Wednesday's Catch: Sharpening Your Church's Gospel Focus and More

Seven Steps Toward a Greater Gospel Focus in Your Church

Eighty percent of churchgoers believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, yet 61% of them had not told another person about Christ in the last six months. The vast majority of Christians believe they should share their faith, but few actually do. Christians should be eternal optimists. The good news should compel us outward with love. If you’re leading a church, what can you do about the fact that most believers don’t share their faith? Read More

4 Ways to Diagnose "Vision Vertigo" at Your Church

Vertigo is a dizzying sensation that feels like the room is spinning. This is what pastors and members experience when they hear fuzzy declarations of vision, purpose, values, and mission. If you suspect your church may have vision vertigo, please allow me to help by asking four probing questions about your vision. Read More

Expanding the Digital Footprint of Our Churches

We have an opportunity to provide countless people with the hope of the gospel. Read More

Nothing on Your Phone (Including TGC) Can Replace the Local Church

As much as we should celebrate this age of abundance in Christian resources—what my colleague Sarah Zylstra calls “theological affluence”—I worry about some of its side effects. Namely: why is the rise in access to theological material coinciding with a decline in Christian church attendance? Could it be that our easy access to theological content is, in a twisted way, making us see church as unnecessary? Listening to a Christian podcast or devotional app, after all, is much easier than getting out of bed on Sunday morning and going to a church building. But is it the same? Read More

9 Things You Should Know About Ulrich Zwingli

This year marks the 500th anniversary or Reformation in Switzerland begun by Ulrich Zwingli in 1519. “That date, no less than October 31, 1517,” Timothy George says, “can answer the question, ‘When did the Reformation begin?’” Here are nine things you should know about the influential Swiss Reformer. Read More

Churches Say Worship Wars Are Over, But Most Still Use Pianos and Hymnals

For most pastors, the so-called “worship wars” over the style of the music used in their church have subsided, if they ever even felt that pressure. A new study from LifeWay Research found 15% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. say the biggest challenge they face in the area of music is navigating the varying preferences of members. Read More