Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 300

Why Church Members Don’t Invite Others to Church

By Chuck Lawless

Several years ago, more than one study showed large percentages of unchurched would consider attending a church if someone simply invited them. The problem is not the attitude of the unchurched; rather, it is often the failure of church members to invite others. When my church consulting teams have asked church members about their reticence to invite others to church, here are ten responses we have often heard (listed in no particular order):

“I just don’t think about it.” – Many church members have contact with the unchurched every week, if not every day. They go to school with them, work with them, live beside them – and sometimes live with them. What church folks don’t do, though, is see the unchurched as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36), as spiritual beings in need of redemption and a church family.
“I’m afraid I’ll be rejected.” – Nobody likes to be turned down, especially after taking the risk to invite somebody to church. It’s just easier to avoid that possibility by not inviting anyone at all (interestingly, church members could tell us times when others said “no,” but few could tell us of times when they were rudely or unkindly rejected).
“The music isn’t that good.” – Some may argue the worship wars are over, but the battles seem to be ongoing. Our teams continue to hear refrains like, “it’s too loud,” “it’s too boring,”  “we sing it over and over again,” and “nobody knows the songs.” Church members who themselves don’t enjoy the music don’t readily invite others to join them.
“The preaching isn’t strong.” – This response was seemingly the most painful one to admit. Church members who love their pastors do not want to hurt them, but they spoke honestly to our consulting teams. When the preaching is poor, invitations to the unchurched decrease.
“We’ve got too many church problems right now.” – Church members don’t always know all the issues facing a congregation, but they frequently recognize when something “just isn’t right.” They see the attendance decreasing, or they hear of internal conflict. Simply stated, they do not invite their friends onto a battleground.
“Our church is already too crowded.” – This issue is particularly an American one, as Americans protect our personal space. We don’t like being cramped, even in church. Moreover, we don’t want to have to search for a parking space before entering that already crowded building. One way to avoid more crowding is to stop inviting anyone.
“Nobody ever challenged me to invite anyone.” – This reason is related to the first one on this list. Some church members never think about inviting others because no one has challenged them to do so. This response is especially tragic if many unchurched would respond affirmatively to an invitation.
“I don’t know how to start the conversation.” – Simply inviting somebody to church would seem easy, but that’s not the case for many church members. In a culture where discussing religion or politics is almost forbidden, even long-term Christians struggle with initiating an invitation to church.
“It’s the Spirit’s job—not mine—to bring people to church.” – To be fair, we have heard this response primarily from congregations seeking to avoid any “man-centered” approach to evangelism. In their zeal to keep their focus on God, they walk cautiously when considering their role in evangelism – including simply inviting others to church.
“It’s too far for people to come.” – We live in a mobile culture that promotes church attendance sometimes quite far from where we live. Our teams have learned, however, that church members who drive a long distance are less willing to invite others to drive that same distance.

What reasons would you add to this list? What steps have you taken to address these responses?

Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.

The post Why Church Members Don’t Invite Others to Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

When Is It Time for a Pastor to Leave a Church? Seven Scenarios

I am reticent to write this article. I do not want to encourage pastors to leave churches too early. Frankly, many pastors have shared with me that, in the aftermath of their departures, they realized they had made a mistake. They left too soon.

Many times the departure takes place between years two to four of a pastor’s tenure. That is the typical period when the “honeymoon” is over and some level of conflict, even crises, have begun. Many pastors who made it to years five and beyond express thanksgiving that they did not depart in those more difficult early years.

I confess that I left a church too soon. My family’s income was below the poverty line, and I was too proud to express my financial needs to any trusted church leader. The church’s income had tripled in my three-year tenure, so I could have easily been paid more. And I have little doubt that some of the leaders in the church would have gladly helped. My stupid and sinful pride got in the way.

So I have asked over thirty pastors why they left their previous church. Obviously, my survey is both informal and small. Still, the responses were both fascinating and telling. Here are the top seven responses in order of frequency, and they are not always mutually exclusive.

“I had a strong sense of call to another church.” This response was articulated in a number of different ways, but the essence was the same. Slightly over half of the respondents left because of the “pull” rather than the “push.”
“I became weary and distracted with all the conflict and criticisms.” What leader has not been here? What pastor has not been here? It is often a death by a thousand cuts.
“I no longer felt like I was a good match for the church.” One pastor shared candidly that he felt like the church outgrew him. He said he had the skill set to serve a church with an attendance of 150. But when it grew to 500 after eight years, he felt that his leadership skills were not adequate to take the church any further.
“I left because of family needs.” One pastor moved closer to his aging parents who had no one to care for them. Another indicated his family was miserable in their former church location.
“I was fired or forced out.” This story is far too common. Of course, some of the other factors in this list overlap with this one.
“I was called to a different type of ministry.” Some left to take a position other than lead pastor in another church. Others went into parachurch or denominational ministry. I am among those who left the pastorate for denominational work.
“I was not paid adequately.” I related my own story above. Let me be clear. The pastors with whom I spoke were not seeking extravagant pay, just adequate pay. And like me, most of them were uncomfortable broaching the issue with any leaders in the church.

What do you think of these seven factors? What would you add? What have been your experiences?

The post When Is It Time for a Pastor to Leave a Church? Seven Scenarios appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Pray for Mosaic Church

Location: Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada

Pastor: Jon Las

Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM Mountain Time

Fast Facts: Mosaic began this past April as a church plant. In their short existence, they have already seen nearly 40 people express their desire to receive Christ as Lord, and have a growing attendance of around 300 people. Mosaic is a multicultural community composed of many young adults and young families, with a good sprinkling of seniors. Their desire is to live out God’s great love so that people who are distant from God might be made alive and included in Christ.

They will hold their first lake baptism service on July 27 and have close to 20 candidates and are praying for more. Because the little College Theater they meet in is already maxed out, they are hoping to move to a local community theater that seats 500 people. Mosaic will officially launch on September 14, 2014.

Please pray for the congregation to continue to embrace and grow in our God-given mandate to make disciples! Discipleship Groups (small groups) are their primary vehicle in equipping people for biblical and missional living. Also pray that Mosaic will be a church planting movement around the Canadian midwest where there are not a lot of growing evangelical churches. They desire to plant 5 Mosaic campuses in 7 years. Please pray for continued growth and faithfulness in giving. The church sets aside funds to support outreach partners each week, which has yielded tremendous results and responses from the community.

Website: MosaicLloyd.com/

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, download this information form and return it to the address on the form.

The post Pray for Mosaic Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

2014 Update on Largest Churches in the Southern Baptist Convention

Every year I provide an update on churches in my denomination that have an average worship attendance of 1,000 or more.  I understand that almost one-half of my readers are not in the Southern Baptist Convention, so I appreciate you allowing me occasionally to share information about our family.

Allow me to provide a few caveats to accompany this list. It seems like these issues arise whenever I provide this report.

The numbers are self-reported by the churches. We have not verified them.
The churches on this list have met the requirements to be a part of the denomination.
We are not making qualitative comments about larger churches with this list. We are simply providing information.
If you think a church should be on the list and it is not, the church probably did not report the data. We know that at least 37 churches of sufficient size to be on this list did not report.
These churches represent the top one percent in attendance in the denomination. Conversely 99% of the churches are not on the list.




