Notable Voices and the Week in Review: August 19, 2017

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

Why Many of Our Churches Are Still One Color
Growing Churches, Evangelism Renewal, and You – Rainer on Leadership #354
Seven Characteristics of Reactionary Pastors
Six Communications Blunders That Will Cost You Volunteers
Four Paths for Church Revitalization – Rainer on Leadership #355

 




Three Ways to Help Your Worship LeaderMatthew Westerholm


Over the twenty years that I have led worship for a local church, I have received thousands of post-service reactions. Sometimes the reactions have been wonderful — insightful, helpful, and encouraging. Other times, they have been . . . well, worse. People have tried to be encouraging, but for a number of reasons, their efforts have failed. Here are three ways to encourage the worship leader at your church this weekend.


 



Balancing the Tensions of Leading an Established ChurchSam Rainer


As you lead an established church to greater health, you will have to demonstrate a great deal of balance. Being an established church pastor is an exercise in paradox. Look at a few of the tensions you must keep in balance.


 



Grow Your Own LeadersAdam D. Swift


Choosing leadership for a church ministry is a tricky business. Pastoral search committees and hiring new staff members can be one of the most sanctifying experiences for churches. As you wade through dozens of resumes piled up on your desk, you feel overwhelmed by the sea of potential candidates for the job. You wonder if the person will possess the skills necessary for the ministry or be a “good fit” for the family, and you pray you do not hire a clown who simply knew how to interview well. All these fears could be avoided if you could choose leadership from within your church. What if it wasn’t necessary to look outside for leaders because you sufficiently discipled and grew leaders from within your congregation?


 



6 Words That Will Help the Dreaded Staff Meeting — Todd Wright


One of the team members begins our meetings with a 10-15 minute discussion-based Bible study that addresses an area of leadership. We pray for wisdom and then allow the following six words guide our agenda.


 



Don’t Waste Your CommuteNick Batzig


I spend a great deal of my days driving from place to place. Two to three days a week, I am up early to drive my sons to school 30 minutes from our house. Then, I am driving to visit members in the hospital, to Presbytery meetings, to lunch and dinner appointments, to events in the church, to events in the community, to my sons sporting events, to the gym, etc. If I could calculate the hours that I spend in a car each and every week, I am sure that it would come out to somewhere between 15-20 hours/wk. This means that I need to be purposeful about utilizing the time in commute to feed my own soul and the souls of my children–not simply to be on the phone doing more work (which is what I often find myself doing). Here are four very tangible things that we can work toward as we attempt to redeem the time on our commutes:


 



4 Bible Reading Strategies for Reading Plan QuittersScott Slayton


I used to create a load of guilt in my heart because I would get stuck in the middle of really good Bible reading plans. It’s happened to me with some great Bible reading plans– Robert Murray McCheyene, the Bible Eater, and Dr. Horner’s Bible reading plan. All of these plans are built around solid strategies for reading the Bible, but in my personal weakness, I struggle to persevere. I doubt that I am the only person who has this struggle. If you struggle like I do, here is the advice that I would offer– change it up. Instead of choosing one Bible reading plan, choose a strategy for reading the Bible and then change what you are doing when you find yourself getting stale. After all, what matters is not that we are sticking to a plan, but that we are reading the Bible and being changed by it. Here are four strategies for changing up the way that you read the Bible.


 

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Published on August 19, 2017 02:00
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