Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 17

Seven Reasons We Should Encourage Our Members Not to Use Their Smartphones or Tablets in Worship Services

Several years ago, I decided to become a real church member. Let me explain.

For over 30 years, I was the preacher each Sunday at whatever church I attended. I preached as the pastor, the interim pastor, or guest preacher. I never viewed the church on Sunday mornings from the pews or the chairs. I wrote a book called I Am a Church Member, but I did not have the view of the church member, at least on Sunday morning worship services.

I decided eight years ago to decline almost every invitation to preach. I wanted to be active in my local church as a church member, not away on Sundays as a preacher in another church.

It has been an incredible blessing.

And it has been eye-opening. Let me give you one example.

I noticed several people in the church using their smartphones or tablets, presumably as a digital Bible or a digital notetaker. For those I could see from my vantage point, I also noticed that many of those with digital devices would click on the notifications they received. They were obviously distracted, and they obviously distracted me. As a point of confession, I looked over the shoulder of a church member last fall as he was looking at the college football rankings for the week. I am ashamed to say I looked longer than I should.

Recently, I went to a movie theater in my hometown. I noticed the previews stressed that everyone must turn off their phones and other digital devices.

I guess theaters have higher standards than churches in that regard.

Have I become a legalistic and grumpy old man? Maybe. But hear me out.

Frankly, I have good reasons to ask church leaders to encourage their members to turn off their electronic devices. Here are seven of the reasons.

Smartphones and tablets often distract the person looking at them. I see it every week. Rarely do I see church members looking at their smartphones without some kind of notification popping up. Of course, they can’t wait to read the notification. Smartphones and tablets often distract others. I wish I were not one of those prone to distraction, but I am. When that light on someone’s phone catches my eye, I immediately turn to it. Smartphones have addictive content that is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people. If you doubt the veracity of my claim, just do some research. For example, read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Look at his research on how social media on smartphones is rewiring the minds of our children and youth. Look at the dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide among Gen Z once they begin using a smartphone with social media access and other harmful sites. Frankly, I don’t want to give my tacit approval to the habitual use of smartphones by reading my own smartphone in church.Most churches have many options for reading the Bible or taking notes in a worship service without needing a smartphone or tablet. I encourage pastors to get pew Bibles in the translation from which they preach most frequently. The biblical text can be put on a screen. It’s easy to place a sermon outline in the bulletin. Most churches have pens in their worship centers as well. You don’t have to have a digital device even if you didn’t bring a print Bible. Writing increases retention more than using a keyboard. I was surprised again at the number of studies that proved this statement. When you take handwritten notes, you are more engaged in the sermon and retain the content more effectively. By the way, your pastor will be encouraged when several church members become notetakers. Smartphones create a sense of isolation. Again, there are several good pieces of research on this topic. Gathering for worship services is meant to be a communal experience because we are involved in shared community activities like reading our Bibles, taking notes, listening to the sermon, or singing and praising God together. The smartphone sends us into isolation rather than community. Church members communicate the wrong priorities when they use their smartphones in worship services. Even if we stay focused on the biblical text and the sermon, we could implicitly communicate to other church members that we are more focused on the phone than the God we worship.

I know we can’t mandate that members turn off phones during worship services. I also know that many churches have permitted or even encouraged it so long that reversing it will be difficult. Still, I hope you hear my concerns. I think they are real and pervasive. 

I would love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree with me or not.

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Tattoos, Marlboros, and Ministry: Lessons from My Favorite Unconventional Deacon

One of my favorite deacons had more tattoos than teeth. Herbie was the lone deacon at my first church, a rural congregation of six people. I was in my mid-twenties, serving the church bi-vocationally. The trip was two hours one way to get there. Four-wheel drive was required on some home visits. I was a terrible pastor, lacking experience, preaching skills, and maturity. I led worship, too—from an old karaoke machine. My lone deacon occasionally smoked during the service. The smell of Marlboros will forever be associated with the book of Ephesians in my mind.

