One in Three Practicing Christians Has Stopped Attending Church During COVID-19
Recently, we revealed findings about “The New Sunday Morning,” highlighting trends in church attendance and engagement since the nation’s response to COVID-19 began in March of this year and social distancing pushed services online. Barna researchers identified a few types of churchgoers in this unique era of digital Church: Christians streaming their pre-COVID-19 church online, Christians streaming a different church online and Christians who have stopped “attending” church altogether. (It should be noted, there is a segment of those who, prior to COVID-19, were not attending church and are now attending online during the pandemic—however, this group is currently too small to be considered statistically significant and is not reported on here.) Read More
Beware, Sin Thrives in Isolation
As the second wave of Coronavirus overtakes our city, Melbournians are being forced back into isolation. Other than for four specific reasons, it is officially unlawful for us to even leave our homes. These restrictions might be frustrating but they are necessary. Extreme times call for extreme measures. Staying home saves lives. But while our homes may be places of physical safety, they are also places of spiritual danger because sin thrives in isolation. Read More
The God of Good Manners?
For those already weighed down with the burdens of the past few months—staying healthy, keeping the finances afloat, maintaining some semblance of normalcy—the severity of his lordship can threaten to strain us to the spiritual breaking point. Perhaps this is why I was charmed by Julian of Norwich’s discernment of another dimension of God’s lordship: his courtesy. Read More
Even Among Well-Meaning Christians, ‘Born Again’ Is Often Misunderstood
Being called a “born-again Christian” can mean many things to many people. In New Life in Christ: What Really Happens When You’re Born Again and Why It Matters, Steven J. Lawson moves beyond today’s (mis)use of the phrase to recapture its biblical meaning and extraordinary significance for the Christian life. Read More
2 Characteristics Church leaders Must Display during Cultural Crises
“Teach us to number our days carefully…” Really, Lord? Whether we think “numbering our days” means taking an account of what you’ve done at the end of every day, or considering the time that’s passing, or counting the days since some of us were in a worship service filled with people, numbering our days in a pandemic can be a little depressing. It’s not surprising then that the psalmist’s next word to the Lord is this in verses 13-15.... Read More
21 Great Practices You’ll Never Regret Adopting
You probably already have some regrets as a leader. I know I do. Not only as a leader, but as a husband, dad and friend too. Leadership is so complicated that sometimes it’s hard to know what to focus on. Add a global crisis into the mix and it’s even more confusing. So why is it that so many of us keep making mistakes at work and at home? It’s easy to blame your crushing workload, the people around you, circumstances or just about anything that moves. But if you look for common threads, you’ll often discover the problem was not in the situation, it was in how you responded to it. Read More
13 Mistakes When Seeking a New Place of Ministry
Most of us change places of ministry during our career. I realize, of course, that making changes now during COVID may seem unwise, but below are 13 mistakes I’ve seen leaders make in this process of “courting” a new ministry. Read More
I would also recommend talking with previous pastors of the church and other individuals who may be familiar with the church if it is at all possible. They can offer invaluable insights into the church. These insights may help a pastor determine whether he would be a good fit with that church.Don’t Just Preach about Christ. Preach Christ!
"We can know a lot about Jesus and "follow" him as our "friend’ and yet still not know him very personally. Preachers can actually aid and abet an impersonal knowledge of Jesus by preaching about Christ while not actually preaching Christ. They present his Facebook page rather than personally introducing people to Jesus. Read More
The Benefits of Online Small Groups
While some people may feel forced into their groups meeting online, there are some definite benefits of online small groups. Online small groups aren’t new. After all, I started my first online group on CompuServe in 1994. They aren’t new, but online small groups are next. Read More
Diagnosing Your Church's Discipleship Problem
The local church has a discipleship disease. And without the proper diagnosis and treatment plan, we will do more harm than good. Read More
How to Be on Mission When Your Mission Trip Is Cancelled
"If COVID-19 caused my trip to be canceled, can I still be on mission this summer?" The answer is an emphatic yes! Read more
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