The Leader Is the Lesson

People are watching–those in the church and in the world–whether we like it or not. Our lives speak more loudly than our words. If we want to lead our disciples anywhere, our example matters. If we want our disciples to be transparent and honest, we cannot appear to be perfect.…

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Jesus as Disciple-Maker, Part 1

From the beginning, I want to be clear that what follows are some of my observations of the biblical account of the disciple-making example of Jesus. I am not attempting an exhaustive treatment–though the thought of writing that book sounds enticing. Before plunging in, I want to invite you to…

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Discipleship: Your Example Matters

For Christians, the focus of our discipleship is Jesus. We devote ourselves to Him, to following Him, to acting like Him, and carrying out His mission. We choose to surrender ourselves to Him. We go where He leads. We study His commands (Matthew 28:19-20), His teachings, and His example so…

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Why Churches Don’t Grow, Part 1

I am a student of church growth and church health and have benefited from the writings and research of Charles Arn. Recently he wrote an article called, “Why Churches Don’t Grow” for Building Church Leaders network. This short article is right on target. In this two-part series, we will look…

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Increasing Assimilation Through Worship

When it comes to assimilation, relationship-building is most important, but other key factors exist. Another way to improve the rate-of-return of first-time guests is by improving the worship service. Without question, innovative churches like Willow Creek Community Church, Saddleback Community Church, Granger Community Church, Fellowship Church, and North Point Community Church have…

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