July 23, 2019
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Instead of Church
What if we did church differently? As a searching CRC member, here are some ideas I want to throw out there.
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July 9, 2019
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On the Journey of Belonging
This journey started over thirty years ago when we received a call from a mom who asked us if her son could come to our church. Today, twenty five percent of our congregation is persons with developmental disabilities.
February 7, 2019
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Apest: We Need It for Full-Orbed Jesus-Incarnating Ministry
Much has been written to praise and critique Alan Hirsch’s book 5Q; Reactivating the Original Intelligence and Capacity of the Body of Christ. Despite what is being said, I find Hirsch to be particularly compelling on a couple points.
July 30, 2018
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Deacons and Church Renewal
Most churches experiencing church-wide renewal also experience renewal among their deacons. They move away from financial management, administration and governance and toward stewardship, mercy and the pursuit of justice.
July 3, 2018
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Maximizing Staff Impact
Often pastors are not optimizing this new staff potential because they are insufficiently coordinating and encouraging the new staff teams. Here are 5 supervisory investments that increase staff impact.
May 31, 2018
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The Gracious Act of Involvement
Many pastors believe they must do all the preaching, all the teaching, all the visiting, and all the administering because that is what they’re trained and paid to do. But the Bible has another idea about the work of pastors.
May 1, 2018
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In Dying We Are Born
Peter Bush, in his book In Dying We Are Born, writes, “All congregations, even ones that see themselves as healthy, need to be prepared to die, to take up their cross, so that God can make them alive.”
May 1, 2018
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Great Congregational "Captains”
Every church leader is a good captain when their faith community is navigating quiet waters. The test of a great church leader, however, is when a congregation is traversing the turbulent seas of ministry change.
December 20, 2017
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When We Cannot Stay Here
Whatever precipitates the conclusion “we cannot stay here” the next question always is, “so where do we go from here?” Churches asking that question have several next-step options.
November 20, 2017
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The Church Renewal Twins
Christian doctrine is based on several theological twins e.g., truth & grace, fully God & fully human, sovereignty & free-will. Similarly, church renewal is elliptical. Renewal only happens when churches invest in the following twins.
October 23, 2017
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Eight Statements Worth Considering
Recently I heard Bill Hybels articulated eight elder approved statements that name their highest values. These statements can serve as a helpful conversation starter for ministries seeking to identify ministry priorities.
October 3, 2017
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Becoming a Low Bar/High Bar Congregation
Congregations that are growing primarily by connecting the disconnected tend to be low bar/high bar churches. They have a low cultural bar (it's easy to walk and assimilate) but a high discipleship bar.
September 6, 2017
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Rightsizing Smaller Congregations
Churches that are below peak membership but haven’t rightsized systems and structures look organizationally frumpy, exhaust members, and reduce their Kingdom impact. Here are some ideas to right-size a smaller congregation!
August 22, 2017
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The High Impact of Relational-Based Evangelism
Through an emphasis on Gospel preaching and life-on-life disciple making, Sunlight Community Church (CRC) in Port St. Lucie, FL, has celebrated nearly 600 people coming to faith in the past ten years.
August 8, 2017
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The Transformational Power of a Missional Picture
A key component of a mission-focused transition is seeing a picture of what’s possible when the right investments become part of a congregation’s story.
July 13, 2017
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Vision Casting: Essential Work of Elders
What’s the essential work of an elder? Articulating vision is the primary work of elders. Here’s how elders attend to this visioning responsibility…
June 29, 2017
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The Importance of Preaching the Announcements
Announcements typically feel like an intrusion into an otherwise sacred event. There is, however, another way to communicate information that enhances worship and underscores mission.
June 12, 2017
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Keeping An Eye On Your CVI
So, what numbers should be counted to identify missional health? A good place to begin is with three numbers every CRCNA congregation reports to the Yearbook.
May 25, 2017
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Landing Vision in Your Zip Code
A good vision statement reflects the uniqueness of your congregational setting. Here are some ways to land vision in your neck of the woods!
April 29, 2017
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Creating a Sense of Urgency
In the CRCNA 75% of churches are plateaued or in decline. The average loss of membership in those churches has been 25.1% in ten short years. The time is now to convince the church “we cannot stay here." Here are five ways to create a sense of urgency.
April 14, 2017
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Spirit Reception in Luke-Acts
This book (Ritual Water, Ritual Spirit: An Analysis of the Timing, Mechanism and Manifestation of Spirit-Reception in Luke-Acts) analyzes Spirit-reception in Luke-Acts with respect to timing, mechanism and manifestation.
April 12, 2017
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Two Questions Towards a "God’s Preferred" Future
Godly leaders and Christ-centered congregations always want to move towards a God’s-preferred future. Here are two questions to get your congregation started on the journey.
March 22, 2017
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How to Keep the Congregational Waters Sweet
The most important thing any congregation can do to be Christ’s vibrant spiritual oasis is to vigilantly keep their relational waters sweet. Here are 6 ways leaders can keep the waters sweet.
March 7, 2017
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5 Simple Ways to Break Free From the Ministry Vortex
It takes courage to break free from the vortex. It takes courage for leaders to stop spinning ministry plates. Here are 5 simple suggestions that may help Christian leaders get started.
February 21, 2017
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6 Suggestions to Reinvigorate Smaller Churches
Small congregations are questioning their viability given program rich congregations that are just around the corner. But I'd like to share 6 things small churches can learn from a mom and pop grocer by my house.