The wise preacher reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:7b that there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” But if you are a pastor, elder or ministry leader then you may feel the tension of discerning which one you need to do at any given moment.
iStock
Church growth writers talk about the bell-shaped curve that characterizes the growth of many churches. The left side of the bell curve is exciting (vision, outreach, growth, etc.), but the right side is challenging (nostalgia, decline, division, etc.).
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
What comes to mind when you think of attrition in your church? Perhaps you think about the attrition of membership or attendance. Maybe you think about financial attrition. However, I want to draw your attention to a different and often overlooked category: cultural attrition.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
We live in a day when the busyness of families and the many facets of the culture enticing the hearts and souls of our kids is off the charts. In the last three churches I have served, we found that one of the best tools to combat these challenges is to train Christian parents to celebrate the spiritual and physical milestones of their children.
It happens. Pastors get smacked around in church work, and they often bear the scars of anger and bitterness. My fear is that many pastors let that bitterness settle into their hearts, and they never really deal with it. Here are some markers that catch my attention: Be honest—does any of these markers hit home […]
I know this post may not be popular, but I think it’s an important one. Many church leaders face difficult ministry scenarios, but they know God led them there.
Being a pastor is tough and sometimes thankless. Many church use October as a special time to thank their pastor. Chuck Lawless offers 30 ways a church member can says thanks to their pastor.
Does your church want to be a help to missionaries? Chuck Lawless offers 12 practical ways a local church can serve and support missionaries.
How do you determine if a church's worship is honoring the Lord and serving the people? Chuck Lawless offers ten observations based on preaching in hundreds of churches.
Tensions can get high on a pastoral staff. Chuck Lawless offers the most common reasons he's seen through years of consultation.
None of us want to end a worship service in an awkward way. Here are 12 suggestions for a meaningful transition.
Christians are called to the nations. At the same time, though, Jesus called us to reach our Jerusalem - our community where we live - even as we go to the ends of the Earth.
I admit the topic of this blogpost might not quickly grab your attention – but I challenge you to keep reading. The world needs us to have this discussion. In fact, our basic Christian obedience is at stake if we ignore this topic.
For many years now, I’ve asked students about their quiet time with the Lord. Frankly, many struggle with consistency, especially with prayer. Anecdotally, though, here’s what I’ve learned: the students who struggle least tend to have had parents who modeled quiet times for them. Sometimes they did that intentionally, but at other times it just happened. Their parents did their quiet time in a more public place, and their kids took note.