One immature pastor and one rough deacon actually ended up working out. God took two negatives and made a positive. We served together. I’ll never forget the work day when Herbie decided the moth-eaten choir robes needed to go. That was one giant bonfire. We laughed together, like the time he let a few choice words fly as the auctioneer at a church fundraiser.

Most importantly, we shared Jesus together. Herbie was the linebacker of door-to-door evangelism. To this day I am inspired by his passion and amazed nobody called the cops after hearing him yell, “I know you’re in there!” at the door. Two decades later and the memories just get sweeter. I loved serving with Herbie at my first church. Our methods were poor, but our hearts were pure.

In some ways, my ministry with deacons has progressed from choir robe bonfires. In other ways, I don’t want to lose the spirit of grittiness that I learned from Herbie. My first church wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even healthy. But we worked hard. I recently had the privilege of ordaining new deacons at my current church. I gave them specific charges to help them grow as deacons. As I wrote the ordination sermon, Herbie was on my mind. Four of these charges stand out as vital to the growth of new deacons and deacons at any stage of maturity.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. In Acts 6, when the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews argued over the care of widows, a group of deacons formed to help solve the problem. The result was preaching that flourished and disciples that multiplied. In order to grow, deacons must approach ministry with a problem-solving attitude. Deacons with a negative tone and a hostile posture will not grow. Negativity almost always creates problems and rarely contributes to solutions. One thing I loved about Herbie was his positive attitude. He remained optimistic regardless of the problem. In fact, the church did not hold services for two years before I came. During that time without a pastor, Herbie built a bathroom expecting growth. The new people who came two years later were grateful.

Prioritize church unity above tasks. I have fallen into the trap of making tasks more important than people. Of course, completing a task list is necessary. In most churches, deacons have a lot of things to do. They are assigned widows. They visit hospitals. They lead ministries and help steward resources. They take care of the buildings and grounds, among many other tasks. While completing tasks, don’t lose sight of their purpose: church unity. When I got frustrated about getting things done, Herbie reminded me of what is most important. The priority of serving people is to keep them together, even above getting things done.

Promote the faith, not yourself. A deacon is an officer in the church. Most deacons lead in some capacity and are almost always held in high regard. The biblical design of the role means that deacons will often know more about what is happening in the church than anyone else. In some churches, people will approach the chairman of the deacons with issues before going to the lead pastor. Herbie always heard things first. I was always second. But, Herbie never used his knowledge and connections in the church to gain authority and power. Deacons should never use their positions in the church as a platform to promote themselves. Healthy deacons promote the faith and contend for the faith.

Understand that how you treat your family is more important than what you do in the church. No one will care twenty years from now how you voted on certain motions brought up in meetings. But your children will care how you manage your home, and your wife will care if you are faithful (1 Timothy 3). Herbie’s truck was a fixture at the church. He mowed the grounds. He cared for the cemetery. He was always there. As much as Herbie loved the church, he loved his wife more. Great family men make great deacons. A healthy deacon’s first concern is for the home, not the church.

Herbie was an excellent deacon. Granted, he did not fit most churches’ mold for a deacon. However, God used him to revive a church that was all but dead. He was always part of solutions, not problems. He prioritized church unity. Herbie promoted the faith, not himself. And he loved his family. Not only did Herbie grow, but he helped a young pastor—me—grow as well.

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When Leadership Feels Impossible: The Pressure to Be Perfect

The pressure to be perfect can be a crippling weight for leaders. Society often paints a picture of leadership as a flawless pursuit, where challenges are effortlessly overcome and success is guaranteed. However, the reality is far more complex. Behind the scenes, leaders grapple with immense pressure, uncertainty, and the weight of expectations.

I have a friend, Brandy, who is the Medication Safety Officer at a local hospital. She is an incredible leader leveraging her gifts of administration and problem-solving for the community and city. In a conversation one day she was explaining to me a project she was working on for the hospital regarding its systems and procedures for patient pharmaceutical needs. She said something that has stuck with me for years now, she said, “My entire job is to create systems that catch human error. We know that it will happen and is expected, but if I do my job correctly we protect our staff and our patients, and help to make it easier to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing.”

