The Great Commission has at least three key points of emphasis: 1) A Discipleship emphasis (…make disciples…) 2) A Global emphasis (…of all nations…) 3) A Local Congregation emphasis (…baptizing them…) These three points of emphasis are not a checklist of tasks to be performed in order. It is not as if we are to …
Category Archives: Church
Liberty from Pastoral Burnout
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Those words are quoted from the Emma Lazarus poem, New Colossus, inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. While the original intent is to describe all who are welcomed by Lady Liberty, they may also sound like an apt description …
Does God Want Your Church To Grow?
Does God desire for your church to grow? The short and simple answer is “yes.” We can make this deduction from the fact that God has called us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and that ultimately; disciples from all nations will be gathered together in heaven (Revelation 7:9). In the mean time, …
Missing Members
I have spoken to several pastors recently who share the same concern: inconsistent attendance from church members. Notice, the word “members,” which denotes those who have committed themselves to a covenant community for mutual edification, encouragement, exhortation, and evangelism. These people have expressed their intent to be a part of something which they are now …
Four Ways to Weaken a Church
I have the opportunity to visit a significant number of churches as I travel. It is always fun to blog about what God is doing in different congregations. Recently, however, I felt a burden for churches that are weakening. Notice I didn’t say “shrinking.” Some of the churches that I have observed weakening actually have …
A New Sword Drill For the Church
Growing up, I remember my Sunday school teachers having periodic “sword drills” where they would call out a verse of scripture and the class would have a race to see who could be the first to find it in their Bible (sword). Although its been quite a few years since my last sword drill, I …
5 Things Your Pastor Would Love To Hear From You
Pastors are people. They are susceptible to the same emotional challenges everyone else faces. From time to time, they question their abilities, skills, direction and effectiveness. But unlike every other member of the church, most pastors do not have a pastor to counsel them through such challenging times. Life in the pulpit can be very …
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The “Perfect” Singles Ministry
“I don’t belong here.” That was the first thought that entered my mind when I walked into the room labeled, “singles.” I had recently relocated and was interested in building relationships in my new church home. On that particular Sunday morning, I was greeted in the Church entrance and asked what kind of class I …
Why it’s Great to be a Child
Remember when you thought “growing up” was going to be the best thing ever? “Adulthood” represented not having to eat your vegetables, or go run errands with mom, or do your homework, or finish your chores. The dream was to grow up and become independent so you could sleep late, watch tv all day, eat …
Some People…
If you have served as a pastor for any significant period of time, I imagine you are familiar with the phrase “Some people.” It always shows up in sentences such as: Some people are saying… Some people asked me…. Some people were wondering… Some people think… Some people are concerned… Etc. Of course, 99% of …