RANK
CHURCH NAME
CITY
STATE
WEEKLY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE


1
NewSpring Community Church
Anderson
SC
27,158


2
Second Baptist Church
Houston
TX
26,022


3
Saddleback Valley Community Church
Lake Forest
CA
22,055


4
Woodlands Church
The Woodlands
TX
18,524


5
Prestonwood Baptist Church
Plano
TX
15,289


6
Thomas Road Baptist Church
Lynchburg
VA
13,500


7
Potential Church
Fort Lauderdale
FL
12,382


8
Elevation Church
Matthews
NC
11,708


9
Sagebrush Community Church
Albuquerque
NM
10,105


10
The Village Church
Flower Mound
TX
10,030


11
Lake Pointe Church
Rockwall
TX
9,250


12
Pinelake Church
Brandon
MS
9,091


13
Higher Dimension Church
Houston
TX
9,000


13
The Fountain of Praise
Houston
TX
9,000


15
Cross Church
Springdale
AR
8,562


16
Christ Fellowship Baptist Church
Palmetto Bay
FL
8,197


17
Shepherd of the Hills
Porter Ranch
CA
8,002


18
Shadow Mountain Community Church
El Cajon
CA
7,667


19
Bay Area Fellowship
Corpus Christi
TX
7,600


20
Voices of Faith Ministries
Stone Mountain
GA
6,900


21
Long Hollow Baptist Church
Hendersonville
TN
6,867


22
Sunrise Church
Rialto
CA
6,830


23
Elizabeth Baptist Church
Atlanta
GA
6,800


24
Church by the Glades
Coral Springs
FL
6,712


25
Bellevue Baptist Church
Cordova
TN
6,671


26
The Summit Church-Homestead Heights
Durham
NC
6,518


27
The Austin Stone Community Church
Austin
TX
6,336


28
First Baptist of Woodstock
Woodstock
GA
6,318


29
Idlewild Baptist Church
Lutz
FL
6,150


30
First Baptist Church of Orlando
Orlando
FL
5,690


31
Houston’s First Baptist Church
Houston
TX
5,607


32
Biltmore Baptist Church
Arden
NC
5,558


33
Brentwood Baptist Church
Brentwood
TN
5,510


34
Fallbrook Baptist Church
Houston
TX
5,500


34
Sandals Church
Riverside
CA
5,500


36
Newspring Church
Wichita
KS
5,481


37
Champion Forest Baptist Church
Houston
TX
5,456


38
Green Acres Baptist Church
Tyler
TX
5,056


39
Grace Church
Greenville
SC
5,000


40
Hillvue Heights Baptist Church
Bowling Green
KY
4,961


41
First Baptist of Atlanta
Atlanta
GA
4,956


42
Celebration Church
Metairie
LA
4,768


43
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
New Orleans
LA
4,760


44
The Crossing Church
Tampa
FL
4,613


45
First Baptist Church of Jacksonville
Jacksonville
FL
4,500


46
Sharon Baptist Church
Philadelphia
PA
4,494


47
West Ridge Church
Dallas
GA
4,447


48
New Faith Baptist Church International
Matteson
IL
4,400


49
Faith Promise Church
Knoxville
TN
4,355


50
Clear Creek Community Church
League City
TX
4,322


51
First Baptist Church
Pasadena
TX
4,250


51
Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church
Dallas
TX
4,250


51
The Church at Rock Creek
Little Rock
AR
4,250


54
Thechurch.at Battlecreek
Broken Arrow
OK
4,208


55
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
Marietta
GA
4,139


56
Sagemont Church
Houston
TX
4,136


57
Cascade Hills Baptist Church
Columbus
GA
4,100


58
Liberty Baptist Church
Hampton
VA
4,014


59
Hickory Grove Baptist Church
Charlotte
NC
3,834


60
Sugar Creek Baptist Church
Sugar Land
TX
3,790


61
Gardendale First Baptist Church
Gardendale
AL
3,757


62
Bell Shoals Baptist Church
Brandon
FL
3,593


63
Valley Baptist Church
Bakersfield
CA
3,586


64
Virginia Highlands Christian Fellowship
Abingdon
VA
3,583


65
Mosaic LA
Los Angeles
CA
3,570


66
Riverbend Baptist Church
Austin
TX
3,500


67
Calvary Baptist Church
Clearwater
FL
3,478


68
First Baptist Church of Naples
Naples
FL
3,477


69
Sevier Heights Baptist Church
Knoxville
TN
3,464


70
Metropolitan Baptist Church
Houston
TX
3,439


71
Waters Edge Church
Yorktown
VA
3,432


72
First Baptist Church
Dallas
TX
3,426


73
Southwest Community Baptist Church
Houston
TX
3,400


73
Spartanburg First Baptist Church
Spartanburg
SC
3,400


75
Central Baptist Church
Jonesboro
AR
3,319


76
Calvary Baptist Church
Winston Salem
NC
3,304


77
Hebron Baptist Church
Dacula
GA
3,246


78
Mud Creek Church
Hendersonville
NC
3,220


79
Beltway Park Baptist Church
Abilene
TX
3,067


80
Central Baptist Church, Bryan
College Station
TX
3,000


81
Bear Creek Baptist Church
Katy
TX
2,968


82
First Baptist Church at the Mall
Lakeland
FL
2,966


83
Cleveland First Baptist Church
Cleveland
TN
2,965


84
Oakwood Baptist Church
New Braunfels
TX
2,947


85
Olive Baptist Church
Pensacola
FL
2,932


86
Hunter Street Baptist Church
Hoover
AL
2,916


87
First Baptist Church Indian Trail
Indian Trail
NC
2,888


88
Abundant Life Baptist Church
Lees Summit
MO
2,880


88
Rock Bridge Community Church
Dalton
GA
2,880


90
Dawson Memorial Baptist Church
Homewood
AL
2,875


90
First Baptist Church of Brandon
Brandon
FL
2,875


92
The Heights Baptist Church
Richardson
TX
2,866


93
Concord First Baptist Church
Knoxville
TN
2,846


94
Willowbrook Baptist Church
Huntsville
AL
2,845


95
Shadow Hills Baptist Church
Las Vegas
NV
2,781


96
Indian Rocks First Baptist Church
Largo
FL
2,780


97
Hendersonville First Baptist Church
Hendersonville
TN
2,775


98
Silverlake Church
Pearland
TX
2,766


99
LifePoint Church
Smyrna
TN
2,746


100
Highview Baptist Church
Louisville
KY
2,730


101
Grace Baptist Church
Knoxville
TN
2,700


102
First Baptist Church of Arnold
Arnold
MO
2,686


103
C3 Church NC
Clayton
NC
2,671


104
Lenexa Baptist Church
Lenexa
KS
2,667


105
Crossroads Church
Newnan
GA
2,665


106
Lifepoint Church
Fredericksburg
VA
2,643


107
McGregor Baptist Church
Fort Myers
FL
2,636


108
Blackshear Place Baptist Church
Flowery Branch
GA
2,635


109
First Baptist Church of Jacksonville
Jacksonville
NC
2,608


110
Henderson Hills Baptist Church
Edmond
OK
2,600


111
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Liberty
MO
2,592


112
Silverdale Baptist Church
