When I served as a counselor at Camp Roger, a camp in Rockford, Mich., we would head out each week for a night in tents. After dark we gathered around the fire and told stories. …
Facing Reality: Stalled Outreach
In this series of newsletters, we have been naming six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed aging congregations, leadership pipelines running dry, and the decline of volunteerism. Today, we’ll turn to the fourth challenge, stalled …
Important Missional Lessons From Peter and Cornelius
I love the Acts 10:1-23 story of Peter and Cornelius because it holds so many important missional lessons. Cornelius is a Roman Centurion stationed at Caesarea. Peter (Jesus’ disciple become apostle) is staying in the Mediterranean …
Encouraging People: Being a “Barnabas” in a “Paul” World
Recently, I was on a call discussing the need for encouragement in this season of life and ministry. Many of our friends and colleagues are walking away from ministry and the church. It can be …
Pursuing Justice in Church Renewal
Is the world a better place because of Christianity? Increasingly, authors, bloggers, and influencers are saying that religion promotes injustice and violence. They believe that many non-Christians care about the poor and vulnerable more than the Church …
How To Become An Outward-Focused Church
The gravitational pull of churches will always be toward the wants and needs of insiders. It takes intentional effort to keep a church focused on its mission of reaching those outside the faith. At this year’s …
Air Freshener For The Bathroom
“Churches don’t understand that if they just put some air freshener in the bathroom, people would feel more welcome.” These are words from a church consultant. Is he right? What are people telling us about …