January 1, 2026
Think Outward
Every church will tell you they have an outward focus because they know that's Jesus' Great Commission, but the truth is that many are not.
Articles for tag: Jennifer Johnson
January 1, 2026
Succession: The Things You Need to Know but Others Won’t Tell You
We need to start thinking and planning for succession earlier rather than later, knowing that the stakes are high, the process takes time, and that we are following a biblical mandate.
January 1, 2026
Retirement, Ministry, and Learning to Let Go: A Pastor’s Wife’s Perspective
Retirement doesn’t mean ministry is over. It just means it looks different. The way we influence and serve may change, but God still uses us.
January 1, 2026
Bridging the Leadership Gap: Essential Steps for Church Succession
Elders and pastors need to intentionally work to identify and develop future pastors and leaders, viewing this as both a calling and a priority.
January 1, 2026
Serving in the Shadows
If your main motivation is to please other people, and your self-worth depends on others’ approval, you will be frustrated and disappointed.
January 1, 2026
Pastoral Transition: Succession or Interim?
When done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, succession and an intentional interim create the smoothest path to pastoral transition.
November 6, 2025
Love’s Persuasive Power
Love has persuasive power. Compassion makes our arguments more convincing, but without love, our arguments sound hollow.
June 19, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” True North Church, Perth, Australia
By Jennifer Johnson Perth, Australia, is one of the most isolated major urban centers in the world, more than a thousand miles from another large city and closer to Indonesia than to Sydney. Tens of thousands of aboriginal Australians still live in the region, and their myths and legends continue to influence the area”s cultural values. More than a religion, this indigenous worldview of “the dreamtime” shapes their perspective on the creation of the world and how to live in it. True North Church includes these parts of their story in every aspect of their two campuses, which include a
June 19, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” 2|42 Community Church, Brighton, MI
By Justin Horey and Jennifer Johnson 2|42 Community Church (pronounced “Two Forty-Two”) didn”t mind being a portable church in its early years. In fact, lead pastor David Dummitt liked being portable. He found that the weekly set-up and tear-down made it easy to involve men, who sometimes struggle to find their place in a new church. Moreover, the lack of a building allowed 2|42 to invest more money into ministry and community outreach. During that time, Dummitt said, the number one question he heard from other pastors was, “When are you going to build?” Dummitt and his team didn”t want
June 19, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Grace Place, Berthoud, CO
By Jennifer Johnson Sometimes it”s not about the church building, but how buildings can point to the grandeur of God. When Grace Place was able to get its current property fronting U.S. 287 in Berthoud, Colorado, the design team realized the buildings were less significant than the unhindered view of sunrises and sunsets over the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Today the highly-visible church property is not only the gateway to the town but also a community space with glass roll-up doors, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, and an upper deck that provides “bleacher seating” for the beauty of creation.
June 17, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” The Crossroads Church, Anthem, AZ
By Jennifer Johnson The developers behind Anthem, Arizona, envisioned a community that would be “heaven on earth” for its residents. Waterfalls surround the entrance and a huge park offers fishing, skating, walking trails, and train rides. In 2001, the National Association of Home Builders named this city in the rolling foothills of Gavilan Peak the “Best Master Planned Community” in the country. While Anthem”s 30,000 residents enjoy an abundance of schools, recreation centers, and greenbelts, The Crossroads Church invites its community to experience true abundant life at a “crossroads” where they can engage in a faith journey. The design concept
June 15, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Crosspointe Church of Cary, Cary, NC
By Jennifer Johnson A hundred years ago, churches were commonly known for building hospitals, schools, universities, and community centers that served their surrounding neighbors instead of constructing buildings that served solely their own purposes. In that spirit, Crosspointe Church of Cary partnered with the YMCA to create a multipurpose facility that provides opportunities for work and recreation as well as worship. The church built the facility on its property and the Y leases space from the church and operates independently. The YMCA doesn”t offer programming on Sunday mornings or evenings, so Crosspointe uses portions of the extended campus as needed
June 14, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” CrossWinds Church, Pleasanton, CA
