Firday's Catch: "How Churches Can Break Growth Barriers" and Much More

How Churches Can Break Growth Barriers, Featuring Warren Bird - Rainer on Leadership #327 [Podcast]

Warren Bird joins Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe today to talk about how your church can break growth barriers at any level. Read More

How to Help Church Guests Understand What’s Happening

Here are a few suggestions for how to make people more comfortable in a church worship service that might be brand new to them. Read More

This article and the following article are reposts. They are articles from which we would benefit reading over and over again.

Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests

In a previous blog post, I noted things we should not say to a guest in our worship services. In today’s post I look at the positive perspective: seven things we should say to guests. Read More

Three Great Soundbites That Make Terrible Theology

There are other very helpful sound bites that often get used in church. They are good preaching and make a helpful impression upon us. But, again, we don’t want to turn them into absolute statements or our faith will similarly stumble. Let me mention three common o nes related to sin. Read More

10 Ways to Know if You're on the Wrong Seat in the Bus

Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great, popularized the concept of “getting the right people on the right seat in the bus.” It’s not uncommon in church consulting to find church staff members who seem to be in the wrong seat. If you’re wondering about your role, here are some indicators of that possibility.... Read More

Church Leadership: 3 Hills Worth Dying On

Ronnie Floyd: “The Christian life is not about being right—it is about being Christlike.” Read More

Pastoral Leadership Capital, Part 1: What Is It?

Part of the leadership challenge is correctly answering the “When?” and “How Far?” questions. When should I try to lead out in an endeavor and how far can we go before people lose heart for the goal, strength for the journey, trust in the leader, or faith in the Lord? These questions can be partially answered by answering the “How Much?” question. How much Pastoral Leadership Capital does one have to spend, and how much of it can be spent at any given time? Read More

Building Bridges with Other Pastors

Just because ministry friendships are hard doesn’t mean you should give up on them. Here are a few suggestions for those who want to be bridge-builders instead of bridge-burners. Read More

Prioritizing Your “Yes”

Here’s a question sure to cause a little discomfort and defensiveness.... Read More

The Pastoral Skill We Must Reclaim

Author Paul Pastor talks Christian formation in the Information Age. Read More

How to Talk About Sin in a Postmodern Age

Tim Keller: "We will either worship the uncreated God, or we will worship some created thing (an idol). There is no possibility of our worshiping nothing." Read More

Are You Aiding and Abetting Apathy

How has apathy in the Christian life has become so common for contemporary evangelicals. Has mediocrity become the new normal? And, if so, are we then aiding and abetting apathy? Read More

5 Biblical Elements of a Missional Spirituality

Paul’s teaching to the Philippian church about missional spirituality is fleshed out in his teachings on the following five themes. Read More

One-Path Evangelism: The Scandalizing Exclusivity of Jesus

We are sinful and desperately in need of rescue. Read More