intensely than in typical…

Imagine This With Me… It’s early Sunday morning, and your alarm is going off.
 Beep. Beep. BEEEEEEP. 
You forgot to turn the ringer down last night, and now you’ve been ripped from the best sleep you’ve had in days. You’re groggy, a little irritable, and definitely not in the mood for chirpy notifications, or anything…

Have you ever walked into a new place and felt two things at the same time; hopeful and uncomfortable? It happened to me not long ago when I visited a church that had asked for our input on how they were doing. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming. No red carpet. No heads-up to…

“I wish you still did creative work…” Someone said this to me recently, and I was honestly caught off guard. Because…we never stopped. That comment revealed something important: we hadn’t clearly communicated what we still do. Let me take you behind the scenes a bit. For a long time, Keenly functioned as a creative agency doing…

We’ve been told this before: “It’s not about you.”And to be honest, there’s some truth in that. Ministry is, at its core, about the transformative work of Jesus, the big story of redemption, grace, and new life. We’re not the hero of that story, and we shouldn’t try to be. The Bible has plenty to…

The other day, I was in a store and saw a T-shirt that said, “I speak fluent sarcasm.” For a second, I thought about buying it. Then I realized that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the best look for someone in ministry. Sarcasm is one of those things that can be wildly helpful or wildly…

Wow, that’s a strong question. But sometimes, strong questions are exactly what we need to ask. As ministry leaders, we are surrounded by messages. Faith-based initiatives tell us things, and we believe them. But are those messages true? We’d like to think so. Yet, every so often, we turn on the news and find that…

Most churches talk about getting new people to come to church. In fact, many churches set goals for visitor attendance, promote invitation Sundays, and encourage their congregation to invite friends and neighbors. Yet, while these efforts are common, the approach often falls into the trap of transactional thinking, measuring success solely by attendance numbers rather…