By Jennifer Johnson The land surrounding CrossWinds Church in central California was once used to nurture cattle and provide dairy products to the surrounding area. When the church acquired the Friesman Brothers farm, the property included a house more than a century old, crumbling barns, and bridges originally used to cross the river that divides the property into three sections. Today, boards from the barn, metal roofs from the outbuildings, and other reclaimed material has been upcycled to preserve the character of this historic land while creating the new home of CrossWinds Church. The buildings are set back from busy
June 11, 2017
WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Bayside Church, Roseville, CA
By Jennifer Johnson Lots of churches want to save money on their facilities, but Bayside Church is finding new ways to strategically finance its buildings without sacrificing form or function. At its original campus in Granite Bay, the church has developed a 10-year plan to anchor an area of retail, entertainment, and hotels. The church occupies one parcel of the development and recently sold another section to Top Golf, a multilevel entertainment area and driving range. Their director of real estate development manages the plan, ensuring that funds for property improvement and parking lots come from new businesses and not
Residency Catered to Individual
By Jennifer Johnson Several of the Restoration Movement”s largest churches have created internship programs, some that involve entire cohorts of students and work with colleges and universities for academic credit. “Those are wonderful opportunities for students, and we love what those churches are doing,” says Becki Kern. “But we decided our niche would be a more customized program that works one-on-one with each individual. With that goal in mind, we launched the Reveal Residency in 2014.” Kern, who serves as campus launch pastor and director of Reveal at Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ, designed the program to work with people
June 3, 2017
“˜Social” Event
By Jennifer Johnson Gather any group of people over age 40 and you”ll hear frustration about how much time younger people spend on their phones. “I”m at a restaurant watching a couple,” a friend told me recently. “They are obviously on a date, and yet they are both staring at their phones instead of talking to each other.” The friend texted me this information from her own phone. It”s true that smartphone use is out of control for many of us. One study found the average user checks his phone upwards of 150 times a day. Allowing a generous eight
CIY Uses Social Media to Take Message to Teens
By Jennifer Johnson Christ In Youth (CIY) is well known among the Christian churches””and beyond””for high-quality programs specifically geared to teens and preteens. Many of these events take place during the summer months, but last November CIY launched a new program””and it was all online. “We”re constantly trying to keep a pulse on the next generation so we can speak to them with the gospel message,” says Chris Roberts, communications director. “They are digital natives. They don”t know a world without social media or mobile phones. So, we began talking about how we can use those tools to point them
May 29, 2017
Mountain Riders Have Fun, Do Good
By Jennifer Johnson The Mountain Riders pool funds to buy a new coat or a bag of groceries for a member in need. They visit each other”s friends and family members in the hospital. They build wheelchair ramps and do home improvement projects. In fact, the Riders””a ministry of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, MD“”function as the church, offering opportunities for motorcycle riders and motorcycle fans to study, serve, and grow together. The Riders launched in 2005, and today more than 70 people participate in the group”s activities. While they enjoy their rides, leader Todd Holmberg talks more about the
The Third Conversion
By Jennifer Johnson It was offering time, and the father sitting in front of me handed his 3-year-old son a dollar bill. The boy happily placed the money in the basket as it passed by, and then resumed working on the important task of covering his entire bulletin with green crayon scribbles. While it was a nice moment, I distinctly remember thinking, Sure, it”s easy to give someone else”s money. But the truth is, I find it quite difficult to part with cash from Someone Else. This child doesn”t own anything; he looks to his father for everything, and dad
May 6, 2017
Always Trusting God
By Jennifer Johnson Mike and Enise Grooms didn”t take high-profile, high-paying ministry jobs. After working in Cincinnati”s inner city and then in eastern Europe, the couple moved to metro Atlanta and began leading Tucker (GA) Christian Church five years ago. “Mike and Enise never owned a house or a nice car,” says Al Serhal, Enise”s brother and executive director of Hippo Valley Christian Mission, a ministry to Zimbabwe with stateside offices in Grayson, KY. “They”ve always just trusted God to provide.” During their ministry at Tucker, the Grooms could get health insurance and a modest life insurance policy for the
