Reggie Joiner's Blog, page 55

Thinking About Christmas Now Could Impact Your Community

Okay, I am not ashamed to admit this: I would put up my Christmas tree on Halloween night if I could! I am never offended by how early stores put up their Christmas decorations and I have been known to spend my birthday money (in November) on Christmas decorations.

Isn’t it strange that we live in a culture where everything is supposed to be new and relevant but at Christmastime we are all in a hurry to go back in time and remember traditions of years gone by? It’s a holiday that brings out t...

Impacting Faith by Capturing Milestone Moments

There are moments throughout a child’s life that provide opportunities to partner with parents. These are moments of celebration that mark a child’s development. These opportunities—significant moments in the life journey of a parent and child that offer a unique opportunity to reinforce truth and celebrate a growing relationship with God—are called milestone moments (Think Orange, pg. 248)..

We can use milestone moments, physical and spiritual moments, to show our families that we are pro-pa...

How to Build Community Through Online Church

As churches look to find ways to reach more people for Christ, online church is often brought up. What online church looks like depends on the church, but in this very digital and online world we live in, looking to use online tools to reach more people in your local community (and the world) is a great option to consider.

One comment commonly heard about online church is that it isn’t “real community.” People who argue this point make it seem as if the only way to have community is through p...

A Ministry Leadership Decision You Won’t Regret

After more than 20 years of leading ministry, I can say that there is one thing that has helped me more than anything else:

Relationships.

Choosing to not do ministry alone has impacted my ministry and my leadership more than anything else. Choosing to let someone evaluate my program and environments led to much-needed improvements. Choosing to show up at a lunch to hear about what is working in someone else’s church led to innovation and fresh ideas. Our ministry is always better when we do...

Big or Small, Your Church Matters

Can I shoot straight with you? Up until about four years ago, I had no idea what a small group was. When it was explained to me, I thought, Oh, so basically my Sunday School class.

The church I grew up in didn’t have small groups or large groups. It didn’t have screens for lyrics and message notes. And it for sure didn’t have a band.

My church ran about 50 on a good Sunday. My dad was the head deacon, the adult Sunday School teacher and the maintenance man. My youth leader was a full-time cop...

Reinforce the Family, Elevate the Parent!

Family. School. Sports. Friends. Church. These are all communities of people that potentially have influence over a child’s thoughts, ideas, and actions. The Church is in a position to combine with some of these influences to make a greater impact on the life of a kid or student. When we combine the light of the church (yellow) with the love of the family (red), we can have a greater impact on the life and faith of the next generation (orange). However, in order for this combination to work,...

Five Ministry Instruments You Should Be Measuring

The altimeter, the airspeed indicator, the vertical speed indicator, and the heading indicator. Ask any pilot and they will tell you flying without these instruments, or worse, ignoring what these instruments are telling you would be a recipe for disaster.

As a leader in ministry you also have a “dashboard” of instruments worth paying attention to. Without the readings from these vital ministry instruments, you run a high risk of heading right into ineffectiveness, or worse, disaster.

Here ar...

Leading When Leadership Stops Leading Well

The season was a challenging one for the church known for its innovative ideas and laid-back, “nobody’s perfect and everybody’s welcome” approach to sharing the gospel. Attendance was on the decline, and ideas to engage the congregation which looked solid on white boards were floundering in real life. Senior leadership grew distant from the rest of the staff, and concerns mounted when it was announced that the church was going in a “new direction” that seemed counter to its original vision. S...

Don’t Let Burnout Get the Best of You

Burnout is not something unique to church leaders. From doctors, to lawyers, to small business owners, to college students, to stay-at-home moms, we all are susceptible of burning out. If more is caught than taught, then maybe we shouldn’t be surprised with the rise of mental illness and burnout that we are not only seeing in pastors, but in our churches as well. Burnout is what happens when we take on more than God has asked of us. Jesus Himself gave us a rhythm to guide us through stressful...

This Ministry Tool Equips and Empowers Small Group Leaders

Years in children’s ministry have taught me to always have an eye out for the best way to help volunteers succeed. Whether it be the way we set up a room, the method information is delivered, or the system of communication used, I am always looking for ways to equip and empower our volunteers.

The Lead Small App is fantastic and is one mighty strong app. Can apps be strong? Well, this one is! The new design is sleek and intuitive for the small group leader (SGL).

Here are three reasons why I...