New Blog – Small Church Pastor

For nearly twenty years this blog has been my personal blog. My journey as a pastor. It has been the place that I have shared my family, my devotional thoughts, and things that interest me.

I began it with the intention of just giving people a glimpse of my life as a pastor. It has served that purpose well for all of these years. Yet, as I grow older, my goal has changed. Rather than sharing about me, I would like to share about Christ’s church. Especially, the part of the church that has been a part of my life and ministry for over thirty years now. The Small Church.

For the last three decades, Sonya and I have spent our lives serving in small churches. Many of these years, we have had the privilege of being able to serve full-time. While, for some of those, I was bi-vocational. Working a more than full-time job and also pastoring a church where I had no staff and I preached three times a week. It would be an understatement to say that I understand the plight of the small church pastor.

With that in mind, the focus of this blog is going to change. It will still be similar to the life of a pastor blog, however, the shift will now be on what it means to be a small church pastor. This will be a place to encourage, to share insights that I have gained over thirty years of pastoral ministry in churches of 200 or less.

I encourage you to stay tuned to this blog page as we begin to journey together on the life of a small church pastor. The challenges of it and the blessings of it and more than anything to help us understand that God is with the small church pastor.

The Light of Christmas Poem

Twenty centuries ago, in a manger lay
A special child of whom the prophet’s say

Would be the one that would bring light to all mankind
That if we would look, in Him we would surely find

Our hearts prepared, our eyes to see
The one who would come to die for you and me

His start was such a humble beginning
He would come into a world that was full of sinning

The spotless lamb who was born in a stable
This is truth, the Word, not just a fable

In a place no king should ever begin
Yet it seemed, there was no room in the inn

In a field that was not too far away
The Shepherds kept their watch after a long day

The angels appeared and a bright light around them shone
They were Told where to find the baby and then told them to go

As the came to the place of His miraculous birth
There They found a child that was of such great worth

There With His loving parents, the Christ child lay
It was at that glorious time, the first Christmas day

The gift that was wrapped there in His swaddling clothes
The shepherds did bow for, in Him, now they would know

That the Savior had come, into the world He was born
A time to rejoice and no longer to mourn

For the angels had declared good tidings of great joy
Because in a manger laid, God who’d come as a little boy

The incarnation, here was God who came in the flesh
The little Christ child had come to give mankind rest

Rest from the toil, and the weight of their sin
Now, He had come to make His home among them

So hard to understand why God would come down to us
But to redeem mankind, this birth was a must

For God could not save unless first He endured
and to overcome the temptations by which we’ve been lured

He had left Heaven and come to earth, so darkness He might fight
And Satan’s powers, so that we would have the light

As the prophet’s of old generations ago have said
One would come who would certainly rise from the dead

Arise Shine for Your Light Has Come
For now, the world beholds, Christ God’s Son

This Light of Christmas into our hearts does shine
Look to Him this Season and Him you will surely find

The babe in a manger, who would die for our sins
Look up, for one day soon, He will come again.

-Danny Cheney-


Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.


God Knows Your Name

Ever feel that God doesn’t even know your name?

Paul, in writing to Timothy, shared a powerful truth, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His…”  II Timothy 2:19

Need I say more?  God who is all-knowing knows your name.  The God who is all-powerful has the power to change your life.  Too many times we go by our feelings and feel unloved.  We may not feel His presence one day, and we think He has forsaken us.  The fact is, we do not have to live by feelings but by faith.  If He said, “He knows those who are His”, shouldn’t we take Him at His word?  God loves you and cares for you.  You are special to Him!  He knows the number of tears you cry and the number of hairs on your head (and those that fall off too).  We can delight in the fact that God cares for each one of us so much that He knows us all by name. 

My comprehension is not capable of grasping the fact that God Almighty can be everywhere at one time and know billions of individual names.  Not only that, He knows every detail of those many billions of people.  Amazing, is it not?  What an awesome God we serve!  Paul relates that this is the solid foundation of God, and it stands with the seal of His ownership on our lives.  Friend, the next time you feel forsaken, unloved or unmoved, think on this verse (II Timothy 2:19).  You are special, you are chosen, you are loved.  Jesus said that God knows every time a sparrow falls to the ground, how much more does He know your needs and hurts.  Rest assured that you are the apple of God’s eye, and He knows you by name.


Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.


Where Did The Time Go?

Sunday, I preached on parenting, and it made me think of how often we take for granted the time we have with our kids while they are still at home. With only one year left of school for my youngest, Sonya and I are looking at the proverbial empty nest, sooner than later. Where has the time gone? I penned the following words during my sermon prep time, but I didn’t share it during the message.

LOST TRACK OF TIME

Where has the time gone?
How did it slip away so fast?
Although it has been three decades
We thought it would forever last.

They entered the world with the blast of a cry.
Then the joyful laughter of a playful child
The hugs and kisses of an afternoon snuggle,
To the outdoor play of a kid gone wild.

But slowly they grew past the age of wonder.
Discovering the world and all its pain
Finding that life is too often harsh.
And hurts come again and again.

But with time maturity always comes
And they learn how to cope.
They build a life for themselves.
And this one thing we’ve come to know.

That though time went fast.
God had them in His hand
The world tried to take them.
But Jesus became their friend.

They made mistakes and stumbled along the way.
We, too, have many regrets and blunders that we made.
Yet, in the end, we are proud of what they have become.
And as we look at them, we can truly say.

We did our best with the little we knew.
And with God’s gracious help, we made it through.
What a privilege it is to raise them up!
For God gave them to us so we could love.

And love we have, that only a parent can know.
One that is witnessed by God Almighty
A Father of all Fathers
One who loves so immensely.

So, thank you, Lord, for what you have given.
We will certainly never take it for granted.

-Danny Cheney-

Poetic Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
I sing aloud with my voice
I am declaring your fame

Your Kingdom Come
Your Will Be Done
I will follow your plan
And this race I will run

On earth as it is in Heaven
For You know what’s best
I will live your way
And then your blessings manifest

Give us this day
Our daily bread
Food on our table
A roof over our head

Forgive us our sins
For they are not a few
You gave your life
That I might be made new

Forgive others
Who have caused us pain
Hold it not against them
Lord help them to change

Lead us not into temptation
For there are many all around
Deliver me from evil
In holiness let me abound

For yours is the Kingdom
For everything is yours
All the glory, and the power
You, my God, are forevermore

-Danny Cheney-

Winter’s Snow Christmas Song

As a part of our Christmas season, our church does various Christmas songs as a part of our services. The RFA worship team is par none and I am grateful for such a gifted team of musicians and singers. God has truly blessed us as a church. This year, my daughter, Hannah had a solo, singing Audrey Assad’s song, Winter’s Snow. It is such a beautiful song and I wanted to share the video with you.


Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.


Christmas Blessing

In my prayer time this morning I read these words from Pete Greig of 24-7 prayer. Their prayer app Lectio 365 has daily prayers and I loved this blessing from today’s Christmas reading.

You can use this as a prayer over yourself and family this Christmas evening.

Pete Greig writes first about God’s perspective of us, then there is a blessing to pray:

‘I love you. I have no regrets. I gave up everything for you and I’m glad I did! They laid me in that cold, dark, dirty manger, so give me your cold, dark, dirty heart. I am in you, I am with you, I am for you. Be born again today.’

Christmas Blessing

And so, may the love by which the Father sent His son at Christmas, 
    embrace my family and friends, my heart and my home, this day.
And may the sacrifice, by which Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 
    mark all my attitudes, actions, and interactions this day.
And may the joy, by which the Spirit conceives and breathes new life,
    fill me with the holiness of heaven’s happiness now and forever more.**
Amen

I pray you have had a wonderful Christmas.

Clouds of Witnesses Free on Kindle

For the next few days, the Kindle version of my latest book, Cloud of Witnesses, is free. This is a fictional account of a pastor who learns the true keys to success in ministry. Though it is a fiction book, there are many great truths. Not only for pastors, but for anyone in leadership. I believe it will be a blessing.

Since it is the Christmas season, I have dropped the prices on all of my books. You can check them out on Amazon. Here are the links.