Most churches think their guest problem is a hospitality problem. It's not. It's structural — and it's fixable. In this episode, we walk through three specific reasons first-time visitors don't come back, and what you can do about each one.
Leading Indicators That Predict Healthy Church Growth
What if you could see church growth coming before it actually arrives? In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu walk through three leading indicators that can predict future church health and growth, rather than simply reviewing what has already happened. They explain the difference between lag measures (like attendance) and lead measures, and show how tracking the right numbers gives church leaders real leverage to make smarter decisions.
Beyond the Logo: 3 Steps to Define Your Church's Irresistible Identity
What does your church actually stand for, and does your community know it? In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott and A.J. walk through three practical steps to help your church define and communicate a genuine, compelling identity, one that goes far deeper than a new logo or a refreshed website. Drawing on real examples from ministry and culture, they make the case that a church's brand must grow out of who it truly is, not out of what it wishes it looked like.
Most practising Christians are evangelical, study finds
A landmark study has shed more light on the size, shape and identity of evangelical Christians in the UK.
Evangelicals are “younger, more ethnically diverse, and more likely to be male than the wider population”, according to the 28-page report published by the Evangelical Alliance UK.
Also See: Evangelical Alliance takes heart from latest survey; UK Evangelicals defying religious decline, with young men leading growthMeryl Streep as Aslan in 'The Magician's Nephew' sparks Christian backlash: 'Creative vandalism'
Confirmation that actress Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew has prompted backlash from some who claim it's an affront to the classic Christian allegory.
"I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight," director Greta Gerwig told Empire of Streep's casting as the Christ-like lion who sacrificed himself to save a sinner in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Canon Chris Sugden, the Chair of Anglican Mainstream, has said that the Church of England’s decision to bless same-sex relationships “was a bridge too far”.
In a conversation with Tony Rucinski, Chief Executive of the Coalition for Marriage, Canon Sugden spoke of his love for the Anglican church and its traditional “broad church” approach, under which Anglo-Catholics, evangelicals and liberals can all share the same denominational tent.
Sugden, who has also been a member of the General Synod and was at the founding of GAFCON in Jerusalem in 2008, said that elements of the Church of England were determined to silence the views of those who did not agree with pro-LGBT ideological views.
Special forces police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service.
The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises.
Letting Pastor’s Kids Be Kids
Laura Heikes reflects on two decades’ worth of lessons learned from raising pastor’s kids while serving in ministry. Healthy ministry families, she writes, are nurtured when churches allow children to be fully human, respect family boundaries, and help kids discover meaningful ways to belong and serve.
The Beholding Method
A single pass over a passage, followed by a sprint towards meaning and application, will tend to produce either cold, informed Christians who never really worship, or busy and obedient Christians who never learn to delight. Our study needs to affect our whole being. It needs to impact our minds, affections, and will. There are methods that are close to what I do, but they mainly focus on the mind and will, while skipping the affections. The Beholding Method is my approach to improving this.
Responding to AI Concerns is a Matter of Pastoral Care
As with any significant community change, clergy need to help their congregants navigate the personal, ethical and social terrain of AI, writes Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes. She directs the Technology, Innovation & Digital Engagement Lab at Union Theological Seminary.
What AI Is Teaching My Youth Group Girls
“I can’t even text my friend without asking AI what to say first,” one of the girls in my eighth- and ninth-grade small group told me.
It’s no surprise that each generation, for the most part, uses technology more than the generation before. However, I wasn’t expecting the hyperdependence on AI that I was hearing about from these sweet 13-to-15-year-old girls sitting across from me...
I’d asked the students how they navigate relational conflict, and that’s when this girl said she asks AI before she texts her friends. As I began to sift through what she meant, they all chimed in, sharing similar reliances on AI.
As they talked, I noticed three themes...
The Gen Alpha Shift: 3 Things Every Kids Ministry Must Change Now
Gen Alpha kids (born 2010 to 2024) are reshaping what families expect from children's ministry, and most churches need some practical, achievable adjustments to keep up. In this episode, Scott and A.J. walk through three concrete changes any church can make to better reach Gen Alpha kids and their parents. Whether your church is just getting started or looking to sharpen what you already have, this conversation will give you a clear path forward.
