September 7, 2008
Getting There Is Worth the Cost
Gary L. Johnson outlines six practical steps for church strategic planning, showing how elders, staff, and volunteers can work together to move a congregation forward with purpose.
Series: Featured
September 7, 2008
Worth the Wait: The Power of Patience
Victor M. Parachin offers five practical strategies for developing patience through flexibility, perspective, present-moment living, and grace toward ourselves.
September 7, 2008
Golf Scores & Dashboards: Keeping Track of How the Church Is Doing
Dave Ferguson challenges church leaders to move beyond attendance and offering by developing a dashboard that measures discipleship, baptisms, leadership, artists, services, and sites.
August 31, 2008
Everyone Connected: Relational Strategies to Get Your Whole Church Involved
Michael C. Mack offers seven relational strategies for helping people connect in small groups, urging church leaders to equip God’s people and restore a New Testament understanding of church.
August 31, 2008
Welcoming the “Strangers” in Your Life
Jan Johnson reflects on a simple church guideline that helped her notice newcomers, welcome strangers, and practice the hospitality Jesus modeled toward those often overlooked.
August 31, 2008
Parents Matter
By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox Parents matter. More than anyone””peers, teachers, youth ministers””the greatest single influence on a teen is his parents. That may shock some parents who feel like a discarded shoe when their children reach adolescence. Research proves parents have the greatest effect on their children”s choices, including their religious and spiritual practices. Teens long to be cared for and taken seriously and they need authentic relationships with their parents and other caring adults. Christian parents need support from the church and that means more than youth group and Bible studies. The alarming rate of teen church
August 24, 2008
Life-Influencers
Sam E. Stone remembers teachers, friends, preachers, and elders whose quiet encouragement helped shape his faith, ministry, and desire to influence others for good.
August 24, 2008
Elders, Leadership, and Women
Steve Edgington explains how Anaheim First Christian Church studied Scripture, rethought leadership, and invited women into meaningful servant-leadership while navigating questions about elders and ministry.
Especially in Bible Translation . . . Close Only Counts . . .
Jeff Miller examines two 1 Corinthians passages and shows how translation details can shape conversations about women in ministry and leadership.
August 24, 2008
Masculinity, Femininity, and Church Leadership
Kelvin Jones argues for complementarian church leadership, connecting biblical teaching about men’s and women’s roles with biological and behavioral distinctives while rejecting any claim of superiority or inferiority.
August 17, 2008
Two Views: Complementarian””Men Are Authoritative Teachers
By Joe Harvey Joe Harvey and Lana West adapted these articles from presentations they made to a doctor of ministry class at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian Seminary.  Be sure to read Lana West”s article. _________________________ As Christianity moves through the first decade of the 21st century, it has entered a cultural vortex pulling it toward political correctness and moral relativism. It”s only natural that students of the Bible and theology react on many fronts, and some of the most heated discussions revolve around issues of gender discrimination and “traditionalist” (presumably nonprogressive) modes of thinking. The question of women”s role in church leadership
August 17, 2008
How Much Is Much?
Mandy Smith challenges Christians in the developed world to see wealth as a trust from God, calling readers toward gratitude, generosity, and responsibility.
August 10, 2008
Mega Ministry in Miniature Actions
Mike Cahill shares how a small-town church’s simple hat and glove drive became a meaningful act of kingdom service, community partnership, and faithful outreach.
August 10, 2008
How Your Small & Midsized Church Can GROW
Leonard Wymore urges congregations to strengthen the leaders already among them by building teams of associates, ministry teams, and healthy meeting practices that help churches grow.
August 10, 2008
Thursday Night Pursuits
When hunting season emptied Sunday seats, Libby Christian Church launched a Thursday service for outdoorsmen—and discovered a creative outreach that reached hunters far beyond expectations.
August 10, 2008
Where the Administrative Buck Stops
LeRoy Lawson explains how elders and senior ministers can work together by understanding whether a church board is policy-focused or operational—and whether its minister is a leader or follower.
August 10, 2008
I Choose Optimism
Ken Idleman urges Christians to choose optimism, pointing to church growth, church planting, missionary momentum, global openness, spiritual seekers, and worship renewal as signs of gospel opportunity.
August 3, 2008
A Community for the Unchurched
Russell Jarvis examines why many unchurched Americans still seek authentic community and challenges churches to listen, rethink inherited practices, and recover a more relational expression of faith.
August 3, 2008
Innovation and Invention
Rick Chromey explores what churches can learn from Google, Apple, and Facebook about innovation, authentic community, beauty, openness, and faithful engagement with a rapidly changing culture.
Questions for Servant-Leaders
By Mark Wesner Editor”s note: The following questions were distributed as a self-examination exercise at an elders and staff retreat sponsored by First Christian Church, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. We believe they”re good for servant-leaders everywhere to consider. Spiritual Growth. In what way(s) are you more like Jesus today than you were one year ago? “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
