Insight 012: FaithSoaring Churches are Flavored by Deep Relationships
Three relationships are of great importance in congregations seeking to transform. First is a deepening spiritual relationship with the Triune God through personal and community worship. Second is a deepening relationship within the community of believers. Third is an active relationship with the people of the context where the congregation serves. This can be a […]
Insight 011: FaithSoaring Churches are Fueled by an Empowering Spiritual Vision
The most important thing by which a congregation can be captivated is the empowering vision of God for its spiritual and strategic journey into the future. Our God, who goes before us, has prepared the way for your congregation to reach its full Kingdom potential. Vision is not a 25 word or less statement that […]
Insight 010: FaithSoaring Churches Focus on Doing a Few Things Well
Busy-ness is the enemy of excellence in congregations seeking to transform. Often congregations try to do too many things. Their size and resources will not support all they are doing, yet they keep pushing hard hoping they will all work. Congregations who want to transform stop doing things that are no longer working, and start […]
Insight 009: FaithSoaring Churches Have Worship That Helps People Connect with the Triune God
Overly predictable worship that follows the same or similar order or liturgy is for some people a valuable focal point for centering in the worship of God. However, for way too many people it becomes the automatic routine of worship and not the fresh experience of God. The key in worship for a congregation that […]
Insight 008: FaithSoaring Churches Start with People Rather Than Programs
Guess what? The program-driven congregation in North America started dying in the 1970s. It was replaced with the process-driven congregation. The program-driven congregation was about producing successful programs using–even abusing–people as the currency of success. The process-driven congregation is about empowering people along their disciplemaking journey. The measurement of success is the significance of their […]
Insight 007: FaithSoaring Churches Have a Deep Commitment to Missional Engagement
Congregations who transform understand the highest priority is the mission of God and not the mission of their congregational survival. They understand the greatest value is being received by those to whom we are sent, rather than an over focus on themselves. They realize they must see beyond themselves to those who need the unconditional […]
Insight 006: FaithSoaring Churches Have a Deep Commitment to Disciplemaking
Congregations cannot transform with shallow Christians or overly churched culture Christians who are stuck in place with their spiritual formation. Congregations cannot transform with church members who believe they have arrived in their spiritual journey and do not need to continue their spiritual formation as disciples. Congregations can only transform with church members who believe […]
We Need Baptist Associations
Or, Other Forms of Local Denominational Organizations My denominational tradition—Baptist—and specifically my denominational tribe of heritage—Southern Baptists—has three dimensions of denominational structure. They are known as associations, state (or regional) conventions, and national agencies and institutions. Associations are the local entity which I categorize generically as dynamic spiritual and fellowship organisms. State conventions and the […]
What About Location Partners? #1
I am just having an opportunity to read the 2016 Barna Report produced in partnership with Cornerstone Knowledge Network entitled More Than Multisite: Inside Today’s Methods and Models for Launching New Congregations. I will likely post several times about it. One term I have already learned that I like very much is “Location Partners”. I […]
Common Sense Security for Houses of Worship
This is a repost from the summer of 2015 that is still relevant today and points to a resource that is still active! In light of the mass murders this week at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC many congregations will think about, perhaps rush to deal with, security issues for their congregation. In the […]