Today’s guest blog comes to us from Owen Strachan for Patheos.com. The best way to grow a church is to hold conservative theology, and preach it. At least that’s what a recent Washington Post article states. David Millard Haskell (professor at Wilfrid Laurier University) just reported his peer-reviewed research on Canadian churches for the Post, here’s what he found (emphasis … Read More
Dwight Moody on Church Attendance
“Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” – Dwight L. Moody February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899
Keys to Worship Planning: Every Sunday Matters
“The hour or so that you have with your people during each worship service is phenomenally important. Every. Single. Week. You can never let a Sunday slide. Every Sunday matters. One of the most basic requirements for being a teaching pastor or worship leader is that you love Sundays. God has entrusted you with people who will walk through … Read More
Raising Your Game for God’s Glory (Thursdays are for Health)
“No one else can change your life for you. I can guarantee, though, if you will make a decision to raise your game for God’s glory, he will meet you in that place and help you get to where he wants you to be.” – Nelson Searcy, Steve Reynolds & Jennifer Dykes Henson The above quote is from p. 32 of … Read More
Steps to Take Before Confronting Others
Recently, I came across an insightful article by Annie B. Garman about confronting others and some steps to take before issuing a reproof. It’s a subject I spent a full chapter talking about in my new book Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live. As Annie points out in her article for the North American Mission … Read More
2 Effective Ways to Manage and Motivate Your Church Staff
Part of your job as a church leader, a.k.a. the boss, is to give clarity to your staff and align the work that they’re doing with the vision of the church. It takes a leader to manage and motivate their staff, and an ongoing commitment. Here’s a quick overview of two key ways to manage and motivate people: Projects and … Read More
Martin Luther on Prayer
“Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.” – Martin Luther
Keys to Worship Planning: Creating the Right Environment
“None of us is in the business of creating transformation in people. God is the only one who can do that. Our job is to create an environment where the transformation can happen and intentionally invite our listeners into God’s truth. If people aren’t seeing their lives transformed by the reality of Jesus Christ, we may not be doing … Read More
Four Foundational Skills Every Pastor Should Have
In preparing for leadership talks for a conference, it became clear to me that there are four key skills you must master in order to thrive as a pastor. Here they are (in no particular order): Keeping the Sabbath. A 24-hour period of when you cease your primary vocation. Time Management. Your success or failure every week is determined by … Read More
Leonard Ravenhill on What You Must Do Before You Preach Tomorrow (or any Sunday)
“The preacher must pray. It is not that he can pray or that he could pray but that he must pray if he intends to have a spiritual church. There is no other way to power but by prayer.” – Leonard Ravenhill