Chattanooga
TN
2,584


113
Cornerstone Church
Ames
IA
2,575


114
Englewood Baptist Church
Jackson
TN
2,556


115
Immanuel Baptist Church
Highland
CA
2,543


116
Opelika First
Opelika
AL
2,541


117
First Baptist Church, Euless
Euless
TX
2,534


118
East Bayou Baptist Church
Lafayette
LA
2,502


118
First Baptist Church of Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg
MS
2,502


120
New Faith Church of Houston
Houston
TX
2,500


120
Oasis Church of South Florida
Pembroke Pines
FL
2,500


120
Praise Temple Baptist Church
Shreveport
LA
2,500


120
Rock Springs Baptist Church
Easley
SC
2,500


120
Russian Baptist Church
West Sacramento
CA
2,500


125
Great Commission Baptist Church
Fort Worth
TX
2,453


126
La Familia de Dios
Ontario
CA
2,450


126
Shades Mountain Baptist Church
Vestavia Hills
AL
2,450


128
The Grove Community Church
Riverside
CA
2,438


129
Grace Fellowship
West Palm Beach
FL
2,430


130
Kingsland Baptist Church
Katy
TX
2,408


131
First Baptist Church Norfolk
Norfolk
VA
2,402


132
First Baptist Church
Arlington
TX
2,401


133
First Baptist Church
Broken Arrow
OK
2,400


133
Iglesia Bautista De Glenview
Ponce
PR
2,400


135
Park Cities Baptist Church
Dallas
TX
2,340


136
Mobberly Baptist Church
Longview
TX
2,313


137
Fielder Road Baptist Church
Arlington
TX
2,312


138
Apex Community Church
Kettering
OH
2,300


138
Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church
Jacksonville
FL
2,300


140
First Baptist Church of Oviedo
Oviedo
FL
2,299


141
Broadmoor Baptist Church
Madison
MS
2,298


142
Bethlehem Baptist Church
Gastonia
NC
2,287


143
Glenview Baptist Church
Fort Worth
TX
2,280


144
Burnt Hickory Baptist Church
Powder Springs
GA
2,253


145
Shandon Baptist Church
Columbia
SC
2,250


145
Word Tabernacle
Rocky Mount
NC
2,250


147
First Baptist Church
West Monroe
LA
2,246


148
New Vision Church of Northern California
Milpitas
CA
2,232


149
The Heights Baptist Church
Colonial Heights
VA
2,225


150
First Baptist Church of Wylie
Wylie
TX
2,200


151
The Fort Bend Church
Sugar Land
TX
2,189


152
First Baptist Church
Wichita Falls
TX
2,182


153
Summit Church
Fort Myers
FL
2,180


154
Second Baptist Church
Springfield
MO
2,174


155
Bay Life Church
Brandon
FL
2,151


156
Fort Lauderdale First Baptist Church
Fort Lauderdale
FL
2,150


156
Valley View Baptist Church
Louisville
KY
2,150


158
Alamo City Christian Fellowship Church
San Antonio
TX
2,125


158
Cedar Creek Baptist Church
Aiken
SC
2,125


160
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church
Little Rock
AR
2,118


161
Columbia First Baptist Church
Columbia
SC
2,100


161
First Baptist Church
Amarillo
TX
2,100


161
First Baptist Church Woodway
Woodway
TX
2,100


164
Broadmoor Baptist Church
Shreveport
LA
2,083


165
Warren Baptist Church
Augusta
GA
2,046


166
The Avenue Church
Waxahachie
TX
2,044


167
Thompson Station Baptist Church
Thompson Station
TN
2,041


168
First Baptist Church of McKinney
McKinney
TX
2,036


169
Grace Community Church
Clarksville
TN
2,030


170
SouthCrest Baptist Church
Newnan
GA
2,027


171
Cross Pointe Church
Duluth
GA
2,001


172
Abba’s House
Hixson
TN
2,000


172
Baptist Temple
McAllen
TX
2,000


172
East Brent Baptist Church
Pensacola
FL
2,000


172
First Baptist Church Jackson
Jackson
MS
2,000


172
First Baptist Forney
Forney
TX
2,000


172
First Baptist of Jonesboro
Jonesboro
GA
2,000


172
Greenforest Community
Decatur
GA
2,000


172
North Spartanburg First
Spartanburg
SC
2,000


180
Cuyahoga Valley  Church
Broadview Heights
OH
1,986


180
NorthPointe Community Church
Fresno
CA
1,986


182
Simpsonville First
Simpsonville
SC
1,984


183
Forest Park Baptist Church
Joplin
MO
1,964


184
Chets Creek Church
Jacksonville
FL
1,963


185
Calvary Baptist Church
Beaumont
TX
1,959


186
Montgomery First
Montgomery
AL
1,958


187
Hillcrest Church
Pensacola
FL
1,950


188
Living Hope Baptist Church
Bowling Green
KY
1,940


189
Temple
New Bern
NC
1,935


190
Seoul Baptist Church of Houston
Houston
TX
1,931


191
First Baptist Church
Covington
LA
1,924


191
Ingleside Baptist Church
Macon
GA
1,924


193
Sevierville First
Sevierville
TN
1,923


194
Dallas Bay Baptist Church
Hixson
TN
1,915


195
Northwood Church
Keller
TX
1,913


196
Spotswood Baptist Church
Fredericksburg
VA
1,908


197
Tallowood Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,907


198
Lifepoint Church
Tampa
FL
1,900


199
Brainerd Baptist Church
Chattanooga
TN
1,899


200
Panama City First
Panama City
FL
1,898


201
Fellowship of the Parks
Keller
TX
1,896


202
River Oak Church
Chesapeake
VA
1,890


203
Crossgates Baptist Church
Brandon
MS
1,886


204
Midway Macedonia Baptist Church
Villa Rica
GA
1,882


205
Community Life Church
Forney
TX
1,876


206
Hyde Park Baptist Church
Austin
TX
1,859


207
First Baptist Church
Rockwall
TX
1,850


208
Calvary Baptist Church
Alexandria
LA
1,845


209
PaulAnn Baptist Church
San Angelo
TX
1,843


210
Mountain Lake Community Church
Cumming
GA
1,835


210
Rogers First
Rogers
AR
1,835


212
Southcrest Baptist Church
Lubbock
TX
1,833


213
Taylors First
Taylors
SC
1,831


214
Ridgecrest Baptist Church
Springfield
MO
1,825


215
Hope Baptist Church
Las Vegas
NV
1,813


216
Casas Adobes Baptist Church
Tucson
AZ
1,812


217
Berendo Street Baptist Church
Los Angeles
CA
1,800


217
Immanuel Baptist Church
Shawnee
OK
1,800


217
Northstar Church
Kennesaw
GA
1,800


220
Humble Area’s First Baptist Church
Humble
TX
1,788


221
East Memorial Baptist Church
Prattville
AL
1,784


222
New Hope Baptist Church
Fayetteville
GA
1,783


223
Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church
Allen
TX
1,772


223
Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church
McDonough
GA
1,772


