Notable Voices and the Week in Review: July 28, 2018

Seven Reasons People Give More to The... Pray for St. Andrew’s Anglican Church

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: July 28, 2018

From Around the Web:

Should Churches Go Into Debt? — Art Rainer

Should churches go into debt? This question often elicits passionate responses from people at various points on the yes/no spectrum. The passion is often driven by a desire for their church to make the best decision to advance the gospel in their community and around the world. And this is a good thing.

3 Reasons Greeter Ministries Are Still Relevant in 2018 — Facts & Trends

You might be wondering if a greeter ministry is still relevant in 2018. Do we even need greeters any more? It’s a fair question. Shouldn’t we expect everyone in the church to be friendly to guests? Why do we have to ask people to do what they should be doing anyway? Perhaps in an ideal world with an ideal organization with ideal people such an approach would work. But that’s not our world, and that’s not our church. We, therefore, greatly need greeter ministries for three reasons.

11 Reasons Some Pastors Leave a Church Too Soon — Chuck Lawless

Last week, I posted two posts about pastors staying too long in a church (here and here). Today, I want to address the other side of the coin—pastors who leave a church too soon. In this case, I refer to anecdotal evidence gathered through the years by talking with pastors who themselves say they left a church too soon. Few pastors I know leave a church saying, “I know this is too early, but I’m leaving”; instead, they reach that conclusion after the fact.

Three Reasons to Try Long-Range Preaching Planning — Brandon Hiltibidal

When I was a younger preacher, I actually thought not planning ahead for sermons was holy. I wanted God to speak through me, so I was afraid to prepare much to say myself. Thankfully, a leader in my life said something to me I’ve never forgotten. He said, “The same Holy Spirit who works through your presentation can work through your preparation.” It is ok to work ahead. In fact, it is wise. Here are three kingdom-shaping reasons to approach sermon prep through long-range planning.

This Week at ThomRainer.com:

Five Reasons Why Church Revitalization Leaders Must Be Risk Takers

Leading a church toward revitalization is risky business. But it is a necessary business. And risk is really the path all leaders should take…READ MORE

If I Could Change One Thing in My Church, It Would Be . . .

I put the statement on social media. The responses were voluminous. After a couple of days, I had to stop counting and tally the results. There were hundreds of them…READ MORE