I read an interesting yet disturbing article recently on intergeneration connections and the involvement of teens after they graduate from high school. The article was written by Kara Powell and it was called, “Faith that Sticks.” Studies suggest that approximately 40 to 50 percent of our students who are part of…
I recently met with a church that was having consistent baptisms but not experiencing net growth. They asked me to help them plan some strategies that would keep those they reached. About the same time I read Tom Rainer’s blog on “closing the back door.” How does a church keep…
The way churches view and conduct discipleship is changing. In the past we have seen discipleship primarily as offering a series of un-connected courses or doctrinal training. We assumed that a mature Christian was someone who really had Bible facts nailed down. Our mistake was assuming that a cognitive experience…
Jim Putman is pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. His books, Church is a Team Sport and Real-Life Discipleship are excellent resources for those who lead discipleship in their churches. His church is serious about making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. It is in their…
Roland Allen tells about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon. The missionary introduced himself & said, “I was a medical missionary for many years in India. I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with…
Growing up I loved to shoot bow and arrows. I would draw a target on a hay bale or a card board box and do my best to hit the bull’s eye I had drawn. To shoot without having a target was not much fun. The flip side of that…
Step 1. Refine Your Vision/Dream/Goal Every church needs a clear vision for disciple-making. Your vision needs to be articulated and shared. What’s your vision/dream/goal for making disciples in your church? God gives us His vision as we spend time with Him and His Word. Wise leaders plan times to be…
You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. We’ve looked at four now the fifth one. 5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over…
You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. Here’s the mega shift Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous…
We’ve all heard the quote, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” We know that it is the Spirit of the Lord in us that provides the energy and guidance to lead, but the fact is… God is still using people to accomplish His purposes. He uses godly leaders. Churches that…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.