225
Istrouma Baptist Church
Baton Rouge
LA
1,752


226
Family Church
Pine Bluff
AR
1,750


226
First Baptist Church
Bossier City
LA
1,750


226
Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville
Brownsville
TX
1,750


229
Quail Springs Baptist Church
Oklahoma City
OK
1,730


230
Colonial Hills Baptist Church
Southaven
MS
1,716


231
Whitesburg Baptist Church
Huntsville
AL
1,709


232
Mount Ararat Baptist Church
Stafford
VA
1,705


233
CrossPointe Church
Valdosta
GA
1,700


233
First Baptist Church
Midland
TX
1,700


233
First Chinese Baptist Church
Los Angeles
CA
1,700


233
Mt Calvary Baptist Church
Fairfield
CA
1,700


233
North Jacksonville Baptist Church
Jacksonville
FL
1,700


233
North Monroe Baptist Church
Monroe
LA
1,700


239
Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles
Alhambra
CA
1,698


240
Trinity Baptist Church
Lake Charles
LA
1,675


241
3Circle Church
Fairhope
AL
1,665


242
First Baptist Church Snellville
Snellville
GA
1,655


243
O’Fallon First
O””Fallon
IL
1,650


243
True North Church
North Augusta
SC
1,650


243
Tuscaloosa First
Tuscaloosa
AL
1,650


246
Temple Missionary Baptist Church
San Bernardino
CA
1,644


247
Fellowship of The Rockies
Pueblo
CO
1,643


248
Ridgecrest Baptist Church
Dothan
AL
1,638


249
Lee Park Baptist Church
Monroe
NC
1,637


250
Cowboy Church of Ellis County
Waxahachie
TX
1,632


251
Sherwood Baptist Church
Albany
GA
1,604


252
First Baptist Church
Texarkana
TX
1,600


252
New Life Community
E Saint Louis
IL
1,600


252
North Phoenix Baptist Church
Phoenix
AZ
1,600


252
Stonegate Fellowship Church
Midland
TX
1,600


256
Jacob’s Well
Eau Claire
WI
1,590


257
Faith Baptist Church
Bartlett
TN
1,583


258
Global Mission Church of Greater Washington
Silver Spring
MD
1,581


259
Bannockburn Baptist Church
Austin
TX
1,564


260
Jersey Baptist Church
Pataskala
OH
1,552


261
Brentwood Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,547


262
Twin Cities Community Church
Grass Valley
CA
1,536


263
University Baptist Church
Coral Gables
FL
1,535


264
Oakwood Baptist Church
Chickamauga
GA
1,533


265
First Baptist Church
Garland
TX
1,517


265
North Richland Hills Baptist Church
North Richland Hills
TX
1,517


267
City Church
Tallahassee
FL
1,512


268
Boiling Springs First Baptist Church
Boiling Springs
SC
1,508


269
First Redeemer Church
Cumming
GA
1,507


270
Anastasia Baptist Church
St. Augustine
FL
1,503


271
Crossway Baptist Church
Springfield
MO
1,500


271
First Baptist Church
Raytown
MO
1,500


271
Foothills Community Church
Seneca
SC
1,500


271
Grace Point Church
San Antonio
TX
1,500


271
Grove Level Baptist Church
Maysville
GA
1,500


271
Lakewood Baptist Church
Gainesville
GA
1,500


271
Rockpointe Church
Flower Mound
TX
1,500


271
Sunnyvale First Baptist Church
Sunnyvale
TX
1,500


271
Westside Church
Omaha
NE
1,500


271
Woodland Community Church
Bradenton
FL
1,500


281
First Baptist Church
Denton
TX
1,495


281
Watkinsville First Baptist Church
Watkinsville
GA
1,495


283
Immanuel Baptist Church
Lexington
KY
1,486


284
Birchman Baptist Church
Fort Worth
TX
1,470


285
Journey Church
Evans
GA
1,468


286
First Baptist Church Windermere
Windermere
FL
1,454


287
First Baptist Church Tulsa
Tulsa
OK
1,451


288
Fairview Baptist Church
Corryton
TN
1,450


289
Temple Baptist Church
Hattiesburg
MS
1,446


290
South Bay Church
San Jose
CA
1,445


290
Southern Hills Baptist Church
Oklahoma City
OK
1,445


292
121 Community Church
Grapevine
TX
1,440


292
Bon Air Baptist Church
Richmond
VA
1,440


294
First Baptist Church
San Antonio
TX
1,437


295
Genoa Baptist Church
Westerville
OH
1,429


296
Keystone Church
Keller
TX
1,422


297
Maryville First
Maryville
IL
1,420


297
Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church
Mesquite
TX
1,420


