Category: Church
-
Leading in the Construction of Christ’s Church
As one who has benefited from reading Jim Collins, John Kotter, Stephen Covey, and several other leadership gurus from the business world, I found this quote from Tony Morgan‘s Developing a Theology of Leadership to be a very helpful reminder and convicting corrective: It is true that we church leaders can learn from business leaders,…
-
Fellowship of Jesus’ Followers
Stanley Grenz wrote, in Theology for the Community of God: “The fellowship of Jesus’ followers is not merely a loose coalition of individuals who acknowledge Jesus. Rather, it is a community of disciples who seek to walk together in accordance with the principles of the kingdom. As Christ’s church, we desire to live out in…
-
Turning Consumers Into Missionaries
In this video, Hugh Halter offers some helpful suggestions about turning church consumers into people who live on mission for and with Christ. While this is a long video, in the current climate of American church culture, I found it worth taking the time to consider. I broke it up into viewing sections – watching…
-
Ministry Diagnosis Questions
As a pastor it is not only requisite to be a student of God’s Word, but it is also essential to be a student of the people to whom I preach and teach. This is true for any church or ministry leader. If we do not know the Bible, and sound doctrine, we have nothing…
-
To Stop It or Not to Stop It, That is a Question
The ministry web site, ChurchLeaders.com, reported news of an unfortunate event in Colorado, and then asked the provocative rhetorical question: “How would you have handled it?” After a little thought I decided I would take a stab at taking the question, taking it beyond the mere rhetorical, and actually trying to answer it – albeit…
-
Three Times a Month
Thom Rainer recently noted that there has been a marked change in the measure of comitment the average Christian had to his or her church. At least there has been a change in one measurable detail: An active church member 15 years ago attended church three times a week. Now it’s three times a month…
-
Is Bigger Really Better?
No matter how much I have grown to despise the discussion, it seems I cannot avoid it entirely. Almost any conversation about church, it seems, inevitably gravitates in some form toward the Bigger is Better or Great Things Come in Small Packages debate. It is not always an actual debate. In fact it is probably…
-
Messy Christian Communities
As our church makes the slow but intentional shift toward Missional Communities, I found this illustration to be a good picture of the contrast between common perception and ideal reality of what such communities, or small groups, and even church is like. On the left side, “What People Think It Looks Like“, we see the…
-
Being the Church in the World: Distinctiveness
In this video John Stott discusses what he calls one of the most neglected themes in the Bible: Distinctiveness. With all the clamoring for church to be seen as relevant in our culture, perhaps we – the Church – have lost sight of the call to be different. Not different for the sake of being…
-
Downward Slide
Ed Stetzer offers thoughts on the paradox he sees growing in Evangelical circles: Church planting and other ministry initiatives are on the rise, while evangelism is suffering a downward slide. Stetzer: Downward Slide
-
Honest Answer to Honest Questions, and Open Dialogue Wherever Possible
Boyce College professor, Denny Burk, has posted an interesting warning about a common tactic employed by some with theological agendas – especially those with liberalizing theological agendas. His post is titled: Should Churches “Dialogue” About Sexuality? Having read through it a couple of times I find myself appreciating Burk’s concern. Burk notes that many a subtle debate…
-
More Than Numbers
Here is a needed reminder: I’m not so sure God cares how big your church is. Seriously. If your numbers aren’t “growing,” so what? I’m also not sure that the sign of a vibrant healthy church is ever-increasing growth, significant growth. It seems to me that the sign of a vibrant, healthy fully alive church…
-
Thoughts on Easter Giveaways
I was stunned the first time I read about the plan of a church in the area where we then lived to give away prizes at an Easter gathering. And they were not just going to give stuff away, they were planning to create a frenzy. A helicopter was leased, piloted by some guy in…
