Tis The Season

Years ago I worked as an electrician.  I wired buildings and help bring light and power for people to utilize.  One principle of electricity is that the more watts, the brighter the light.  A 75 watt bulb is much brighter than a 40 watt bulb.   In our two counties we must recognize that spiritual darkness…

This week I continue a series of articles focusing on our values.  So far we looked at the value of Meaningful Relationships and Purposeful Partnerships.  The third value we embrace is that of Kingdom Expansion.  We value being healthy churches that intentionally partner together to proclaim the gospel and strategically fulfill the Great Commission.  We believe Jesus calls…

I recently have been learning and teaching on the idea of resilience, i.e., the ability and strength to bounce back.  In life and in ministry we often experience the body slams of trouble and tribulation.  Jesus told us we would face these experiences but adds, “But take heart I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  …

Last week I began to address the definition and purpose of values and why describing the values that shape your church is so important.  Values are the shared convictions a church holds to; they are the common heartbeat of a congregation that inform and drive the motivation for its missional and ministry activities. When describing…

This week I continue a series of articles focusing on our values.  So far we looked at the value of Meaningful Relationships, Purposeful Partnerships, Kingdom Expansion, and Healthy Leadership.  The fifth value we embrace is that of Congregational Support.  We value churches working together to assist one another toward health and vibrancy.  Therefore, we believe we can strengthen and encourage struggling…

I recently shared with a few churches the concept of a church lifecycle bell curve.  It demonstrates the growth, maturation, plateau and decline most churches often experience.  When a congregation self discovers that it has plateaued or is experiencing decline, there is an important question the leaders need to ask.  The essential watershed query is,…