Worship Archives - Passion for Planting

Streaming is the New Traditional Service

Sean Cronin — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:00:40 +0000

by The Church.Digital: I think most of us can relate to the expression “traditional service” from our church experiences. Some of us might even remember the time when singing hymns followed by a 3-point message was no longer keeping people in church. At that time, the idea to add contemporary worship music along with a variety of instruments including drums, electric guitar, bass, and pretty close to a full rhythm section arose. In addition to the instruments, big projection screens were introduced for video illustrations, displaying song lyrics with animated backgrounds and more. Pastors moved away from the suit and tie and some churches slowly replaced the traditional choir with a larger group of vocalists wearing t-shirts and singing with the worship team. Ha, almost forgot, the worship team. Instead of one person leading songs, a group a people singing in harmony led the music portion of the service. With these changes, the weekend experience in churches got better. It was more engaging and as a result the church grew. Hear me when I say this, the traditional service was not a bad thing, but culture determined that we had to change. We did not change the message we shared, but rather just how we shared it.

Fast forward and here we are…again. For years now, churches have been connecting with people both locally and globally via the web. Streaming the weekend services became very popular, and it has been around for a while, I mean years! But with COVID-19, something is rapidly showing and making it more evident that simply streaming your services without engagement could now be the new “Traditional Service.” Culture is once again starting to show that what they want is not to only sit and watch, but they expect a more immersive experience.

By nature, as humans we long for immersive experiences. We want to be part of the things we have an interest in. We want to be the main actors and not only spectators in our experiences. Platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu, and more offer us just that as we control the experience. But it doesn’t stop there, the next generation is becoming even more immersive with the digital experiences and gaming has shaped how they interact with each other online. More than ever, people are playing together in a global community and I have to confess that I know this from my experience in playing FIFA ’20 where I am immersed in a global community who has common interests in soccer and gaming.

The church should not fall behind. People want to connect online, engage and have an experience. We have the best content to offer and the best interest at heart to connect with people, but simply streaming the services won’t do it. Engagement is required, and COVID-19 put this on a fast-track. We must be intentional about how we create online content, making sure it will drive the audience into a more immersive experience with God and each other.

Meeting in person is never going to go away, and it will continue to be a very important expression of worship in churches all over the world. Make note though, it is NO LONGER the only way REAL church is happening and remember that online church has the capacity to drive community more than ever during these times. People are no longer attached to a building in order to meet and to have fellowship, so let’s take advantage of the convenience that online church is bringing to keep people connected with each other and God daily.

If you are only streaming your services, maybe it is time to re-think and evaluate new ways to engage with your audience to create a more immersive experience. A place where they not only sit and watch but are actively part of REAL community that will engage kids, youth and adults while making disciples who will make disciples.

Source: Streaming is the New Traditional Service

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6 Components of Authentic Discipleship that Work Online

Esther Ritchey — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:00:00 +0000

By: The Church.Digital

One of the greatest pushbacks against church online is that an online church cannot provide authentic discipleship because it is not authentic community. Though I will save the authentic community argument for another post, I want to make the case here that you can provide authentic discipleship in an online environment. In fact, the same components that create healthy discipleship in person are the same components to create healthy disciples online. If you are struggling with the concept of discipleship in an online community or how to make disciples in your meeting time online, here are six components to help you establish a discipleship culture.

Shepherding

Shepherding is too often reserved for pastors and not lay people. Yet, the concept of shepherding is simply to care for other believers, often those you have been entrusted to lead. Though you may not be able to hug someone online, you can still shepherd them effectively. Caring for other believers does not require to be with them in person. If someone is having financial troubles, send them some cash via Paypal or Venmo. If someone is having a difficult week, encourage them through prayer and scripture in text or messaging. If someone is facing big life decisions, provide wise counsel and fast and pray with them.

Accountability

After focusing on shepherding, transition to accountability. Accountability consists of holding each other to obedience in our walk with Christ. Of course, this can mean asking someone who struggles with sexual sin how they have been doing, or utilizing online tools like Accountable2You to help. This also includes setting goals together (see number four) and holding each other to those goals that are being set. Use this time to ask about each other’s prayer life, their time in the word, and sin issues that can be holding someone back from an abundant life in Christ.

Worship

This one may be the trickiest. Of course, you can play a song on youtube and sing together. If you are musically inclined, feel free to play and sing together. However, this could also be something as simple as asking a question like: “What is your favorite attribute of God and why?” or “Tell me something that God did in your life this past week that you are grateful for?” Any act that draws our gaze and attention toward God is worship, so be creative. Note that this comes after accountability. If someone has had a hard week with accountability, it is important to immediately draw their eyes to Jesus for hope and to prevent shame and guilt that surfaces from sin.

