Pastoring in the Age of Celebrity

How famous Bible teachers impact local Bible study.

More than a decade ago, Thomas Friedman declared The World Is Flat in his bestselling book about how technology has collapsed the barriers between local and global. The American church has also experienced this “flattening,” as trends in media and ministry bring faraway leaders and national organizations into Christians’ everyday routines.

Believers can chat with Tim Keller in one of his Twitter Q&As, Facebook Live with Judah Smith, or play a Rick Warren podcast in their earbuds while they hit the gym. Though teachings from prominent theologians have spread across the church throughout its history, never have they been so immediate or intimate.

Plus, there’s the bigger, 21st-century scope: More Christian leaders are releasing “content” than ever before, giving evangelicals overwhelming opportunities to hear from nationally known figures alongside the leaders of their own congregations.

“People are hungry for answers, even from a disconnected authority figure,” said Philip Nation, an author and pastor at First Baptist Church of Bradenton, Florida.

As with most things in the Christian life, the draw to outside teachers is not merely an issue of personal preference—it stems from and impacts involvement in the local body, as well. Read More

How to Improve Your Preaching or Teaching - Rainer on Leadership #344 [Podcast]

Improving your preaching and teaching doesn’t happen accidentally. It takes intentionality and work. And today Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe cover 15 ways you can improve your preaching or teaching.

Some highlights from today’s episode include....Listen Now

How Might Jesus Have Us Engage Social Media?

Would the apostle Paul have engaged social media for the sake of the expanding the message of Jesus? Based on the way he creatively utilized the pax Romana (Roman peace), along with Greek culture and language, the answer is—I believe—a resounding yes.

Can you imagine Jesus giving us a few tips on our use of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube? Based on his Sermon on the Mount, the following are a few parameters he might recommend to us. Read More

Evangelism in Small Church America: Exclusive Research

“Pastor, no one in your church will share the gospel more than you.” This is a statement we regularly make when talking with pastors who serve in smaller-membership churches. The importance of intentional personal evangelism by the pastor cannot be overstated. Churches of all sizes can struggle with keeping evangelism the focus, but small churches often have significant hurdles to overcome.

Small churches tend to be more relationally focused—one of their most positive characteristics. In his book Taking Your Church to the Next Level, Gary McIntosh writes, “The core values of smaller churches cause them to look for a highly relational pastor who serves church members by listening to their concerns, ministering to their personal needs and following their lead.” But, if pastors are not careful, this relational focus can become a hindrance to advancing the kingdom vision of making disciples who make disciples. Often, small-church members are so inwardly focused, they are unable—or unwilling—to connect with their community and share the gospel.

To counter this tendency, the pastor must lead the way by being intentional in personal evangelism to focus the congregation on the community. Modeling a lifestyle of evangelism, sharing it publicly from the pulpit and inviting others into evangelism are keys to helping small churches thrive in sharing the gospel.

A recent study on the personal evangelism practices of small-church pastors was conducted by the Caskey Center for Church Excellence and the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, in partnership with a dozen denominations (see “Methodology” section at the end of the article). LifeWay Research, which conducted the survey, contacted 1,500 pastors. The calling list was a random sample, stratified by church membership and denominational groups, drawn from a list of all evangelical and black Protestant churches. The results provide a snapshot of the personal evangelism habits of small-church pastors—those pastoring churches of 200 or fewer attendees. A comparison between the top 20 percent of churches that retained new commitments with the bottom 50 percent of churches reveal the key to reaching a community with the gospel through intentionality in personal evangelism, creating a climate of evangelism within the church and leading members to make disciples. Read More

Five Sobering Realities about Evangelism in Our Churches

My wife said she did not understand a word I said to her.

Ouch.

I was attempting to explain our research on 1,000 randomly chosen churches, and she had a blank look on her face. I knew what was taking place. A statistical nerd (me) was trying to share research with a normal person (my wife).

Such is the conundrum where I find myself. This research is incredibly revealing, but I often speak in such statistical terms that I cloud its import.

Allow me, then, to attempt to write with some clarity. Let me know if I have not succeeded. Here are some prefatory comments.... Read More

Thom Rainer will be sharing details of his research and much more at EvangelismRenewal.com. You can get a free eBook by Thom Rainer on evangelism renewal when you sign up.

Quit Squirming: 3 Reasons We Don’t Share the Gospel

I’ve seen people fidget whenever the topic of evangelism is mentioned. Of course, the reasons for squirming vary from person to person. Read More

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Why People Believe All Roads Lead to Heaven

There Can't Be Only One Way

When I was a freshman in high school, I tried out for the varsity basketball team. On the first day of tryouts, the coach ran a scrimmage, periodically sending players into the game to see how they played. When my turn came, I intercepted a pass on the very first play. Then I took the ball the length of the court, skyed over every other player and made the prettiest layup you ever saw.

The coach instantly blew the whistle, stopped the game and called me over to the bench. I was walking 10 feet off the ground. I just knew my shot was so good that he had to stop the game just to tell me. I envisioned that ESPN had called and wanted the footage, and that Sports Illustrated had every intention of running a photo of me on the next cover. The shoe deal with Nike was only a matter of time. So I walked—actually, strutted—to the sideline.

