Search Results for: church

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: You’ve made an announcement about an event or communicated about a direction your church is going for weeks or even months, only to have someone stop you, seemingly upset, because they had “never heard anything about it” and felt left out! One of the challenges of being a…

In 2005, when I was a pastor, I traveled to China as part of a mission team from my church. I was asked to give a message to a gathering of 150 Chinese Christians who were part of the underground church movement. I was also provided with a translator, by the name of Gayle, who…

I love my job! I read emails, texts, and have lobby conversations weekly with people who have great plans or ideas for ministry. I’m a dreamer and future thinker, so these conversations don’t scare me anymore. Common conversations I have is when people come to me wanting to start a new ministry or change our…

Jesus’ final phase in His disciple-making strategy was multiplication. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He pulled His disciples to a remote city in the far northern region of Israel, at the base of mount Hermon, Caesarea Philippi. The region of Caesarea Philippi had a long history of pagan worship, dating back to the days…

Human beings were created for community. We aren’t meant to live our lives on our own. We are designed with both a capacity and a desire to know others and be known by them. We want to celebrate good times with faithful friends. In difficult times, we appreciate the company of people who care. At…

In my life and throughout my discipleship journey I have struggled with wanting to be perceived as being right more than wanting to do what is right. I think the struggle is mostly motivated by fear, self-protection and hurts from the past. Some of it comes from seeking the praises of others and the applause…

It’s one thing to desire to serve God but feel like you are restricted by your schedule. It’s quite another thing to lose the desire to serve God altogether. Yet, many people feel exactly that way. The urgency, the desire and the drive to share Christ have all long since faded away, and there is…

Are you the kind of person, like me, who makes a list, checks the boxes, and thinks you’re ready? When I look back over my life, much of it has been defined by that very core belief that I, as a naturally Type A person, have it all under control. What that has prepared me…

Dear Discipleship-first Friends, Have you ever attended one of our National Disciple Making Forums? Or, perhaps it’s been a couple of years since you have been able to make it to the Forum? Whether this will be your first time to experience it or your first time in a long time–this is an amazing year…

Well, I never been to heaven, but I’ve been to Oklahoma…”1 From gospel tracts to billboards to evangelists looking me in the eye from my television, I have heard the question they assume is everyone’s biggest concern, “How do I go to heaven?” The answer typically follows a brief (emphasis on brief) description of what…