“The time has come to address the elephant in the room – to give a voice to the truth we’ve all been avoiding: Small groups are not the best place for intimate relationships to form. Instead, they are a place to form new, basic friendships. This doesn’t lower the bar for groups in any way. When it comes to … Read More
Book Review: Activate – New Approach to Small Groups
Today, I’m sharing with you a book review written by Rus Jeffrey. Dr. Jeffrey has 40 years of mainstream broadcast experience and 20 plus years of pastoral ministry experience. In 2002 he and his wife Sandra founded Fresh-Wind Ministries. Here’s what he had to say about my newest book, “Activate:” Activate is a breath of fresh air when it comes to … Read More
Summer is for Outreach (Part 2 of 2)
In the first of this two-part blog post, I defined Servant Evangelism as doing intentional acts of kindness with the express purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s a powerful tool, especially when it comes to reaching the unchurched. It’s called Servant Evangelism (SE), and it can easily become part of a healthy evangelism system inside of your … Read More
10,000 Baptisms: Pastor Sets Incredible Milestone
Today’s exciting guest post comes to us from Robin Cornetet for Baptist Press News. BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (BP) — Kentucky pastor Steve Ayers has reached a milestone that has Christians across the state taking notice: 10,000 baptisms since he arrived at Hillvue Heights Church. Since becoming pastor of the Bowling Green congregation in 1991, Ayers has seen the church grow from … Read More
Think Big for Small Groups
“Groups of seven or fewer people have a significantly higher failure rate, produce less fruit, and cause everyone involved more frustration and anxiety than larger groups. The solution is simple: encourage bigger groups. Allow up to twenty people to sign up for each of your groups. By allowing this many people to sign up, your projected number of actual … Read More
Summer is for Outreach (Part 1 of 2)
Kindness can be a powerful tool, especially when it comes to reaching the unchurched. It’s called Servant Evangelism (SE), and it can easily become part of a healthy evangelism system inside of your church. Let’s start with the formal definition: Servant evangelism is doing intentional acts of kindness with the express purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. … Read More
8 Steps to Getting Out of Debt
Today’s guest post comes to us from Rick Warren for Pastors.com. It’s impossible to estimate the kind of good the church could do for the world if every believer was financially healthy and spiritually mature in the area of generosity. The problem is, the church is hurting in this area–badly. I believe we, as church leaders, often underestimate the amount … Read More
Sunday Scripture: Developing Patience
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about the evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” – Psalm 37:7 (NLT)
Calvin on Joy and Suffering
“You must to submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy.” – John Calvin, Leading Figure of the Swiss Reformation
Worship: Why What We Sing Matters
What does worship have to do with following Christ? Everything. When God wired the human brain, He did some amazing things. Studies have shown a significant connection between music and memory. Doctors are learning more every day about the ways our brain engages when we sing or listen to music. We already know this. It’s why we teach our children … Read More