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For the last two years, hospital visitation has been a challenge. That’s beginning to change, and it’s time to rethink the strategy for hospital visits. When I started pastoring, I didn’t think much about the strategy of a hospital visit. I just went. In most cases, a simple ministry of presence is the key. However,…
The post Nine Questions to Ask Before Visiting Someone in the Hospital appeared first on Church Answers.
In some studies, fear is the #1 reason Christians give for not sharing their faith. I think there’s another reason, though, we cannot ignore. The Gospel of Mark has helped me to see this problem, and I invite you to review the Word as you read this post. In several stories in the first half…
The post A Proposal: One Reason We Don’t Evangelize appeared first on Church Answers.
Every Monday morning, I swivel in my desk chair—praying, pondering. Yellow legal pads fill with chicken scratch in a language only I understand. About fifty Mondays a year, around 3:00 p.m., I start to wonder if I’ll have anything worthwhile to say the following Sunday. The other two Mondays I’m on vacation. I know it’s…
The post Why Sermon Preparation is Not Devotional Time appeared first on Church Answers.
Presuming we get on the other side of COVID by the end of this year, the picture for churches in America is mostly clear. Of course, none of us can know the future with certainty, and another COVID spike could change the conversation dramatically. Still, we see nine realities your church will face in 2022….
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I have a tendency towards restlessness. Leading through a pandemic did not help. Feeling restlessness is a common phenomenon among pastors and church leaders right now. Maybe you can relate. Leadership restlessness is something most leaders feel—usually more often than not. It’s the nagging question that keeps you thinking . . . what’s next? In…
The post How Pastors Can Use Feelings of Restlessness in a Positive Way appeared first on Church Answers.
Over nine out of ten church leaders describe their church’s decline in attendance in streaming worship services as “major.” Many of them say the decline is at least 90 percent from its peak during the pandemic. While we certainly anticipated that many church members would return to in-person worship attendance after the quarantine, we were…
The post The Surprising Attendance Decline of Streaming Worship Services: Five Observations appeared first on Church Answers.
The Quarter-Time Church Member: Five Observations If your church is typical, over one-half of your members attend one out of four weeks or less. I am convinced that the decreasing commitment of church members to their local churches is one of the greatest problems in our culture today. More than polarized politics. More than petty…
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The pastor who asked the question demonstrated both maturity and wisdom. He asked our community of church leaders at Church Answers what they wished they had done differently during the pandemic. His question was not one of remorse. Instead, he wanted to learn some lessons for the future. I watched the community of church leaders…
The post Five Things Church Leaders Wish They Had Done Differently During the Pandemic appeared first on Church Answers.
“I’m managing each week as they come. I don’t have the energy to think further out.” The pastor was struggling to regain his passion, and he was expressing frustration with himself. He is self-aware enough to recognize his apathy. At the same time, he was unsure how to move forward from the malaise. The problem…
The post Apathy: Why It Has Hit the Church So Hard and Your Next Step to Break Out of It appeared first on Church Answers.