The Blessings Of Low-Tech Church During A High-Tech Pandemic
What would ministry look like if we were in this pandemic without today’s technology? Whatever we would have done then, maybe we should also be doing it now.
Encouragement
Leading A Church Through Difficult Times: A Lesson From “The Most Bombed Hotel In The World”
Leading a church is often a lesson in managing and overcoming frustration. Hopefully not all the time. But there are those seasons…
This week I’ve learned a great lesson about triumphing over extreme difficulty and frustration from a very unlikely source – a hotel my wife and I are staying at that’s known as “The Most Bombed Hotel In The World.”
If you Google that phrase (or click here where I’ve done it for you), you’ll find out a whole lot about the Hotel Europa. We’re staying here courtesy of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland who we’ve come to encourage this week.
The hotel hasn’t been bombed since 1994, and it’s a beautiful building in the heart of downtown Belfast. It’s an unexpected blessing to stay in such a nice hotel. And it’s always great to learn something new, too.
First, let me give you a little history of this hotel, then I’ll share what it can teach us about managing difficulties as church leaders.
The Church Is Stronger When Small Congregations Are Encouraged, Resourced And Engaged
The body of Christ can’t afford to alienate small churches any longer.
Especially since we make up 90 percent of churches, where half of all Christians attend, worship and minister.
If we want the body of Christ to remain strong, focused on mission and reaching our communities and world with the gospel of Jesus we can’t overlook the smaller congregations any more.
When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry.
When their voices are included in church leadership conversations, the body of Christ is better informed.
When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger, more united, and more fully engaged in the mission.
The Church Is Stronger When Small Congregations Are Encouraged, Resourced And Engaged
The body of Christ can’t afford to alienate small churches any longer.
Especially since we make up 90 percent of churches, where half of all Christians attend, worship and minister.
If we want the body of Christ to remain strong, focused on mission and reaching our communities and world with the gospel of Jesus we can’t overlook the smaller congregations any more.
When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry.
When their voices are included in church leadership conversations, the body of Christ is better informed.
When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger, more united, and more fully engaged in the mission.
5 Simple Statements Any Small Church Pastor Would Love To Hear
Too many small church pastors are doing most, or all, of their ministry alone.
Most wonder if anyone outside the church even knows or cares that they exist. That isolation can become toxic. And it can start to bleed out into their congregations, confirming the worst stereotypes about why small churches remain small.
On top of that, when we look for help, we often find more frustration than encouragement – as we discussed in my last post, 5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we took just a little time and energy to reach out, we could help reverse this trend.
“This Is FREEDOM For the Small Church!” – And Other Voices of Hope On Our First Anniversary
One year ago today I started writing this blog. I had no idea if anyone other than my friends, family and church members would care about this topic. It turns out a lot of people care a great deal.
A Bunch of Small Church Pastors Walk Into a Conference…
Small Church pastors are unique, wonderful, passionate and gifted people. Last week I spent three days at a ministers’ conference where I had the great privilege to meet a whole bunch of them. The conference wasn’t just for Small Church pastors, but there were a lot of us in attendance. It was my first conference …
A Bunch of Small Church Pastors Walk Into a Conference… Read More »
My “Final Word” on Small Churches
It looks like Small Churches really are becoming a big deal. The Spring 2013 issue of Enrichment Journal is all about the big impact of Small Churches. Way to go, guys! There aren’t many magazines that would take an entire issue to do that. The last page of each issue is called the “Final Word”, and …