Thursday's Catch: Church Planting in Dublin and More

Church Planting in (Spiritually Desolate) Dublin [Podcast]

Church planting in this postmodern context is difficult. The required financial investment is high. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Yet, for pastors like Mark Smith and others, the commitment to disciple-making and church planting in Dublin is unwavering due to their unshakeable hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Listen Now

A link to the transcript of this podcast may be found just below the link to the podcast.

Church Revitalization, Part One

One doesn’t have to be a missiologist to recognize the need for many churches to experience revitalization. One of the more powerful ways to experience church revitalization is through a renewal movement. Study the great awakenings and you will see stories of revitalization birthed in the midst of revival.... But we don’t have to have a great awakening to see churches revitalize, either! Here are some types of renewal movements that can help bring revitalization today. Read More

Four Types of Churches That Will Soon Die [Podcast]

Our goal is to see churches live and thrive. To know how to help churches we must understand and identify the drift which pulls churches towards the grave. In today’s episode of Revitalize and Replant Thom Rainer and Mark Clifton will discuss the characteristics of four churches which will soon die. Listen Now

A substantial number of Continuing Anglican churches in North America exhibit these characteristics. They are inward-looking and self-absorbed. They have become disconnected from the community in which they are located. In a sizable number of cases they never connected with that community. They neglect the teaching of the Bible. They use a liturgy whose language comes from a bygone age. They sing hymns whose content is divorced from present day realities. They cling to a past that is long gone and will never return. They have become refuges and safe havens - illusionary bubbles of stability - from the constant change that characterizes this century and the previous century but in doing so they have chosen to die.

9 Reasons Our Family and Friends Don't Believe the Gospel

Southeastern Seminary, where I teach, is emphasizing “Who’s Your One” this semester. We want all of our administration, faculty, staff, and students to seek to pray for and share the gospel with at least one person during the next couple of months. Based on my years of sharing Christ with family members and friends, here are my thoughts about why folks struggle with believing the gospel. Read More

Who's Your One?

It doesn’t matter how many buildings we construct, churches we plant or sermons we preach if we’re not intent on doing everything so that lost men, women and children will experience the transforming work of God. Learn More

How to Use Facebook for Church Planting

Duke Taber explains how he used Facebook to start a new church. Read More

A single page version of this article may be found at the Easy Church Tech website.

Here Come the Skinny Cows

Four reasons tithes and offerings are about to drop dramatically. Read More

How to Know If You’ve Made an Idol of Politics

Almost no one is willing to admit they have made an idol of politics—including me. That’s why I started creating a list of idol-identifying questions that I thought would vindicate me. Read More

How Frequently Do Church Shootings Occur

Deadly incidents are on the rise at churches, says Carl Chinn, a church security expert. According to his research, there had never been a mass murder (four or more killed) associated with a faith-based property before 1963. Since then, there have been 14 such incidents. Read More

The statistics in this article are relevant only to the United States. In other countries church shootings may be less common or more frequent. Church leaders need to consider the particular circumstances of their church in considering what church security measures to adopt.