Notable Voices and the Week in Review: December 1, 2018

From Around the Web:

Why Most Established Churches Need Revitalization — Sam Rainer

Healthy established patterns create healthy churches. Unhealthy established patterns create unhealthy churches. Clearly, more churches have unhealthy patterns as compared with healthy patterns. The stats are undeniable. But I’ll dig deeper. There is more beneath the surface. Numerical declines are merely a symptom, not the root problem.

10 Hilarious Church Christmas Fails You Have to See — Facts & Trends

The Christmas season provides a great time for churches to do special services. You can involve more church members, invite the community…and maybe make a viral video. These hilarious happenings at Christmas services are fun reminders that no matter how much planning and preparation goes into a program, something unexpected can always happen. Enjoy these hysterical Christmas programs gone wrong.

How Should We Talk to Our Kids About Santa? — Joshua Straub

Perhaps you too wonder whether you should conform to the holiday tradition of Santa Claus celebrated around the world. Logically speaking, your concerns are warranted. If we lie to our kids about Santa, then perhaps they will think we lied to them about Jesus as well.

7 Reasons Some Church Revitalizations Won’t Work — Chuck Lawless

I believe in church revitalization. I’ve seen it happen, and I know it happens all over the country. Still, though, I’m convinced that some revitalization efforts will never work. Here’s why:

This Week at ThomRainer.com:





















Nine Updated Trends about Christmas Eve Services

Christmas Eve is less than a month away. Most churches have some type of Christmas Eve services, but we are seeing clear trends in how churches approach them…READ MORE

Simple Church, Revisited

The background
What it’s not
Clarity
Movement
Alignment
Focus
















Trends in the Number of Weekends a Pastor Preaches Each Year

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode488.mp3








Five Common Ways Pastors Overcome Sermon Blocks

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode489.mp3








Revitalizing a Church with a Terrible Reputation

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant

http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode069.mp3