Many people in our churches and communities understand the darkness, especially this year. What are some practical ways churches can shine the Light of Christ with our neighbors this year?
Average church attendance hovered around 50% of what they usually could expect in the summer. Surely things would bounce back in the fall, right? Looks like probably not. So what next?
How do churches move from a consumer to a missionary mentality? This missional shift is far from easy and will take a long time, but here's one important first step.
Here are a few missional practices for churches as we plan to phase-in regathering for worship.
How can we love, serve, and share the good news of Holy Week when we are stuck inside our homes? Here are a few ideas for these unexpected times.
What does loving your neighbor look like during this COVID-19 season?
In the disruption of COVID-19, we have an opportunity to take advantage of the break in people’s busy schedules and love our neighbors in new ways.
Why focus on developing the missional practice of prayer? Maybe prayer is about changing us, shaping us, and sending us into our neighborhood and the world.
A study shows that 57% of Americans said they would likely attend church at Christmas if someone invited them. But how do we reach the people who said they wouldn't?
What if we could see our outreach initiatives through the eyes of a child?
Do you remember, like me, sending Bibles in other languages to churches around the world? Today, the tables have turned and now many in the church see North America as the mission field.
One small word can change the entire paradigm of missions at your church. Don’t believe me? Read on!
We may wish we could magically create a mission-shaped congregation with one event, one sermon, or one service-project. However, like our new year’s resolutions, becoming a mission-shaped congregation takes many small steps, all headed in the right direction.
When was the last time we struck up a conversation with a stranger, much less our neighbor? What if every person in our churches initiated conversations on a regular basis? What would we learn about where God is working in the world?
I have conducted a number of job interviews in which I noticed that I could tell within ten minutes if the candidate has participated in FaithWalking. How? These candidates are well differentiated, they handle conflict in healthy ways, they listen carefully, and they know themselves well.
The mission God invites us to is one of urgency. Creating that sense of urgency in the congregations we serve is more effective and deeply-rooted when we realize where that call comes from.
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.”
Go Local is a congregational journey to discover and join where God is at work in our neighborhoods. If you'd like to experience Go Local (without any long term commitment) we invite you to join us at one of these events!
Henry Nouwen encourages us to counteract the hurry-up behaviors by adopting a “ministry of presence” instead. What if, in 2018, your congregation learned to practice this missional behavior in your community?
The attendance and membership of some CRC churches grew by more than 20% in a recent five year period. But, if we dig a little bit deeper into the statistics, maybe we’ll find that we’re missing something important.
The conversations with these small, yet growing, church pastors offer us some reassurance and some challenges for us as a denomination.
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.
Though this five-year span has not been easy in North America, with the downturn of the economy directly affecting our churches and their members, there were 42 CRC churches and over 30 RCA churches who showed significant growth.
Here is a basic question for you: What do people call you? Reverend? Pastor? Ministry Associate?
