When a church becomes discouraged, energy drains away and mission focus fades. Evangelism slows. Outreach dwindles. Over time, discouragement settles like fog over the entire congregation. Yet, God specializes in breathing new life into tired hearts and weary churches. Even the most downtrodden church can rediscover hope, strength, and purpose.
iStock
I start this post with a caveat: I believe in the historical understanding of Church Growth, marked by evangelism that necessarily resulted in disciples in the local church.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
There are leadership traits every successful leader needs. Here's a list of seven that are helpful for the journey.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
The Gospel affects the entire life of a believer, and the same is true for a body of believers that comprise a local church. Churches, and all that they do, should have a particular Gospel focus. From the preaching to the polity, everything should be intentionally centered on the Gospel. The purpose of this short […]
When a church becomes discouraged, energy drains away and mission focus fades. Evangelism slows. Outreach dwindles. Over time, discouragement settles like fog over the entire congregation. Yet, God specializes in breathing new life into tired hearts and weary churches. Even the most downtrodden church can rediscover hope, strength, and purpose.
For many pastors and church leaders, feeling tired has moved from an occasional issue to an ongoing one. Fatigue is no longer a seasonal challenge but a chronic issue. Unfortunately, too many pastors and ministry staff across the country are running on empty, struggling to find the energy they once had. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. There are proven strategies that can help you break the burnout cycle and reclaim the joy of ministry.
J.P. Morgan Research increased the recession probability by year-end 2024 from 25% to 35%. Other economists put the likelihood of a recession by year-end 2025 around 45%.
All effective leaders are both analysts and catalysts to a degree, but most tend to lean one way or the other. The analyst is more like a prophet, warning about the status quo. The catalyst is more of an inventor designing something novel. How can you balance both?
Every preacher prepares differently. You likely already have a personal method of sermon preparation or will create one as you develop and gain more experience. This checklist is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, but I hope you find it useful in the sermon writing process.
Most churches budget on a calendar year, meaning the spreadsheets come out in full force about the same time as pumpkin spice lattes. Budget season is just around the corner.
I’ve written previously about why required office hours may not be the best arrangement for church staff. Jesus didn’t say, “Stay in the church building.” He said, “Go.” It is much harder to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission from a desk.
“Is he too young?” I was glad someone asked the question because we were all thinking it. “Is he qualified?” Another deacon asked a better question. We all agreed the young deacon candidate was full of the Spirit, wise, hard-working, and had a good reputation.
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.
Preaching is a grind I welcome every week. Expositing God’s Word is one of the toughest but most rewarding aspects of being a pastor. You can’t treat preaching like a sprint, rushing to get a response on Sundays. It’s more like a marathon, a paced lope in which long strides are made over time.
