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As I promised last year, I will review different resources in 2022 on occasion in my weekly article. For the new year, my review is of one of the best church resources I’ve ever seen. Let me explain why I’m having trouble curbing my enthusiasm. The Origins of Rooted This resource has its origins in…
The post Rainer’s Resource Review #1: Rooted Might Be the Best Discipleship Pathway I’ve Seen appeared first on Church Answers.
Though it is cliché, change is the constant in our culture. Even before COVID, the world was changing steadily and constantly. When the pandemic came, change was accelerated, and the challenges were exacerbated. In earlier years I was an advocate of “eating the elephant” change, that is making incremental, “one bite a time” changes. I…
The post Seven Ways Your Church Must Deal with Rapid Change appeared first on Church Answers.
Christmas Eve is the most likely time an unchurched person will walk into your worship space. It’s a huge opportunity. My fear is some churches go through the motions since Christmas Eve is the peak of the busy season and volunteers are short in supply. Your Christmas Eve service is worth the effort. Families are…
The post Four Essentials of a Great Christmas Eve Service appeared first on Church Answers.
God is not done with our churches. His activity and his work remain powerful and pervasive. Let me share with you four examples of churches that have been used by God when they made a specific and powerful commitment: They wanted to serve and minister to their communities more effectively. 1. Single moms and the…
The post Four Success Stories from Churches that Made a Commitment to Know Their Communities Better appeared first on Church Answers.
Let me take you behind the scenes of our church’s communication strategy. I set aside a day every year in December to think through our church’s communication goals. I spend time thinking about what worked and didn’t work this year, and what the challenges will be for our church in the coming year. During this…
The post What I’m Planning for 2022 appeared first on Church Answers.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Is it putting up the Christmas tree? Gathering with family? A beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service? It’s hard for me to pick just one, but one of the Christmas hallmarks in our house is wish lists. Toys, clothes, games, and even Bibles fill virtual pages with gift ideas for…
The post The Perfect Gift: Prayer appeared first on Church Answers.
The magical age for ministry is somewhere between 38 years-old and 56 years-old. I use the word “magical” because far too many churches look at the age of a ministry candidate as some sort of magic bullet. Any younger than the mid-thirties, and you’re too young. Any older than the mid-fifties, and you’re too old….
The post Ageism: The Real Struggle for Church Staff Close to Retirement appeared first on Church Answers.
I’ve been doing trends and predictions for churches for many years. My track record is good, but it has nothing to do with my sagacity. To the contrary, my approach is straightforward. I look at the data points and try to connect them to see the trends. This COVID year is different. We know the…
The post Ten (Very Different) Church Trends for 2022 appeared first on Church Answers.
Giving patterns in churches are changing. The ways in which people give are changing. What does not need to change is the heart for sacrificial giving. How can you equip your congregation to give sacrificially? Here are seven items to consider. 1. Teach why sacrificial giving is necessary for God’s mission. If what you are…
The post Seven Ways to Equip Your Church to Give Sacrificially appeared first on Church Answers.
I’ve been doing some level of church consulting for over 25 years. If you’re a consultant (or one studying consulting through Church Answers), maybe these reflections will be helpful to you: 1. Assessing a church’s health requires much more than analyzing numbers. We can’t ignore numbers, but the factors that contribute to church growth or…
The post 10 Reflections on Church Consulting for 25 Years appeared first on Church Answers.