299
First Baptist Church of Kissimmee
Kissimmee
FL
1,415


300
Fort Smith First Baptist Church
Fort Smith
AR
1,414


301
Concord Missionary Baptist Church
Dallas
TX
1,400


301
First Baptist Church
Moore
OK
1,400


301
First Baptist Church of Plant City
Plant City
FL
1,400


301
First St. John Missionary Baptist
Fort Worth
TX
1,400


301
Greater St Matthew Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,400


301
Hibernia Baptist Church
Fleming Island
FL
1,400


301
Lawndale Baptist Church
Greensboro
NC
1,400


301
North Metro First Baptist Church
Lawrenceville
GA
1,400


301
Valley Creek Baptist Church
Flower Mound
TX
1,400


310
Collierville First Baptist Church
Collierville
TN
1,390


310
Spring Baptist Church
Spring
TX
1,390


312
Graceland Baptist Church
New Albany
IN
1,387


313
Grace Church
Des Moines
IA
1,383


314
Grace Fellowship Church
Paradise
TX
1,377


315
First Baptist of Gainesville
Gainesville
GA
1,375


315
Hill Crest
Anniston
AL
1,375


317
Paramount Baptist Church
Amarillo
TX
1,372


318
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Enid
OK
1,370


319
Westbrook Baptist Church
Hutchinson
KS
1,368


320
Powell First Baptist Church
Powell
TN
1,356


321
Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,355


322
First Baptist Church
Carrollton
TX
1,354


323
Harris Creek Baptist Church
Mc Gregor
TX
1,350


323
Metro Community Church
Edwardsville
IL
1,350


323
Morristown First Baptist Church
Morristown
TN
1,350


323
North Asheville Baptist Church
Asheville
NC
1,350


323
Peace Baptist Church
Decatur
GA
1,350


323
Resurrection Baptist Church
Schertz
TX
1,350


329
First Baptist Church Woodbridge
Woodbridge
VA
1,349


330
Travis Avenue Baptist Church
Fort Worth
TX
1,346


331
Hendersonville First
Hendersonville
NC
1,341


331
Lone Oak First
Paducah
KY
1,341


333
First Baptist Church of Middleburg
Middleburg
FL
1,340


334
Alice Drive Baptist Church
Sumter
SC
1,338


335
First Baptist Church of Allen
Allen
TX
1,334


336
Millington First Baptist Church
Millington
TN
1,330


337
Bellevue Baptist Church
Owensboro
KY
1,326


338
First Baptist Church
Summit
MS
1,325


338
Hopeful Baptist Church
Lake City
FL
1,325


340
Emmanuel Community Church
Conyers
GA
1,323


341
Hiland Park Baptist Church
Panama City
FL
1,320


342
Columbia Baptist Church
Falls Church
VA
1,319


343
Crosspoint Southern Baptist Church
Trussville
AL
1,317


344
Hyland Heights Baptist Church
Lynchburg
VA
1,314


345
Parkwood Baptist Church
Gastonia
NC
1,313


346
Oak Ridge Baptist Church
Salisbury
MD
1,311


347
Fellowship Community Church
Salem
VA
1,305


347
Westwood Baptist Church
Alabaster
AL
1,305


349
ClearView Baptist Church
Franklin
TN
1,304


350
Arran Lake Baptist Church
Fayetteville
NC
1,300


350
Bayside Baptist Church
Harrison
TN
1,300


350
Council Road Baptist Church
Bethany
OK
1,300


350
Crestview Baptist Church
Georgetown
TX
1,300


350
Daystar Church
Greensboro
NC
1,300


350
First Baptist Church Powder Springs
Powder Springs
GA
1,300


350
First Baptist of Thomasville
Thomasville
GA
1,300


350
French Speaking Baptist Church Brooklyn
Brooklyn
NY
1,300


350
Green Valley Baptist Church
Henderson
NV
1,300


350
Immanuel Baptist Church
Little Rock
AR
1,300


350
Johns Creek Baptist Church
Alpharetta
GA
1,300


350
Spring Hills Community Church
Santa Rosa
CA
1,300


362
South Biscayne Church
North Port
FL
1,296


363
Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church
Moore
SC
1,291


364
South Tampa Fellowship
Tampa
FL
1,290


365
Del Sol Church
El Paso
TX
1,289


365
Longview Heights Baptist Church
Olive Branch
MS
1,289


367
First Baptist Church of Harvester
Saint Charles
MO
1,288


367
Hilldale Baptist Church
Clarksville
TN
1,288


369
Lakeside Baptist Church
Granbury
TX
1,287


370
Second Baptist Church
Warner Robins
GA
1,285


371
Scotts Hill
Wilmington
NC
1,284


372
Avalon Church
McDonough
GA
1,275


372
Hopewell
Monroe
NC
1,275


372
LifePoint Church
Lewis Center
OH
1,275


372
Stevens Street Baptist Church
Cookeville
TN
1,275


376
Roswell Street Baptist Church
Marietta
GA
1,270


377
First Baptist Church
Roanoke
VA
1,266


377
Houston Northwest Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,266


379
FishHawk Fellowship
Lithia
FL
1,263


380
Franklin Heights Baptist Church
Rocky Mount
VA
1,256


381
Higher Ground Baptist Church
Kingsport
TN
1,254


382
First Baptist Church
Universal Cty
TX
1,252


383
Cornerstone Community Church
Orangeburg
SC
1,250


383
First Baptist of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
GA
1,250


383
Hawk Creek
London
KY
1,250


383
Kirby Woods Baptist Church
Memphis
TN
1,250


383
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church
Herndon
VA
1,250


388
Clovis Hills Community Church
Clovis
CA
1,248


389
First Baptist of Conyers
Conyers
GA
1,236


390
First Baptist Church
Lubbock
TX
1,234


391
Calvary
Tuscaloosa
AL
1,233


392
514 Church
New Albany
OH
1,225


393
First Baptist Church of Frisco
Frisco
TX
1,223


394
Fruit Cove Baptist Church
Jacksonville
FL
1,222


395
Prattville First Baptist Church
Prattville
AL
1,221


396
First Baptist Church
Lafayette
LA
1,220


397
Mount Zion Baptist Church
Huntsville
AL
1,219


398
Parkway Church
Victoria
TX
1,215


399
Severns Valley
Elizabethtown
KY
1,211


400
First Baptist Church
Branson
MO
1,208


401
First Baptist Church of Central Florida
Orlando
FL
1,204


402
First Baptist Church
Midlothian
TX
1,202


403
Antioch Church
Long Beach
CA
1,200


403
Bentonville First Baptist Church
Bentonville
AR
1,200


403
Faith Baptist Church
Youngsville
NC
1,200


403
First Keller
Keller
TX
1,200


403
Hillcrest Baptist Church
Lebanon
TN
1,200


403
Mesilla Park Community Church
Mesilla Park
NM
1,200


403
Powhatan Community Church
Powhatan
VA
1,200


403
Russell Missionary Baptist Church
Green Cove Springs
FL
1,200


403
StoneBridge Church
The Woodlands
TX
1,200


403
Tacoma First Baptist Church
Tacoma
WA
1,200


413
The Glade Church
Gladeville
TN
1,197


413
Westside Baptist Church
Jacksonville
FL
1,197


415
Florence
Florence
KY
1,194


416
Dayspring Baptist Church
Mobile
AL
1,190


417
First Baptist Church
Lewisville
TX
1,183


418
First Missionary Baptist Church
Ardmore
OK
1,179


419
West University Baptist Church
Houston
TX
1,178


420
First Baptist North Mobile
Saraland
AL
1,177


421
Lindsay Lane Baptist Church
Athens
AL
1,167


422
Pathways Community Church
Santee
CA
1,165


423
Northside Baptist Church
Liverpool
NY
1,164


424
Brushy Creek Baptist Church
Taylors
SC
1,161


424
Stuart Heights Baptist Church
Hixson
TN
1,161


426
Glen Haven Baptist Church
McDonough
GA
1,154


427
Grove Avenue Baptist Church
Richmond
VA
1,151


428
First Baptist Church
Hurst
TX
1,150


428
Golden Acres  Baptist  Church
Phenix City
AL
1,150


428
Hunters Glen Baptist Church
Plano
TX
1,150


428
Redeemer Church of Lubbock
Lubbock
TX
1,150


428
Vandalia First Baptist Church
Vandalia
OH
1,150


433
First Baptist Church
Odessa
TX
1,145


434
Fairview Baptist Church
Columbus
MS
1,140


434
Walnut Ridge Baptist Church
Mansfield
TX
1,140


436
CrossPoint City Church
Cartersville
GA
1,139


437
Immanuel Baptist Church
Lebanon
TN
