Author: Administrador

By Kate Riney The Church is, by definition, countercultural. That doesn’t mean, however, our churches should be ivory towers cloistered away and out of touch with the needs of the community. To reach the lost and broken with the gospel, each church needs to be aware and reflective of its community’s assets and needs. Here are … Continue reading “5 Ways Your Church Can Meet Your Community’s Needs”

Photo by Richard Leonard By Bob Smietana When it comes to finding a new church, a warm welcome and the worship style matter almost as much as a good sermon. A new report from Pew Research Center found about half of Americans have looked for a new church at some point in their lives. The … Continue reading “What Matters Most to Americans Looking for a New Church?”

By Aaron Earls Do teenagers care about the Bible? Probably more than you think. New research from the American Bible Society (ABS) and Barna reveals most students hold a high opinion of God’s word. “American teens sometimes get a bad rap as being uninterested or even anti-faith,” said Arthur Satterwhite of ABS. “But today’s Teen … Continue reading “9 Surprising Facts About Teens and the Bible”

DDP photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls More than 1 in 5 Americans (22 percent) say they currently attend religious services no more than a few times a year, but they used to attend more frequently. A new study from Pew Research finds these dechurched individuals previously attended religious services on a regular basis, but … Continue reading “Time, Not Theology, Drives Most Away From Church”

By Mark Dance With 27 years in ministry and now serving pastors, I’ve been on both sides of the pulpit, and I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned along the way. It may be presumptuous of me to speak on behalf of your pastor, but I think most pastors will resonate with these … Continue reading “7 Things Pastors Wish Their Congregation Knew”

Gary Bistram/Genesis Photos By Bob Smietana A few months ago, Jim Black found himself in a familiar spot. Black was associate pastor of a small church in Minnesota that had hit a rough patch. The senior pastor had resigned and money was tight. There wasn’t enough to pay the bills, including Black’s salary, and the congregation … Continue reading “Second Shift: Thriving in Bivocational Ministry”

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash By Bob Smietana Bivocational ministry is often a necessity for pastors in today’s economy. However, some are choosing bivocational ministry as a means to better know their communities and live on mission in the marketplace. Whatever the reason, many bivocational pastors are finding unexpected blessings for themselves and their … Continue reading “8 Tips for Bivocational Pastors”

Click here to download a pdf of this infographic. View related Lifeway Research on the topic of the Unchurched Related posts: The Obvious Secret to Building Relationships With Unchurched People 22 Vital Stats for Ministry in 2022 Christians Don’t Share Faith With Unchurched Friends 7 Ways to Draw the Unchurched to Your Church

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Knowing that it is sometimes difficult to find a new approach to an old theme, and your church has heard your entire cornucopia of Thanksgiving sermons, this outline is offered to help kick-start some thinking. Or to just help those who may be running late with their sermon prep. It … Continue reading “An Adaptable Thanksgiving Sermon Outline”

By Aaron Earls Visitors to BibleGateway.com were searching the pages of Scripture for love, whether they spoke English, Spanish, or even emoji. “Love” was the most popular English keyword search at the Bible reading website in 2016. “Amor” topped the Spanish list. The heart emoji was the second most searched for emoji at BibleGateway. The … Continue reading “Bible Readers Are Looking for Love”