Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals: Applying the Gospel at the Unique Challenges of Death, by Brian Croft & Phil Newton is a very helpful, practical little book on ministering well in the significant setting of a funeral. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of such a time in the life of anyone and the significance …
Ministry in the times of loss and death is one of the crucial roles of a pastor, so good examples of such ministry are indispensable. Recently in our church a dear brother took his own life. Such a situation raises a host of challenges and questions. Many people continue to think that a person who …
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This week my fellow pastors & I discussed the pastor’s role at funerals with our pastoral apprentices, and I was glad to be able to commend this new book by Brian Croft and Phil Newton– Conduct Gospel-centered Funerals: Applying the gospel at the unique challenges of death. Newton and Croft are both experienced pastors who …
Eric Smith has posted the audio of the message he preached at his grandfather’s funeral a couple of weeks ago. I was privileged to hear this message in person, and I commend it you. It is helpful in several ways. First, it is a moving tribute to the impact of a man’s life on those …
My family and I have been blessed by the care of many people in this last week as we have dealt with the death of my older brother, Doug. We have seen the church in action, our church, my parents’ church and many others, including the Union University community. We are grateful, and God has …
As part of the pastoral labor my wife and I do a fair bit of pre-marital counseling. As we were doing some more of such counseling this Fall I remembered hearing, while in college, a recording of Pastor E. V. Hill preaching his wife’s funeral. It was a powerful sermon filled with insight and anecdotal …