1,136


438
North Side Baptist Church
Weatherford
TX
1,135


439
Englewood
Rocky Mount
NC
1,134


439
Life Community Church
Jamestown
NC
1,134


441
Harvest Baptist Church
Watauga
TX
1,132


442
First Baptist Church of Merritt Island
Merritt Island
FL
1,127


442
Immanuel Baptist Church
Tallahassee
FL
1,127


444
Dogwood Church
Peachtree City
GA
1,126


444
LifeSpring Church
Bellevue
NE
1,126


446
First Baptist Church
Burleson
TX
1,125


447
Aloma Church Ministries
Winter Park
FL
1,120


447
Woodland Park Baptist Church
Chattanooga
TN
1,120


449
Southwinds Church
Tracy
CA
1,113


450
Summer Grove Baptist Church
Shreveport
LA
1,109


451
Harrisburg Baptist Church
Tupelo
MS
1,107


452
First Baptist Church
The Woodlands
TX
1,105


453
Old Fort Baptist Church
Summerville
SC
1,101


454
Benton First Baptist Church
Benton
AR
1,100


454
Cool Spring Baptist Church
Mechanicsville
VA
1,100


454
Cross Brand Cowboy Church
Tyler
TX
1,100


454
First Baptist Church
Irving
TX
1,100


454
First Baptist Church
Richardson
TX
1,100


454
First Baptist Church of Pelham
Pelham
AL
1,100


454
Fort Mill First Baptist Church
Fort Mill
SC
1,100


454
Mims Baptist Church
Conroe
TX
1,100


454
Northside
Wilmington
NC
1,100


454
Pleasant Garden
Pleasant Garden
NC
1,100


454
Second Baptist Church
Baytown
TX
1,100


454
Streetlife at Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge
LA
1,100


454
The Connection Church
Kyle
TX
1,100


454
Westside Baptist Church
Lewisville
TX
1,100


468
Hillcrest
Hopkinsville
KY
1,098


469
The River Community Church
Cookeville
TN
1,096


470
Binghamtown
Middlesboro
KY
1,095


471
Crossroads Baptist Church
The Woodlands
TX
1,092


472
The Church at Viera
Melbourne
FL
1,087


472
Village Baptist Church
Fayetteville
NC
1,087


474
Calvary Baptist Church
Lake Havasu City
AZ
1,086


475
Western Avenue
Statesville
NC
1,082


476
First Baptist Church of Leesburg
Leesburg
FL
1,081


477
Hermitage Hills Baptist Church
Hermitage
TN
1,080


478
Cornerstone Community
Marion
IL
1,079


478
First Baptist Church Lilburn
Lilburn
GA
1,079


480
Calvary Baptist Church
Dothan
AL
1,077


480
Corryton Baptist Church
Corryton
TN
1,077


482
Friendship Baptist Church
The Colony
TX
1,075


483
Forest Hills Baptist Church
Nashville
TN
1,074


484
First Baptist of Cumming
Cumming
GA
1,073


484
Prince Avenue Baptist Church
Bogart
GA
1,073


486
First Baptist Church Statesboro
Statesboro
GA
1,071


487
First Baptist Church of Alexandria
Alexandria
VA
1,067


488
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Roseville
MI
1,065


488
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Billings
MT
1,065


490
Columbia First Baptist Church
Columbia
TN
1,064


490
Highland Baptist Church
Waco
TX
1,064


492
Deep Creek Baptist Church
Chesapeake
VA
1,061


492
First Baptist Church
Georgetown
TX
1,061


494
First Baptist Church of Brandon
Brandon
MS
1,059


495
Southcliff Baptist Church
Fort Worth
TX
1,057


496
Tillman’s Corner First
Mobile
AL
1,055


497
First Baptist Church of Weston
Weston
FL
1,052


498
Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church
Garland
TX
1,051


499
Bay Leaf Baptist Church
Raleigh
NC
1,050


499
Central Baptist Church
Warner Robins
GA
1,050


499
Enterprise First Baptist Church
Enterprise
AL
1,050


499
First Baptist Church Madison
Madison
MS
1,050


499
Gulf to Lake Baptist Church
Crystal River
FL
1,050


499
New Song Church
Carrollton
TX
1,050


499
Russellville First Baptist Church
Russellville
AR
1,050


499
Westside Baptist Church
Gainesville
FL
1,050


507
West Jackson Baptist Church
Jackson
TN
1,047


508
St Luke Missionary Baptist Church
Humble
TX
1,045


509
Center Grove
Clemmons
NC
1,043


510
Cornerstone Family Church
St. Cloud
FL
1,042


510
Hot Springs First Baptist Church
Hot Springs
AR
1,042


512
Valley View
Tuscaloosa
AL
1,040


513
Decatur Baptist
Decatur
AL
1,039


513
Green Street
High Point
NC
1,039


515
The Fellowship At Cinco Ranch
Katy
TX
1,038


516
Millbrook Baptist Church
Aiken
SC
1,036


517
South Tulsa Baptist Church
Tulsa
OK
1,035


518
First Baptist Church
Colleyville
TX
1,034


518
Temple Terrace First Baptist Church
Temple Terrace
FL
1,034


520
First Baptist Church
Richmond
VA
1,030


520
Little Flock
Shepherdsville
KY
1,030


520
Spring Hills Baptist
Granville
OH
1,030


523
Northcliffe Baptist Church
Spring Hill
FL
1,027


524
East Leesville Baptist Church
Leesville
LA
1,025


524
First Baptist Church
Belton
TX
1,025


524
Pioneer Drive Baptist Church
Abilene
TX
1,025


527
Coggin Avenue Baptist Church
Brownwood
TX
1,024


527
Highland Park
Muscle Shoals
AL
1,024


529
Lakeview
Auburn
AL
1,021


530
Huntsville First Baptist Church
Huntsville
AL
1,019


531
First Baptist Church
Houma
LA
1,016


531
Willow Park Baptist Church
Aledo
TX
1,016


533
North Augusta First Baptist Church
North Augusta
SC
1,013


533
Porter Memorial
Lexington
KY
1,013


535
Greenwell Springs Baptist Church
Greenwell Springs
LA
1,012


536
Cypress Baptist Church
Benton
LA
1,011


537
Belle Aire Baptist Church
Murfreesboro
TN
1,010


537
London Bridge Baptist Church
Virginia Beach
VA
1,010


539
Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church
Riverside
CA
1,009


540
Hillcrest Baptist Church
Cedar Hill
TX
1,008


541
Broadview Missionary
Broadview
IL
1,005


541
First Chinese Baptist Church
Walnut
CA
1,005


541
Hopewell Baptist Church
Gainesville
GA
1,005


544
Calvary Baptist Church
Shreveport
LA
1,004


545
Bonsack Baptist Church
Roanoke
VA
1,000


545
Clearview Baptist Church
Travelers Rest
SC
1,000


545
Coronado Baptist Church
El Paso
TX
1,000


545
Crosspoint Church
Pearland
TX
1,000


545
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Grenada
MS
1,000


545
Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church
Indianapolis
IN
1,000


545
First Baptist Church
Warrensburg
MO
1,000


545
First Baptist Church Douglasville
Douglasville
GA
1,000


545
First Baptist Church of Umatilla
Umatilla
FL
1,000


545
First Baptist Church on the Square
LaGrange
GA
1,000


545
First Baptist Church
Pflugerville
TX
1,000


545
First Baptist of Augusta
Augusta
GA
1,000


545
Journey Church
Franklin
TN
1,000


545
Newchurch
Oklahoma City
OK
1,000


545
ReThink Life Church
Orlando
FL
1,000


545
Rock Hill First Baptist Church
Rock Hill
SC
1,000


545
The Bridge at Palma Sola Bay
Bradenton
FL
1,000


545
Tulip Grove Baptist Church
Old Hickory
TN
1,000

The post 2014 Update on Largest Churches in the Southern Baptist Convention appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

The Pastor’s Kid – Rainer on Leadership #062

Podcast Episode #062

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Our biggest post ever at ThomRainer.com is related to pastors’ kids. So when Barnabas Piper released his new book on the subject, we knew we needed to have him on the podcast to discuss the book, what it is like to be the son of a famous pastor, and the fishbowl that many PK’s live in. His insights on the subject are helpful to pastors’ kids, pastors, and laypersons alike. In the episode, we discuss The Pastor’s Kid as well as seven things pastors wish church members knew about their kids.

