Articles for tag: Church growth

Prayer Worship & Prayer

Life Lessons on Prayer

By Brian Giese It is easy to neglect prayer. The devil does all he can to distract us from it. We can rationalize it to the back burner because of our busyness. We can go day after day without anybody other than God knowing we have neglected prayer. This writer has been a slow learner in the school of prayer. I had been preaching 15 years before I began to take prayer seriously. That was 30 years ago, and God has taught me a few things about prayer during that time, for example: Prayer deserves priority. A national poll

August 10, 2011

Church Leadership

Feed My Sheep

By Bill D. Hallsted The dream came again that night. It was always the same dream, with minor variations. In the dream, I was asked by some friends to care for their animals while they were gone. I don”t remember whether the dream even included why they were gone, or for how long. What was clear was my failure. The request, or my agreement, was not at all foreign to my experience. With my background in ranching, it was natural. I knew how to take care of animals. I was also the preacher. Who better to ask for a favor

July 13, 2011

Giving & Fundraising Stewardship & Generosity

The Marriage of Resources and Passion

By Bert Crabbe One of the greatest growing challenges for church leaders is to figure out how to put the resources of older churches into the hands of younger ones. And when I say older churches, I mean those that have a building but don”t have enough people or income to keep the lights on. And when I say younger churches, I mean those that are bursting at the seams but can”t yet afford to own property. And yes, I know just because a church is older doesn”t mean it”s dying, and just because it”s younger . . . you

July 12, 2011

Church & Ministry

When Churches Close

By Justin Horey Everything that begins also ends. We may recognize thatÂ fact when we”re talking about businesses or vacations orÂ even relationships. But what can we do when it”s time forÂ a local congregation to shut its doors? PJ”s Abbey has been one of many distinctive restaurants in Orange, California, a town that bills itself as the antiques capital of Southern California. With “an eclectic mix of old family favorites and creative cuisine,” PJ”s Abbey was notable for its menu, but most widely recognized for its facility””an old church building. It”s an unusual concept, to be sure, but certainly not a unique

July 8, 2011

Christian Living

Our “˜God Is Able” Verse

By Dennis Bratton He walked into the classroom and drew three stair steps on the blackboard. On the bottom rung he wrote “To Know.” On the second rung he wrote “To Feel.” And finally the third rung received the phrase “To Do.” This was J.B. Richardson”s formula for Christian education, and I never forgot it. I like things that are simple, make sense, and work. When preaching, for instance, I would use the “stair steps” to evaluate the sermon. To Know“”what is the truth this sermon exposes? To Feel“”is the truth presented in a way that can reach the heart

July 1, 2011

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

A Church Planting Milestone in Canada

By Jennifer Taylor According to Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church and director of Impact Ministry Group (both Ontario, Canada), the area is home to only six other Christian churches””and their combined attendance is less than 500. So CMCC”s new building””and the more than 1,200 people who attended the opening services in March””is a milestone for Canadian church planting. “Churches are closing faster in Canada than any other area, including Western Europe,” Tune says. “Church just isn”t on the radar. In fact, people assumed our building was an industrial complex or school because they don”t have

May 4, 2011

Jennifer Taylor

Church & Ministry Small Groups

Shifting the Focus to Neighborhood Ministry

Christ’s Church of the Valley’s Neighborhood Ministry organizes local groups to build relationships, study together, and serve neighbors through practical acts of care across the Phoenix area.

April 28, 2011

Growing Church, Part-time Staff

Carpenter’s Christian Church in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, grew from a small core group into a thriving congregation through bivocational staff, elder-led ministry, shared systems, and community outreach.

April 22, 2011

Mission & Evangelism

Christmas or Easter?

Kent E. Fillinger compares Easter and Christmas attendance increases, encouraging churches to rethink evangelism strategy and invest more intentionally in Easter planning and guest follow-up.

April 20, 2011

Church Leadership Leadership Development

The Church Size Matrix (Part 2)

Kent E. Fillinger continues the Church Size Matrix by examining how a church’s growth changes the minister’s role, leadership structure, staffing needs, and organizational culture.

April 19, 2011

The Church Size Matrix (Part 1)

Kent E. Fillinger introduces the Church Size Matrix, explaining how churches change in orientation, structure, leadership, staffing, and culture as they grow from small congregations to megachurches.

April 18, 2011

Church & Ministry Small Groups

Making Disciples?

Kent E. Fillinger reports survey findings showing how small group Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and combined discipleship models relate to church growth and baptism ratios.

April 17, 2011

Brad Dupray

Church Leadership Leadership Development

Interview with Justin Miller

Justin Miller reflects on leading Real Life Christian Church through repentance, leadership change, authenticity, and systems that helped prepare the congregation for growth.

April 6, 2011

God Is Giving the Increase

Kent E. Fillinger reports survey findings from 234 Christian churches and churches of Christ, highlighting attendance growth, baptisms, senior ministers, elders, and worship practices across four church-size categories.

April 6, 2011

Mark A. Taylor