Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 20, 2018
4 Things That Shouldn’t Drive Church Growth (And One Thing That Should) — Carey Nieuwhof
Something’s driving your church. There are a variety of things that drive a church…the challenge for many church leaders is no one is really quite clear on what that is. What drives your church is critical because it impacts everything you do. Ultimately, it directly impacts both your health and your growth as a congregation. As I talk to leaders of churches of all sizes, I find different factors at work.
Americans’ Theology Contains Mix of Heresy, Hearsay, and Historic Christian Beliefs — Facts & Trends
Six in 10 Americans say religious belief is a matter of personal opinion. For 7 in 10 Americans, such religious beliefs include one true God existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A similar number say God is perfect. But an increasing majority of Americans deny Jesus has always existed and many say the Holy Spirit is a force rather than a personal being. Those are among the findings of a new study of American views about Christian theology from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.
4 Gifts to Avoid Giving for Pastor Appreciation Month — Mark Dance
This post is for church members, not pastors. Pastor Appreciation Month offers all of us an opportunity to bless the pastors who are blessing us. I’m going to assume that most of you have no idea what to give your pastor, so this post is to help you eliminate a handful of winceable options.
7 Ways to Stretch Yourself as a Leader — Ron Edmondson
How can a leader keep up with the pace of change? What can you do to grow? I am constantly learning how personally, but I have always been conscious of my own need to continue growing as a leader, so I’m sharing from my experience and some of what works for me.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:

What Do Pastors Like Most about Their Ministries?
Though we have stopped tabulating, I would love to hear your comments about the responses to this poll. We have so many informed readers at ThomRainer.com. I always learn a lot from you…READ MORE
Six Mistakes Many Search Committees Are Making Today
They are taking too long
They are playing candidates off one another
They are not doing background checks: legal, social media, credit;
They are not asking “#MeToo” questions
They are not providing clarity to internal candidates
They are not communicating sufficiently to the congregation
Seven Traits of a Healthy Church
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode476.mp3
The Six Characteristics of a Scrappy Church
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode477.mp3
Six Best Practices for Increasing Giving in a Church Revitalization
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode063.mp3