My coach said, “White, that was a great shot. Your form was great; your intensity was great. Only thing is, you went to the wrong basket—but it was a great shot!”

Is there a right and a wrong basket in the spiritual game? Is Christianity the only way to score with God or simply one of many ways? For today’s unchurched person, this is hardly academic. The religious landscape of modern American society can be nothing less than bewildering. Religious groups, sects, cults, movements, philosophies and worldviews abound in incredible numbers and diversity.

Add to this mix one of the most pervasive, fundamental convictions of contemporary American society: All roads lead to God, and to say that one way is right and all the other ways are wrong is narrow-minded, bigoted and prejudicial. What is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me is true for me. Searching for God is like climbing a mountain. Since everyone knows there is not just one way to climb a mountain—mountains are too big for that—each person can choose from a number of paths. All the ideas about God contained in the various religions of the world are just different ways up the mountain. In fact, though different religions have different names for God, the names all refer to the same God.

Is it true that a lot of roads lead to heaven, which means we really don’t have to worry about which road we’re on? Is it true that no person, no religion, no group, no book has a handle on the truth? Is it true that all religions are basically the same and all religious leaders are essentially of one mind so that ultimately all spiritual pursuits lead to the same place? If so, people need not look for spiritual truth. They just need to decide on spiritual preference.

If you embrace the idea that multiple paths lead to God and you turn out to be wrong, the consequences are enormous. So let’s explore the reasons why people hold to this belief.... Read More

3 Big Problems With Running A Church Like A Business

We’re always decrying the rise of the consumer culture within the church. But how should we expect people to act when pastors act like CEOs marketing Jesus as a product?

The Bible uses many colorful words to describe the church. It’s a family, a body, a fellowship, a holy people, a flock, and more.

But not a business.

In my previous post, I wrote about Why It's A Bad Idea To Run A Church Like A Business. In today’s post, I want to get more specific about why. Read More

Observations for Preaching from Binge Watching

On-demand television has completely changed the entertainment industry. In years past you would watch one episode then wait a full week for the next episode to be aired. Today thanks to video streaming services the phenomenon of “binge-watching” has forever changed how television is developed, produced, and released.

Though the average binge-viewer watches five episodes in one setting, many will watch an entire season in a weekend.[1] We can certainly have a conversation about the merits of binge watching, whether it is healthy, or it it is the best use of anyone’s time to download that much entertainment in one sitting. That, however, is not the focus of this post. Binge watching has changed the television entertainment industry, and, by extension the way many people intake information. Here are some observations from this phenomenon that are applicable to preaching. Read More

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9 Reasons People Slept in Church Yesterday

It probably happened in your church yesterday – somebody fell asleep, perhaps even during your sermon (and mine). Here are some possible reasons that nap took place.... Read More

Let the Children Worship in Church

We pulled into our driveway exhausted. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but this morning felt like anything but. It was tiring not because of an early start with a meeting before church, the dressing of children, rushing out the door, conversations after the service, or even the disheartening news about a church member’s diagnosis. We were exhausted because our two kids couldn’t sit still or quiet in the worship service. It felt liked we’d experienced a tour of combat duty without any medals.

The hour-and-a-half service could’ve been four hours with all the negotiations, warnings, and discipline that were required. The sermon consisted of three points, and between the two of us, my wife and I could recall one.

Unfortunately, this week wasn’t unique. Hadn’t we just performed this seven days ago? Hadn’t we worked with our children each day since, so that his week’s worship would be better than last week’s catastrophe? Was it all for nothing?

In the early days of bringing young children into worship, it can feel like self-inflicted torture with no end in sight. But as much as it may prove a struggle, the effort is worth it. Church services provide numerous opportunities for blessing. Here are three. Read More

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Love in a Big World: Uncertain Times

The Luddites and the First Contest of Man Versus Machine

Rapid technological change in 18th- and 19th-century England led to violent resistance...by Methodists.

“What experience and history teach is this — that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.”—Georg Hegel

In the developed world, we have become accustomed to “high tech” being part of our lives. What would happen, however, if it became the whole of our lives? What might happen if this next phase of technology is not handled well? If I let my imagination run a little freely, this might be a near-future “top of the news” story.... Read More

Image credit: Wikipedia

Saturday Lagniappe: "Can Facebook Replace Church" and Much More

Can Facebook Replace Church

During a rally for Facebook users last month, Mark Zuckerberg laid out his dreams for the future of his social media behemoth. Read More

What 9Marks Purists Should Know About Church Planting

I’ve created nine things that 9Marks purists should know, because nine is a holy number! Read More

6 Ways to Make Your Guests Feel Welcome at Church

Here are 6 suggestions to help you get the process of thinking through the first impression of your church. Read More

What Should You Say at an Unbeliever’s Funeral?

