From planting the seeds to watching them grow, let's discuss church multiplication.
Resonate
Amy
Aaron
Mark
Harry
This past week the division in our nation has been illuminated by the election process, not created by that process. But as the church, we must follow Christ in offering a posture of submission to the other.
As I rode along and saw empty store fronts, ragged motels, pawn shops, ethnic stores and restaurants, I was gripped by a feeling that surprised me with its intensity. I felt like I had come home.
We are challenged to discern God's activity by asking: Who in the community is working on behalf of the infants so they won’t die? Who is standing up for the worker? Who is working on behalf of the old?
As a church planter with a passion for changing neighbours from strangers to friends, here are a few ways you can start being active in YOUR neighbourhood.
In a couple weeks our church celebrates six years of existence. During this time we've experienced the high's and low's of planting a new ministry. To celebrate, here are some lessons learned along the way.
Churches and denominations should be known as places of great organizational imagination, creativity, and experimentation. Embracing a worldview of abundance propels our organizational creativity.
An ideology of scarcity keeps us from pursuing a common good for our neighborhoods and the world around us. As the church, we must confront the worldview of scarcity and offer an alternative way.
On Nov. 29, 1868, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon on effectual calling, using the call of Abraham (Genesis 12) as his example. The sermon is a gold mine of advice for missionaries and evangelists. Here are a few nuggets:
I am overwhelmed by what CRC is doing in church planting network and I would make a request if possible to introduce your networking in Kenya.
Calling Kansas City home means hearing lots of references to "The Wizard of Oz." As a church planter, I wanted a yellow brick road and got one, but the land of Oz is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Understanding the weight of this God-sized dream, prayer would not be a luxury, but rather the lifeblood and air we’d breathe if God’s Kingdom was to “come to earth.”
Here are 10 vital signs that offer insight into the health of a congregation — five commitments and five functions.
Don't get me wrong: being perpetually left behind for bigger and brighter dreams has been a difficult adjustment. But now I see that it it isn’t about us and our church but about HIM and HIS church...
Our living room is used for worship service. Our den is for toddlers. As cool as it is to have our house used in this way, we are facing the reality that we need a more neutral place for more reasons than convenience.
What would you recommend in assessing the likelihood that Holy Spirit is moving children of God to plant a church in a specific geographical location?
Starting a new church community is not an easy task. We can get so caught up in our methodology that we miss the mission of the church.
If we see God’s justice as inseparable from his kingdom, then we may be a little more inclined toward living mission instead of just doing mission. Mission is in our backyard.
Wise friends are God's gift for a healthy life and a healthy ministry. When you lose a wise friend, like King Uzziah did, you just might go crazy.
I wish there was a great story of the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to us to start this new ministry adventure. There was a promise of $5000 and a pat on the back: "Good luck."
How many pastors wouldn't love this kind of confirmation of their calling?
A practical resource for assisting church leaders in identifying, understanding and intentionally engaging the fivefold ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers (APEST) that exist within their congregations.
What do we mean when we say that "God is Love"?
What does a non-Bible reader think of the Old Testament?
Wisdom helps us as we pursue good and godly leadership. Larry Osborne of North Coast Church in California gives timely leadership wisdom for planters and established church pastors.