BP Toolbox

This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.

For every Gospel minister, the New Testament letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are to be lifelong companions. The Pastoral Epistles are letters we return to again and again, guiding us on our journey of life and ministry. Indeed, I know of no better way to ensure ministerial faithfulness than for the minister to live in these three books.

Over the past five years, the religious makeup of the United States has remained remarkably stable, according to Gallup.

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.

For many pastors and church leaders, feeling tired has moved from an occasional issue to an ongoing one. Fatigue is no longer a seasonal challenge but a chronic issue. Unfortunately, too many pastors and ministry staff across the country are running on empty, struggling to find the energy they once had. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. There are proven strategies that can help you break the burnout cycle and reclaim the joy of ministry.

Every pastor and ministry leader wants to make a lasting Kingdom impact, especially for the next generation. A church that effectively disciples kids and families is a thriving church. A church that fails to disciple kids and families is a dying church.

Earlier this year, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.

If you’re pastoring a mid-sized church, you’ve likely felt that slow undercurrent of change that’s harder to name than it is to feel.

The first seven years of C. H. Spurgeon’s ministry in London were accompanied by a surprising revival. No one could have expected it. Through a nineteen-year-old country preacher, a dying congregation was revitalized, and hundreds—perhaps thousands—were converted under his ministry during those early years. Though only a few dozen were in attendance when Spurgeon first arrived at New Park Street in 1853, by 1861 membership was at 1,473, with thousands more regularly attending.

An “unforced error” is a term borrowed from sports, especially tennis, meaning a mistake made due to one’s own lapse rather than being forced by an opponent. In everyday language, it refers to an avoidable mistake or misstep, typically resulting from a lack of attention or care rather than external pressure.