4 Things Your Church Can’t Afford
- Published on Friday, 24 May 2013 16:00
- Written by Artie Davis
All of us who lead in a church understand the cost of doing ministry—the financial cost, that is. We know our budgets and the limits of what we can afford or not afford.
However, many pastors and leaders are allowing some intangible costs to rob them now, and the net result will be devastating if these “costs” are not cut.
1. A complaining culture. We all know what this means. It’s that thing that says, “It’s not my way, so I’m going to complain about it.” Your church can’t afford that. You have to teach your people and get it into your DNA that people simply can’t complain. You want your people to be about 80 percent happy. When people are 80 percent happy, you know you’re reaching all kinds of people. The second people get 100 percent happy, you will only reach those just like them. Here’s the thing: Teach your people that they can’t complain about the 20 percent they’re not happy with. It’s suffocating to your church and your vision. The cost is too high.
How to Make Jesus Really Mad
- Published on Friday, 24 May 2013 12:00
- Written by Steve Murrell
Recently I had the privilege of speaking to over 400 Filipino kids' ministry pastors, coordinators and volunteers at our annual Victory National Kids Ministry Summit. The delegates came to Island Cove from 50 Philippine cities, plus Singapore, Cambodia and Dubai.
My topic was the “why” of kids' ministry. I told some stories, read some Bible verses and asked four questions. Here are the Bible verses and questions.
Question 1: Are we bringing kids to church or to Jesus? Getting kids to church is a good start, but it is only a start. The goal is to get them to Jesus. Let’s not be like the disciples in Mark 10:13 who completely missed the point: “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them” (NIV).
What to Do With Your Summer
- Published on Friday, 24 May 2013 09:00
- Written by Chris Wesley
Even though school has not let out here in Maryland, we are already in summer mode. That doesn’t mean we shut things down or fill our days up with summer camps and events; we simply alter our schedule.
We tone down programming, keep things simple and maintain our pace. The goal in summer is to prepare for the fall while staying in touch with the teens.
Your summers are so important. How you approach them will determine your readiness for the fall. There is a tendency by many youth ministers to either overload their schedule or completely check out. If you are going to do youth ministry for the long haul, you need to treat the summer with the same focus and attention that you do every other season. If you take advantage of this, you’ll find yourself:
How You Can Pray For and Respond to Oklahoma
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 16:00
- Written by Ron Edmondson
Yet another tragedy. There are no words to describe the scenes we are seeing from the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma. No words.
So don’t say anything. Just pray.
Please, don’t try to provide answers when people ask why. Don’t pretend you know why. Don’t find some “righteous” sounding reason for the devastation. It’s not helpful.
So don’t say anything. Just pray.
Years ago, when I served as vice mayor of my community, we were hit with a devastating tornado that destroyed much of our downtown. I learned that what we needed most was prayer and resources.
Kem Meyer: The Abbreviated Communication Playbook
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 12:00
- Written by Kem Meyer
Communication is tricky—especially organizational communication. So many people are involved—on the inside and out. How do you communicate to help people take their next step toward Christ?
How do you cover all of the following objectives that are often thought of as required elements for effective communication?
INSPIRATION: information that motivates people to action.
OWNERSHIP: mission, vision and values across teams and locations.
INCLUSION: a common vocabulary for diversified audiences.
BALANCE: just enough, but not too much.
LONGEVITY: not just the here and now, but for the ongoing future.
SITES: Charisma | Vida Cristiana | Spiritled Woman | Ministry Today | Christian Retailing
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