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The World’s Best Small Churches
No one will ever make a list of the greatest Small Churches in the world. And they shouldn’t. After all, a great urban Small Church looks very different from a great rural one. Same with a great Baptist and Methodist church. Or a great Small Church in Japan or Costa Rica, etc. Even if there
Jesus Never Told Us To Fill Church Buildings
Going to church has never been the point. Jesus didn’t tell us to “work really hard to gather people into large crowds to fill up your church buildings. Then I’ll know that you love me.” But when you look at how most pastors (including me) spend much of our time and energy, sometimes it feels like we
Effective Church Leaders Do Not Treat Everyone Equally
Effective leaders always seek wise advice and counsel. In Small Churches, there’s a huge temptation for pastors to treat everyone’s advice as though it has equal value. We’re often told that getting everyone’s input is the only fair way to do things. Some Small Churches even require congregational votes on almost every decision. It’s hard for me to imagine a
Sorry Christians, We Can’t Blame the Media Any More
“Blame the media” has always been a popular game for Christians to play. Not long ago, Christians had a legitimate claim that our reputation was bad because the media was against us. That’s not the case anymore. Oh sure, the media in general may still think negatively about Christians, if they think about us at all.
Note to Pastors: The Size and Growth of the Church is Not Up to Us
No, I don’t actually have a note on my desk reminding me that the size of my church isn’t up to me. But maybe I should. Maybe a lot of us should. I know one thing for sure. If the size of my church was up to me, it would have been a lot bigger a long
Megachurch Pastors: Heroes, Villains or Something Else?
Megachurch pastors are a step beneath used car salesmen and ambulance-chasing lawyers in the eyes of many people in our culture. On the other side, we have a church growth culture that idealizes megachurches almost to the point of idolatry.
So who are these megachurch pastors? Villains who have corrupted the Gospel? Or heroes of the faith?
Here are 5 principles that help me avoid either extreme in my attitude towards megachurches and their leaders.
7 Reasons to Consider Interning at a Small Church
Church internships are great. For the church and for the intern. If they’re done right (yes, that’s a big “if”), they can confirm or define a call to ministry, provide real-life experience to enhance classroom learning and bless a local church. If you’re a pastor who thinks you can’t run an internship program because your church
Everything You Know About Small Churches Is Wrong
OK, maybe not everything you know about Small Churches is wrong. But there’s probably no aspect of the body of Christ that is more misunderstood and under-utilized than Small Churches. Small Church myths have become so commonplace that most church leaders believe them, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I know, because I believed them
I Wasn’t Afraid to Go to Church Yesterday: A Memorial Day Tribute
Yesterday morning, hundreds of millions of people woke up and went to church. In some places around the world, many people risked their livelihoods, their safety, their families and even their lives to worship together. If you live in one of the nations where you can go to church without fear, let’s take a moment today to
