The table could barely hold all the food — turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, gravy, green beans, and pumpkin pie. Mom sat the last plate at the table and called everyone to the dining …
Thankful For the Fleas
Corrie ten Boom writes of her sister thanking God for the fleas in their barracks at Ravensbruck concentration camp. Corrie could not understand why they should thank God for the horrible fleas. But she followed …
One Simple Key to Church Renewal and Spiritual Growth
If you’re going to revitalize a church, a top priority is growing spiritual mature leaders. The question is: What causes people to grow in their faith? A survey of more than 1,000 churches asked and …
6 Ways to Stay Sane During Renewal
A recent survey by the Barna Group found that 29% of pastors had given “real, serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year.” I’ve found this percentage to be pretty accurate …
Reengaging the Disengaged
The well-known expert in church planting, revitalization, and trends in Christian missiology, Dr. Ed Stetzer, was a recent guest on Church Now Conversations (view here). Dr. Stetzer reflected on ministry in a post-COVID world and …
Intentional Churches Are Thriving Churches
A U.S. presidential candidate in the last election cycle replied to most questions with, “I have a plan for that.” When asked about ministry and mission few churches can reply, “We have a plan for …
Who Is My Neighbor?
Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” He replied with the story of the Good Samaritan which highlighted, essentially, “Anyone God puts in your path whose needs you are able to meet.” Renewal congregations want …
Addressing the Renewal Leadership Challenge
“As leaders go, so goes the church.” That maxim is self-evident to anyone attempting a congregational turn-around. The challenge, of course, is finding good leaders. Many congregations first identify they are in trouble when they …
Renewal and Living the Jesus Life
For more than one-hundred years “To Know Christ and Make Christ Known” has been the mission statement of a historic congregation in my hometown. A thriving renewal congregation in Florida has a similar but expanded …
Renewal And Post-Christendom
We are living in post-Christendom. Most scholars identify the time from the Roman Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in the 4th century to the early 2000’s as the era of Christendom in the West. For …