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Pastors Today. This weekly newsletter provides pastors with resources and information from around the web written specifically for pastors. For more information and to subscribe, visit lifeway.com/pastorstoday.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church.

Resources

The Pastor’s Kid
Seven Things Pastors Would Like Church Members to Know about Their Children
Seven Things We Learned from Pastors’ Kids
Pastors’ Kids – Rainer on Leadership #040

The post The Pastor’s Kid – Rainer on Leadership #062 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Friday Is for Freebies: The Pastor’s Kid

The most popular post ever on this blog was the one on pastors’ kids. And this week’s freebie features a brand new book on the topic.

Barnabas Piper has experienced the challenges of being a PK first hand. In The Pastor’s Kid, he addresses the pervasive assumptions, identity issues, and accelerated scrutiny PK’s pastor/father and church body. But more than just stating the problems he shares the one thing a PK needs above all else (as do their pastor/father and church) to live in true freedom and wholeness. With empathy, humor and passion, this book courageously addresses one of the most under-the-radar issues affecting almost every church and pastor, and their children.

Also included is the black, genuine leather version of the HCSB Study Bible, a comprehensive, easy to read, and easy to use Bible, with features and formats specifically designed to enhance your Bible study experience. You can also go to MyStudyBible.com and dive right in for a complete digital experience.

This Bible has a retail price of $79.99 and features 15,000 study notes, 290 Hebrew and Greek word studies, 66 highly detailed book introductions, 62 maps, 27 topical articles, 20 charts, and 18 illustrations, all focusing on the most important topics and questions in Bible study.

Enter this week’s Friday Is for Freebies giveaway

To enter this week’s giveaway, fill out the form below. Entries will be closed at midnight Saturday night. We will contact the winner via email on Monday morning. Entrants may receive occasional promotional emails from ThomRainer.com.
RSS and email subscribers should click through to the website to enter.

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After submitting your entry, you will be directed back to the ThomRainer.com homepage. By entering, you acknowledge and accept the terms of the promotion.

The post Friday Is for Freebies: The Pastor’s Kid appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Notable Voices: July 10, 2014

Why Your Church Needs More (Often) Announcements in Worship – Sam Rainer

In many churches, the time for announcements is one when many zone out. For many, it’s just filler between songs or after the sermon. But it shouldn’t be. Sam shares why churches don’t necessarily need more announcements—they need important announcements more often.

 

5 Ways to Keep Email from Ruining Your Life –  David Pogue

Like many of you, email is a major part of my job. And like many of you, it’s often a chore.

 

Why High Capacity Children’s Pastors Are So Hard To Find – Danny Watterson

For churches reaching young families, having a great children’s minister is critical. But high capacity children’s leaders are hard to find. Here’s why.

 

What Church Plants Have that Established Churches (Often) Don’t – Darryl Dash

We’ve been discussing church plants and established churches a lot here on the blog and the podcast. I think Darryl nails it in his contrasts between the two.

 

7 Thoughts to the Families of Introverts – Ron Edmondson

My fellow introvert, Ron, shares how even with family, introversion can play a role in relational dynamics.

 

Top 10 Findings About Church Communications – Tony Morgan

Tony’s group released their findings on church communications this week. The results can help most every church to communicate better.

 

The post Notable Voices: July 10, 2014 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Nine Questions You Should Ask Before Leading a Church Revitalization

I am excited about the increased interest in church revitalization. I am heartened to hear from a number of Millennials who are sensing God’s call in this direction. As this emphasis grows alongside the great interest in church planting, I have more reasons to remain an obnoxious optimist about our congregations.

But let me state the obvious. Leading a church revitalization is difficult. Indeed, it can’t be done outside of God’s power. While I wish to discourage no one from moving forward in this direction, we must do so with our eyes wide open.

With that in mind I offer a checklist to consider. Here are nine questions you should ask before leading a church revitalization.

Will I pray daily for my church and my leadership? I know. The question seems so obvious. But many leaders get so busy doing the work, they fail to take time to pray for God’s strength and wisdom to do the work.
Will I see this opportunity as a mission field? In the recent past, leading an established church was typically leading a culture that aligned well with the leader. No more. Many churches in need of revitalization are acting like they live in the culture of 1985. Moving them to present realities is a culture shock to many of the congregants. Thus both the church and the community are mission fields. We need to approach these opportunities much like an international missionary in his or her new culture.
Will I make a commitment for the long haul? While we can’t presume upon God’s timing in our lives, we do not need to enter the leadership of church revitalization as a stepping stone assignment. Change is often painfully slow, three steps forward and two steps backward. Some of the fruit of change often does not manifest until after the leader has been on the field for five years or more.
Will I love my critics? Genuine leaders of churches in need of revitalization will have their critics. Let me say it again: you will be criticized. But how will you respond to those critics? Will you respond with the love of Christ? Will you pray for your critics?
Will I be persistent? Leading a church to revitalization is difficult work. Sometimes, the only thing you know to do is to get out of bed and go to work each day. Because progress is not always noticeable on a day-by-day basis, it is easy to get discouraged. Stay with it. Stay the course. Be faithful.
Will I be an incarnational example in my community? Will I be present and involved in the community where the church is located? Will I show my love to those in the community? Will I demonstrate Christ in deed and words in my community? Will I be an example for the church members to follow?
Will I be a continuous learner about church revitalization? I am so encouraged about the new information coming forth about church revitalization every month. It reminds me of earlier years when we were getting good data and case studies of new church plants. You now have an opportunity to be a continuous learner in this field. Though I am certainly not the only source of information, I am committed to providing you ongoing information on church revitalization at this site.
Will I be content? The Apostle Paul learned to be content in all situations, including shipwrecks and prisons. Will you be content in the Lord to move forward with church revitalization?
Will I be a positive example and encourager for my family? If you are taking a family with you on this journey, they will need your support and encouragement too. Will you be there for them?

We may be entering a new era of church revitalization. Some of the signs are certainly positive.

I would love to hear from you about the nine questions above. Are they helpful? What would you add?

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Learning to Be a Weak Leader

By Chuck Lawless

I know the title of this post sounds strange. The concept of “weak” leaders is contradictory to the world’s thinking. Nevertheless, that’s where the Bible takes us: Christian leaders lead best when they, in their weakness, rely on the power of God to guide others.

