Dr. Paul Chappell

Five Ways to Incorporate a Church Theme throughout the Year

by Dr. Paul Chappell | Dec 27, 2017 | Ministry Leadership

Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, on the first Sunday of January, we reveal to our church family a new scriptural theme for the coming year. This theme flows out of much prayer and preparation that has taken place for six or seven months in advance of the new...

What to Do with a Gift Like Christmas

by Dr. Paul Chappell | Dec 24, 2017 | Christian Life

A few years ago, I wrote a little book titled Christmas Is a Gift. In it, I pointed out that Christmas itself is the gift of Christ’s presence: Emmanuel—God with us! But if Christmas is a gift, how do we unwrap it? How do we celebrate the gift, not just enjoy the...

A Word of Caution for Your New Year’s Planning

by Dr. Paul Chappell | Dec 14, 2017 | Ministry Leadership, Spiritual Leadership Podcast

As we’re just weeks away now from the start of a new year, most of us are thinking toward what changes we’d like to make or goals we’d like to pursue in the coming twelve months. As a pastor, I’m already weeks into preparing ministry goals for our church, and I’m...

5 Practical Ways to Diligently Invest in Your Children

by Dr. Paul Chappell | Dec 11, 2017 | Family

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. And I’m not just referring to the hazards of stepping on legos in the middle of the night. (Although legos do qualify as a parenting hazard.) But primarily I’m referring to the responsibility parents have to shepherd their...

5 Ways to Lift Up Jesus during the Christmas Season

by Dr. Paul Chappell | Dec 8, 2017 | Christian Life

We know that Jesus is the reason for the season. But how much of our season actually is centered around celebrating Christ? It’s so easy in the rush of responsibilities to see December as more of a to-do list than as a month of special opportunity to lift up Christ....