Articles for tag: Krista Petty

May 31, 2009

Â By Krista Petty What”s it like to be in the middle of the Simple Church process? Matt Bortmess, senior associate minister at Rochester (Illinois) Christian Church, is reading and discussing Simple Church with staff and leaders. They are halfway through the book and already seeing that the tough work is not reading the book, but applying its principles and taking action. Â Â What is it like being in the Simple Church process? Matt: We are learning we have more focus now than five years ago. However, the focus has not been clearly refined or defined. We have a

May 4, 2008

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

Understanding the Externally Focused Movement

By Krista Petty, Eric Swanson, and Rick Rusaw Just a few years ago, a Google search for “externally focused church” found nothing. But today that search yields tens of thousand of references. What does it mean to be externally focused? In their book The Externally Focused Church, Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson offer this description: Externally focused churches are inwardly strong but outwardly focused. They integrate good deeds and good news into the life of the church. They value impact and influence in the community more than attendance. They seek to be salt, light, and leaven in the community. They

October 21, 2007

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Why and How Your Church Should Use Name Tags

By Krista Petty My coworkers teased me all week long. (Yes, people in ministry razz one another.) Ten of us were attending a national outreach convention, and the one workshop I was most excited about was titled something like, “The Value of Name Tags.” Yes, it was all about using name tags at church. Why were they making fun of me? The youth minister told me name tags were dorky. He”d never wear one. Another staffer said, “Out of all the great options, you”re choosing that?” To make matters worse, they all pointed out that this workshop was at 4:00