Church & Ministry

Church & Ministry equips leaders and everyday believers to build healthy, gospel-centered congregations. Explore biblically grounded articles on church leadership, preaching and teaching, eldership, staff and volunteer development, discipleship systems, small groups, church planting, church growth, and ministry strategy. You’ll also find practical guidance for navigating transitions, cultivating congregational health, and serving your community with wisdom and compassion. Whether you’re a pastor, elder, ministry staff member, volunteer leader, or church member who wants to help your church thrive, this hub brings together resources to strengthen the local church and advance Christ’s mission.

May 4, 2017

Christian Standard

Statistical Snippets from Our Survey of Churches

By Kent E. Fillinger AVERAGE SIZE Megachurches: 4,898. Emerging Megachurches: 1,358. Combined average weekly attendance: 375,324.   GROWTH RATES Megachurches: 3.4 percent (up from 1.3 percent in 2015); overall, 61 percent of megachurches grew (up from 54 percent in 2015). Emerging Megachurches: 2 percent (the same as 2015); overall, 61 percent of emerging megachurches grew (up from 57 percent in 2015). Large churches: 4.3 percent (up from 4.1 percent in 2015); overall, 69 percent of large churches grew last year. Medium churches: 2.1 percent (down from 3.3 percent in 2015); overall, 62 percent of medium churches grew last year.  

May 3, 2017

Christian Standard

Megachurches and More: The 2016 Charts

Our annual megachurch listing is one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s most popular features. This year hundreds of churches participated, including 55 megachurches (those with 2,000 or more in weekly attendance) and 78 emerging megachurches (1,000 to 1,999). This chart also includes listings for scores of large churches (with average attendance of 500 to 999) and medium churches (250-499) Click here to view and download the 2016 Charts, or click on them individually. “¢ 2016 Megachurches “¢ 2016 Emerging Megachurches “¢ 2016 Large Churches “¢ 2016 Medium Churches  

May 1, 2017

Michael C. Mack

Ministering to Moms on Mother”s Day

By Michael C. Mack Mother”s Day, and the weeks surrounding it, is a prime time to minister to the needs of moms in the community. Here are six ideas you can use: “¢ Teen Moms: Partner with a local teen or crisis pregnancy center to provide basic necessities such as nursing and newborn supplies, a rose, and a signed Mother”s Day card. “¢ Refugee Families: Contact a local organization that serves refugees to discover their needs, especially for moms in these families. Assemble care packages of gift certificates, groceries, and housewares, for instance, as well as a Bible and Mother”s

April 24, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (22)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either. Tim Sutherland Tim Sutherland is a third-generation Christian church minister. (His father, Joe, taught at Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, for many years and his grandfather graduated from Johnson Bible College””now Johnson University””in 1921.) He was baptized at Greenwood Christian Church in Canton, Ohio, in 1970. Tim was a teaching team leader for many years at Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois, and is currently president and CEO of Sutherland Strategic Staffing, a pre-employment assessment service. He

April 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Safety and Security on Sundays and Beyond

How churches are protecting property and people By Justin Horey On Christmas Eve 2012, thieves broke into Grandview Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, and stole musical instruments and audio-visual equipment belonging to the church”s worship ministry. No one was harmed during the heist, though the theft created additional stress for the church staff on one of the best-attended days of the year. Thankfully, Grandview was able to borrow equipment from another local congregation in time for its worship services that evening, and most of the people who attended had no idea what had transpired earlier in the day. Churches

April 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Changing the Solution for the Needy in Champaign

By Jennifer Johnson Like many organizations committed to helping people in need, Salt & Light Ministries in Champaign, IL, began by giving away food, clothing, and other items. Unlike many of those organizations, however, Salt & Light eventually changed its structure and its systems to empower people to meet their own needs””and the ministry is thriving. “For years we did the “˜free stuff” model,” says Lisa Sheltra, associate director. “In fact, we were the largest emergency food pantry in Champaign County, feeding hundreds of households each week. But we still ran out of food and had to turn people away,

March 30, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (21)

By Arron Chambers These Christian leaders tell about sermons you might like to hear too.   David Springer David Springer grew up as a preacher”s kid in Mount Vernon, Ohio, with his four siblings and parents, Ken and Mel Springer. He graduated from Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2011. He met his wife, Brittany, their freshman year at Johnson. He serves as associate minister for youth with Northside Christian Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. Brittany and David have two children, Lyla and Landry. David”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I have ever heard for youth was by Jeff Walling, director of

March 29, 2017

Christian Standard

The Church Every Generation Needs

By Jim Tune I keep coming across articles about millennials. Most of them are written by millennials (those aged 20″“35) about why they”re done with church. A recent article advised churches to start listening to millennials, to ditch vision and mission statements, to stop preaching at people, to disclose on the church”s website how every dollar is spent, and more. “Decide if millennials actually matter to you and let us know,” it concluded. “In the meantime, we”ll be over here in our sweatpants listening to podcasts.” Articles like these make some valid points. Many millennials aren”t part of a church.

