Discipleship requires management as much as leadership
Pastors manage churches as much, if not more, than leading them. Making disciples requires pastors to be involved in the day-to-day operations of a church.
Pastors manage churches as much, if not more, than leading them. Making disciples requires pastors to be involved in the day-to-day operations of a church.
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It’s tempting to imagine that legendary ministers like E. M. Bounds or Andrew Murray or someone known as “Praying Hyde” were simply born to pray. Along with the likes of David Brainerd, Leonard Ravenhill, Armin Gesswein, Bertha Smith, George Müller and so many others, there is a group of Christians who are primarily remembered for their prayer lives or their teaching on prayer. But no one was ever born praying. The men and women most known for prayer were not members of a spiritually elite corps the rest of us weren’t invited to join. They learned to pray.
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One statement from the introduction of Katie McCoy’s book To Be a Woman sets the stage for the conversation our culture is afraid to have but can’t afford to avoid.
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About four years ago, I was a student heavily involved in collegiate ministry, growing in my understanding of Scripture, and being discipled by a woman in our church. However, even as I grew and learned more about the church, I remember asking myself, “Where do I fit in to all this?”
Although only 10% of churches have more than 250 people and 70% have 100 or fewer, I won’t quibble on the reality that “typical” or “normative” is a better descriptor than “small” for churches that run fewer than 250 in attendance. The vast majority of churches are small in attendance. But there seem to be a few myths about the pastors who lead them.
FARMERSVILLE, Texas (BP) – This weekend, flights filled with pastors and their families from all over the country will land in California. They'll grab rental cars or book Ubers to make their way to the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference for two days of encouragement and edification. As they do, I thought it would be helpful to look back at the history of our legendary conference, give a taste of what to expect Sunday and Monday, and look ahead at our future.
FAIRVIEW, Texas (BP) – Many years ago, someone asked Charles Spurgeon why he was so successful. His response? “Because my people pray for me.”
FAIRVIEW, Texas (BP) – Here are four things to watch leading up to the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference.
“Desde 2018, la Convención Bautista del Sur ha perdido una serie de líderes de alto perfil cuyos mandatos terminaron debido a controversias o mala conducta”, comenzó el artículo reciente de RNS, “¿Puede alguien llevar adelante la Convención Bautista del Sur?” por Bob Smietana. Pero tal vez el autor esté buscando líderes en los lugares equivocados.
“Since 2018, the Southern Baptist Convention has lost a series of high-profile leaders whose tenures ended due to controversy or misconduct,” began the recent RNS article, “Can anyone lead the Southern Baptist Convention forward?” by Bob Smietana. But maybe the author is looking for leaders in all the wrong places.
Before sending on an online message, pastor and author Matt Henslee asks himself: Is this true or false? Does it build up or tear down? Does it amplify or diminish Christ's Gospel?