Should a Pastor Be Discouraged About His Small Church?
Encouragement for pastors of small churches
Pastors, regardless the pressures you face in your congregation to “produce the numbers,” focus on caring for souls. Be faithful to evangelize, preach the gospel every week, pray for conversions, but make sure your primary focus is on caring for souls. When we stand before God to give an account for the souls of our... Continue Reading
Ten Traits of Pastors Who Have Healthy Long-term Tenure
Imagine what might take place if pastors consistently stayed at churches for ten or more years
The median tenure of a pastor at a church is around four years. Simply stated, over one-half of pastors leave a church before their fourth anniversary. And our research shows that the time of greatest fruit in a pastor’s ministry does not begin until somewhere around years five to seven. Imagine what might take place if... Continue Reading
4 Trends in Christianity That Could Scare You
While the church in America is not dying, there are some challenges and changes to be considered.
It is beginning to cost something to be a Christian in America—not as much as in many places in the world or in much of history, but more than it used to. And, as living for Christ costs more in our culture, it will mean more in our context. Churches that are preaching the Gospel... Continue Reading
Lambeth Conference Postponement Spells More Uncertainty For Anglicans
Turmoil that has rocked the Anglican Communion for the past decade isn’t about to settle down
“Jefferts Schori said that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby “is not going to call a Lambeth [conference] until he is reasonably certain that the vast majority of bishops would attend.” The likelihood of a “vast majority” of bishops attending in the near future is slim.” Turmoil that has rocked the worldwide Anglican Communion for the... Continue Reading
Synod PJC Action Proves It Is All About The Money
All it took (for the dismissed churches) was to cough up more than $2-million above what they had already agreed to pay the presbytery
“At this time, the exact amount of money has not been made public, but sources say that is approximately $2.7 million, and could be in the form of grants, so that the presbytery will not have to vote again on the settlements with the churches. Sources say that two other churches still have a complaint... Continue Reading
Twenty-Two Problems With Multi-Site Churches
To the extent that a multi-site church relies on brand identity to reach unbelievers, to that same extent they risk building Christianity on their brand identity
“Multi-site churches are the current trend in evangelicalism. The great question is, will they be able to make a generational transition? Will they be able to hold together when the main preaching pastor—who is usually in himself the center of gravity for the whole enterprise—goes off the scene? And how much institutional and spiritual fall-out will... Continue Reading
How I Changed My Mind about Infant Baptism
I could not understand why, given the Old Testament emphasis of God's working through families, the New Testament did not signal a change in that policy
It is my joy to baptize the children of believers and to see those children treated, not as little strangers until they make their profession of faith, but as members of the family of God. As such they are instructed in the full width of Bible truth and in the catechism of the church. It is the most... Continue Reading
Mars Hill Phoenix Rises From The Ashes To Become Phoenix Bible Church
Seeking to rise like Phoenix from the ashes, members of Mars Hill Phoenix are starting a new church
“We believe that God has begun something very special through Mars Hill Phoenix. As things come to an end on Sept. 28, we want to explore next steps to continue as a church family and essentially start a new church of what was Mars Hill Phoenix. Our first service together would be Oct. 5, at... Continue Reading
Analysis: Moderator Sees Church ‘Evolving’ On Same-Sex Marriage
Presbyterian Church (USA) Moderator Heath Rada, in a recent column, talked about the 2014 General Assembly votes to redefine Christian marriage to include same-sex couples
“It is not my job as Moderator of the denomination to defend the actions of the church,” Rada wrote in his column. “It IS, however, my job to make sure that the work of the General Assembly is correctly interpreted.” So how well did Rada interpret the Detroit assembly’s actions to redefine Christian marriage from... Continue Reading
Mark Driscoll: I Made The Mistake Of Trying To Be Under the Authority Of My Elders
Driscoll goes on to say that church planters shouldn’t believe that accountability will come from their first elder board.
Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes we are mistaken about what we call mistakes. Driscoll’s assessment of the situation is debatable. Did he make a mistake by throwing off the authority of his elder board and bringing outsiders in? One interpretation of the current situation at Mars Hill is that the cure has been worse than... Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 349
- 350
- 351
- 352
- 353
- …
- 554
- Next Page »