This perspective was a revelation for me. In the world of ministry and leadership, we often operate under a different set of assumptions. We view leaders as spiritual superheroes, expected to have all the answers, solve every problem, and never make a mistake. It’s as if we’ve created a leadership archetype that is superhuman, void of any flaws or failures, and in current leadership conversations, I fear that the suggestion is to just prioritize rest or take a vacation, all while the system is still broken and our leaders are still drowning.

We talk so much about a definition of success and seem to only talk about failure when it’s too late. The pressure to be perfect is a heavy burden for any leader to carry. It can lead to burnout, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and a fear of failure. However, failure is an inevitable part of the human experience, including leadership. It’s not a sign of weakness but an opportunity for growth and learning.

Instead of fearing failure, we should embrace it as a natural part of the leadership journey. When we create a culture that allows for mistakes, we encourage innovation, creativity, and risk-taking. It’s in the crucible of failure that leaders often discover their greatest strengths and develop resilience.

The church, as a community of faith, should be a place where failure is acknowledged, understood, and forgiven, even for her leaders. Leaders who are willing to admit their mistakes and seek forgiveness model humility and authenticity. This creates a safe space for others to be vulnerable and learn from their own failures.

By shifting our perspective on failure, we can create a healthier and more supportive environment for leaders. It’s time to move away from the hero worship culture and toward a more realistic and compassionate view of leadership.

The Role of the Church

I once saw an image circulated by well-meaning church members describing the ideal pastor. He was to have the courage of Joshua, the wisdom of Solomon, the resilience of Job, and a heart like David, all rolled into one. The problem is that not one of the characters mentioned had all of those attributes individually. It’s a dangerous standard to set, as it ignores the inherent humanity of leadership. None of these biblical figures were perfect. They made mistakes, they failed, and they relied on God’s grace.

While the spotlight often shines on leaders, the congregation plays a crucial role in creating a healthy leadership environment. By understanding the challenges leaders face, we can offer support and encouragement. This includes:

Understanding the human element: Recognizing that leaders are human, prone to mistakes and imperfections, just like everyone else in the congregation.Acknowledging shared responsibility: Understanding that while leadership failures are significant, they often stem from systemic issues or congregational challenges as well.Fostering a culture of grace with accountability: Creating a space for open dialogue, forgiveness, and learning from mistakes, while also holding leaders accountable for their actions.Providing tangible support: Offering practical assistance, such as counseling or time off, to help leaders recharge and rebuild.Prioritizing prayerful support: Committing to consistent prayer for leaders, seeking God’s wisdom and guidance for their ministries.

By working together, leaders and congregations can create a healthier and more sustainable leadership ecosystem.

Church Leader, Embrace Your Humanity

Leaders who embrace their humanity are better equipped to lead effectively. Acknowledging weaknesses and seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness. Building a strong team and delegating responsibilities can also help alleviate the burden of leadership.

It’s also important for leaders to prioritize self-care. This includes physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. In an often isolating and high-stress role, confession, repentance, and community are still factors for the Christian life that we have to fight for. A resource that Church Answers offers is our online community, Church Answers Central, where you can find others who are in the trenches with you and are essential for sustaining leadership.

Ultimately, leadership is a journey, not a destination. It’s about growth, learning, and serving. By embracing our humanity and fostering a supportive community, we can create a healthier and more effective leadership culture.

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The Value of Video Venue Preaching: What are the Pros and Cons?

With the explosion of multi-site churches, the implementation of video venue preaching is not a surprising development. Though estimates vary, there are likely around 10,000 multi-site churches in the United States. Millions of people attend them weekly. Over half of multi-site churches have video venues. Some of the most popular pastors in the nation utilize video venues to broadcast their preaching.

What is a video venue? These venues come in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: A screen projecting the preaching or teaching pastor. The screen may or may not be a live feed. The venue may be its own campus or a location on the main campus (like a coffee shop). Most video venues have live worship, but the styles can vary.

Strong opinions exist about video venues. Some issue the blanket accusation of “McChurch.” While I get the sentiment, such criticism is too harsh.

