Notable Voices and the Week in Review: February 11, 2017
When the Pastor Has an Affair
What to Include in a Visitor Welcome Packet and Other Listener Questions – Rainer on Leadership #300
Five Principles to Help Pastors and Staff Know When to Compromise
Four Steps to Make Your Church Communications More Efficient
How to Respond When a Staff Member Has an Affair – Rainer on Leadership #301
What Happened When a Black and White Church Merged in Florida — Julie Zauzmer
In 2015, the church that Latham boasted of was two congregations, not one. There was the booming black church in the heart of the inner city, led by a charismatic preacher in the staunch tradition of black Baptists. And there was the quiet white church, nestled in the suburbs half an hour to the south, holding onto a tightknit community of Southern Baptist believers. And then the black church and the white church merged. The resulting congregation at Shiloh — black and white, urban and suburban — appears to be the only intentional joint church of its kind in the United States.
7 Things Christians Should Give Up to Reach Unchurched People — Carey Nieuwhof
So many church leaders (staff and volunteer) struggle to lead beyond the preferences of the church members. And as soon as they try, they get inundated with complaints and angry emails. Too many Christians feel like it’s their right to have a church that caters exactly to their tastes and whims, and millions are paying the price for that (including unchurched people). When your preferences keep unchurched people from the promise of Christ, it’s time to change your preferences. Here are 7 things Christians should give up to reach unchurched people.
How to Maximize Your Minister’s Housing Allowance — Art Rainer
You don’t want to miss the opportunity to take full advantage of this ministerial tax benefit. To do so may cause you to pay significantly more in taxes than you should. So what are some of the ways you can maximize this benefit. Here are a few tips:
12 Trends That Shaped U.S. Religion Since the ’70s — Philip Jenkins
So many impressions are subjective, but a few obvious broad themes do emerge. Together, they constitute a remarkable revolution in the most basic assumptions of life – of family and intimate relationships, of work and residence, of thinking and speaking, of getting and spending. Often, these changes have been so significant as to constitute a revolution – change so vast that it is almost impossible for later generations even to imagine what the preceding “normality” actually was like. Let me focus here on American religion. In no particular order, here are 12 such changes:
The 5 Styles of Preachers—Which Are You? — Brandon Hilgemann
Preaching, as Philips Brookes famously said, is “truth mediated through personality.” This is why five preachers could all preach the same truth from the same text, and each sermon is different. The message is the same, but the personality is not. God’s Word always takes priority over your style. But understanding your preaching style will help you see how your God-given personality influences the way you communicate His Word. And when you know your style, you can leverage your strengths, and avoid potential pitfalls.
7 Dangers of Leading in Isolation — Ron Edmondson
Leading in isolation is displayed in numerous ways to the detriment of the church or organization. Here are seven dangers of leading in isolation.