Church Community Outreach: Practical Ways to Share the Gospel
There’s an overworn debate in the church about whether proclaiming the gospel or demonstrating the gospel through meeting needs is more important. For Efrem Smith, this is a false dichotomy. His church, Midtown Church in Sacramento, California, is creating opportunities for sharing the gospel through meeting their neighbors’ needs in very practical ways. In addition to pastoring Midtown, Smith is co-owner of Influential LLC and the author or co-author of several books including, most recently, Church for Everyone (IVP). He is a main stage speaker at the upcoming Amplify Conference, October 20–21 at Wheaton College, in partnership with Outreach magazine.
In the conversation below, Smith talks about how church churches can reach the community around them through engaging with culture and demonstrating the gospel through acts of service. He also talks about the importance of collaboration between churches in furthering the kingdom of God.
"I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight," director Greta Gerwig told Empire of Streep's casting as the Christ-like lion who sacrificed himself to save a sinner in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
It is a given that movie directors and script writers will monkey with the original story the author tells in a book. If you want to visit the real Narnia and meet the real Aslan, skip the movies and read C.S. Lewis' books.Church of England blessing same-sex relationships 'a bridge too far'
Canon Chris Sugden, the Chair of Anglican Mainstream, has said that the Church of England’s decision to bless same-sex relationships “was a bridge too far”.
In a conversation with Tony Rucinski, Chief Executive of the Coalition for Marriage, Canon Sugden spoke of his love for the Anglican church and its traditional “broad church” approach, under which Anglo-Catholics, evangelicals and liberals can all share the same denominational tent.
Sugden, who has also been a member of the General Synod and was at the founding of GAFCON in Jerusalem in 2008, said that elements of the Church of England were determined to silence the views of those who did not agree with pro-LGBT ideological views.
According to Wiktionary, "a bridge too far" is an English idiom meaning that a proposal is "a step or action that is too ambitious; an act of overreaching."Algerian police seize Bibles as 12 Christians arrested for holding non-Muslim service
Special forces police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service.
The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises.
Letting Pastor’s Kids Be Kids
Laura Heikes reflects on two decades’ worth of lessons learned from raising pastor’s kids while serving in ministry. Healthy ministry families, she writes, are nurtured when churches allow children to be fully human, respect family boundaries, and help kids discover meaningful ways to belong and serve.
The Beholding Method
A single pass over a passage, followed by a sprint towards meaning and application, will tend to produce either cold, informed Christians who never really worship, or busy and obedient Christians who never learn to delight. Our study needs to affect our whole being. It needs to impact our minds, affections, and will. There are methods that are close to what I do, but they mainly focus on the mind and will, while skipping the affections. The Beholding Method is my approach to improving this.
Responding to AI Concerns is a Matter of Pastoral Care
As with any significant community change, clergy need to help their congregants navigate the personal, ethical and social terrain of AI, writes Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes. She directs the Technology, Innovation & Digital Engagement Lab at Union Theological Seminary.
What AI Is Teaching My Youth Group Girls
“I can’t even text my friend without asking AI what to say first,” one of the girls in my eighth- and ninth-grade small group told me.
It’s no surprise that each generation, for the most part, uses technology more than the generation before. However, I wasn’t expecting the hyperdependence on AI that I was hearing about from these sweet 13-to-15-year-old girls sitting across from me...
I’d asked the students how they navigate relational conflict, and that’s when this girl said she asks AI before she texts her friends. As I began to sift through what she meant, they all chimed in, sharing similar reliances on AI.
As they talked, I noticed three themes...
The Gen Alpha Shift: 3 Things Every Kids Ministry Must Change Now
Gen Alpha kids (born 2010 to 2024) are reshaping what families expect from children's ministry, and most churches need some practical, achievable adjustments to keep up. In this episode, Scott and A.J. walk through three concrete changes any church can make to better reach Gen Alpha kids and their parents. Whether your church is just getting started or looking to sharpen what you already have, this conversation will give you a clear path forward.
Church Community Outreach: Practical Ways to Share the Gospel
There’s an overworn debate in the church about whether proclaiming the gospel or demonstrating the gospel through meeting needs is more important. For Efrem Smith, this is a false dichotomy. His church, Midtown Church in Sacramento, California, is creating opportunities for sharing the gospel through meeting their neighbors’ needs in very practical ways. In addition to pastoring Midtown, Smith is co-owner of Influential LLC and the author or co-author of several books including, most recently, Church for Everyone (IVP). He is a main stage speaker at the upcoming Amplify Conference, October 20–21 at Wheaton College, in partnership with Outreach magazine.
In the conversation below, Smith talks about how church churches can reach the community around them through engaging with culture and demonstrating the gospel through acts of service. He also talks about the importance of collaboration between churches in furthering the kingdom of God.
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