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Basic Training

By Jennifer Johnson A few years ago I wrote a proposal for an online initiative that would provide customizable resources for churches wanting to develop their pastors, worship leaders, campus ministers, church planters, elders, and key volunteers. I suggested an online portal with everything from 101 to seminary-level books, articles, podcasts, and videos, as well as suggested “tracks” with curated lists of resources for specific groups. I referred to research from the Barna Group and Ed Stetzer as well as insights from the leaders of Orchard Group, Stadia, and some of our megachurches to support my argument. It was summarily

February 27, 2017

Michael C. Mack

Raise the Sails to Lead Your Group or Class

By Michael C. Mack As sailing is a partnership between man and nature, spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and God. The term for Spirit is the same for that of wind in both the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Spirit is the wind that provides the driving force of all spiritual growth. You cannot bring about spiritual growth in your own life or the lives of those you lead, but neither are you a passive bystander. As the Holy Spirit moves, you must become engaged in that driving force. As a small group leader or teacher,

February 26, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (20)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either. Bob Blanshan Bob Blanshan, his beautiful wife, Sarah, and three children live in Crowley, Louisiana, where he serves as the children and family minister at Forest Park Church of Christ. He grew up on the other end of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota, attending a church just six miles from the Canadian border. Bob is fortunate to have heard a lot of great preaching throughout his lifetime, including his father, Dale Blanshan, and his grandfather, Bob Blanshan,

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

A Next Chapter

By Jennifer Johnson Several years ago I wrote a series of case studies for Kairos Legacy Partners that described their work with dying and declining churches across the country. Kairos works with these churches to evaluate their impact, their finances, and overall health and determine whether it makes sense for them to stay open as a congregation. If the decision is no, Kairos also works with those churches to help them “recycle” their facilities and financial resources in ways that can fund another ministry. I”m a fan of Kairos and I appreciate its desire to honor the sacrifices of past

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Church Moves from Mortgage to Ministry

By Jennifer Johnson It”s common for church plants to meet in school buildings, and leaders in those new churches happily haul gear, set up rooms for children, and tear down worship spaces each week. It”s much less common for decades-old congregations to give up their buildings and go back to this way of worshipping, but for Journey Christian Church in Roswell, GA, this facility decision is opening up new opportunities for ministry. When Dan Garrett became lead pastor at Journey (then First Christian Church of Roswell) in 2011, the church was paying off $2.5 million in debt. The church had

February 6, 2017

Christian Standard

February Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack February 5″”Super Bowl Sunday. For outreach ideas, go to the Super Bowl Outreach page of Sports Fan Outreach International: http://sfoi.org/super-bowl. February 11″”Make a Friend Day. Holiday Insights (www.holiday-insights.com) describes this day as “a great opportunity to meet someone new or do something to make a new friend.” Leverage this weekend to encourage church attendees to connect with others in community through small groups or other ministries. February 14″”Valentine”s Day. “¢ Throw a Valentine”s dance just for singles. Provide a fun, inviting opportunity for those who are tired of online dating and blind setups. (You might even

February 2, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (19)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either.   Neill Snyder Neill Snyder grew up in the church and became a Christian at the age of 12. His love for Latino people led him to plant Iglesia Cristiana Southwest in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife, Rosy, have two preschool-age children. Neill”s Best Sermon: The best sermon on compassion is “Get God in Your Gut” by Vince Antonucci. The sermon can be heard at http://vivalaverve.org/media/messages (it”s part of the Renegade series). Why Neill likes this sermon:

January 30, 2017

Shawn McMullen

Smaller Churches . . . Here to Stay & Making a Difference

By Shawn McMullen Encouraging stories about local congregations you may not know, but churches still having a huge impact for God. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, notes that 90 percent of all churches in America average fewer than 350 in worship attendance and that 50 percent of all American churches average fewer than 100. Smaller churches have been a part of the American landscape since our country”s inception and they”re here to stay. Across the nation, smaller churches are making disciples and impacting their communities. Here are some examples. JERUSALEM CHRISTIAN CHURCH Greenville, Pennsylvania John Canon

January 22, 2017

Christian Standard

March Madness Ideas

By Michael C. Mack It”s March, baby! Don”t miss all the “trifectas” and “dipsy-doo dunk-a-roos” during all those “NCAA knee-knockers”! Here are two prime-time ideas for your ministry this month: March Madness for Missions. Horizon Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (www.horizoncrc.org), offers a bracket challenge for a cause. When participants pay their sign-up fees, they write in the name of a local ministry outside of Horizon. They then fill out the designated Internet NCAA bracket in the church”s group. When the winner is announced, the local ministry selected by the bracket-challenge winner receives all the winnings as a charitable

January 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Our Link in the Chain

By Andy Daniell How a small, struggling local church found new vitality by simply meeting the need across the street. Almost all church growth and leadership models are built around these main factors: “¢ being true to your church”s DNA and finding your role in the kingdom; “¢ being willing to test and employ various approaches related to the vision that fulfills that role; “¢ being willing to change and/or shut down ministries and initiatives based on the first two factors; “¢ allowing room for God to bless the activities and use them in ways that are beyond what”s humanly

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Making Longer-term Connections

By Jennifer Johnson Although internships are invaluable for helping college students determine their vocational path””and although many Christian colleges and universities now require them for students across a variety of disciplines””ministry internships can be difficult for both students and churches. “The shorter internships, especially, are challenging,” says Tim Dunn, minister at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH. “With just a few hours a week, you don”t have time to really influence or invest in the students, especially when they are also participating in mission trips or camps. It”s hard to really include them in the life of the church.” Cincinnati

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Helping Ministry Leaders Develop Skills, Relationships

By Jennifer Johnson This month, more than a dozen pastors in the Greater Los Angeles area will begin a journey of learning, leadership, and change as Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) kicks off its second Communitas cohort. The program, which began as part of the Lilly Endowment, is designed to connect senior leaders who have served in ministry for 5 to 10 years and help them develop greater leadership skills; grow in their understanding of significant issues facing their communities; build networks with civic, business, and political leaders throughout the city; and develop strong relationships with each other. “Lilly discovered there

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