Category: Church Leadership
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My 5 Highly Recommended Books on Basic Christian Beliefs
Creed, What Christians Believe and Why, Adam Hamilton, Abingdon Press, 2016A very readable, yet thoughtful presentation of basic Christian faith written for the contemporary mindset; faithful to the historic Christian beliefs yet with room for a “generous orthodoxy.” Material grows out of the Apostles’ Creed, hence the name. It sticks to the essentials, and is…
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Experience the Good Things of God’s House for Yourself
If you are one of those who tries to get by without actually attending church much, I urge you to reconsider! Often I’ve said, “It is a blessing to be able to be in God’s house on Sunday morning.” People probably think I am just advertising since I am the pastor. But my statement is…
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Recognizing good character in a leader
Dan Reiland has been leading and writing about leadership for many years. He is living what he is writing about at 12 Stone Church. This is an excellent short article giving 7 characteristics of a leader of good character. Reiland article
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Rose Arbor Project Completed
When I was a boy there was a white rose arbor in our side lawn. Pictures were often taken there. It marked the entrance to one of the flower gardens on our rural farm property. When my wife was a girl, she often spent summers at her Grandparents’ house. The entrance to the…
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Wisdom for Preserving Things
Maybe it’s natural as we get older be more interested in preserving things. When I was younger, I don’t recall being interested in preserving history in the way that I am now. Especially since becoming pastor of a church with a 200 year time-line, I’ve become very aware of the value of the story…
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Observations for Mainline churches
George Barna is an experienced researcher who has studied churches for many years. Here is an article that seek to flag possible issues that may be leading to the decline that mainline churches have been experiencing. It is helpful as it reminds pastors like myself of pitfalls to avoid and emphases to maintain. https://www.barna.org/barna-update/leadership/323-report-examines-the-state-of-mainline-protestant-churches#.V3QzSrgrJhE…
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We’re Praying for Another Divine Visitation
Sometimes we are discouraged by the church’s decline Sometimes we look around and are discouraged that the work of God seems to be in decline. And it is not our imagination either. One key indicator, though not the only one, is church attendance. Stats show that the percentage of people attending church is down…
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A wise article about church evaluation
One of the difficult things church leaders must do is evaluate how the local church is doing. It is not as easy as it sounds and our tendency as leaders is to fall off on either side of the middle path; either by emphasizing quantity at the expense of discipleship or by emphasizing quality…
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I vote for congregational engagement
Should worship planning and leadership be done to create a great performance or primarily to help the congregation be involved in what is happening? http://worthilymagnify.com/2014/09/30/worship-at-a-crossroads-congregationalism-versus-performancism/ This excellent article explains a conflict that exists in the Christian church today. As the author says, a performance orientation in worship services that focuses attention on what happens up front…
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You can help Houghton College today!
My favorite college is having a one day campaign to enlist support. It’s a two-way matching grant opportunity. In this day when most college education neglects character, Houghton mentors students by example and curriculum design to become servant leaders in today’s world. Many college graduates are having a hard time getting work, but at Houghton the situation is different. …