The First 11 Minutes at Your Church

If you ever check out multiple churches in a short period of time, you will likely be surprised by the differences in hospitality expressed to first-time guests. In some churches a guest knows exactly where to park, is graciously welcomed, escorted to the children’s area to drop off kids, and introduced to several helpful people. […]

Offer a Map, Not a Menu

Some church leaders offer the people in their churches a menu—a menu of all the programs, studies, activities, and events that the church programmatically offers. Essentially the message is “Here is what we have; choose what you want.” With this approach, churches have expanding menus as something can always be added. Churches with menus grow […]

When a Church Stops Reaching Its Community

The following is a guest post by Dr.  Thom Rainer. Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, and my boss. Other than leading LifeWay, he is a respected researcher, former pastor, and author of more than 20 books, including many best sellers, such as I Am a Church Member and his […]

Creating a Discipleship Culture in the Local Church

The following is a guest post by Pastor Robby Gallaty. He is the author of Growing Up, a book about discipleship, and the senior pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also a good brother in the Lord, a strong leader, and wisely appreciates good New Orleans seafood like I do. I am grateful for Robby and how […]

2 Essentials for Effective Ministry to New Believers

A local church is on the planet to make disciples, not merely help people “make decisions” for Christ and then leave them alone and uncared for. Sadly, in some churches people are led to “receive Christ” but are not challenged to grow in their new journey with Him. In these churches, leading someone to faith […]

The Never-Ending Need of Multiplying Leaders

The following is a guest post by Ed Stetzer. Ed is the Executive Director of LifeWay Research and he blogs daily at Christianity Today. Ed and I recently co-authored Transformational Groups on how to create effective small groups. Pastors of growing churches know all too well the old adage of there being two sides to every […]

5 Ways to Develop a Great Relationship with Your Senior Pastor

The following post is a guest blog post from Jim Law. Jim is the executive pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga. It’s my joy to serve as executive pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., going on 23 years now. One of the most distinct privileges of this position is the opportunity […]

3 Wrong Assumptions Church Leaders Make

The following is a guest post by Trevin Wax. ​Trevin Wax is managing editor of The Gospel Project at LifeWay Christian Resources, and blogger at The Gospel Coalition. As a church leader, you’ve probably noticed that when your assumptions are incorrect, you’re more likely to implement plans that don’t go anywhere. Why? Because what we’ve assumed to be […]

The NBA, Race, and the Church

The visceral reaction to the racism expressed by LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling is right and appropriate because Sterling’s comments were dehumanizing. Humanity, all of humanity, is the crowning work of God’s creation. God created, loves, and pursues the people He created—every single race and nationality included. One day, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation […]

Burying a Program

Since writing Simple Church with my boss, Thom Rainer, a common question has been “How can we eliminate a program or an event?” Those who ask the question often know that a program on their church calendar accomplishes very little for the kingdom and is not aligned with the mission of their church. But they wrestle […]