Lawrence W. Wilson | Suburban Pastor

Thanks for visiting my blog, Suburban Pastor. My aim is to help you succeed at Christian life and leadership in one of the most challenging contexts for authentic faith—the American suburb.

If you are a pastor, church leader, or layperson who is serious about living like Jesus, this blog is for you.

Win a Free Book

This weekend I’m offering a FREE copy of The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People to one new subscriber to this blog.

This is a great devotional tool because it is the heart of the Bible arranged as a single narrative. So many people need creative ways to make time for Bible reading, and others struggle to see how the whole Bible fits together as a complete story—this book brings the big picture into perspective.

To be eligible to win, simply subscribe to my blog via e-mail today. You can unsubscribe anytime. I’ll announce the winner on Twitter on Monday.

What is your biggest challenge as a Christian leader?

6 Ways to Transform Conflict

December 15, 2012

Here is an excerpt from my guest post appearing today on Michael Hyatt‘s blog, Intentional Leadership. Also check out this related post: Setting Boundaries on Ministry Time

Conflict is an almost daily event in corporate or congregational life. Wherever two or three are gathered, one is likely to disagree! The two classic ways of handling conflict are management and resolution.

Conflict management assumes that conflict is a constant feature of group life. The idea is to keep it within boundaries, not to eliminate it.

Conflict resolution sees conflict as an interruption of normal life. The idea is to find a solution, usually a compromise, as quickly as possible.

In most cases, however, neither approach adequately deals with the issue.

I learned that the hard way several years ago when dealing with a conflict between several employees in our church’s preschool and the school’s director. As pastor, I was called in to find a solution.

Continue reading with me on MichaelHyatt.com ⇒

In Church Leadership Conflict

How to Have a Great Christmas and Come Out Ahead Financially

December 13, 2012

Christmas may be the most stressful seasons of the year, and family finances are a large part of the reasons.

Though we tell ourselves in September that we’re not going to go overboard with Christmas spending, that resolve usually weakens around Black Friday and intensifies during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

My own family has a history of going all-out for Christmas giving.

In Christian Life, Give Christmas, generosity, stewardship

As abject poverty confronted me every day, I felt deeply convicted about one thing: God did not make too many people and not enough resources to go around. Because we were living in His world, there had to be a solution . . .

Clearly, from God’s perspective, those who are blessed with riches are supposed to share with the poor, meaning that those who don’t have the resources to get what the need can do so, to the point that the poor aren’t so poor anymore. I looked around, though, and these new friends of mine were still destitute. I wondered what the western world was missing and why so many Christians didn’t seem to be doing what God so obviously wants us to do where the needy are concerned.

Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

Posted on December 12, 2012 In Quotes

Four Types of Believers—Which Group Are You In?

December 10, 2012

An overwhelming majority of American adults (78.4 percent) would identify themselves as Christians, according to a Pew Forum study. But their level of belief varies widely. So when people say the word faith, they may mean a variety of things.

That shouldn’t be surprising, because the word itself has several shades of meaning. Not all people who claim to have “faith” are describing the same experience.

In fact, my own life has been a journey through various stages of faith.

In Believe, Christian Life Faith

Six Reasons to Like the New Purpose-Driven Life

December 6, 2012

It has been 10 years since the publication of The Purpose-Driven LIfe, the book that topped best-seller lists for months and sold more than 32 million copies. Now Zondervan has released an expanded anniversary edition in an effort to reach a younger generation of readers.

Rick Warren’s simple formula linking each person’s purpose to five classic functions of the church—worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission—has helped countless people re-examine their lives and deepen their faith.

Frankly, I was one of them.

In Christian Life Reviews

10 Great Christmas Gifts that Won’t Cost You a Cent

December 4, 2012

Christmas shopping a huge source of stress for many families because they simply can’t afford to spend as much as they do. The average family will spend about $846 on Christmas gifts this year, including $46 on their pets. One in three families will go into debt to pay for Christmas.

Now wonder 45 percent of Americans would prefer to skip Christmas altogether.

Fortunately, there is a better way.

In Christian Life, Give Christmas

Welcome Michael Hyatt Readers!

Win a Free Book

Popular Posts

What is your biggest challenge as a Christian leader?

6 Ways to Transform Conflict

Continue reading with me on MichaelHyatt.com ⇒

How to Have a Great Christmas and Come Out Ahead Financially

Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

Four Types of Believers—Which Group Are You In?

Six Reasons to Like the New Purpose-Driven Life

10 Great Christmas Gifts that Won’t Cost You a Cent