Wednesday's Catch: "Innovation without Compromise: 5 Church Leadership Lessons from the Life of Billy Graham" and More

Innovation without Compromise: 5 Church Leadership Lessons from the Life of Billy Graham

Billy Graham's life and ministry is proof that taking a strong stand for the truth of the Gospel does not have to push people away. Read More

6 Questions I'm Hearing Again from Young People Raised in Evangelical Churches

I heard these questions from young people in the 1980s, but they tended to die down (at least among young people in my denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, who were then in the midst of our conservative resurgence). With no desire to use this post to enter into theological debates, I want to review some of the same questions I’m beginning to hear again—often, among college students raised in Christian homes. Read More

4 Sundays Every Church Leader Should Work on Every Week of the Year

Doesn’t it feel like Sunday is always coming at your church? Every seven days, it just keeps showing up! 😉 This relentless rhythm can lull us into a situation where we see every Sunday as the same in a never-ending line of weekends. But this just isn’t the case! There are some Sundays every year that are frankly just more valuable to you and your church as you attempt to grow and make an impact in your community. You need to focus your leadership disproportionately on these four weekends to leverage them for church. Read More

Easier said than done - especially in smaller churches. This past year Christmas Day fell on a Sunday. However, all of the congregation at my church, except myself, had plans to be elsewhere on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We had enough time to plan and advertise a Christmas Eve Service but no volunteers to pull it off, much less church members interested in inviting friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers, and showing up themselves.If you are planning on a Christmas Eve Service, you may need to start talking about the service and creating enthusiasm for it a year or more ahead of time.

What Else Did Jesus Believe About the Bible?

In an earlier article, I wrote about what Jesus believed about the Bible. How you approach the Bible determines in large part how you understand and live out the Christian faith. Even more basic, how you read the Bible determines what you think about God, about yourself and about the redemption that is ours through Jesus Christ. Read More

Where Protestants and Catholics Go When They Leave Their Churches

Research shows 1 in 6 US Christians changed their religious affiliation over a four-year span, with nondenominational worshipers leading the way. Read More