January 26, 2024
Ready to Harvest, which conducts denominational research, has released a 27-minute video via YouTube profiling and explaining Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. “What Are Independent Christian Churches?” was posted early this week and is being generally well received. . . .
October 3, 2014
By Joe Boyd I am asked often to speak or write about church and culture. So much now that those two words seem to go together in a very natural way when I say them. I wonder what we really mean, though, when we talk about the church relating to culture. Many of us who have worked to figure this out over the last two or three decades have moved beyond those early discussions about worship style and seeker sensitivity. I am blessed to be able to speak at a variety of churches in America and there is, without a
May 30, 2013
By Phil Scott Of the more than 350,000 churches in America, 85 percent are stagnant or declining in membership. This means that “average” churches are actually unhealthy. Healthy growth comes to churches that rise above being typically average. The need of the day is unaverage churches. Average congregations are led by a small number of key older men and some women, paid and volunteer, who replaced previous older leaders. The strong influence of the charter members, founding fathers and mothers, or the founding pastor may be unknown or gone. The first generation is made up of the founding mothers
May 10, 2013
By Kent E. Fillinger John Scott is a longtimer. He started as youth minister of Community Christian Church in Hemet, California, in 1987, and became the lead pastor in 1990. In 2012, CCC grew to an average worship attendance of 1,126, a 22 percent increase over the previous year. “The momentum has been building, but we busted loose last year,” Scott said. “Our staff and elders are simply amazing,” he said. “Truly gifted and big-hearted servants who have totally bought into what we”re trying to do here. The cohesiveness of this team has allowed us to stretch and risk and
April 8, 2012
By Nathan Smith A few years back, I led worship on a regular basis at a midsized suburban church that was made up primarily of white, middle-class Americans. I often would speak with the pastor, a good friend, about the church”s “brand” and where he felt God was leading it. The worship gatherings were musically and aesthetically appealing, but I couldn”t get over the fact that we were “selling” a product completely disconnected from the worshipping body. The services were being designed for visitor Q rather than the Christian church member. (A bit of a disclaimer here, I do believe
October 10, 2007
By Mark A. Taylor Barney Wells was speaking to leaders of smaller churches about the difference between “average” and “common.” His inspiration was twofold. First, he quoted baseball great Satchel Paige whose words captioned a poster hanging in his room when he was a teenager: “Ain”t no man can avoid being born average,” Paige said, “but there ain”t no man got to be common.” Second, he reminded those attending the Energizing Smaller Churches Network (ESCN) conference in Lincoln, Illinois, of the uncommon accomplishment by the evangelist Philip in an unremarkable setting with an audience of just one (Acts 8:26-40). Wells
July 18, 2007
By Mark A. Taylor Things were simpler then, but I”m not convinced they were better. Way back in the “good old days” when I was growing up, Sunday-morning worship invariably followed the same pattern: Two praise hymns. Prayer hymn. Minister”s prayer. Communion hymn. Communion. Offering. Special number. Sermon. Invitation hymn. Closing prayer. “Blest Be the Tie that Binds” or “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” It intrigues me now, with all our talk about worship style and quality, that no one demanded more of formal worship services in those days. Oh, I remember talk around the dinner table
June 5, 2005
Ruth T. Reyes highlights three essentials for biblical worship—humble submission, balance in worship elements, and unity through accommodating diverse expressions—urging churches to move beyond preference-driven division.
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April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok
April 28, 2026
David Faust
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok