In their book on the emerging church, Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger identify a new understanding of leadership that characterizes this new church movement. What can we learn from this list and do you resonate with some of these ideas? I would love to hear back from you. •…
Have you noticed how many things have gone retro… clothes, cars, furniture, appliances. Vinyl records are making a comeback. I wish I had kept my leisure suits because I am sure they will return soon! Maybe even my bell bottom pants I wore in college. Some are nostalgic and want…
This series of blogs will help you keep the people you reach and help you discern if your church is more like Teflon or Velcro? We have a twofold challenge…getting new people to attend and getting people to stick after they join and not slide off. Without new people coming…
Assimilation is all about the process of helping people find your church, join your church, and get involved using their gifts and talents for the kingdom. Of course, experiencing salvation in Christ would be the number one goal as you reach out to people with the Gospel. In a recent…
The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a PECULIAR people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” I think this was a prophetic word concerning…
“Making Disciples” is the church’s assignment given directly from the lips of Jesus in Matthew 28:19. It should always be on our minds and hearts as we lead our churches forward for the glory of Christ. Aubrey Malphurs is a prolific writer and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He believes…
The Bully! Pulpit, a pop culture news blog, reports that rumors that Michael Jackson accepted Christ may have been false. Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest last week at the age of 50, was rumored by some to have become a Christian just weeks before his death. Mark Moring reported…
Bill Easum in his book “A Second Resurrection,” (Abingdon, 2007) lists eight steps to reverse spiritual decline in churches. He says that spiritual death doesn’t have to happen in the life of a church. Even in churches that seem to not have a chance at surviving there is still hope…
We are all looking for the key factors that reach people and keep them. There are no magic bullets but there are some key indicators. While serving as the pastor of one church, it seemed like every other person I met in the community said they use to be a…
In my last blog post we looked at four of Barna’s Eight Symptoms of declining churches. They were; Demographic Changes, Inadequate Leadership, Poor Management, and Old Blood. Here are the next four with a few brief comments. 5. Building Campaigns “From coast to coast, the roadside is littered with the…
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.