God sometimes takes leaders into impossible situations to remind us that He alone is our warrior. I could write several posts to show numerous biblical texts that make this point, but here are a few:

Exodus 14:1-31 – God led His people to the Red Sea and then challenged them through Moses, their leader, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today. . .  The Lord will fight for you” (14:13, HCSB). When the Hebrews then trusted God to be their warrior, even the Egyptians knew they were defeated: “Let’s get away from Israel . . . because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!” (14:25).

Judges 7:1-25– God reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 warriors to 300, lest the strength and size of their larger forces cause them to take credit for any victory. “I will deliver you with the 300 men,” God said (7:7).

1 Samuel 17:1-51 – God did not use mighty military weapons to defeat the Philistine giant; instead, he used a shepherd boy who would remind us, “and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s” (17:47).

2 Chronicles 20:1-30 – King Jehoshaphat, facing three armies against his troops, heard the prophet Jahaziel remind him of this truth: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (15:20).

The world tells leaders to depend on their knowledge, their training, their experience, and their charisma – but the Bible tells us to depend on the name of the Lord (Psa. 20:6-7). Sometimes God must remind us of that truth by leading us into the impossible.

God sometimes leaves us in spiritual battles to keep us weak. The apostle Paul is the primary example here (2 Cor. 12:1-10). He wrestled with “a thorn in the flesh,” a messenger from Satan that tormented him. Three times Paul pleaded with God to take the thorn away, but God refused to release Paul from the battle. He had a greater lesson to teach the apostle: it would be in his weakness that Paul would most experience God’s power. He would lead best when he could “boast” not about his heritage or his training, but about his weakness and dependence on God.

Paul’s story reminds us that even called, faithful, obedient leaders are tempted with ego and self-dependence. Indeed, we’re probably most tempted when our ministries are going well and the battles are few. God, though, so loves us that He allows the enemy to aim his arrows at us – and we, in our resulting weakness, learn again that we can really lead only in His power.

God seeks giant-slaying shepherd boys more than census-taking mighty kings. In 1 Samuel 17, David the shepherd boy rejected human armor and took on a giant in the power of God. Only a youth with no battle training, David in all his weakness brought down a well-armed giant who had been a warrior from his youth. Goliath’s might was no match for David’s weakness overshadowed by the power of his God.

Fast forward, though, to 1 Chronicles 21, where David the king ordered a census of his people. We don’t know for certain the purpose of the census, but it appears David wanted to know how powerful his military was. Apparently, he was putting his trust in his forces rather than the One who was to be his warrior. Such a sin brought the judgment of God on the king and his people.

If we’re honest, most of us have walked in David’s steps. As young, inexperienced, needy leaders taking on giants, we sought God and followed Him in His might. When we gained knowledge, experience, and power, however, we too often depended on our own strength instead. It’s then we needed to be taken back to our shepherd boy days.

It’s then we needed to be broken to be the most effective leaders.

The equation is a simple one, really. If we want to be great, we must serve (Mark 10:43). If we want to be first, we must be last (Mark 9:35). If we want to live, we must die (John 12:24-25).

The problem is that few of us lean toward serving, being last, and dying—and that’s precisely the point. Only in God’s grace can we be—and must we be—weak leaders.

Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.

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Eleven Mistakes I’ve Made as an Author

If you want to hear some really stupid mistakes I made as an author, then read the following with the hope that it might help you.

It’s never been easier to get a book published. There are still great commercial publishers that offer incredible services and promotion. But now there are many places to go for self-publishing, and this approach no longer carries the stigma that it once did. Indeed, many well-known authors are choosing this path more frequently. I must confess pride in LifeWay’s self-publishing arm, CrossBooks. Those folks are doing a great job providing a menu of services for their authors.

I frequently hear from pastors, staff, and lay leaders about some great book ideas they have. Some have already published them. Publishing has become a fantastic way to broaden your message.

I have authored, co-authored, or edited 24 books. So how many of those books were good books? I am embarrassed to say. Let me just confess that the number is far below 24.

For the first time in my life I have two top-selling books (I Am a Church Member and Autopsy of a Deceased Church), either in the top ten or top fifteen depending on the service doing the rankings. But my path has been arduous and full of mistakes. Maybe my confessions about these eleven mistakes will help you who are writing—or considering writing—a book.

I forgot my audience. I wrote a book for me, not for my readers. I did not consider what they wanted or needed to hear. I became self-absorbed and wrote out of my ego instead of the needs of others.
I expected my publisher to promote my book. Books that have great receptivity in the marketplace are written by people who have a platform on which to speak. I wrote books and sat back and waited on my publisher. Stupid mistake.
I wrote a book expecting great financial returns. Very, very, very few authors make much money on their books. I am ashamed that it was a primary motivator for me with some of my books (Disclaimer: My royalties from B&H go to a charitable fund.). The book must be about the message. Not many authors can make a living only by writing.
I did not verify “facts” in my book. I remember the first time my editor called me and said a statement in my book could not stand as it was written. The sentence began with these words: “Statistics show that . . .” I have since learned that you never write or say those words. You cite your source and the exact findings
I did not seek outside counsel about my book. I bulldozed forward as if I were the font of all knowledge. If I had asked a few trusted advisors to evaluate my book before I submitted it, I would have saved a lot of pain.
I argued with my editor. Several books ago, I just knew I had the perfect title for a book. My editor, who had probably helped launch several hundred books, said that my title stunk. I thought I knew more than he did, so I argued for two weeks over the issue. He finally told me to go ask any 10 to 12 people to choose the title. I asked 10 people. And 10 out of 10 people liked his title. Most of them laughed at my title. He prevailed and the book did well.
I thought the best path to sell my book was to get it on the shelves of retail stores. I learned this lesson the hard way as well. Here is the lesson I learned: if a book has a message people want to hear, retailers will carry it. But if it has to be pushed on them to be put it in their stores, sales will be anemic even if they comply. Customers can buy any title they want via the Internet today. If brick-and-mortar stores see it’s doing well online, they will carry it in their stores.
I did not connect the rest of my world with the book I wrote. So I let my book stand as a solo endeavor and did not mention it in other venues when I wrote and spoke. God has given each of us a message; a book is but one facet of that message.
I acted like a big shot after I published book. This degradation in my life happened most vividly after I published my first book as a solo author. I learned painfully that lost humility is a stumbling block to the world, beginning with my family.
I expected the publisher to clean up mistakes in the book. I put one book together hastily. It was filled with mistakes. My warped rationale was that the editor could take care of those things. That publisher never asked me to do a book with them again.
I failed to clarify the book’s unique message. There are tens of thousands of Christian books written each year. In some of my books, I simply repeated what others were saying. I failed to communicate a unique message that would make my book different than others.

I am blessed to be a writer. It is indeed by multiple acts of grace by God and others that I still write today. I have made so many stupid mistakes.

Have you written a book? Do you have a message that you want others to hear? Do my confessions help you? What would you add?

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