Articles for tag: strategy

February 22, 2020

Chris Jefferson

Ministry Intelligence: Using the Power of Information to Reach Your Community for Christ

By Chris Jefferson Nehemiah’s transition from king’s cupbearer to rebuilder of Jerusalem provides valuable lessons for how modern churches can set goals, define objectives, strategize methods, and incorporate tactics to help them move beyond self-preservation and begin to lead movements in their congregations and communities. At the start of the Old Testament book, Nehemiah asked his brothers from Judah about his homeland. He specifically asked for information about two things: the people and the city. He gathered intelligence from trusted, knowledgeable sources. Upon learning that the remnant was in “great trouble and disgrace” and that the wall of Jerusalem was

April 25, 2019

Christian Standard

First Christian Church, Surf City USA

The Vital Role of Setting in a Church’s Master Plan By Mel McGowan Imagine a 2,400-member church that has a rare and beautiful, four-acre setting on the Main Street of Surf City USA, and just down the street from where Huntington Beach Pier juts out over the Pacific Ocean. Not long ago, if you drove by that church—yes, it’s real—all you would have seen was the brick backside and moss-covered roof of a dated A-frame sanctuary. It was so closed off, some area residents thought the century-old church had disbanded. So, when First Christian Church asked for navigational design help

August 3, 2018

Christian Standard

7 Tried-and-True Strategies That Made Our Youth Ministry (and Students) Flourish

By Matt Cameron In the summer and fall of 2006 our church lost all three of our full-time youth staff members within six months. The ministry was suffering, and we couldn’t find the right person for the job. I was on staff as preaching associate. That October one of my good friends from high school with whom I grew up in church passed away, and I began to reevaluate my own life and ministry. For months during these tough times, the thought kept coming back to me: Is God prompting me to step back into youth ministry? And not just

August 2, 2018

Christian Standard

A Fall Kickoff to Keep People Coming Back

By David Dummitt Back-to-school season is a natural time for people to create new routines and rhythms, which makes fall a strategic time to not only attract new people to your church, but also to encourage them to come back week after week. As we plan for fall, we should consider how to maximize our opportunity to connect with people in relevant ways that make them want to call our churches their churches. Although there’s no formula for introducing people to the church and weaving them into community, we can create enticing environments that meet felt needs, provide opportunities that

April 11, 2018

Christian Standard

3 Ways ‘Blade Runner’ Predicted the Future of Church and Why We Should Pay Attention

By Mel McGowan A highlight for me during 2017 was the opportunity to revisit the world of my favorite movie of all time—Blade Runner—with the release of an updated installment called Blade Runner 2049. More people likely would have seen the original Blade Runner in 1982 but for its misfortune of coming out the same summer as E.T. But for me, the original was life-changing. It is the movie God used to drive me to study film and architecture and, ultimately, to instill in me a lifelong passion for creating the future. Sci-fi author William Gibson said, “Blade Runner changed

February 16, 2018

Jerry Harris

The Dot.

By Jerry Harris Whether it happens intentionally or accidentally, every church fashions a product that is more effective with at least one subset of people. Every church has a target. It may not be a deliberate target, as traditions tend to take on lives of their own, but it’s there just the same. Consider the style of your music and worship. Who is attracted to it? Scan the church budget. Who gets the most money? Study the use of the building. Who gets the most space? Assess the style of the building and its furniture. Is it antique? Do the

February 22, 2017

Christian Standard

Gateway Planning

By Michael C. Mack Spending time with God is your priority as a leader. But it doesn”t just happen. Use the following strategy questions to help you plan a time of solitude with God: How often will I get away alone with God? (Weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually?) How long will I spend alone with God? When will I get away to be alone with God? (Be specific!) Where will I go? What provisions do I need to make for getting away? (Asking for permission, lining up childcare, making financial arrangements, lining up a place to stay, etc.) On my getaways

July 19, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

A Conversation with Gene Appel

  Gene Appel says “The evangelistic temperature of a church drops faster than anything else.” He discusses how to solve this problem, including a strategy of reducing ministry programs where he preaches, Eastside Christian Church, Anaheim, California. Hear his interview with CHRISTIAN STANDARD Editor Mark Taylor here.

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