Josh was one of the most zealous workers we'd seen at church, but I realized he was three steps beyond "weary in well doing" when I read his letter: "My walk with the Lord is nonexistent. I've allowed the pressure of church work to crowd out time with God. Now it seems impossible to get back in touch with him. We've also gotten seriously into debt, and I've been trying to do "ministry" while working ...
Lord, is having a staff a blessing? Or is it just a giant albatross around my neck? Should I fire them all?
I sat alone one night in a diner in East Orange, New Jersey, and prayed those silent but seeking questions. The staff of our combined church/community center had grown from three to twelve in just over two years, and I was now responsible for a whole new area of ministry—motivating and managing ...
Many leaders of smaller movements and organizations try to make all the decisions themselves, and under certain circumstances this approach works well. But such leaders almost always crash and burn as the organization grows; or alternatively, the organization itself collapses when the original leader ages or becomes ill or dies.
Even in small organizations there are compelling reasons why a leader ...
On Pentecost last year, 850 gathered for worship beneath an enormous yellow-and-white tent on a church lawn in Falls Church, Virginia. Folding chairs were arranged in roughly the same configuration as pews in a planned sanctuary to be built on that site.
It was Celebration Sunday at The Falls Church (Episcopal), and for the first time in recent memory, the whole congregation worshiped as one. The co-chairs ...
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." …
I also said to him, "If it pleases the king may I have letters to the
governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide ...
DEVOTIONS Vision Into Reality Most entrepreneurs are visionaries; they see the future and then take great risks to create it. Kennon Callahan
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Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me, …
Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated ...
In Touch with the Community Follow the example of Nehemiah’s compassion, faith, and planning. Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson
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Nehemiah understood the implications of his brother's report on the city of Jerusalem: "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." (Neh. 1:3). Nehemiah changed the course of his life based on accurate and compelling information. He also prayed, gathered resources, organized ...
Every church is at some point on this life cycle (see chart at right). Our job is to decide where our church fits. Circle the number that corresponds to where you would place the church. Next, add all the numbers together and divide by the number of assessors. The result will be the group's estimate of whether the church is growing, in a plateau, or declining.
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