Study the Word

Too often, we only study the word in our discipleship meetings, foregoing all the other things I mention in this post. However, time in the word should still be at the center of discipleship. The key to disicpling in the word is to come to the Bible with an obedience-based approach rather than a knowledge-based approach. In other words, we read the Bible to know God and to obey him through what we read, not to learn new things alone without concern for obedience. For Bible study, I highly recommend the Discovery Bible Study. It is the most adaptable approach to studying the Bible I know of, is obedience-driven, and is centered around a community approach rather than an individualistic approach.

Set Goals

After reading the Bible, the most important step is to take what has been understood and apply it to our lives in specific ways. Often, we use application in abstract ways by saying, “I just want to love God more.” That’s a great desire, but that is not a goal. A goal would be to spend thirty minutes in prayer every day for the next week, or to read 1 John once a day for the next week. In my groups, I use the acronym C.O.S.T to guide us in goal setting.

C – How will I Connect to God this week?

O – How will I Obey God this week?

S – Who will I Share the Gospel with this week?

T – What other Christian can I Train this week?

It is important that the leader provide a way for these goals to be made public to the group as these goals serve as a prayer guide for each other throughout the week and a chance to see how things are going as we seek to meet our spiritual goals. It is also important that the leader set goals as well and invite the group to hold him/her accountable.

Commission the Group

After setting goals and recording them, the leader ought to cast vision and commission them out into their communities. At the end of every group, we consider the Great Commission and remind each other that there is a real mission with high stakes that Jesus gave us to complete, and that is what we are being sent out to.

Disclaimer:

You may notice that prayer is not one of the six components. That is on purpose. Rather than making prayer a section during the time a group has together, I recommend making prayer center to every section. How can you shepherd each other without prayer? How can you determine what goals God would have you set without prayer? How can we understand the Word without prayer? Prayer ought to be in the ebb and flow of the group meeting rather than just one section.

These six components of a small group will create disciples online or in-person. For more resources like these, please visit http://t4tonline.org/ and https://noplaceleft.net/four-fields/.

Source: 6 Components of Authentic Discipleship that Work Online

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Prayer During a Pandemic – Part One

Sean Cronin — Tue, 26 May 2020 13:25:12 +0000

Home > Blog > Prayer During a Pandemic – Part One

Prayer During a Pandemic – Part One

By Ed Stetzer

A global pandemic calls God’s church to prayer. On Sunday, March 15, a National Day of Prayer was held regarding the ongoing pandemic that we currently face in our nation. As we face uncertainty about health, jobs, and the immediate future, large numbers of believers in communities and on social media are choosing prayer over paranoia, prudence over panic.

As the spread of the coronavirus touches more lives, shuts down more events, shelters more people in their homes, and awakens more people to the fact that this is real, churches have been challenged to consider both the issues facing corporate worship and how best to minister to the vulnerable. This is indeed a time to remember that prayer serves as the unceasing and appropriate response of believers.

S.D. Gordon observed, “You can do more than pray after you pray, but you cannot do more than pray until you pray.” We should be listening to healthcare experts. We should be practicing recommended sanitizing practices, social distancing, and quarantine when necessary. But as God’s children, we do all these practices on the solid foundation of prayer.

In uncertain times, we remember that prayer is far more than a contemplative religious practice. God truly hears our prayers! We aren’t the first to face times like these. We can look to the church in the book of Acts for wisdom; they faced intense persecution, famine, and a litany of ministry issues, all of which they met on their knees.

Prayer serves as the natural foundation of the Spirit’s work in Acts. Over the next four articles I want to highlight features about prayer that we see in the Acts. The first thing I want you to see is that the church was birthed in prayer. Acts 1:14 tells us “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” Following the Lord’s instruction after His resurrection to His followers, these believers gathered for prayer. Before anything else took place, they were praying together.

Judas has betrayed Jesus and has died. What did the leaders do? They begin to pray for wisdom for Judas’ successor. And in his summary of the life of the church in Acts 2, Luke says this: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.” In fact, both Acts 3:1 and Acts 16:16 shows how daily prayer marked their routine. Our first recourse is prayer.

My wife, Donna, and I got married in college between our junior and senior year. We then felt the Lord calling us to plant a church somewhere. We begin to pray about where and the Lord began to guide us to Buffalo, New York.

We moved there in the time when Buffalo was the fastest shrinking city in America. You read that right. We moved there in the middle of the crack epidemic of the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s. When we arrived, there were drive-by shootings on our street. But we felt the Lord call us there.

How did we know? We began to say, “Lord, what is your plan for our lives?” I was graduating from college. I started seminary when I got to Buffalo, so I had a lot to learn. But we knew enough to know that prayer was vital, and we began to pray. I remember hearing a pastor say, “Don’t go somewhere, don’t do something until you are sure God called you to do it.” We began to pray and say, “Lord, how would You make us sure?”

I went to visit Buffalo. Donna was working at the time and couldn’t go. I went and prayed, and I prayed at a certain intersection on Prospect Avenue where it crosses right in the inner city of Buffalo, New York. I , “Lord, is this what You have in mind for us?” And the Lord, led us clearly, prompting into my heart said, “Come and plant My church.” Not Ed’s church, but Jesus’ Church.

