
Which vision pattern does your church follow?
Vision is not measured by statements on a wall. Vision is revealed by how a church operates, evaluates ministry, and envisions the future.

Vision is not measured by statements on a wall. Vision is revealed by how a church operates, evaluates ministry, and envisions the future.

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Youth and student ministry have a robust history in Southern Baptist and evangelical circles, and rightly so. But, if you reach the children, eventually you will also grow a thriving youth ministry, as those sweet kids grow into teenagers.

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There are only two ways to do local church evangelism – come and see or go and tell. Every church has a “come and see” strategy as it gathers on Sunday morning, posts its service times and welcomes guests to come and hear the Gospel.

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Every pastor leads with a finite amount of trust. Theologians might call it credibility; leadership writers call it relational or political capital. Whatever the term, it functions the same way: it accumulates slowly through faithfulness and depletes quickly through avoidable mistakes.
Over the last several years during the Advent and Christmas seasons, I have noticed that churches seem to be singing traditional Christmas carols less and less. I’m not sure what all the reasons may be, and I’m certainly not attempting to impugn the motives of those who choose the songs. But I do believe it’s unfortunate for us if we hear familiar carols more in the shopping mall than we do in the local church.