The other day I had someone ask me about a funeral that she was going to. She said “This is a funeral for an unbeliever, and I’m trying to think through what to say.” I think that’s a really good question, and an important question for all of us, because we’ve been in this situation. Almost everybody has been in this situation; if you haven’t then you will be in the situation. Read More

4 Ways to Stand Strong Against Spiritual Attacks

If you are encountering spiritual warfare, you may be about to see a strategic breakthrough for the kingdom of God. Read More

5 Honest Struggles Most Church Leaders Don’t Want To Admit

Here are 5 ways ministry leaders struggle in their relationship with God.... Read More

3 Reasons Preachers Shouldn’t Publicly Contradict a Bible Translation

I cringe almost every time I hear a preacher criticize a particular phrase from an English Bible translation in preaching—even and especially those times when I caught myself doing it before I could stop myself. We preachers and Bible teachers would do better not to publicly correct the Bible translations on people’s laps. Here are three reasons why. Read More

5 Tactics for Making Friends in a New Place

So how does one begin making friends in a new place? Here are a few thoughts.... Read More

Why Zuckberg's Church Cannot Replace Jesus' Church

In a recent statement about the progress of Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that the social media platform was able to fill the gap of falling church membership. With an expanding population that has now crossed the 2 billion user mark, Zuckerberg is looking to bring people closer through social media. It might be true that church membership is dropping and our world is becoming more secular and less religious—but there are several reasons why Zuckerberg’s church will never be able to replace Jesus’ church. Read More

Why It's A Bad Idea To Run A Church Like A Business

Anyone can own and run a business. But Jesus owns the church. So he gets to say how it should be run.

Churches cannot and should not be run like businesses.

I’ve always felt that to be true. But, as a pastor, I only knew it in the abstract.

Then, a few years ago I started my own business. You're reading one of the products of it right now. The writing and speaking I do in conferences, my book, the Pivot blog and at NewSmallChurch.com also happens to be a ministry, but it’s not a church, it’s a business. My business.

I started it. I own it. I run it. And I make all the decisions for it.

In these last few years, the differences between running a business and pastoring a church have become very clear to me because I’m doing both on a daily basis. I can now say with certainty that pastoring a church is very different from running a business. Read More

3 Ways Great Leaders Handle Tough Circumstances Differently

Circumstances.

You face them every day, you are always reacting to them–positively or negatively.

Think about it. What situations in your life do you wish would change right now?

A different work environment that doesn’t suck the life out of you

Better health

A happier marriage

A closer connection with God

A more understanding boss

Less pressure

I mean, I get that. Few of us look over our life and pronounce things perfect.

I can let circumstances get into my head way too easily. It doesn’t even have to be anything serious to upset me. I can let the weather bother me, loud talkers in public places get under my skin or simply the fact that I feel like my to-do list is too long. Good luck to me if God ever wanted to truly test my character.

So far this year, both in my reading (I reread the classic 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders this year) and on numerous podcast interviews, I keep running into a recurring theme: that effective leaders handle circumstances differently than ineffective leaders do.

What’s the difference?

There are at least three deeply significant differences. If you want to imitate the great leaders when you face challenging situations, do these three things. Read More

10 Content Suggestions for Your Church Newsletter

Every church can and should have some kind of email communication or newsletter for members and guests. And while many churches may do a monthly newsletter, a weekly newsletter might be most effective because of the infrequency of attendance by many members.

So if you’re going to have a weekly newsletter, it’s good to know what to include and what not to include. Below are 10 suggestions for your weekly newsletter. You don’t have to have all 10, but these serve as a good starting point as you build your newsletter. Read More

Kick-Starting the Plateaued & Declining Church: Part 2

Part 2: Cultivating a Heart for the People & Place

Basically, we are working from the premise that leadership is as leadership does. It’s one thing to know leadership skills, principles, and truths; it’s another thing to lead people practically on a day-to-day basis. But, God-called leaders must discover how to do that. It means learning to do things like walking slowly among the people, being strategic and intentional on a day-to-day basis, choosing potential leaders, consistently developing leaders, and cultivating a missional mindset and lifestyle (teaching believers to follow Christ at work, at home, in the church, in the community, and to the ends of the earth).

Where does that start? It starts in the heart. It starts in pursuing the Great Commandment and, as a result, cultivating a love for the place and the people that God has called you to serve. Read More

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Five Surprising Discoveries about Growing Churches

Do you want the bad news first or the good news first?

I always ask for the bad news first. I can’t enjoy the good news knowing that a report of bad news looms in the next few statements.

So I gave you some bad news in my Monday post. I shared with you the statistical reality of the death spiral. Once a church declines below 100 in average worship attendance, its rate of decline accelerates. In other words, the church declines faster and faster.

In this article, I share some good news. The news is about the growing churches in our study. As a review, you can look at the details of our research at my blog post on June 28, 2017. Simply stated, we conducted a random sample of 1,000 churches with data from 2013 and 2016. The margin of error of the research is +/- 3.1 percent. It’s an accurate study. It’s a very accurate study.

So let’s take a few moments and look at the churches whose average worship attendance grew from 2013 to 2016. Here are five of the surprising discoveries from this research.... Read More

The Reformation and religious liberty: A conscience bound to government or God?

2017 marks the 500-year anniversary of the event that sparked the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk with a carpenter’s mallet nailed 95 theses to the door of the church of Wittenberg to call for a public debate over the sale of indulgences. This monk, whom we know as Martin Luther, dared to assume that the doctrines and practices of the medieval church were not above biblical scrutiny. Luther’s conscience, as he would later declare, was held captive to the Word of God, not the institutions and traditions of men. Luther’s conviction regarding the primacy of Scripture led him to recognize two different realms (or kingdoms) of authority. There was the kingdom of Christ, which was a spiritual realm, and there was the kingdom of world, which was a natural realm. Luther believed that Christians lived in both realms and had to learn to navigate life in both without conflating the two realms. Luther, however, was not the only reformer who recognized and affirmed distinct realms of authority. John Calvin, a second-generation French reformer, carried the torch that Luther’s lit, arguing not only for two kingdoms of authority but also for the freedom of the believer’s conscience to willingly embrace the commands of the Lord in joyous obedience without compulsion by the law. When Luther’s understanding of two overlapping, yet distinct realms of authority was combined with Calvin’s understanding of the freedom of conscience by later generations of Christians, the foundational principles of religious liberty emerged. Read More

Photo credit: Church Gotesti

6 Signs Your Church Is Gospel-Focused

Is it possible for a church to take the gospel for granted? Can we get so accustomed to it that we miss its power and significance to ministry? Could a church be so busy doing ministry (good things) that it’s not focused on Jesus?

I think it’s possible. It’s possible in really good churches led by good spiritual leaders.

Church can be exhausting. There is so much to do. The grand irony in the church is that the human element can crowd out the divine element. It’s never intentional, but it can happen. The daily responsibilities in the natural realm can distract us from the supernatural realm.

We’re here for people. We’re here to serve. That’s a good thing. But it’s easy to get lost in individual agendas and miss the big picture. It’s easy for the mechanics of ministry to minimize the mystery of the gospel.

Let’s be candid—the list of stuff is long: things like finances, buildings, culture-shifts, technology, staffing, etc. We’re currently working on evaluating our staff’s health insurance policy. Talk about things that can distract you from God!

It’s possible to go a few days, or weeks, or maybe even longer, and not lead in such a way that the “good news of Jesus Christ” remains central to all that is done.

There is certainly no judgment here, or I’d be judging myself, too. But I’m so passionate about the gospel and why we “do church,” that if this post serves only as a good reminder and encouragement to us all, it’s worthwhile.

And if by chance this lands closer to reality for anyone, and serves as en encouragement to get back on track, then all the better!

Here are six signs your church is gospel-focused. Read More

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The Antidote to Anemic Worship

Evangelical Christians have been especially attentive to worship in recent years, sparking a renaissance of thought and conversation on what worship really is and how it should be done. Even if this renewed interest has unfortunately resulted in what some have called the “worship wars” in some churches, it seems that what A.W. Tozer once called the “missing jewel” of evangelical worship is being recovered.

Nevertheless, if most evangelicals would quickly agree that worship is central to the life of the church, there would be no consensus to an unavoidable question: What is central to Christian worship? Historically, the more liturgical churches have argued that the sacraments or ordinances form the heart of Christian worship. These churches argue that the elements of the Lord’s Supper and the water of baptism most powerfully present the gospel. Among evangelicals, some see evangelism as the heart of worship and therefore plan every facet of the service—songs, prayers, the sermon—with the evangelistic invitation in mind.

Though most evangelicals mention the preaching of the Word as a necessary or customary part of worship, the prevailing model of worship in evangelical churches is increasingly defined by music, along with innovations such as drama and video presentations. When preaching the Word retreats, a host of entertaining innovations will take its place. Read More

3 Ways to Prevent Bible Study Dropouts

What really keeps us engaged with the discipline of studying Scripture.

This summer, churches everywhere are weighing which Bible studies to offer in the fall. With all the busyness typical of our lives, churches face the question: What gets people to commit to faithful participation in a weekly Bible study? Though many may start, few of them finish.

The first time a publisher showed interest in my Bible studies, they told me I would need to shorten them from 11 weeks to 6. Women wouldn’t commit that long, I was told. Nor would they do homework unless it was kept simple.

I knew this was not the case. Every week I watched women turn out in large numbers to the study I led. I was not a big-name Bible teacher. My approach was neither clever nor adorable; we were just doing line-by-line study.

During weeks when my teaching was below average, I wondered myself why women kept coming. But after almost 20 years of leading studies, I realized that we need not lower the bar to draw participants. Actually, the opposite is true: People commit better to studies that ask more of them than simply showing up. Read More

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Don’t Skip Sunday School

A 5-Step Process for Welcoming Children With Special Needs in Your Church

We are going to use the word “BRAVE” to unfold some ideas to help prepare your children’s ministry and start the conversation. If you are uncomfortable with children or adults with special needs, let’s take the fear out of it. Instead of allowing the phrase “special needs” to overwhelm you, change the phrase—learn to think of it as “Specific Needs.”

An example I use: If one of your usual students showed up with a cast on their foot or they had a sprained ankle, the children’s ministry team would quickly know how to help. This is a specific need.

Now, the children with specific needs like autism, Down syndrome, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), deafness, blindness, allergies and many others—it would be unrealistic to say all churches must be ready for every specific need. You can’t be ready for everything, but you can learn how to build your team to have a flexible mindset so when those families picks their child up from your children’s ministry, they will have a fragrance of the gospel upon them. Read More

5 Reasons You Should Stay at Church (Even When You Want to Leave)

Have you ever thought about leaving church? Have you ever skipped a Sunday, then two, then a bunch, eventually giving up the habit altogether? Have you ever preferred to do your own thing instead of gather with other believers to worship together on a Sunday morning?

