Mission and Vision

How to Support Your Pastor in Prayer

How to Support Your Pastor in Prayer One of the most important people in the Christian believer’s spiritual journey is the pastor. Pastors play a significant role in helping us grow in faith, guiding us toward righteous living, and keeping us accountable for our Christian walk. Intercessory prayer is not merely a religious routine or

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Praying the hard prayer for the sake of God’s mission

Would you intercede with the Lord on behalf of ISIS if your pastor asked you to? How would your congregation react if you told them to petition God to bless government officials who resist the church’s desire to expand? Praying for people that have insulted, injured or ruined us is the last image that comes

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Churches Must Be Prepared for Vision

The caller was worried. The congregational vote on whether to call the preferred candidate as their next pastor was only a few days away, and significant opposition had arisen. He phoned me to ask how the church leaders, who unanimously supported the candidate, should respond. “What is the source of the opposition? I thought he

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ShareTheLove Evangelism

Sharing Faith in Post-Christian America, Part 2

In my last post, I referenced individuals from across Christian theological perspectives that have affirmed a fundamental shift in evangelism in a “post-Christendom” world. We have now been hearing this message for two decades.  But we have been slow to adapt. The message? This ain’t your grandma’s world, and what reached her for Jesus won’t

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Turnaround pastors never stop pushing vision

Leading a stalled church in a genuine turnaround – one that leads to conversion growth and spiritual growth – demands the pastor’s finest communication skills. Turnaround starts with a sustained push of mission, vision and values. The objective is transformation: people viewing themselves and their church In a whole new light, which is cast by

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Cling to the mission if your church is about to crash

What does a discouraged pastor hang on to when he can’t pull the church out its death spiral? You’ve tried everything. Nothing’s worked. The death spiral continues. Crashing and burn is inescapable if the church maintains the course. You’re worn out. Discouraged. Defeated. You blame yourself even though you did it “by the book.” It’s

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The Turnaround Pastor’s Greatest Challenge: Making Disciples

What’s the Turnaround Pastor’s greatest challenge, the one that outweighs all others? Maybe you think it’s one of these: Getting the church on a solid financial footing Eliminating unproductive programs and activities Renewing passion and vision in the church’s leaders Resolving long running conflicts between members Initiating church discipline against an errant saint Discerning God’s vision Revitalizing stale worship services

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7 Qualities Jesus Seeks In His Church

It’s been five years since I’ve had a church to call home. Three interim churches, a couple of moves and now I’m adrift. It’s time to start looking for a church where I can be one of the folks. What should I look for? I think I’ll look for the things Jesus looks for and

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