Train Church Leaders Practicum
Applying Biblical Truth about Church Leadership to Actual Leading
You’ve been faithfully pursuing God’s purposes, design, mission, and heart for the church, constantly praying and seeking His wisdom and power. Yet, you’re still encountering obstacles. Your church growth efforts may be under spiritual attack and need God’s protection. Remember . . . Continue reading Attacks Against Church Growth Need God’s Protection
You may want your church to grow but it seems like you’re constantly facing attacks against church growth. Be aware of this:
We have a real enemy determined to keep God’s work from advancing. God’s Word portrays the devil as . . . Continue reading Attacks Against Church Growth
Do you believe Jesus’ promise, “if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt. 18:19-20)? While this truth very possibly has a general application, the specific context in which we find the promise relates to the necessity of dealing with sinful behavior in the life of a fellow believer. We must consequently grasp the critical nature of prayer in church discipline situations. We must view praying as important not only for the process but must also understand that prayer is essential as a preventative for even needing to head in that direction. . . . Continue reading Prayer is Essential as a Preventative and When in Process
How many times might we have read 2 Timothy 3:16-17? Church leaders, how often have we thought of its application in the usefulness of Scripture in change management?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful . . . Continue reading Usefulness of Scripture in Change Management
King David of the Old Testament set out to provide for the building of the temple. He and other leaders of the people gave generously. They brought the needed supplies, whereas today, to provide for church facilities or ministry efforts, we usually take financial offerings. In the context of this effort in 1 Chronicles 29:1-20 we read two references to the Name of the Lord which can serve as good reminders for us today in budgeting and church finances and expectations of people giving generously. . . . Continue reading Generosity Affected by the Name of the Lord
God gave us the Holy Spirit to be both with us and in us (Jn. 14:17) for a purpose. Jesus referred to the Spirit as our Helper (Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26) because He never intended for us to figure things out on our own. Hence, it only makes sense we consider the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the assessment process along with everything else we do. . . . Continue reading Involvement of the Holy Spirit in the Assessment Process
Times of uncertainty can give way to doubts, anxiety, and even fear. Though churches typically tend to resist change, we may at times have no choice but to change. Our purpose to love God and people will remain. Our mission shouldn’t change. But how do we get there? Where do we go from here? — Let’s go to the throne of God so our vision and goals are born out of prayer. To rise above our insecurities we need a place to turn for refuge (Ps. 62:8), peace (Phil. 4:6-7), wisdom (James 1:5), and the help we need (Heb. 4:14-16). . . . Continue reading Vision and Goals Born Out of Prayer
When we truly understand saving grace, it should make a difference in how we live, in how we manage our time. . . . (Eph. 2:8-10) . . . We continue to live, or walk, in the same manner we received Christ Jesus (Col. 2:6) — by grace … through faith. Consequently grace has to make a difference in how we manage our time. Continue reading The Difference Grace Makes in How We Manage Time
To be sure, we can find ourselves in conflict with other leaders, staff, and the congregation at large in our planning efforts. But, the power struggles we want to consider here is that which we find ourselves engaging in with God. . . . Continue reading Power Struggles in Planning
Since truly functioning as a team in accordance with God’s design requires us to pull on God’s power, it’s important that we understand the difference God’s power makes. He imparts His power through various means so it helps to look at each of those means to grasp our need to rely on our powerful God if we’re going to engage in teamwork God’s way. . . . Continue reading The Difference God’s Power Makes in Functioning as a Team