If so, you aren’t alone.

We aren’t here to judge you or condemn you for skipping church, but instead to encourage you to come back and stay connected to the church community. We believe that the church is important to our Christian lives, and that it both offers things we can't find elsewhere, and invites us to give and serve in ways we couldn't elsewhere either. Read More

11 Ways Pastors Can Reignite Evangelism in Their Churches

It’s not by hiring staff.

It’s not by starting building projects.

And it’s definitely not by doing direct mail and advertising.

I believe in advertising, but in the same way publishers know that great marketing will only make a bad book fail faster, evangelistically passionate senior pastors know marketing will only give a false sense of excitement and growth. Eventually, you’ll go right back to where you started when the effect of the advertising wears off.

Re-engaging your congregation in evangelism first starts by allowing God to change our hearts, and then by turning our attention to the congregations we serve and taking massive action.

Here, in no certain order, are some ways I’ve found that have helped the congregations I’ve served re-engage in evangelism once they’ve stopped.... Read More

Climate Watch: 2 New Studies Undermine Climate Denial Arguments

They're also reminders of how the peer-review process works, and why peer-reviewed research remains the key to sound climate policies.

Two new studies published this month are helping resolve lingering differences between what climate models have predicted and what actual measurements have recorded. In doing so, they undermine two of the timeworn arguments used by those who question the prevailing scientific consensus on global warming.

One study, released today, took a fresh look at the vexing question of how sensitive global temperatures will be to the buildup of carbon dioxide around the earth. It reaffirmed the basic understanding that any doubling of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will result in significant planetary warming.

The other paper reexamined satellite observations of one layer of the atmosphere and showed that the space-based warming data does not collide, as dissenters frequently contend, with temperature measurements taken at the surface of the Earth. Instead, the satellite data shows a much more intense warming than before.

Both studies address uncertainties that are raised again and again by people who seize on them to suggest that not enough is known to justify aggressive action to control emissions of greenhouse gases. Read More

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Entertainment and Worship

In every church and every generation of Christians, there is the potential to lose our focus on the things that are most important (Heb. 2:1). We must constantly remind ourselves and re-center our churches lest we find ourselves trusting in something other than the gospel of God and the Word of God.

One of the more dangerous drifts happening in our local churches today is within our corporate worship. In many churches there is a de-emphasis on the means of grace (Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments or ordinances), and a reliance on entertainment. Some try to balance the two in the name of reaching more people with the gospel, but there is an inescapable danger in overvaluing entertainment and implementing it in corporate worship.

This is not a new phenomenon. The nineteenth-century pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.” It may not be new, but it is increasingly popular, especially in light of our entertainment-driven culture. We see this in secular songs played by worship bands to wow the crowd. It’s hard to miss the value of amusement in the comedy-full but theology-empty preaching of many pulpits. Many of us have felt it in elaborate performances for the congregation to observe, but not to participate in. For some, Sunday morning more closely resembles a variety show than an offering made to God. The danger in bringing entertainment into gathered worship lies in the aim of entertainment and its work against the aim of worship. Read More

Ghost Towns and Small Towns: Church Planting in a Boom and Bust World

representing God in places that have been burned by short booms and long busts

Small town and rural church planting means representing God and His community in places that have often been burned by short booms and long busts. The history and current reality of many of these places call us as church planters, ministers, and Christians to preach and live a different hope—one that prioritizes relationships over hype, marketing, and quick fixes, a hope founded on the long-term faithfulness of God. In small places, the reality is, faithfulness over the long haul is both difficult and priceless. Read More

Why Church Members Attend Less Frequently - Rainer on Leadership #342 [Podcast]

Regular church attendance has waned in recent years as the commitment level from members has dropped. Today, we address five major reasons for this drop in attendance. Listen Now

8 Principles of Great Preaching

I’ve been listening to sermons for over 35 years now and preaching them for about 17. There are so many master preachers who have written volumes over the years on this subject and I have learned a great deal from all of them. Although I do not consider myself among their ranks, I do have a few tips I have picked up along the way for budding preachers. None of these are really new. I am just restating them in my own words and adding a few of my own thoughts and opinions.

Great preaching is biblical, questionable, bridgeable, simple, personal, emotional, applicable, and ephemeral. Read More

Why Do Christians Sing?

Have you ever wondered why God desires his people to sing? Here are seven biblical reasons. Read More

Why Younger Evangelicals May Feel Uneasy In A Patriotic Church Service

The first time I ever questioned the appropriateness of patriotism in worship was when I was doing mission work in Romania.

After I had learned the language and settled into ministry in a village church, I remember asking a pastor friend why we didn’t do a special service in December that celebrated Unification Day (Romania’s national holiday). I also wondered why the Romanian flag wasn’t in the sanctuary.

The pastor looked at me funny and then said: “The only way we’d bring a Romanian flag into our sanctuary is if we brought in flags from all over the world.”

“To show you do missions?” I said, trying to find a reference point from my own culture.

“No, to show we are the church.”

