Here are five foundational ideas for how Spiritual Growth works, and a challenge for you to try.
Tag: Church Life
Mark Powell: Discipleship in Community
Mark Powell talks about Discipleship in Community, a book he co-wrote containing a theological vision for the future of churches of Christ.
Don’t forget this one BIG thing on your mission trip!
Short-Term mission trips have the potential to do a lot of good abroad, but also at home! Here’s something you definitely want to do as you go on your trip.
My Favorite Reads of 2018
If there is anything that bothers me, it’s that I feel like I never have enough time to read. As I started compiling a list
Make Serving A Joy
Not Employees Volunteers aren’t employees. When you’re leading in a church setting, there isn’t a single person involved who doesn’t have the real option of
Pastoral Leadership: It’s About The Sheep
The Shepherding Metaphor A good shepherd cares about his sheep. When we talk about leadership, we would do well to stay close to that imagery.
Questioning Forward: Appreciative Inquiry in Action
What does it look like when you put Appreciative Inquiry into action? I’ve made lots of posts the last few months about Appreciative Inquiry, and
Worship As Spiritual Formation: A Conversation With Kevin Burr
CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO-ONLY PODCAST In this Research Spotlight, I am excited to share a conversation I had with Kevin Burr. Kevin is a Ph.D.
Short-Term Missions for Long-Term Impact
In the video, I walk through: Basic info about short-term missions and their rapidly growing popularity Brief information about the missional church movement, and why
Stories We Need To Tell
When I was preparing to preach about the parables of Jesus, I came across John Dominic Crossan’s book, The Dark Interval: Toward a Theology of Story. The
Questioning Forward: A Case Study for Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change
I’ve enjoyed posting about the assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry. In this video, I explain how I utilized this method at the Old Hickory Church of
Seven Mistakes Your Church Should Make
Churches are too cautious. People who won’t change can’t grow, because growth cannot occur without something being done differently than it was before. Churches that won’t
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Questioning Forward: Better Than When It Started
I’ve been sharing reflections on the different assumptions of a group evaluation method called Appreciative Inquiry. One assumption that seems especially obvious is that in
Questioning Forward: Speaking Your Reality
When Genesis describes God creating the universe, God is speaking the world into existence. “Let there be…” In the beginning was “the Word”, John tells
Questioning Forward: What Gives You Life?
People are like plants. We grow best when we are close to what gives us life. When it comes to sunlight, the scientific term is heliotropic.
Questioning Forward: Differences Matter
Differences matter, and it is important to value them. For smaller churches trying to grow, one way they undermine themselves is by insisting on uniformity.
Questioning Forward: Bringing What’s Best
Appreciative Inquiry assumes that people have an easier time moving into the future when they can bring parts of the past with them. Another slightly
Questioning Forward: How Tradition Can Help
Don’t be too hard on older folks. They’ve seen and been through a lot. It isn’t uncommon to hear someone throw the older generation under
Questioning Forward: Inquisitive Impact
Working with people is much different than working with test tubes. A scientist can work with substances in specific amounts in controlled environments. He or
Would-Be Disciples, Beware!
If I ever make it to Greece, one of the places I most want to go is to the Monasteries of Meteora. This is a
Questioning Forward: The Power of Focus
Robert Cialdani’s book Pre-Suasion (2016) contains a staggering amount of evidence that a person’s focus shapes their reality. I would argue that this is the underlying
When Churches Choose Faith Over Fear
Fundamentally, the church should be a community of people in whom the Spirit of Christ is alive and well. Where the Spirit of Christ is