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Eight Key Decisions You Must Make About Groups in Your Church

I spent many years in a church tradition that viewed Sunday school as the only legitimate group model. That tradition put significant efforts into maintaining the Sunday school organization. Most of their groups were ongoing (sometimes called “open”). All the classes met on Sunday morning at the church site. Their denomination provided the weekly curriculum.

Many of the members of these churches viewed “groups” or “small groups” as the off-campus, less-structured system. For the Sunday-school-based churches, you weren’t really involved in the church unless you were in a Sunday school class.

The Importance of Groups

Sunday school, however, is one form of groups. There are many other types of groups in churches. When we work with churches, we encourage the leaders to emphasize moving their members to groups. Why is that emphasis so important?

Groups provide relational connectivity that is key to assimilation.Group members give significantly more to the church than those who attend worship services only.Group members tend to minister to one another. Moving members to groups is key to equipping them to do the work of ministry.Group members tend to attend church more than two times a month. We have noted on several occasions how the declining frequency of attendance is the number one reason for the overall decline in most churches.Group members tend to be more unified in the church since they are more likely to focus on the needs of others rather than their own preferences.

Do Something 

Our initial encouragement to church leaders is thus to make groups a priority. They might not be as tightly organized as you would like. They might not all look alike. They might seem too messy for your comfort. 

I get it. I prefer organization over chaos. But don’t let your desire to organize your groups slow down your emphasis. In most cases, messy groups are better than no groups. 

Eight Choices About Groups 

Church leaders will make several decisions about groups, whether the decisions are intentional or not. The decisions might be for the overall group structure, or they could be made every time the church creates a new group.

On-campus versus off-campus? We know that on-campus groups tend to have higher participation rates, especially if they follow or precede a worship service. But, many churches do not have the classroom capacity for all on-campus groups. And some members prefer an off-campus setting to a classroom setting on campus. Short-term or long-term? Typically, a group has to meet for more than six weeks for the members to develop relationships, but there are countless choices of lengths of groups. The Sunday school model was typically an ongoing weekly meeting time. Some groups take extended breaks. Some groups discontinue after a defined season. Curriculum directed or group choice? Does the leadership of the church direct the curriculum (or studies with no formal curriculum) of the groups, or do they choose their own with no guidance? At the very least, we recommend that leadership approve the curriculum or studies. In-personal or virtual? For a variety of reasons, a church may elect to have one or more of its groups meet virtually. But in-person groups tend to have much better assimilation rates. We believe in-person groups should be the default, and virtual groups should be the exception. Organized versus unorganized? The group strategy in a church does not have to be meticulously organized, but some level of organization is necessary. We encourage church leaders to track attendance by group and individual attendees at the very least. Discipleship pathway versus standalone? In many churches, groups stand alone as their own organization. In some churches, groups are part of an overall discipleship strategy, sometimes called a discipleship pathway. We have seen an increase in the latter and expect the discipleship pathway structure to grow. Large or small group size? While there is no ideal group size, groups of more than 20 tend to lose their connectivity and effectiveness. Reproducing or not? We encourage churches to organize groups toward an outward focus. This process can take place by intentionally starting new groups or by groups going through evangelistic emphases like The Hope Initiative.

Groups are vital to the health of a church. While leaders can use the questions above as a guide, they should, at the very least, make groups a priority in the church. 

Check out this great resource, How To Lead A Healthy Small Group.

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A Simple and Quick Checklist Before Preaching Every Sermon

Every preacher prepares differently. You likely already have a personal method of sermon preparation or will create one as you develop and gain more experience. This checklist is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, but I hope you find it useful in the sermon writing process.

Read the text. Multiple times, over and over. Memorize portions of it. Read in various translations. What do you observe? What does the passage say?

Pray the text. Do not neglect this step! You should pray as much as you read. When you encounter a word or phrase that stands out, perhaps the Holy Spirit is guiding you to something.

Write the main point of the text. What is the intended meaning of the text? The main point should be one or two sentences. These sentences will drive the rest of your sermon.

Consider the following questions before writing the main point of the text:

What genre of literature is the text?What is the occasion of the writing?Who is the author?In what context is the passage written?