The pastor’s point was well taken. The church transcends the state, a truth that should be proclaimed clearly in a worship setting. Read More

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Worshiping a Golden Calf on Sunday Morning is Deceptively Easy

“Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God”
-- 1 Chron. 22:19

All sin is idolatry because every sin is an exercise in trust of something or someone other than the one true God to satisfy, fulfill, or bless. It is not difficult to see how violations of commandments two through ten are automatic violations of commandment one. This truth reveals that the hottest “worship war” going is the one taking place daily in the sanctuary of our own hearts. But we must wage this war because none of us is a bystander to idol worship.

In Isaiah 44:12–17, we find a powerful and revelatory description of just how easy it is to slip into idolatry.... Read More

Is There a Church Death Spiral

Please don’t shoot the messenger.

And please wait on additional data and research that will be more positive and helpful.

But please read my words closely and carefully. I am troubled by one major aspect of the research we just conducted. Read More

11 Reasons Church Revitalization Is Possible

Take a look at some churches, and it’s hard to believe that life can ever come from what appears to be impending death. Here’s why I believe church revitalization is possible, even in the toughest situations.... Read More

Have Hymnals Become Dinosaurs

Three scenarios — all of them real — can set the stage to address the question of the “extinction” of hymnals.

A congregation oversubscribes the cost of buying new denominational songbooks that contain a mixture of old hymns and recently-composed songs. The congregation’s minister approaches a pastoral colleague assigned to a smaller, struggling congregation, and offers her the surplus money for a similar purchase. “No, thank you,” she says. “We no longer use books since the lyrics are projected on the screen along with the other texts for worship. Although we are small, this is a forward-looking community. We are not interested in print books that are a relic of the past. Besides, we don’t want to be encumbered with books to hold because we prefer to be free to lift our hands or clap as we sing.”

In speaking about resources for worship, the pastor acknowledges that he never uses the denomination’s hymnbook. “I like having the freedom to choose music from any source. Of course, we have our CCLI [Christian Copyright Licensing International] and onelicense.net licenses. I find songs that best fit the theme of the day and that can get the congregation really ‘in’ to their worship. Hymnals are far too restrictive.”

A student in my introductory worship course, upon learning that the day’s session will focus on music in worship, comments in class: “I hope you aren’t going to talk about hymns and hymnals. They really are irrelevant to today’s worship. The music is old fashioned and the words are often boring. I’d like for us to talk about ‘contemporary’ music and music that is produced individually or collaboratively by people in an emerging-style congregation. That really would be more helpful for us as future pastors.” Although the Masters of Sacred Music students in the room cringe at that remark, they are a minority compared to the heads nodding in affirmation of the student’s request.

We are all aware of churches where the blue, red, black, or green hymnal remains safely tucked in the pew rack for the duration of the Sunday liturgy. In some instances, denominational leaders have encouraged hymnal-using congregations to lay their books aside in the name of growth and “relevance.” Indeed, some of these churches have experienced growth in numbers after giving up their hymnbooks. Even in Catholic churches, the Gather or equivalent songbook collects dust while the monthly rotation of “missalettes” is used. So it is a bit of a surprise that, in 2013, two new denominational hymnbooks were born: the joint publication of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Church in America presented under the title Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs; and Glory to God, from the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. In response to the trends of the times, both of these books are available in hard-copy and electronic forms. Lift Up Your Hearts comes in multiple digital formats that include schemes for projection, printing, and reading. Glory to God is offered in a web-based electronic edition that is searchable and includes audio clips. What some declare to be a dying life-form has been acclimatized to the digital age. Read More

Photo credit. C G P Grey

How to Audit Your Church’s Online Presence

If your church, nonprofit or business is looking to jump on the social media and digital marketing bandwagon, the number one thing you need to do is perform a brand audit. Maybe you’ve recently taken a position as a communication director or you’ve been managing your church’s social media accounts for the last five years. Whatever your particular situation, it is never too late to audit and measure the effectiveness of your efforts. There is no reason to keep doing something that isn’t working. If you’re not seeing results and connections online, you NEED to take the time to figure out why.

Coming from a military background I understand the concept of audits pretty well. Almost everything in the military has what’s called an AAR (After Action Review). Most likely your church sits down to discuss the success of an event or how the Sunday experience went. As creatives and communicators we should do the same. Even if you are seeing success online, you should still occasionally stop to figure out what is working and what is not.

That is where a brand audit comes in handy.

If you’re ready to take this step, make sure you are ready to put some time into it. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to pull off, but once you do it you will be glad you did.

Here are six questions to help get you started on your brand audit! Read More

Photo credit: churchleaders.com

A Kansas Pastor Learns That a Heart for Evangelism Starts With Him

“Follow me!”

Over the last few years, I’ve thought about these two words and have felt convicted about the lack of evangelism in my life and in our church. Jesus uttered those words and people followed him, but frankly, I was scared to say, “Follow me,” with the same compelling urgency that Jesus did. Sure, in some areas of my life I could say it and feel OK (e.g., “Follow me in the way I have devotions” or “Follow me in the way I give my money”). But when it came to evangelism, it felt hypocritical.

