Articles

• Perfect Parenting? by Dr. Juli Slattery - May 2, 2013

  Thou shalt make your children eat broccoli. Thou shalt not give your child an unsterilized pacifier. Thou shalt let your teen sleep in on Saturdays.

• Secrets to Super Star Small Group Leaders - December 18, 2012

  Some churches raise the bar when it comes to recruiting small group leaders. You need to be a member for X amount of time, well-versed in the church’s doctrinal statement, agree to a lifestyle covenant, etc. The more qualified the leader, the stronger the group will be … or so goes conventional wisdom. But is that really true? So if we’re not looking for long-term members and Bible scholars, who makes the best group hosts? Most commonly, new believers in Christ, but I would expand that criteria to include anyone with these key characteristics.

• “Your prayer request got in my text messages!” ”Your text messages got me praying!” - September 6, 2012

  Like chocolate and peanut butter, prayer requests and text messaging go to together in a surprisingly delicious way: Calorie free praying! Could there be a more noble and wonderful purpose for mobile phones than helping us pray more? It sure beats texting about what someone had for lunch yesterday.

• Rick Warren: Healthy Churches Have Pastors Who Stay - July 24, 2012

  Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, shares how important it is to the health of a church that pastors stick around for the long run.

• We Believe: 30 Days to Understanding Our Heritage - May 2, 2012

  Perhaps you’ve heard about We Believe: 30 Days to Understanding Our Heritage; but if you haven’t, you’ll be surprised by how effectively it teaches our great American tradition. Like nothing else, this power packed paperback helps people internalize core American values.

• 3 Simple Concepts That Will Make Your New Group More Successful - Part 1 - April 12, 2012

  Being a small group leader can sometimes be overwhelming. Deciding when and where to meet…choosing, acquiring, and understanding curriculum…finding people for your group…connecting with new group members…communicating with the group… Is your head spinning yet? Don’t panic, launching your new small group well can be boiled down into three simple principles: Start, Fill, Keep. If you’ll think about and intentionally exercise these three principles, you’ll find that group success is easier to wrap your mind around. Think about it like a three-legged stool; a stool with three legs can only stand if all three legs are of equal strength and equal length. In order for your small group stool to stand, all three legs (Start, Fill, and Keep) must likewise be equal strength and equal length. Starting is about preparing for the launch of your group. Filling is about finding people for your group. And keeping is about creating a group where people want to remain for the long haul. If you don’t focus enough attention on one or more of these three legs, your stool will ultimately come crashing down.

• 3 Simple Concepts That Will Make Your New Group More Successful - Part 2 - April 12, 2012

  I started this series of posts and spoke about the first principle for successfully launching a new small group. Today I’m tackling the second. FILL Sadly, some small group leaders think, “If I build it they will come.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Filling out a form at church, meeting with a pastor or coach, and putting your group information on the church list is not a guarantee that people will come to your group. So how do you fill your group with people?

• 3 Simple Concepts That Will Make Your Small Group More Successful - Part 3 - April 12, 2012

  Recently I started a series of posts about the three principles that will help your new group start off right. Today is about the third principle and wraps up this series of posts. KEEP Keeping people in your group is about creating “sticky” relationships. If the relational bond is strong, your group will be able to weather tough times and people will be less likely to jump ship. The first key in creating this bond is prayer. This not only refers to the leader’s commitment to praying for the group, but to the group’s commitments to praying for one another. Praying aloud for one another’s needs fosters a true sense of caring. Sharing those needs outside the group time and praying for them regularly helps small group members show genuine interest in one another. Praying for each other leads to group members taking action, becoming answers to prayer for one another.

• How BIG is your VISION? United In The WORD Ministries, Inc. - March 27, 2012

  E. Paul Hovey has once remarked: “A blind man’s world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision”. What a remarkable observation! By God’s grace, we are neither blind nor ignorant, so what is holding us back from achieving greatness and fulfilling God’s plan in our lives is the fact that we do not have a clear vision for our future. God’s Word tells us: "where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18, KJV). However, to have a vision in our lives is to visualize where we can be tomorrow, not where we are now today. When we have a clearly defined vision, it is possible that we may travel on a different road than others.

• Bill Hybels on Leadership - November 28, 2011

  Here's a nice clip of Bill Hybels talking about the importance of Leadership study on an ongoing basis.

• The Dirty Little Secret of the Church - October 27, 2011

  The Bible remains the bestselling book of all time but does it have a bestselling effect on our lives?

• The God Pocket - September 30, 2011

  What if you could take a little something out of your pocket today that would make God visible—and then give that little something to another person you just met?

• Looking for Cost-Effective Advertising for Your Church - Think BIG! - September 1, 2011

  Did you know that our tough economic times offer your church a huge opportunity? Statistics show that churches experience significant growth during tough economic times.

• Barna Study Explores Faith in New York Since 9-11 - August 29, 2011

  In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, millions of Americans flocked to churches and houses of worship. But, for most, the shift in spiritual behavior was short lived.

• Funny and Unique Church Signs! - August 3, 2011

  Sometimes we all just need to sit back and have a laugh! Enjoy!

• The Top Ten Wolves Attacking Inside Your Home Disciple Like Jesus Ministry - June 29, 2011

  Some think this article is over the top. You be the judge. My intention is not to impose a bunch of “thou shall nots.” Rather I am pointing out the wolves so that you and your spouse can make some decisions. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit what you will allow? What discussions will you have with your family about unbiblical content in media? What you will warn your family about? What wolves will you drive out of your home?

• Getting To Know Jesus - 001 - In the Fullness of Time New Hope Gospel Ministries (home of Getting To Know Jesus) - April 28, 2011

  There is some discussion over whether God causes things to happen or simply knows when they will happen. The point of our focus is that Jesus did not come until it was time for him to appear!

• The Mandate: Making Disciples that Make Disciple-Makers Lionshare Leadership Group - February 15, 2011

  Regardless of what domain we are called to serve, as followers of Jesus we have been commanded to “make disciples”: reproducing the character, ways and mission of Jesus in those around us expecting them to multiply the same within others. As followers of Jesus, disciple-making must always be our aim and end. After all, it is what Jesus has specifically commanded us to do.

• Developing A Discipleship Ministry Core Discipleship Ministry - February 14, 2011

  Though Jesus had many who followed, He chose only twelve ordinary men with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to be His disciples. Jesus’ entire ministry depended upon these men who would go on to start the Christian Church. He began His discipleship ministry in prayer:

• Community Outreach Ideas for Churches Brian Tubbs - February 10, 2011

  Looking for free ideas for church growth? This article provides several ways to help make the church grow and reach the community for Christ.

• Not Your Ordinary Women’s Bible Study ChurchSpeak.com - January 6, 2011

  What appears as a simple pink three-ring binder is actually the ultimate how-to guide for intentional, relationship building prayer. Intimacy With God first explains the fundamentals of meaningful prayer. The study also helps you to organize your specific prayer needs so your prayers meet the impressions that God instills in your heart.