Author: Administrador

Blake Barlow photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls The majority of teenagers continue to say they’re Christian, but the religiously unaffiliated outnumber both Catholics and evangelicals individually among teens. According to a new study from Pew Research on the religious lives of teenagers, 32% of American teens say they are religiously unaffiliated, following the growth … Continue reading “1 in 3 Teens Say They’re Religiously Unaffiliated”

By Abigail Criner One morning, I stood in the kitchen of our quaint, two-bedroom parsonage. My husband, Michael, had just started his first pastorate in a rural town. After years of leading a college ministry in a thriving city setting, we found ourselves in the country, embracing new roles. Culture shock and loneliness had settled … Continue reading “7 Last-Minute Ideas for Pastor Appreciation Month”

Etty Fidele photo – Unsplash By Chuck Peters There’s a subtle but profound difference between being a manager and being a leader. Managers focus on accomplishing tasks—getting work done, making sure everyone on the team is productive. Managers think about schedules and budgets and efficiencies. Someone might hold the title of “manager.” That title may … Continue reading “5 Ways to Move from ‘Manager’ to ‘Leader’”

Ben White photo – Unsplash By Joy Allmond There are some things that can kill your group, says Chris Surratt on the Lifeway Leadership Network’s “Group Answers” podcast. “One of those issues is gossip,” he says. “If leaders don’t know the signs of it, jump in and head it off, gossip can kill the group.” Within … Continue reading “3 Steps to Keep Gossip From Killing Your Small Group”

By Toby DeHay It’s hard to believe my 20-year mark for serving in vocational ministry is coming up. Although I first felt the Lord’s call to vocational ministry early one Monday morning in 2001, it seems like it happened only yesterday. Back then, our daughter was two, our son was only a few months old, … Continue reading “2 Takeaways From Two Decades of Ministry”

Alex Blăjan photo – Unsplash By Daryl Crouch We make much of marriage, and rightly so. God designed marriage between a man and woman to reflect His glory, to offer companionship, and to multiply a godly heritage. The writer of Hebrews calls us to “honor marriage” (Hebrews 13:4). Marriage is a beautiful picture of the … Continue reading “3 Ways Churches Should Champion Single Adults”

Pixabay photo – Pexels By Joy Allmond Although a budget isn’t considered by many to be a spiritual topic—much less an exciting ministry conversation to have—every church faces financial issues. And every church, at some point or another, will face a budget shortfall. Josh King and Sam Rainer discussed what a budget shortfall can look … Continue reading “5 Tips for Managing a Church Budget Shortfall”

By Matt Henslee Until moving to New Mexico, I spent most of my life in what many call “Tornado Alley.” It was called that, well, because there were a lot of tornadoes there. My wife wasn’t a fan of doing this, but during a storm, I’d often be in the front yard in search of … Continue reading “Pastoring on the Other Side of the Storm”

Bruno Reyna photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls “Christianity is only one generation away from extinction.” When considering the eternal scope of the church and the promises Christ has made, that famous line may not be true, but American Christianity has reached the generation in which it is no longer the majority. In America, at … Continue reading “Are We Seeing the First Non-Christian Majority Generation?”

Rodrigo Ferrari photo – Flickr By Aaron Earls Kanye West might be driving people to God, but the rapper is certainly driving them to Google. Online searches for Bible verses and phrases mentioned on his latest album have jumped since Jesus is King was released on October 25. The sometimes-controversial artist recently professed a Christian … Continue reading “Kanye West’s ‘Jesus Is King’ Sparks Biblical Searches”