Insight 074: FaithSoaring Churches Do Not Become Defensive or Anxious
There are times when things do not go well in a congregation. Leadership has been trying things they think ought to work, but do not. The first tendency is to reject the things that are not working, become defensive about them, or push harder to make them work. None of this improves the situation. This […]
Denominational Service Is a Unique Spiritual Calling
Download this article: Bullard, Denominational Service a Unique Spiritual Calling Denominational service is a unique spiritual calling within God’s constellation of calls. It is not for people who simply want to expand their area of influence or territory as some claim through the prayer of Jabez. It is not for people who figured out a growth […]
Insight 073: FaithSoaring Churches Increase the Number of People for Whom Church is Their Third Place
Is your congregation a good place to be? Not just to walk in and attend worship and then walk out. Is it a good place to hang out? Is it a place where people like to gather and experience community? Is it a place where people build deep relationships? Not only a physical place but […]
St. Andrews Pastor Publishes Devotions for Those Struggling with Depression as He Did
In 2008, things began to change for pastor Ronald “Dee” Vaughan. Ministry had become burdensome, and that was a change for a man who loved local church ministry. He also began to feel a disconnection between the person he was felt forced to “create” for the church and the man he was on the inside. […]
An Iron-Barred Mission Field – The Columbia Metro Connection Podcast – Episode #005
Welcome to the Columbia Metro Connection, a podcast where you can go to get valuable, relevant, and quality resources for you and your congregation. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes| RSS | Stitcher | TuneIn Radio | Google Play The Columbia Metro Connection is sponsored and supported by the Columbia Metro Baptist Association and the almost 100 partner churches that support the ministry of the CMBA. […]
Insight 072: FaithSoaring Churches Know Why They Do Why They Do
Congregations seeking to transform know why they do everything they do. They know what contribution every program, ministry, and activity make to the spiritual strategic journey of the congregation. How they speed transformation. They know how everything aligns with the vision of the congregation. Nothing is wasted. They have moved beyond business as usual—beyond doing […]
For Andre Rogers, Three Ministry Endeavors Work Together for Kingdom Effectiveness.
Andre Rogers serves as Columbia Metro Baptist Association’s Congregational Multiplication Ministry Mobilizer. He assists with church planting and sometimes with helping struggling congregations redevelop vitality and vibrancy. He also teaches homiletics and systematic theology at his alma mater, Columbia International University (CIU), and he is the pastor of Concord Fellowship Baptist Church, which he planted […]
Insight 071: FaithSoaring Congregations Are Embraced by a Solutions Focus
The book The Discipline of Market Leaders (Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema, Perseus Books, 1995) suggests there are three foci for the marketing efforts of organizations. Best Price, Best Product, and Best Solution. A Best Solutions effort focuses on the needs of the people being served rather than how to provide cheap products, the best—perhaps […]
Insight 070: FaithSoaring Churches Increase Their Dependence on God
When congregations feel stressed about their future, desire to transform, but want it to happen without great effort on their part, they often move away from their dependence on God. They rely on their own wisdom and abilities which typically are very limited. They forget that only as they look beyond themselves to places only […]
Insight 069: FaithSoaring Churches Engage in Discontinuous Action Following a Long Plateau
Congregations needing to transform are not necessarily declining in the number of people participating in the congregation. Many are simply plateaued. This means their average weekly attendance does not go up or down more than 10 percent over a three to five-year period. When a congregation has been plateaued for seven years or more, it […]