Tag: Ministry
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Reflecting Jesus in Christ’s Church
If, as most Christians profess, Jesus is indeed the only Head of the Church, it seems reasonable that Christ’s Church should reflect His personality in it’s ministries and structure. One way that Jesus is reflected in the ministry of faithful churches has been the recovery of a balanced Word & Deed holistic ministry. By balanced…
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9 Church Diseases
According to Peter Wagner: Healthy churches build an immune system to resist disease. It is much more advisable to prevent an illness than to contract one and then have to cure it. The following are the most common diseases that infect churches. By recognizing some of the symptoms my hope is that we will turn to…
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Missing the Missional Mark
To read something I disagree with on the Internet is not an unusual thing. When what I disagree with comes from a source that I respect – highly respect – it makes me somewhat uncomfortable. When the source I respect seems to oppose what I hold, well that is just down-right disappointing. But that is the…
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How to KEEP Your Church FROM Vitality & Fruitfulness
There are conferences, seminars, articles, books, curricula telling us how to grow a church. It’s high time the other side of the issue be considered. While I don’t guarantee these easy-to-apply steps will always keep your church from health and vitality, they will, with proper application, certainly increase the chances of stagnation. 1. Change Pastors Every…
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The Baker’s Dirty Dozen Stagnant Church Types
At a time when potential epidemics may be on the horizon the wise person is on the lookout for the signs of disease. The hope is that early detection will enable more effective and less severe treatment. Such a time surrounds the American church. It is widely reported that 85% of all churches are in a…
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Ambition
I’ve been listening to the audio of sessions from Acts 29 Network’s 2009 Bootcamp: Ambition. While not everyone will find these talks of interest, I think they are challenging and stimulating for those of us in ministry and church leadership. Ministry for the Long Haul & Ambition (Matt Chandler) Decoding Your City & Ambition (Kevin Cawley)…
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Characteristics of a Missional Church
As our church begins to explore what it means to be a missional church, it might be helpful to hear the insights of one of the most effective practitioners and proponents of the missional approach to ministry. In the above video Tim Keller, of Redeemer Church in Manhattan, explains some of the key characteristics of…
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In Constant Prayer
Here is a challenging insight from Robert Benson, taken from his book In Constant Prayer: Our modern church has some distinct advantages over the early church. Or at least I suspect it does. We have better youth programs and better acoustics and finer buildings. We have better literature that is more easily available to…
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Core Values of Walnut Hill Church
I recently finished a series unveiling the Core Values of Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church. The Elders of our church worked on these for several months, as we tried to discern the characteristics that define and drive our church. Leadership expert Aubrey Malphurs calls Core Values “the qualities that make up and establish an organizations character,…
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Overcoming Evil Leadership
Reggie McNeal, in his book Practicing Greatness, makes this audacious statement: “Bad leaders are a form of evil.” When I first read that statement I thought “Woe! That’s a bit strong.” But as I read further I came to understand his thinking… and agreed. Consider his whole point: Bad leaders are a form of evil.…
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Common Perils of the Professionally Holy
There are some peculiar perils prevalent among the professional holy – those in full time ministry or service for God. High on this list: We know a lot of stuff and we do a lot of good things. And it is easy to misconstrue either, or both, of these with being righteous. But neither of…
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Maundy Thursday Matters
Today is Maundy Thursday. It is a special day on the Christian calendar. But many Christians don’t know what maundy means. I imagine for some this day could easily fall just after Manic Monday, Ruby Tuesday… You get the idea. So if the term Maundy Thursday sounds foreign to you, relax, you are far from alone. The term…
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Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Jeff Purswell writes: Who dreamed that their church participation was so significant? Giving the world a glimpse of the consummated kingdom of God! Does such a grand vision govern our attitude toward our local churches? If it does, our participation will no doubt reflect it. We will love, serve, sacrifice, forgive, forbear, employ our gifts,…
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Pastors & REAL People
My friend Nathan Lewis has written a profoundly heartfelt, insightful post titled: Why So Many Pastors Don’t Get Close to Church Members. Nathan is an excellent writer, and has a broad spectrum of interests, so that he has written a good post is no surprise. But the theme he dares to address treads into sensitive territory: the…
