Tag «How To»

Shifting Your Church Out of Survival Mode and into Hopeful Optimism

Many churches are barely hanging on, but there is hope. Churches are simultaneously both fragile and resilient. They hang on by their fingernails, but those fingernails are surprisingly strong. Every Sunday seems to have the potential to be the last one. Yet the same church survives year after year, decade after decade. Struggling churches tend…

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5 Reasons Why Prayer Must Accompany Evangelism

In June of this year, our Church Answers team will be releasing “The Hope Initiative,” a simple, reproducible strategy utilizing this tool by Thom Rainer to turn a church outward toward its community. One of the reasons I love this strategy is that it clearly connects prayer with evangelism. Many evangelism tools only assume prayer…

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Five Solutions for the Weary Pastor: A Personal Note to Church Members

Pastors are tired. Many pastors are tired because of all the work they did leading to Easter Sunday, But it’s really bigger than that. Pastors are tired because culture is no longer friendly to churches and to church leaders. Pastors are tired because of internal church conflict. Pastors are tired because of the barrage of…

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7 Reasons Even Church Leaders Need Hope—and How Church Answers Can Help

We recently celebrated Resurrection Sunday, a day filled with hope and anticipation. That’s not to say, though, that everyone leading a church that day was living in hope. In fact, many church leaders need hope. Here are some reasons why: We don’t really let the power of the resurrection affect every part of our lives….

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This One Meeting Revolutionized How I Listen to My Church Staff

“You’re missing an opportunity to listen,” the consultant told me. He was kind but blunt. I knew he was right. “Start meeting with each team member one-on-one, at least once a month.” I followed his advice and have not looked back. These one-on-ones have helped me lead the church staff unlike anything else. Setting up…

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The Right Way to Seek Pastors and Church Staff for Your Church

Almost every week we at Church Answers hear from search committees (or their equivalent). They are frustrated because they can’t find quality candidates for pastor or church staff positions. The process has taken much longer than they anticipated. Members of the church are getting restless and, sometimes, critical. Likewise, we hear from pastors and church…

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How Sensible Pastors React to Harsh Public Criticism

One pastor had a group of people circulate a petition to get him fired. They tried to get signatures in the foyer as members walked into church for Sunday services. Another pastor experienced the creation of a Facebook page dedicated to criticizing every aspect of his preaching and leadership. In a small town, a pastor…

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The First Seven Things to Do When a Child Accepts Christ in Your Church

A child in your church decides to follow Christ. There is no greater decision! Now what? As a pastor, I’ve sat with numerous parents over the years and walked through the next steps. These conversations are some of the most rewarding in ministry! Only recently did I sit down and create a checklist of items….

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Four Types of Church Members Based on Their Frequency of Attendance

The New Testament, from Acts 2 to Revelation 3, is about the local church. That is a big portion of the Bible! The local church is God’s plan A to carry out his mission on earth, and He did not give us a plan B. Sure, the local church can be messy. It’s made of…

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What Lottie Taught Me about the Gospel and Social Justice

I heard injustice cry from the trafficked woman who stood beside me at a train station in Asia, her pimp glaring from a few feet away. Everything within me wanted to grab her hand and rescue her. “Just grab her and run,” was all I could think. But our conversation ended abruptly, and I don’t…

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