Corroborate with respected commentaries. Some may prefer to do this step after writing an outline, but a particularly challenging text may warrant more research in commentaries before writing.

Consider these questions before writing an outline or manuscript:

Do the top scholars agree with your main point?Do these scholars agree with each other?Where are the differences?What might you have missed?

Outline the sermon around the main point. Once you know the intended meaning of the text, then you can apply the text.

Consider the following questions as you outline the structure of your sermon:

How does this text apply to my church?What does the passage require of believers?How does this text point to Christ?

It is common for preachers to have three to five subpoints in each sermon. A good target is to preach for 25 to 35 minutes. Be sure to structure your sermon with the time constraints in mind. 

Listen to other respected preachers. First, a word of caution: Do not preach someone else’s sermon. Cite your sources and limit your quotations. This step may not be necessary for every sermon you preach, but hearing someone else preach may spark ideas and help your sermon gel.  

Write and revise the sermon. Most preachers use digital methods to write sermons. Many preachers use electronic devices (like tablets) to display their notes while they preach. Just in case something happens, you should always have a hard copy of the Bible and a print version of your notes available. Batteries die, and software can glitch.

Illustrate the sermon. An illustration may come to mind at any point in the sermon writing process, but incorporating these illustrations is usually the last step.

Where might you find illustrations for your sermons?

Real life: It’s good for your guests and new members to hear a little about who you are and what’s happening in your life. Additionally, your members are more likely to relate to you if you open up about your own life.History: These illustrations help teach church history, historical theology, and local history. More importantly, history can connect generations.Current news: Everyone is watching it, so you have to go there. Otherwise, you’ll appear out-of-touch and detached. But be careful here—not every news story is worthy of sermon time.Pop culture: Don’t dismiss this one. While the latest fad, gadget, or hit music may not appeal to you, they apply to the younger generations. It’s popular in the culture for a reason.Biblical examples: Often, the best illustrations are found in the Bible. Biblical illustrations help your listeners connect the dots between stories in the Bible and also between the many different genres of Scripture.

Check this out! Church Answers just released a brand-new Certification in Expository Preaching. Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dr. Matt McCraw, and I team up to bring you comprehensive and in-depth training to become a better expository preacher.

This certification will equip you to be a better expositor of God’s Word. Whether you are beginning to preach or have many years of experience, this training will give you a greater passion and a deeper understanding of the best preaching techniques, methods of preparation, and sermon delivery.

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The American Church Has a Race Problem

There’s a constant refrain among statisticians who focus on the overall population–demographics are destiny. If you want to see what the future looks like, it’s always helpful to look at the current trend lines and then project them out ten or twenty years in the future. That will give you a reasonable picture of how things will stand in the intermediate future. For instance, China had a roaring economy for the last several decades. They built some of the most extensive manufacturing facilities the world has ever seen and made products for some of the most well-known brands in the United States. Now, their economy is starting to cool. One simple reason exists for this cooling. Their birth rate plummeted. In the 1960s, the average Chinese woman gave birth to 6 or 7 children. Today, the Chinese birth rate is 1.16, which puts it lower than that of Japan. It’s

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The Wisest Thing I Ever Heard a 71-Year-Old Student Say

I was overseeing the doctoral program, and the potential student calling my office landline had a fundamental question for me: “Do you allow 71-year-old retirees to apply for your program?” I jokingly told him, “Yes, as long as you pay the full tuition up front” (and, how I was grateful he had a good sense of humor!). Within months, in fact, he was a student in our program. 

It was one of the few times that one of my students was old enough to be my dad. I recall the looks of my much younger students when they entered the classroom and saw an older man in a suit coat and tie. I suspect they assumed that he was a guest speaker for the day. He was, after all, the oldest guy in the room. 

It didn’t take long, though, for the young doctoral students to gravitate toward this older brother in Christ. They grew to want to hear his thinking—and I shared that desire even though I was the professor in charge of the class. It’s that background that has led to my still remembering some of this brother’s more powerful statements within the classroom. 