“Follow me”—where? Into my Christian subculture? Away from the lost? What I really wanted to say was, “Follow Columbus” (a friend of mine who does evangelism all day, every day). Read More

When Does Your Patriotism Become Idolatry?

This past weekend, Americans everywhere celebrated our nation’s Day of Independence. Many of us packed suitcases, stood in lines at airports, and traveled hundreds of miles so we could share this time with friends and family. We crowded onto beaches, grilled enough burgers and hotdogs to feed a small army, and lit the sky with fireworks long into the evening. I’ve always been proud to call myself an American, and the 4th of July is a great time to reflect on the principles our country stands for. Like many Christians, the freedoms guaranteed in our constitution have had a radical effect on my walk with Christ.

But when does patriotism turn into idolatry? That’s a question Zack Hunt of Relevant Magazine began pondering in a recent article. It all began when Hunt noticed an American flag draped over Christ’s cross in a series of stained-glass windows. It troubled him to realize that so many Christians are comfortable with political symbols taking an equal standing in the house of God. Read More

Related Article:
How Would You Lead an Overly Patriotic Church?

How Believing Conspiracy Theories Could be Harming Your Faith

Conspiracy theories can be very appealing. Believing them can make us feel as though we are not getting hoodwinked by believing the obvious explanation for something which is purported by the mainstream media.

Especially in today’s political and cultural climate, in which the media is constantly at odds with the President and vice-versa, it’s easy to see how fringe theories and explanations for world events have appeal. They may seem at least as trustworthy as the biased reporting done by many more mainstream news outlets.

However, Christians need to be careful when dealing with conspiracy theories. Read More

Served or Serving: Curing the Sickness That’s Killing The Church

There is a corrosive contagion killing the American church.

Quite simply, it’s consumerism, the desire to be served. Americans exist in a culture built on productivity, buying, and selling. We don’t need to deconstruct the nature, causes, positives, and negatives of a consumeristic culture, but the by-product of that culture is a Christianity that has almost wholly imported consumeristic reflexes. This seizure of Christian imagination is the leading edge of the lack of meaningful spiritual formation in most churches.

I don’t know all the answers, but I want to highlight a few manifestations of the virus and invite you to offer gospel-shaped remedies to eradicate the contagion. Read More

Shown in the photo is a broccoli-cheese-potato casserole - typical fare at church potlucks.

Build on Your Strengths: Worship Advice for Small Churches

It is Sunday morning at Otis United Methodist Church. The usual forty faithful parishioners sit in their familiar places in the pews of this traditional white clapboard church on the prairie.

Billie and Maudine are singing a “special” this morning. This duo, nurtured their entire lives in small churches, possess an innate understanding of what speaks to this congregation. The gospel song from their youth that they sing with deep emotion this morning is no exception. A transcendent moment of faith sharing occurs, heightened by personal connection to these two women that everyone knows. The worship that regularly unfolds in the Otis sanctuary, far from the contemporary church scene, is often spiritually renewing because of moments like these.

This experience from my ministry illustrates that vital, faithful worship in a small church relates to the nature of the small church itself. As a pastor serving a multiple-point charge of several small churches, I quickly learned that small churches have their own distinct personalities and cultures. Found in a wide variety of settings from rural areas to big cities, small churches not only differ individually from each other, but they also differ collectively from large churches. As is frequently pointed out, small churches are not small-scale versions of large churches (which, of course, are not all the same either). They function differently and have their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. Read More

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The church shown in the photo is St. Mark's Anglican Church, Benton, Kentucky, where I am involved in preaching and worship ministry.

What the Single in Your Pew Needs from You

Singles are on the rise. Here’s what forward-looking churches need to know.

According to recent Pew data, the number of married Americans is at its lowest point since at least 1920. In 2015, only half of Americans ages 18 and over were married, compared with 72 percent in 1960. Put another way: Singles are on the rise and beginning to outnumber marrieds. The church, however, doesn’t reflect those numbers. According to a recent Barna study, while more than half of Americans (54%) between the ages of 18 and 49 are single, only 23 percent of active churchgoers are single. “Your church should be filling up at least half of your pews with single people,” writes Joyce Chiu for Barna Trends. “So what will get them there?”

In my recent book, One by One: Welcoming the Singles in Your Church, I share my own experiences as well as those of many other single Christians with whom I’ve talked over the past several years. What emerges is a portrait of an evangelical church that is still firmly family-centered even while the demographics within it have shifted. Single people make up more and more of the church body, which means forward-looking local churches benefit from understanding us and incorporating us meaningfully into community life. Although single and married believers are in the same boat together—we’re all at church to worship and serve God—nonetheless singles have unique needs. We want to be visible; we want to belong. We also have unique contributions to make in advancing Christ’s kingdom. So how can your local church create a welcoming space for singles? Read More

Should I Feel God’s Presence in My Life?

This question brings to mind an experience I had early in my ministry. In fact, I’d only been ordained a few months and was teaching at a college. One church had a minister who was much loved by his congregation; he had served there for twenty-five years but had become critically ill. The man was at the point of death. I was supplying the pulpit for several months and helping the congregation deal with this tragedy in their midst. Read More

9 Universal Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing, Blogging And Podcasting

Every few days it seems a leader messages me about getting started or breaking through as a writer, blogger or podcaster.

