Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 19, 2019

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Five Common Ways Church Leaders Respo... Pray for Fellowship Baptist Church

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 19, 2019

From Around the Web:

How to Increase Year-End Giving with Compelling Stories — Ryan Nelson

Stories encourage empathy. They help us understand problems and circumstances in new ways. And they provide tangible examples of God’s work in our communities.

If your church wants to maximize year-end giving, you need to tell compelling stories about what God is doing through your congregation’s giving.

Here’s how to do that.

Are Mergers Changing the Church Landscape? — Tim Cool

I can tell you from our experience, that church mergers are definitely changing the landscape of the church world. From planning opportunities, to revitalization, to combining resources or rescuing a church that is in decline.

6 Reasons “Don’t Take It Personally” Is Bad Ministry Advice — Karl Vaters

Can you imagine Jesus giving anyone that advice? “Take up your cross and follow me – but don’t take it personally.”

Or the apostle Paul? “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ – but don’t take it personally.” Of course not. They took ministry very personally.

Because ministry is relational. It’s passionate. It’s sacrificial. It’s overwhelmingly personal.

Godly Leaders Welcome Correction — Phillip Holmes

Just because criticism can hurt doesn’t mean it’s not good for us. Scripture paints a positive picture of anyone who welcomes correction as wise (Proverbs 9:8, 15:31) and those who reject it as foolish. Furthermore, we’re instructed to use all Scripture “for reproof” and “for correction” for our good and God’s glory.

How The Church Became Missional — Trevin Wax

Throughout church history, “mission” has been understood in a number of ways. But in the past 60 to 70 years or so, we’ve seen a decisive shift toward viewing mission as God’s first and foremost, which has led to a revamping of our understanding of the church’s mission in light of what God’s mission is.

This Week at ThomRainer.com:

Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-Time Guests (Re-visited)

We want people to visit our churches. We want them to return so they can have multiple opportunities to hear the gospel and connect with believers. But many do not return. Why? In a social media poll, I heard from over 1,000 persons sharing their experiences of being “one and done.” They visited a church one time but did not return. Five years ago, here were their top reasons. Not much has changed in their responses today.READ MORE

Ten Signs a Church Staff is Really Happy Together

Occasionally over the last few years, I’ve spent time with a church staff that seemed really happy together. Here are some characteristics that mark those teams:

READ MORE