On this particular day, we were discussing the unhealthiness of local churches, often guided by unhealthy leaders. Our brother leaned back in his chair and quietly and humbly said to the class, “Gentlemen, here’s one of the primary problems I see with many pastors. . . .”  He paused, and all of us waited with anticipation to learn from his experience. 

“One of the problems I see with many pastors,” he said, “is that they’re actually pastoring three churches: the one they never got over because they either (a) remember only the glory days or (b) bear the scars of a tough experience; the one they’re currently pastoring that should be their primary focus but sometimes isn’t; and the one they’d like to be pastoring—usually a ‘bigger and better church.’” 

“Brothers,” he continued, “you can’t be the best pastor you can be when your eyes are on more than one congregation.” 

For young pastors in the class who aspired for more recognition, the words challenged them at a heart level. For the few of us in the room who had already tried to navigate more than one congregation in our minds, our brother had put into words a problem we had never been able to articulate. So much did his words challenge me that I still remember them decades later. They were, and still are, the wisest thing I have ever heard from a 71-year-old student. 

Perhaps his words spoken so many years ago still speak to your heart today. If so, let us know in the comments section how we might pray for you and your work.

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Six Quick Tips for the Upcoming Church Budget Season

Most churches budget on a calendar year, meaning the spreadsheets come out in full force about the same time as pumpkin spice lattes. Budget season is just around the corner.

Creating a church budget is a laborious—and somewhat thankless—task. It can take several weeks to finalize an annual budget.

Every line item matters. God brought this point to my mind a few years ago during the budget process at my church. As we poured over pages of documents, a mundane expense stood out to me: $1,500 for Bibles. It’s a small amount in our overall budget and easily overlooked. Then, I thought about all the stories tied to that budget line item.

We give away Bibles. We ask our members to take Bibles and give them to others. I’ve heard countless stories from my church about these Bibles. Stories of people coming to Christ. Stories of people weeping over receiving a copy of God’s Word. Stories of family members, coworkers, and friends who were reached because someone took them a Bible. God works miracles in the ordinary. Every line in the budget matters because every person matters to Jesus.

The process of creating the church budget is important. In many ways, it’s a ministry roadmap for the upcoming year. As you walk through this budget season, here are six quick tips to consider.

Start by projecting revenue first. Too many churches start by projecting expenses. It’s an understandable mistake because expenses represent how funds are spent on ministry. The problem is you can’t spend the funds unless they are first given. Dreaming about big-ticket ministry efforts may be fun, but it’s not wise to dream up a budget. When you start with what you expect to take in, you can better prioritize your expenses.Include deferred maintenance in your operating budget. Deferred maintenance is what happens when you postpone needed repairs to save money. The problem with deferring these repairs is that they become more expensive the longer you delay them. Repairing a leaky roof doesn’t get any cheaper with time. Put a deferred maintenance line item in your budget to take care of delayed repairs. Some churches have decades of delayed deferred maintenance projects. Start working on them this year.Include a contingency fund in your operating budget. Many churches do not have a contingency fund for unforeseen expenses. A church should have about three months of expenses set aside for emergencies. Start building this fund through your operating budget. In essence, you pay yourself with this tactic. As funds come into the operating budget, a portion is set aside for the contingency fund.Keep personnel costs between 45% and 55% of the total budget. Personnel costs include the salaries and benefits of all employees, part-time and full-time. A church with limited or no debt can be on the higher end of this range. A church with substantial debt will need to be on the lower end of this range, if not lower.Create a priority list for any year-end surplus ahead of time. Whatever group makes the financial decisions for the church should have a good idea of how any surpluses will be allocated. Don’t wait until the surplus exists. It’s more challenging to prioritize projects after a surplus exists than before a surplus exists. People tend to fight harder for their own agenda when money is in the bank. Negotiate ahead of time and save yourself a headache.Pray through every line item. We should not expect God to work through the budget unless it gets special attention through prayer.

Crafting a budget is not the most exciting ministry, but it’s critical to the health of the church. A carefully planned budget will facilitate more efficient ministry and encourage generous people to give. God rewards a church that honors Him through good financial practices.