I appreciate the question because for years, I wondered about what it took to write books, blog or launch a podcast.

Over the last 7 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do all three. I’m currently writing my fourth book (this one with Penguin/Waterbrook, have seen this five-year-old blog grow to 350,000 page views a month and my not-quite three year old Leadership Podcast reach 3.8 million downloads.

It’s been both overwhelming in seasons and is still always surprising to me to see what’s happened, but along the way I’ve learned a few things.

First, there was a ton of grace involved. I don’t always understand why some things ‘take off’ and others don’t, and I can assure I never envisioned a growing reach like this. My wildest dreams were passed a long time ago.

Second, I’m not sure every pastor or leader needs a platform. I outline my reasons here. I write, create and podcast out of a deep sense of calling I feel to help leaders.

To that end, some of you may be called to write, called to help others and have a message in you that needs to get out. At times, it can seem intimidating sitting at your dining room table or blogging in your basement wondering if anyone will ever read what you wrote or listen to what you created. I get that.

Here are 9 leadership lessons I learned from writing, blogging and podcasting over the last few years. I hope they both encourage you and provide some tangible direction and some hope.

And whether you ever blog, write and podcast or not, the insights apply far more broadly than that. I think they apply to anyone trying to start anything. Read More

Never Waste a Good Sermon: 6 Ways to Re-Purpose Your Message Content

Do you ever get that post-sermon, anti-climactic feeling that all of your research, all of your writing, all of your preparation just got burned up in a single half-hour shot?

It would be far more ideal to leave church on Sunday believing there was still much to come of the results of your preaching, even after the lights are turned off and the doors locked.

I think we should never waste a good sermon!

Here are at least six ways to stretch the reach of your message beyond the single weekend service.... Read More

Saturday Lagniappe: "Christians and Artificial Intelligence" and Much, Much More

Christians and Artificial Intelligence

How relevant is a 3,000-year-old board game to humanity’s future? More relevant than you might think, especially when a computer learns how to win. Read More

You Have God's Blessing to Say 'God Bless America'

Why a faith that transcends all nations leaves room for patriotic devotion. Read More

Religious Freedom Is for Non-Christians Too

Must a person who believes Jesus is the only way to God defend religious freedom for Christians and non-Christians alike? Read More

The Robust Faith of George III

The “mad” ruler of England during the American Revolution led a life of impressive personal piety. Read More

The Priority of Patience, Prayer, and Preaching in Church Planting

Church planter, before you do anything else, you must prioritize three things: patience, prayer, and preaching. Read More

Shepherd Where You Live, Live Where you Shepherd

“Location, location, location!” Anyone in the real estate business recognizes that mantra. When buying and selling a piece of property, location is the one thing that matters above all else. But for many pastors, it seems that this truism has been forgotten. Read More

13 Signs of Pastoral Fatigue - Rainer on Leadership #341 [Podcast]

There are danger signs in any vocation. But if you ignore these, it might be more than just your job that you lose—it could be your ministry that’s lost. Listen Now

13 Signs of Leadership Fatigue

I list these symptoms of “leadership fatigue” here not to discourage you, but instead to help you recognize them, address them, and move forward. Read More

Helpful Practices for Pastoral Revitalization

In my own experience, these things have contributed to personal revitalization. Perhaps they will help your own ministry. Read More

Is Genesis 1–11 a Derivation from Ancient Myths?

All over the world we find cultural legends and myths that closely resemble certain accounts in Scripture, such as the Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel accounts. Read More

Five Reasons Lead Pastors Should Be Involved with VBS

If you’re a lead pastor, it’s tempting to take off that week because you’re not really needed to lead VBS. Many churches have longstanding volunteers and leaders who basically run with VBS every year. But the week of VBS is not the time to take a vacation. When your congregation is all-hands-on-deck, then you need to be there. The lead pastor should be an active and visible part of VBS. Here’s why. Read More

Buffet Discipleship: Picking and Choosing in Unbiblical Proportions

The root of being a disciple is discipline. Read More

China, House Churches, and the Growth of the Kingdom

Two-thirds of Chinese Christians attend a house church. Read More

Why Christians Must Avoid the Slippery Slope of Sexual Immorality

One of the more well-known ideas about cultural change is the “slippery slope.” The notion is that when you take a step down a slippery slope, you are at risk of losing your footing and can end up sliding all the way down. The term is often applied to first steps that seem innocent enough, or at least few would sensationalize, yet they are steps that put you at risk for sliding further than anyone would have envisioned. Read More

Trump Administration to Teachers: You Must Use a Transgender Student’s “Preferred Pronouns”

The Trump administration recently issued a letter stating that teachers and students could be investigated for a civil rights violation if they refuse to use the “preferred pronouns” of transgender students. Read More

Americans Keep Having Fewer Babies as U.S. Birthrates Hit Some Record Lows

For the second year in a row, the number of babies delivered in the U.S. fell in 2016, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. For some groups of women, the birth rate reached record lows. Read More

Births: Provisional Data for 2016 [PDF]

This report presents provisional 2016 data on U.S. births. Births are shown by age and race and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented. This report is the first in a new annual series replacing the preliminary report series. Read More