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The Church is not the Titanic (a mini manifesto)
I'm not trying to stick my head in the sand. I can read a bar graph as well the next guy. I know The Church is struggling. I also know that for myself, and for every church I've been a part of, there …
 | Do you tear up at those YouTube flash mob videos where unsuspecting people are suddenly serenaded by dozens of extraordinarily talented strangers? I do—every time! I've tried to figure out why, and I think I've finally got it. Really, when you … |
| When I was a child, I thought as a child, and had lots of ideas, but when I grew up and worked in a church, I was afraid to have an original thought of any kind. Have you ever had the feeling you're just parroting another church instead of being a … |
 | Presidential election years have a way of stirring voters' interest, particularly in our 24-7 electronically-wired society. Yet church leaders caught up in the frenzied speculation and anticipation that accompanies the selection of our nation's … |
| I don't know how Solomon did it. Two women approach him, both claiming ownership of a baby. He calmly pulls out his sword as if to divide the poor thing, and thus determines the identity of the true mother. Wow. If that's wisdom... I'm not sure I … |
 | The church is an organization that must be led and managed. Theologian Emil Brunner even suggested that since earliest times this is the primary way theologians have viewed the church. Scripturally the church is also an interdependent and living … |
 | The premise behind this work is that instability is chronic, uncertainty is permanent, change is accelerating, disruption is common, and we can neither predict nor govern events. We believe there will be no "new normal." There will only be a … |
| One of the great blessings in ministry is the opportunity to walk alongside others in a discipline relationship. Often, deep friendship arises from such relationships—which is exactly the case for me with Chuck Lawless. As dean of The Billy … |
| Leadership Principle #14 – Offsite meetings work best with single-minded focus on their purpose. "'The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.'" – 2 Chr 2:5 When Solomon built the first great … |
| This might make you angry but I need to talk about it—integrity (or some such affliction) demands it. The church is two-faced, but not in the usual sense of that term. We say we are one people, but we continue to divide ourselves into … |
 | My wife, daughter, and I took a Spring Break trip to Hawaii last week. It was a trip of a lifetime. My wife and I have been married almost 27 years and have long planned this trip. However, living on a pastor's salary was an obstacle that proved … |
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Global Expansion: Local Churches in Europe Becoming International Church Planting Movements
Since 2008, a handful of European churches and church planting organizations have been responsible for starting more than 1,100 new churches and missional communities. Their vision extends to other …Type: White PaperSponsored by: Leadership Network -
Churches in Missional Renaissance
There is a new Spirit-breeze blowing through many churches—a missional renaissance. These churches no longer exist primarily to expand and improve their own organizations but to transform their …Type: Case StudySponsored by: Leadership Network -
Breaking Through Growth Barriers In New Churches
One of the most critical areas in church planting is leadership. A church planter must grow, change and develop his or her leadership style in order to take a church to the next level.Type: Case StudySponsored by: Leadership Network -
Selecting Locations For Additional Campuses
In recent years, a number of visionary church leaders have joined the multi-site revolution to expand the gospel's reach into different parts of their cities, their states, and even to other …Type: Case StudySponsored by: Leadership Network -
Changing Metrics: The Benefits of Measuring Devotion and Obedience, Not Just Numbers
"Today, people in our churches—and especially young people—want to devote their lives to a cause that's bigger than themselves," observes Ken Fong, pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church in …Type: ResearchSponsored by: Leadership Network
