https://network.crcna.org/ The Network en Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:22:20 +0000 Tue, 14 Jan 2020 15:38:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/global-mission/we-live-we-pray The top five New Year's resolutions Americans made for 2019: exercise more, eat healthier, save money, lose weight, and reduce stress. Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/global-mission/we-live-we-pray Tue, 14 Jan 2020 15:38:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/community-engagement/connecting-our-neighbors-christmas-season Even though I cringe every time I see a store’s Christmas display before Thanksgiving, congregations and their leaders are already planning their candlelight services, Advent readings, and Christmas celebrations. Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/community-engagement/connecting-our-neighbors-christmas-season Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:59:44 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/global-mission/sending-or-receiving Trivia Question: After English and Spanish, what do you think is the most spoken language in Michigan? Answer: Arabic. Does that surprise you? Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/global-mission/sending-or-receiving Thu, 11 Jul 2019 19:14:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/best-practices/one-small-word-changing-missions One small word can change the entire paradigm of missions at your church. Don’t believe me? Read on! A pastor spent months, even years, praying for mission opportunities for his church. He prayed, “Lord, send us the people that nobody else wants to serve.”  Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/best-practices/one-small-word-changing-missions Thu, 02 May 2019 14:40:20 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/missional-steps-churches This is the time of year when many of us make New Year’s resolutions that are intended to be life-changing. The challenge is that most life change does not happen overnight! Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/missional-steps-churches Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:55:11 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/healthy-missional-leaders-will-change-your-church “We live in a reactive culture where even the most well-intentioned people behave in less than healthy ways... Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/healthy-missional-leaders-will-change-your-church Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:58:20 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/urgency-change As a mom with two children who now drive themselves, I do not miss the stage of life when I had to get them both out the door to the bus on time five mornings a week. My efforts to create urgency (“You’re going to miss the bus! I can’t drive you today because I have to get to work! Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-renewal/urgency-change Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:56:19 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/what-counts This is the blog entry where I turn everything I said in the previous entries upside down. We’ve looked at growing churches in the CRC — churches whose attendance and membership grew by more than 20% in a recent five year period. We examined the characteristics of those churches and eva Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/what-counts Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growth-challenges Any small(ish) church pastor or ministry leader who’s been to a conference at a mega-church knows the feeling: a feeling of guilt that their church hasn’t jumped to over 1000 overnight, and a sense of despair that growth is out of reach. The conversations with these growing church pastors, h Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growth-challenges Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:46:58 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growing-churches-part-2 Today’s entry continues with the factors that led to growth in CRC and RCA churches.The church was at a point where it was ready to take risks and to make changes. Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growing-churches-part-2 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:07:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growing-churches If there was room for a longer title of this forum, it would be entitled Starting and Strengthening Churches, for surely our denomination needs to focus on both planting new churches and encouraging established churches. Recently the Church Multiplication Initiative ( Amy Schenkel https://network.crcna.org/topic/church-strategy-mission/church-planting/growing-churches Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:00:00 +0000