Tag: mission
Church Attendance Is Dying. Here’s What’s Next.
by Carey Nieuwhof: Church attendance is dying. Big time. It’s not just reflected in the size of the decline, it’s reflected in the quality and nuances of those numbers. At least two massive, seismic shifts are at work in our culture causing this. First, we’re moving from Christendom into a […]
5 Pro Tips on How to Get Amazing Sermon Feedback
by Carey Nieuwhof: One of the worst feelings any preacher has is finishing up a message and having no idea how it really went. I mean you have your own subjective opinion, but we all know ourselves well enough to realize that sometimes we thought our message was awesome when […]
Some Simple Practices That Will Make Your Preaching Better
by Carey Nieuwhof: If you preach with any regularity, you know the pressure that comes with staring at a blank screen with a deadline approaching. And if you communicate regularly within the context of the local church, like I do, you quickly discover that Sundays come around whether you’re ready […]
6 Things That Make Ministry Harder Than It Was A Decade Ago
by Carey Nieuwhof: Ever feel like ministry is harder than it was a decade ago? You’re not alone. I am an eternal optimist when it comes to the church, but I agree that ministry is more challenging than it’s ever been. Understanding why is key to figuring out what to do and how […]
Creating a Culture of Evangelistic Accountability
By Ed Stetzer: Evangelism has the ability to make some of us very uncomfortable. We worry about offending people. We agonize over saying something wrong, unorthodox, or unhelpful that might end up leading someone further from Christ in lieu of closer to him. While we certainly don’t want to share Jesus […]
7 Signs Your Church Is (Finally) Reaching Unchurched People
by Carey Nieuwhof: So as a church leader you have a desire to reach new people with the good news of Jesus. But how do you know your church is really finally (truly) reaching the unchurched? First, you can (and should) use data to find out whether you are attracting transfer […]
A False Spiritual Maturity Test For Your Church…and a Better One
by Carey Nieuwhof: One of the frequent criticisms I hear of churches that are trying to reach people who don’t attend church is that they fail to produce ‘disciples’. Honestly, this is a criticism that, off and on, has been levied at our ministry for years. And it bothers me. On a recent […]
7 Very Possible Reasons You’re Losing Your Audience When You Speak
by Carey Nieuwhof: If there’s one thing you never set out to be as a leader or communicator, it’s to lose the audience. And yet everyone who communicates, preaches or even tries to persuade someone of an idea has discovered that sinking sense that you’ve lost them. You’re just not connecting and you […]
5 Essentials Every Church Constitution Needs To Thrive In The Future
Today’s post comes from Jeff Brodie. Jeff is the Lead Pastor at Connexus Church, where I’m Founding Pastor. Jeff’s my successor as Lead Pastor. He’s doing a phenomenal job leading our church community, and he’s also a loving husband, father and friend. This post is originally appeared on Jeff’s blog (where it’s […]
5 Reasons Younger Leaders and Older Leaders Frustrate Each Other At Work
by Carey Nieuwhof: If you’ve tried to lead employees who are under the age of 40, you’ve probably noticed things aren’t as easy as they used to be. (And they were actually never that easy.) If you’re under 40 and are working for an over-40 boss, you’re probably restraining your eye-rolls […]