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Dig Deep, Disciple Well: A Guide for Women Bible Teachers

Imagine a woman, gifted in teaching, yearning to share God’s word, but stifled by two extremes. The conversation around women and teaching in the church feels like a rocket aiming for the moon but stuck on the launchpad. On one hand, endless debates trap women’s gifts in a theological tug-of-war. On the other, the “rockstar teacher” model prioritizes platforms and personalities with cute outfits and instant followers over the biblical truths and message they came to share. Both approaches miss the mark.

The Bible is filled with women who boldly used their gifts to teach and inspire. Deborah, a judge and prophetess, led Israel militarily and spiritually. Priscilla, alongside her husband Aquila, instructed Apollos, a renowned teacher, in the way of God. Even Philip’s daughters prophesied, demonstrating the Holy Spirit’s work through women. These are just a few examples of how God has used women throughout history and continues to use them today, to share His message and equip believers.

God desires to transform lives through His Word, not through limitations or chasing clicks. He wants his Spirit to move freely, in coffee shops just as much as during big conferences. So, how do we reignite the passion for women teachers and equip those questioning their calling? Let’s refocus on the real mission: equipping women to faithfully study and share God’s Word and nurture disciples, as they confidently walk out their callings for the local church.

Fuel Your Passion: Learn for Love, Not Likes. In today’s social media frenzy, it’s easy to fall into the trap of learning for validation. We approach the Bible seeking content for catchy posts, neglecting its true power. Yet, God’s ultimate desire is to draw us closer to Him. When we study with a heart of love, seeking answers, connections, and personal transformation, He reveals Himself in profound ways. This genuine love becomes the fuel that ignites your teaching and inspires others. This is a daily practice that we all have to come back to. Many leaders and teachers have lost their love for God, because they approach the Bible as a turn-key transaction, instead of a life-sustaining well. Read and study without posting about it.

Unveiling the Grand Narrative: Read Chronologically. Learning Bible stories in isolation can leave us with a fragmented understanding. Reading chronologically paints the grand picture of redemption, revealing how seemingly unconnected stories from childhood Bible school days weave together into a beautiful tapestry of God’s faithfulness. This practice not only fosters deeper understanding but also strengthens your discipline in daily Bible intake. As a Bible teacher, I’m constantly amazed by the richness of Scripture. Connecting new characters with old truths or tracing themes from Genesis to Revelation unveils layer upon layer of meaning, like peeling back the petals of a rose. My understanding of the text deepens with every study session, a reminder of the Bible’s inexhaustible wisdom. Check out this great resource from Tyndale, NLT One Year Chronological Study Bible.

Invest in Expertise: Seek Continuous Learning. While starting small is crucial, consider ongoing formal education. Every spiritual gift needs to be stewarded and stewarding means doing the work. The gift of teaching is not a charismatic personality and stage presence, but instead is the ability to take the truths of Scripture and communicate them with truth and grace. Many seminaries and organizations offer affordable online certificates or courses. These resources can equip you with in-depth knowledge of Old Testament themes, church history, core doctrines, and even ancient Near Eastern culture. A great resource to check out is our Church Answers University certifications which are accessible and affordable. Continuous learning keeps your teaching fresh and relevant and helps to keep you in a humble posture of learning and listening. Check out Church Answers University.

Start Small, Impact Deeply: Focus on Discipleship, Not Display. Coffee shops, dining tables, and kitchen counters – these are the training grounds for your ministry. Before broadcasting to the internet, pour your gifts into a smaller group. This allows you to understand their struggles, tailor your lessons, and learn from their questions. You’ll witness firsthand the impact of your teaching, fostering deeper connections and ensuring your message resonates with hearts, not just screens or conference attendees. Your local church, neighborhood, and workplace are where God desires you to leverage your gifts. Look for the people in front of you and invite them into what God is teaching you. 

The world needs women who teach God’s word with both depth and passion. Let’s rise above the limitations and noise. Let’s embrace lifelong learning, cultivate a heart for discipleship, and ignite a fire in ourselves and others for the transformative power of Scripture. As we faithfully share God’s message, we become instruments of His love, leaving a legacy of transformed hearts and seeds of faith sown for generations to come.

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