This year, we shared many ways to help your church take bold steps of renewal. Below are ten fresh ideas we think are worth re-visiting as the year comes to an end! Ten Fresh Ideas …
Facing Reality: Aging Congregations
Last week, we named some of the most common hard realities churches today are facing: aging congregations, leadership gaps, volunteer decline, stalled outreach, blurry vision, and conflict. We said that acknowledging the hard realities your church is …
One Door and Only One?
“One door and only one, and yet its sides are two. I’m on the inside. On which side are you?” I remember this song from my childhood, but I am not sure how to think …
How Pastors Can Beat Burnout
The difficult work of church renewal can push pastors into burnout. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall, it doesn’t have to be the end of your ministry. It can be the beginning of a new chapter …
What Causes Pastors to Burn Out?
The work of church renewal can be exhausting! If pastors give without being replenished for long enough, the body will eventually say, “Enough,” and burnout will set in. Last week, we began a series on burnout by looking at …
Renewing the Pastors Who Renew Churches
Pastors know that church renewal is about more than buildings and budgets; it’s about people! However, pastors today are struggling to flourish in the area of personal relationships, according to new data from Barna’s State of …
Comparing Five Church Planting Models
Church planting is one of the most effective ways to reach nonbelievers with the gospel. As we noted in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, they tend to be more nimble and more …
What it Takes for a Church Plant to Thrive
Planting a new church is one of the most exciting ways to grow the Kingdom of God! As we said in last week’s article, church plants tend to be strategically nimble and especially effective at community …
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 a …
Planning a Vision Retreat
The work of church renewal hinges on ministry leaders’ clarity about the church’s mission and their role in helping to accomplish it. Summer is the perfect season to plan a retreat that allows your team …