There are some things in life that are inevitable, and I don’t mean death and taxes. Like, if you drop a piece of buttered bread, it always lands face-side down, or if you bring a guest to church it’s always the week the sermon is about giving. Okay, okay — so these aren’t true inevitabilities. But the fact that those statements could be made side by side goes to show that talking about giving in church often makes people uncomfortable.
[Read more…] about Developing Transformational GenerosityWhy Growth Might Not Be the Right Goal
One common measure of a church’s success that almost every pastor points to is whether or not they are growing. It’s understandable. The Bible is really clear that we are to go and make disciples of all nations. So it stands to reason that if our church isn’t growing numerically, we must not be doing a great job in fulfilling the great commission.
But too often, by focusing on numerical growth, we miss a key word in the call: disciples. By focusing on reaching the people who are not currently a part of our community, are we missing out on deeply investing in the people we already have? The work of making disciples takes singular focus, and simply getting someone to come to church on a regular basis is no assurance that they are growing in their obedience to the challenging truths of the Gospel.
The process of disciple making is arduous and counter to our nature. It is not an easy process, where we simply need to set up the right circumstances and let nature take it course. Sleep is that way — retreat to a quite place, turn down the lights, and get comfortable, and nature takes over. Dying to yourself is costly, painful, and difficult.
Most Popular WordPress SEO and Social Media Plugins [Infographic]
What WordPress plugin are you using for SEO and social media?
Chances are, you are using one of these top ten plugins—and if you’re not—you may want to reconsider.
See how these rank and tell me which ones you like to use.
[Read more…] about Most Popular WordPress SEO and Social Media Plugins [Infographic]
5 Ways Your Church Check-in System Could Be Holding You Back
Like most churches, you’ve probably adopted a check-in system to simplify the check-in process. But just because you’ve upgraded from paper to digital doesn’t mean it’s doing everything you need it to do. If your church check-in system matches this description, it might actually be holding you back.
[Read more…] about 5 Ways Your Church Check-in System Could Be Holding You Back
Church Management Systems: ChMS 101 [Podcast]
Ever since Steve Caton was on the ChurchMag Podcast, we’ve wanted to have him on again to talk about the basics of Church Management Systems (ChMS).
This interview/discussion goes over the basics of ChMS’. It’s an introduction. A class ‘101’ on what they are, what they are not, and how helpful they are for churches and church leadership.
If you are not using a ChMS, this is a must listen. If you are already using one, Steve talks about some fundamentals of ChMS’ that you may find helpful.
Check it:
[Read more…] about Church Management Systems: ChMS 101 [Podcast]
Leadership Lessons from Ms. MacNair’s Sunday School
Do you remember Sunday School? Graham crackers and goldfish, flannel boards and puppet shows, Bible songs and Christmas plays — most of us who grew up in the church (or are raising our own children in it) have some nostalgic memories of childhood Sunday mornings. You probably remember some of the lessons, too. You were learning good Biblical principles and life lessons in those classes. What you might not have realized is that you were also learning vital leadership principles. Even the simplest of children’s lessons holds truths worth remembering years later.
[Read more…] about Leadership Lessons from Ms. MacNair’s Sunday School