Friday, June 07, 2024

Friday's Catch: 'Should a Church Close?' And More


Should a Church Close?
Sustainability is increasingly difficult for the ever increasing number of churches worshipping small numbers each week. Lovett Weems captures the dilemma for church leaders and draws from Carey Nieuwhof some reasons why a church may need to close.

John Stott’s Dream Church
In a time of upheaval, when the church’s weaknesses and sins have been exposed, it’s good to remind ourselves what the church has been and can still be when we’re marked by faith, hope, and love. Here is Stott’s fivefold dream for the church, as later published in The Living Church.

Bridging the Generation(al) Gap
Bridging the generation(al) gap can make a world of difference to both ends of your congregation’s age spectrum. And not only for them, but for the health, growth, and transformation of your ministry and congregation.

A Church Plant Can Be a Sending Church
Pastors and churches are recognizing there’s more to God’s mission than “Pay, pray, and stay out of the way.”

4 Steps to Becoming a Cultural Detective
Thinking of yourself as a “cultural detective” is a way to expand your appreciation, sensitivity, and respect for others and build bridges that span human diversity. Lucia Ann McSpadden, one of the authors of Building Lasting Bridges: An Updated Handbook for Intercultural Ministries, outlines four tools for analyzing intercultural interactions.

Critical Dynamics of Criticism
It is probably fair to draw the conclusion that there is a universal dislike for personal criticism and correction. Nothing reveals the pride that resides in each one of our hearts so much as being on the receiving end of criticism. Giving or receiving criticism is one of the most difficult yet most necessary parts of a believer's life in a fallen world. It is also one of the difficult aspects of Gospel-ministry.

The Holy Spirit: Go On Being Filled
Our filling with the Holy Spirit is not just a one-time experience.

The Way You Walk
The way we walk is a visible portrayal of who we are, of what we are like, and of who we claim to be.

8 Scriptural Personal Accountability Questions to Ask This Week
Following God requires us to look in the mirror of God’s Word. That process can be what I call “joyously painful” – painful because we see ourselves as we really are, but joyous because there’s great relief when we turn to God and find Him gracious. So, here are some questions to ask in the mirror this week....

Oh, Be Careful Little Tongue...
...whatever is in our hearts always makes its way to our mouths. You can tell a lot about a person’s character by merely listening to his or her words.

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