Notable Voices and the Week in Review: May 20, 2017
Five Imminent Dangers in Churches
The 10 Most Common Things a Church Consultant Will Tell Your Church – Rainer on Leadership #328
Eight Signs Your Church May Be Closing Soon
Eight Essential Items for Your Church’s FAQ Page
Dealing with Public Distractions to Worship, featuring Mike Harland – Rainer on Leadership #329
One of the Best Things a Pastor Can Give Aspiring Church Planters — Daniel Hyun
I love church planters. Most people who plant churches do so because of a driving vision that planting is the most effective way to reach the unchurched. Their passion is to be admired. The reality, though, is that church planting is hard; planters struggle. Many challenges are par for the course and should be expected. In my observation and experience, however, I believe there are some kinds of difficulties that could be lessened with the right preparation.
Why We Struggle to Make Giving a Priority — Art Rainer
Give generously. Save wisely. Live appropriately. This is the sequence that leads to financial health. It is also the sequence that aligns most closely with what we find in the Bible. Unfortunately, most manage their finances in reverse—Live, save, give. Giving is for the leftovers. The idea of making generosity the priority of our finances is a struggle for many. Here are a few reasons why:
7 Ways Video Can Save Your Pastor Time — Matthew Fridg
Your pastor is always juggling his time. Pastoring is a thankless job with hundreds of people vying for his precious little time. It is challenging to have so many people in need; setting priorities and boundaries can be difficult. He wants to make everyone happy but he still needs to prepare for Sunday and lead the church. There have been mountains of articles and books written on how to be a great leader. Many focus on how to lead well and utilize time wisely. Even the Bible tells us about “making the most of your time.” (Ephesians 5:16 NASB) Here are a few ways you can help him save time by using video to offload tasks from him and free him to do what he does best: shepherd, lead, and pastor.
5 Warning Signs That Laziness Is Creeping into Your Leadership — Eric Geiger
The people of God have always understood laziness to be a sin because laziness fails to appreciate the gift and blessing of work and fails to make the most of the time we have been graciously given. We are commanded to be wise and to make the most of the time (Ephesians 5:15-16). Squandering time and living and leading lazily are foolish. Like all sin, laziness can slowly creep into our lives and leadership. If we fail to address the temptation to move toward laziness, we become unfaithful in our leadership. Here are five warning signs.
5 Principles for Disciplining Your Children — Melissa Kruger
Before having children, I worked for years as a camp counselor and as a teacher in a large public high school. Both arenas taught me the importance of discipline in a child’s development. Without structure and rules, summer camp would quickly devolve into some version of Lord of the Flies. Without order in the classroom, my students would never have the opportunity to learn. Through my years of working with kids, five guiding principles helped me as a counselor, teacher, and especially as a mom. While not all methods work for all children, I’ve found these principles work for a variety of children, regardless of their age, sex, or disposition.
Pastors, Spend Time with Non-Pastors — Garrett Kell
Most pastors have a good desire to train up future pastors. We realize that one day, our ministry will end and we ought to prepare the next generation to take the gospel to the land we cannot go. This focus, however, can lead us to overemphasize pastoral training at the cost of training “normal guys.” What follows are a few reminders as to why we must use some of our best time, energy, and resources to train up plumbers, lawyers, teachers, and bankers. I will focus this discussion on the discipling of men in particular. The need to care for sisters in the Lord is critical and is related to most of the points I make, but won’t be the aim of this article.
