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Bardwell Baptist Church is located in Bardwell, Kentucky, a town of 714 people. Twenty years ago in 2020, the population was 799. Bardwell is, for the most part, an unknown town in a rural area of Kentucky. But God knows where Bardwell is. Jason Burnette became the pastor in 2021. Worship attendance was around 100…
The post The Church That Could in a Town of 714 People appeared first on Church Answers.
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “There goes the neighborhood.” Historically, it has been associated with ethnic minorities moving into white neighborhoods. I don’t believe most people use the phrase today in such a way. However, during the civil rights movement and the following decades, many white neighborhood churches changed locations, often moving to the…
The post Behind the Decline: Unraveling the Forgotten Reasons of Fading Neighborhood Churches appeared first on Church Answers.
Are your church members kept busy doing committee work they are neither gifted for nor excited about? Andy Lunt and Ted Brown say congregations can free people to serve more fruitfully in ministry by reassessing the role of any committee not essential to their mission or required by their polity. Church committees can be the […]
The post Does Your Church Really Need All Those Committees? first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post Does Your Church Really Need All Those Committees? appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
This question and its ensuing discussion continues. Do I really need to be a member of a church? We need to first separate the concept of church membership from other types of organizational membership. Church membership is not like civic club membership, even though many civic organizations do have altruistic purposes. Church membership is definitely…
The post Do I Really Need to Be a Member of a Church? appeared first on Church Answers.
One of the most common challenges we hear from church leaders, particularly pastors, is the need for more leaders in the church. The vacuum seems the greatest among elders, deacons, and teachers. Many churches lost not only members in this post-pandemic world, but they also lost leaders as well. Of course, it is likely that…
The post The Great Leadership Shortage in Churches: Five Ways to Address It appeared first on Church Answers.
Gossip is a destructive force in the church. Once the rumors of gossip spread, it’s hard to correct if they are false. Even if partially true, gossip is always wrong because what is shared is inappropriate and hurtful. Gossip fosters an environment of distrust and suspicion. Instead of focusing on productive work or conversations, individuals…
The post How to Discern If a Church Member Is Guilty of Gossip appeared first on Church Answers.
Phil Maynard and Eddie Pipkin say education-based approaches to spiritual formation often fail to form disciples committed to Christlike living. They suggest doing what Jesus did — focusing intentionally on spiritual growth and development within a context of relationality and accountability. Despite the significant investment of time, financial resources, and amazing educational options over the […]
The post 4 Characteristics of Good Discipling Relationships first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post 4 Characteristics of Good Discipling Relationships appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Karl Vaters highlights the importance of building a strong, vibrant congregation of seniors with intentionality, training, and a focus on the future. He emphasizes the potential impact seniors can make in the ministries of the church and the need to be intentional about engaging seniors in the life of the congregation. Everyone in church leadership […]
The post 5 Principles for Pastoring a Vibrant Older Congregation first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post 5 Principles for Pastoring a Vibrant Older Congregation appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
I’m well aware that it’s easy to get focused on numbers when evaluating church growth. Too many church leaders report “butts in the seats” and “bucks in the plate” more than anything else—without really evaluating even those numbers. For example, we might report a significant attendance increase without pointing out that most of that growth…
The post Why We Need to Ask More Numerical Questions about Our Church appeared first on Church Answers.
Tanya Campen describes how practicing respect, preparation, and presence create safe spaces where children are valued and respected. She highlights the importance of preparing ourselves and safe spaces so that we can be fully present as children claim and respond to God’s presence in their lives. In our work as leaders in ministry with children, […]
The post Creating a Safe Space for Holy Work with Children first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post Creating a Safe Space for Holy Work with Children appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.