The stats are in. We can choose to ignore them, bury our heads in the sand, or see reality and move forward. The 2010 Annual Church Profile showed dips in baptisms, total church membership, worship attendance and participation in Sunday school and other Christian education programs. Declines were also reported…
In my previous blog I listed 10 so let’s continue to examine two more with number seven and eight. 7. Healthy Churches keep many hooks in the water. They don’t have just one strategy that reaches people but a number of opportunities. They provide many side doors in order for…
Religion News Service reports that a new Gallup Poll found that Americans’ self-reported church attendance has increased slightly since 2008. When asked “How often do you attend church, synagogue, or mosque?” 43.1 percent of Americans in 2010 said they attended church “at least once a week” or “almost every week.”…
This is part three of implementing a Discipleship Design in your church. I would love to hear some of your thoughts and ideas! Here are some challenges we face as we seek to grow our discipleship ministry. I faced these as a pastor and believe they are germane to most…
This week I am meeting with the Southeast Discipleship Leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta. Jay Johnston, LifeWay’s Director of Evangelism and Discipleship, is meeting with us today. We are discussing how to help our churches become more effective in making disciples and producing spiritually mature followers of Christ.…
In my last post, I pointed out that the “C” in C.L.O.S.I.N.G. the Back Door stands for Creating A Welcoming Environment. Creating a welcoming environment involves OPENING the front door of your church in order to increase the number of first-time guests. A church cannot grow without visitors. The “L” in C.L.O.S.I.N.G. 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.