What Are Some Lesser-Known Blogs Pastors and Preachers Might Find Helpful?
By Timothy Raymond –
I hate to admit it, but I’m addicted to reading blogs. Through Google Reader (which, if you frequent more than, say, 3 or 4 blogs, you simply must use to redeem the time [see Desiring God’s tutorial here]), I subscribe to just over 70 different weblogs. With a small handful of exceptions, all of these are written either primarily for pastors and preachers or are of great help to pastors and preachers. I have found blogs an invaluable source for Christian news, keeping informed of theological controversies, preaching, teaching, and shepherding ideas, discovering edifying resources, learning about upcoming conferences and events, connecting with other like-minded men in ministry, and, perhaps best of all, locating great deals on books. While certainly pastoral ministry can be done without the internet (or even electricity), my pastorate would be rather different if I did not have access to the insights, counsel, teaching, and methods of others through blogs.
I thought, therefore, I’d use today’s post to direct our readers to a few of the lesser-known blogs I find helpful in pastoral ministry. As you’ll see, none of these are the big guns. We all know about (and should be reading) Justin Taylor, Challies, and DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed. But there are many men out there who are thoughtful writers and faithful servants, whose ideas and insights you may find helpful. So while you may not have heard of all the following blogs, I believe they’re at least worth exploring. After including a link, I’ll give a couple of reasons why you might find the blog edifying. And in case anyone is wondering, none of these guys asked me to promote their blogs (or even know I’m doing this).
Head, Heart, Hand – The blog of Dr. David Murray, professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Dr. Murray has a wide and interesting variety of interests. He’ll muse about everything from preaching Christ from Old Testament narrative to biblical counseling to the dangers of Facebook. He’s a humble man of God and particularly strong on blending theology, practice, and devotion. He also has a Christian media company worth checking out.
NT Resources – The blog of Dr. Rod Decker, professor of Greek and New Testament at the Baptist Bible Seminary of Pennsylvania (and a good friend). Of all the blogs listed here, this one may be the most technical in that it not infrequently delves into discussions of Greek grammar and Bible translation. However, Dr. Decker is also an experienced pastor and often discusses matters related to preaching, pastoring, and local church ministry. This is a great one to read if you’re striving to maintain your Greek in ministry. His reviews of recent Bible translations (e.g., ESV, NIV11, etc.) are also scholarly but very accessible.
Practical Shepherding – Blog of Brian Croft, Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Brother-pastors, this simply is a must, must read. I don’t know how Brian does it, but his posts are consistently interesting, theologically-rooted, and eminently practical. I’ve borrowed several ideas from Brian’s blog that have significantly impacted my local church ministry and family. I honestly think I’ve gleaned more from this blog about pastoral ministry than most of my Practical Theology classes combined.
The Briefing – The blog (and online magazine) of Matthias Media, an evangelical publishing house based out of Sydney, Australia, and creators of the well-known 2 Ways to Live evangelistic tract, countless high-quality Bible study resources, and maybe the best book I’ve ever read on church ministry, The Trellis and the Vine. Their blog is a very helpful blend of exegesis, biblical theology, and practical ministry (especially in post-Christian, urban contexts). You might be interested in their recent evaluation of John Piper’s theology. They bring a “Down Under” perspective that American Christians may find insightful.
The Proclaimer – The blog of The Proclamation Trust in England (a training ministry for equipping people to do expository preaching and teaching), written mostly by Adrian Reynolds. I find their posts a joy to read since they’re usually brief, theological, practical, aimed at preachers, and peppered with British wit. Posts frequently deal with the exegesis and application of particular texts. It’s a great one to read if you’re committed to expository preaching.
So these are just few blogs I find helpful for pastoral ministry. It’s possible that you know of good blogs that the rest of us have never discovered. If so, I’d invite you to tell us about them in the comments section below. Before you do so, however, here are a couple stipulations. First, tell us about blogs that are specifically written for pastors and preachers, or ones that pastors or preachers might find particularly helpful. You may love reading the deep thoughts of Justin Bieber or Bill O’Reilly, but that’s not the sort of blog we’re looking for here. Second, don’t point us to your own personal blog. That’s not to imply that you don’t have any good thoughts of your own, but “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth” (Proverbs 27:2).
Tim Raymond has been the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana since April 2006. He received his MDiv from the Baptist Bible Seminary of Pennsylvania in 2004 and has pursued further education through the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Tim grew up outside Syracuse, NY and previously served at Berean Baptist Church, Nicholson, PA (member and teacher during college and seminary) and Calvary Baptist Church, Sandusky, Ohio (seminary internship location). Tim met his wife Bethany at college, and they were married in May 2001. Tim enjoys reading, camping, wrestling with his three sons, and attempting to sleep.
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