Articles for tag: Healthy Churches

January 1, 2022

Megan Rawlings

Megan Rawlings

Delighting Dad

They were turning off the lights and beginning to lock the doors after worship at church this past Sunday. The crowd stuck around longer than usual because, well, I’m not really sure why, but I know it’s a sign of healthy and growing churches, so I was not upset. Anyway, my niece, Carter, knocked on the office door where I help count the offering so she could say goodbye before she made a trip with her parents to the next town over. “Bye, Mimi. I just really miss you,” she said. “Well, Bug, why don’t I come along so we

November 27, 2018

David Roadcup

An Elder’s Greatest Priority

By David Roadcup Luke reveals the grand priority to which we are called as shepherds of the flock. Two sisters and a brother loved Jesus deeply. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had an abiding relationship with him. They entertained him and his traveling entourage; they provided a place to stay, meals, and no doubt made contributions to his ministry. Luke 10:38-42 records a meaningful exchange between Jesus and his hostess. Martha is busy fixing a meal and is frustrated that Mary, “who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to his word” (v. 39, New American Standard Bible), was not helping

May 16, 2015

Michael C. Mack

We Need to Change . . . But What?

By Michael C. Mack Elders and other church leaders often sense the need to change, to move out of entrenchment and inaction, but are unsure of what needs to change first. Where can one turn for new ideas and direction? Dr. James Estep, dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies at Lincoln (IL) Christian University, listed nine ideas on e2elders.org: 1. Visit other churches to see what they are doing. Ask their leaders to spend some time with you answering your questions. 2. Subscribe to Christian leadership magazines, such as the Christian Standard, to glean a broader perspective on church

July 10, 2014

Christian Standard

Better Leadership, Healthy Churches, Money Matters

By Ben Merold (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received came after I moved to Southern California in 1969, during the peak of a Pentecostal movement in that area. The movement was very sophisticated in its approach and seemed to touch every segment of that society. There were many good things about this, but there were also things that became very divisive to the work of a New Testament church. As a result, I went through a lengthy period of pressure and frustration in my ministry. One morning I accepted

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Commonsense Suggestions About Elders

By Chuck Sackett “A Parable of Two Churches“ (a sidebar) is my attempt to capture the past 37 years of observations and experiences. I”ve been privileged to be the preacher in three very different congregations. And while serving as a Bible college and seminary professor, I worked in various capacities with dozens of congregations. What follows are practical suggestions for how congregations can have healthy, effective elderships. These are simply reminders of the obvious. I”ve seen them work in a variety of settings, expressed in various ways, ending with varied results. Every church I”ve seen believes it is doing church

February 22, 2006

Christian Standard

Healthy Churches Come in All Sizes!

By Mark A. Taylor Healthy churches come in all sizes! Many smaller churches today attract a third or more of their community to weekly services. Sometimes the greatest missions giving or most successful ministry recruiting happens in churches with weekly worship averages below 200. And many leaders of today’s megachurches grew up in small churches. We know there are far more smaller than larger churches. In fact, researcher George Barna says the average congregation in America welcomes fewer than 90 adults to Sunday morning worship. Yet in spite of their number and their invaluable contribution to the fabric of our

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