The Truth of God
The truth of God is undefiled and unchangeable, and God has chosen to use His truth to bring transformation to His people. By His truth we were saved and by His truth we are made holy and walk in freedom. Quite simply, transformation does not occur apart from the truth of God. In relation to […]
Thoughts from the Greatest Worship Book
The Book of Psalms is the greatest worship handbook ever compiled, the greatest hymnal ever penned, and the greatest collection of exhortations to worship ever assembled. Every worship pastor or worship leader is wise to throw him/herself into the sacred Psalms. The Book of Psalms ends with: Hallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in […]
Change the Character, Change the Story
While the plot and the context of a story are critical, the central characters are really what makes a story unique. The characters or central figures in a story are inseparable from the story itself. If you alter the character of the central figure, the story is not even the same story. For example, if […]
The Importance of Movement
Movement is the sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater areas of commitment. Movement is about flow. It is about assimilation. Movement is what causes a person to go to the next step. Movement is the most difficult simple church element to understand; therefore, an illustration is in order. In […]
Corporate Worship: A Shadow of Eternity
Right now, this very moment, God is being perfectly praised in the heavens by angels and believers who have already entered His eternal presence. And every time we gather to praise Him corporately, our gathering is a foretaste of this eternal gathering. Our worshipping together shadows eternity. Then I looked, and I heard around the […]
Church Culture and the Gospel
Will Mancini is the founder and leader of Auxano, a consulting group that helps church leaders navigate growth with vision clarity. Since Will and I are often pigeonholed as “strategy guys,” some have viewed us as pragmatic types. But we are guys who deeply love Jesus and believe the gospel must impact everything a church […]
Three Responses to a Fading Spotlight
In the landscape of ministering to the church, the tide of a leader’s influence often rises and falls. From an eternal perspective, the Lord uses different messengers in different seasons to accomplish His purposes. From a human vantage point, some leaders experience seasons of great influence: people read every word they write, they speak at […]
The Bride of Christ
Unless you have dozed off at every wedding you attended, you have heard the famous passage about God making two people one. When God first set the foundation for marriage in the book of Genesis, He said that two people will become one flesh (Gen. 2:24). God is describing the depth of a relationship where […]
Theology of Transformation
As church leaders, we long to see transformation in the lives of people, our church, and our city. Alton Garrison of the Assemblies of God says “Our mission is not complete until we have seen people have life change.” The word from the Scriptures often associated with transformation is “metamorphosis.” It communicates lasting and irreversible […]
Naming Your Ministries and Programs
At some point most church leaders are going to sit in a room and discuss what to name a ministry or a program in their churches. For many churches the naming process is haphazard and unintentional, and the resulting hot mess of names only confirms the lack of coherent strategy in the church. To help […]