Thursday's Catch: One Simple Switch to Move Your Church Forward and More

From little acorns big oaks grow.

Why Focusing Equally on Your Church and City Is Key to Growth

Churches were meant to multiply. When you read the New Testament, there doesn’t seem to be any other model of what a church should aim for. Just as disciples of Jesus are expected to make new disciples, churches are expected to make new churches. It’s as though we can’t reach our full potential without this one critical piece. Read More

3 Essentials for Cultivating a Healthy Church Through Community

We were built for relationships. I know that doesn’t sound as poetic as John Donne’s “No man is an island entire of itself,” but it captures the same truth. God wired us to live in community with others. Read More

Why Church Planters Must Lead in Mission [Podcast]

It’s possible to plant a church and watch it grow without actually doing mission. But the church is called to “proclaim the excellencies of [God], who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Listen Now

Five of the Biggest Disappointments in Church Revitalization & Replanting [Podcast]

Disappointment plagues many pastors and church leaders. And in revitalizations or replants, it can be an ever bigger issue. Listen Now

5 Body Safety Rules Every 5-Year-Old Should Know

Let’s start by learning about body safety rules. While it’s not your child’s responsibility to protect themselves from sexual abuse, he or she should be taught important boundaries about their body. Read More

3 Things to Do When Caring for Sexual Abuse Survivors

Most of us are not licensed trauma counselors, behavioral therapists, psychiatrists, etc., but hurting people are coming to us in droves with stories of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and abandonment. Here’s what to do when you don’t know what to do.... Read More

Enough Is Enough—Why the Church Has to Stop Enabling Abusive Men

How does it honor the concept of “Christian marriage” to enforce the continuance of an abusive, destructive relationship that is slowly squeezing all life and joy out of a woman’s soul? Read More

My father physically abused my mother to the point that she left him for her own safety, the safety of my older brother, and the safety of her unborn child--myself. With the help of her younger sister who also lived in the United States, she returned to her parents in England where I was born. My parents never divorced. My father was a Roman Catholic; my mother, an Anglican. In those days the Church of England only countenanced divorce in the case of adultery. Cruelty to a spouse was not recognized as grounds for divorce. I do not believe from what I read in the Holy Scriptures that Jesus would expect a woman to remain in an abusive relationship. In abusing a wife, the husband has already violated the sanctity of their marriage and destroyed the bonds of affection that unite a married couple. As social worker I have seen women return again and again to an abusive relationship out of the mistaken belief that the man had changed or on the basis of the man's promise to change only to be abused again and again and in some cases murdered by the abuser. The abuse not only harms the woman but any children--not only physically but psychologically. The girls often become victims of abuse themselves and the boys, abusers.

Saved by Grace But Entertained by Sin

For the past decade, God has been doing a work in my heart that has revolutionized the way I look at my pursuit of entertainment. Rather than establishing a complex set of standards in the spirit of the Scribes and Pharisees, I have learned to ask some simple yet powerful questions about what it means for me to find pleasure in entertainment. As I strive to navigate this media-saturated world with my eyes fixed on the prize before me, these are the questions that are shaping my convictions. Read More

7 Prayers My Pastoral Hero Prays Every Day

Tom Elliff is the most prayerful man I know, and he’s one of my pastoral heroes. He’s served as a pastor, missionary, denominational leader, and president of the International Mission Board. Because he is such a praying man, I’ve asked him to share the prayers he prays for himself every day. I hope they will challenge you as he speaks to us.... Read More

A very helpful prayer list.

How Christians Can Reach Muslims During Ramadan [Podcast]

The season marks a unique time for the church to connect with followers of the world’s second-largest faith. Listen Now

Why Missions Experts Are Redefining ‘Unreached People Groups’

Fewer than 1 percent of missionaries end up among the world's least-Christian peoples. New categories aim to highlight the areas most desperate for the gospel. Read More