Thursday Roundup: "5 Legitimate Fears of a Church Planter" and More

5 Legitimate Fears of a Church Planter

Having participated in two church plants as a planter, and now working with church planters on a regular basis in a coaching capacity, I know first hand the fears associated with planting a church. It’s a leap of faith and one God is calling many to these days. Read More

Incubation: Multiplication by Addition (Part 1)

Ray Chang stops by to share about how churches may come alongside church planters to support them in their work. Read More

Two Opposite Errors Committed by Church Staff

If you lead a ministry (kids, students, groups, connections, worship, etc.) in a local church, you are given responsibility for a significant ministry in the church, and yet you are also part of a larger body of believers. You steward a part of the whole, and in this, you must care deeply for that which you are responsible. At the same time, as part of a larger body of believers, you must treat what you steward as part of the whole church. In this regard, I have seen two polar opposite errors from those who lead a ministry in a local church. Read More

How to Tell Who You Can Truly Trust in Leadership

Can you ever build a team that you can stop worrying about, and just, well, trust? I believe you can. Here’s how. Read More

I Ran a Successful Business, Why Can't I Run a Successful Church? (6 Reasons)

Successful businesses and successful churches have some similarities. But they have far more differences. Read More

5 Ways to Prep for Easter

1. Preach with urgency.
Do you feel a sense of urgency about Easter? Do you feel the responsibility to make the most of every second you have? You may have only one shot to introduce someone to Jesus. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you will have another chance. They may not come back. They are not guaranteed to live to see another Easter. You, yourself, are not guaranteed to live to see another Easter. Jesus could come back any moment. Read More

Is the Existence of the NT Canon Incompatible with Claims of New Revelation?

“God has spoken to me.” There are few statements that will shut down debate more quickly than this one. If Christians disagree over a doctrine, a practice, or an idea, then the trump card is always “God has spoken to me” about that. End of discussion. But, the history of the church (not to mention the Scriptures themselves) demonstrates that such claims of private, direct revelation are highly problematic. Read More

The Waning of the 'Worship Wars'

Praise bands and informal style are on the rise, along with Hispanic church leaders and unaffiliated congregations, says the latest National Congregations Study. Read More

How Do I Talk to My Kids About Homosexuality?

As a 27-year-old father of a 3-year-old, it seems both unwise and presumptuous to tell godly, mature parents how to talk to their kids about this issue. Nevertheless, if I’m not talking about it, everyone else is. I have an obligation to give some kind of Christian response to secular wisdom, even if it’s tempered by my lack of parental experience. Read More

Link found between porn and child abuse

The child pornography market is expanding dramatically and viewing it could be the catalyst for some to engage in hands-on abuse of children, experts say. Read More

The late Doctor Judianne Densen-Gerber, a lawyer and psychiatrist who pioneered the Odyssey House drug treatment program, found a correlation between the use of pornography and the sexual abuse and exploitation of children from her research in the 1980s. Her research did not specifically cover the use of child pornography. What she found was that adults who sexually abused or exploited children used pornography in two ways--first to arouse themselves sexually to the point where they acted out their sexual impulses with a child and second to encourage a child to engage in various sexual activities with them. In the latter case pornography was used to to stimulate the child sexually and to persuade the child that a particular sexual activity was acceptable behavior, taking advantage of the child's undeveloped judgment in such matters, as well as the child's trust, curiosity, and need for attention and affection. The pornography also suggested to the perpetrator different sexual activities that he or she might engage with the child. The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is not confined to adult and teenage males. Most perpetrators are not strangers to the child.

Geo-Targeted Maps: How to Use Them for Your Church

Google Maps has a handy (and free!) tool that imports a spreadsheet of addresses onto a map for use at your church. Visualizations of data like this can be a powerful tool for decision making. Your church could use it in a number of different ways.... Read More

Boko Haram remains 'resilient' after deadline

Boko Haram reportedly remains a strong threat in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries despite Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's claim that military leaders have largely met his deadline to have defeated the group by the end of 2015. Read More

Christmas ban no surprise, Somali Christians say

Secret Christians in Somalia were not surprised by a sudden government ban on Christmas celebrations, but it did darken their plans, Christian leaders said. Read More