The Unity of Babel
In Genesis 11, our triune God intervened and confused the language of the people of Babel who were building for their own namesake. In their own effort and for their own merit, they were attempting to achieve security (a tower to protect them), community (a city with people), and identity (a name for themselves). Because […]
Four E’s of Building a Team
A wise leader obsesses over having the right players on the team. Whether hiring employees or recruiting volunteers, I find it helpful to have a general framework from which you view potential team members. Over the last couple of posts, I shared some thinking on the four C’s: character, competence, chemistry, and conviction. I personally […]
Trust in the Father
Jesus utilized children as an object lesson for true faith. He told the crowd of adults that they must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:2–3). What was His point? What was He suggesting? Children are extremely trusting, often too trusting. When Jesus invited children to come to Him, they eagerly […]
Transformed Affections
Jonathan Edwards preached during the first Great Awakening, the greatest revival in American history. God used him uniquely, and many people came to faith in Christ through his ministry. But several years later many believed that some who claimed to have become Christians during the Great Awakening were not true disciples. There was no change, […]
Four C’s of Building a Team, part two
To help ministry leaders think about how they recruit people to join their teams, I thought it would be helpful to look at two frameworks commonly used in recruiting/hiring. One that has been particularly helpful to me is the Four C’s: character, competence, chemistry, and conviction. I wrote about character and competence on Tuesday, so […]
Four C’s of Building a Team
A wise leader obsesses over having the right players on the team. A team filled with the right players is exponentially more effective than a team filled with the wrong players. Whether hiring employees or recruiting volunteers, I find it helpful to have a general framework from which you view potential team members. Two of […]
Two Keys to Having an Effective Group Strategy in Your Church
One of the biggest takeaways from the research behind our upcoming book Transformational Groups is the need for churches to be more clear and focused in their group strategy. Church leaders must know how their groups (classes, Bible fellowships, etc.) fit into their overall discipleship strategy/process, and many don’t. They simply have groups. Once leaders know how […]
What People Want from Your Groups
Ed Stetzer, Micah Fries, and I are currently working on a new book, Transformational Groups, based on insights gleaned from a massive research project conducted on small groups (including classes, Bible fellowships, etc). In one phase of the research, the research team at LifeWay Research surveyed and interviewed people who were once in a group but […]
Transformation Is Only Possible Through Jesus
Discipleship apart from Jesus is nontransformational. It may bring changes, but it essentially leaves you in the same spiritual state as it found you. The discipleship may provide education, improve behavior, increase happiness, add value, or make the disciple more skilled at a craft. But these are just changes. It’s the reskinning of the same […]
Are Groups Really Important in Your Church?
I believe groups (classes, Bible fellowships, etc) should be important to churches because God has supernaturally ordained community to sanctify His people. God, who is an eternal community of three Persons, created community for our benefit and His glory. And small groups help believers live in community with one anther. Though most pastors say that […]