Back then we didn’t have cell phones, so I got into the car and began to drive back home.

We had been praying and fasting for over a week at that time saying, “Lord, we can’t do anything without the clarity that You give us. We look to what You did in the Book of Acts. And we look for You to do it in our hearts today.”

I came back home and Donna said, right away, “I’ve been praying. God wants us to go to Buffalo.” And I said, “Yes, God wants us to go to Buffalo.” I called my dad. We were from the other side of the state. I grew up on Long Island, outside of New York city. My dad said, “That’s the worst city in the whole Northeast.” And it was tough. Someone had a sign on the outside of the town that said, “Would the last worker in Western New York, please turn off the lights?”

But God called us. He called us as we prayed.

We moved to a city in economic distress in a post-steel and post-industrial manufacturing age. But when you know the Lord has led you to do something, you step out in obedience to what the Lord has in mind for you. Just as in the early church in the Book of Acts, we went to the Lord in prayer. He gave us His direction. Two thousand years ago, they went to the Lord in prayer. They then got God’s direction.

The decisions we make regarding the coronavirus should be informed by the best in medical wisdom we have today. It is not a mark of faith to ignore fact. But we have hope beyond the immediate and dire circumstances we face. We remember that we are ultimately dependent uponHim for guidance now and in the days to come.

Prayer becomes alive when we see the privilege and the joy it is to come before God to bring our needs. To simply worship Him and give Him thanks. To confess our sin. To be reminded of our one mediator between God and man, Jesus. They could go to God the Father and sing and pray and praise, and the Church was birthed because of those prayers.

We can draw near to God while we maintain social distance from others. Let’s be wise and let’s worship. Let’s use the technology available to pray with others safely. Let’s be servants and be surrendered. Let’s praise and thank God while we love and serve others.

Source: Prayer During a Pandemic – Part One

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Outside the Box Multisite Church Launch

Sean Cronin — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 10:00:06 +0000

Home > Blog > Outside the Box Multisite Church Launch

Outside the Box Multisite Church Launch

By Bryan Rose

If becoming a multisite church, or adding another campus, is on your vision-radar right now, chances are you are primarily thinking in terms of Sunday morning worship. Most multisite church expressions initially begin with a weekly service. And, in most cases, the worship service is a natural and necessary way to most effectively reproduce your culture across campuses.

But what if multisite was less about your worship venue and more about your missional engagement? Best practices of the past do not automatically create highest effectiveness in the future.

As a strategic outsider focused on vision alignment, here are two outside of the box approaches to launching a multisite campus that I am seeing churches consider before beginning a worship service.

Serve First

Starting with missional engagement allows immediate impact in the target area. The Serve First model tilts the investment scale toward leading people over assembling equipment. Immediate return with this campus launch model is meaningful activity in the community and the creation of opportunities for the core team to live the mission right away.

Groups First

Another church is beginning to meet regularly and grow as disciples in smaller gatherings. Instead of waiting for worship services, group members invite neighbors and friends into fellowship and life-change in the neighborhood. Allowing the notion of “campus” to be decentralized into homes, versus concentrated in a building, a felt 7-day presence is immediate.

Both of these approaches to multisite campus development naturally bring the necessity of developing leaders to live on mission, as opposed to recruiting volunteers to accomplish a task. Corporate gathering for worship and teaching can still occur, but with the freedom to do so in non-standard times and other-than-weekly rhythms.

As multisite churches numerically move beyond the 5000 milestone of 2012 and exponentially toward the next horizon, innovative approaches to reaching people and replicating DNA beyond the Sunday morning service will continue to develop.

How are you thinking about multisite outside the box?

Source: Outside the Box Multisite Church Launch

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PODCAST 045: Church In A Bar & Other Innovations

Sean Cronin — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:00:13 +0000

by Jeff Reed: Sometimes innovation is overly complicated and very costly. Sometimes innovation is just looking at what you have differently.

What you’ll discover here in this episode of The Church Digital Podcast is two churches that have done some incredibly innovative things with what they had. So much effort goes into creating the musical worship portion of the worship service each week, what if we did musical worship via video? Churches are doing teaching each week via video… why not musical worship?

Enter today’s podcast, where churches have launched in a Bar utilizing video worship… even going as far as launching a multisite campus without having a band on stage for musical worship. Crazy concept, I know. But imagine the scalability and savings if it could work. Remember, not everyone needs to buy into it, but enough need to buy into it to make it worthwhile.

As an aside, hear me publicly admit that I was wrong! (My wife doesn’t even get that treatment.) All this and more here on The Church Digital Podcast.

If you’re enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:

ON THE SHOW

Source: PODCAST 045: Church In A Bar & Other Innovations

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You were Created to Get Creative

Sean Cronin — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 10:00:50 +0000

You were Created to Get Creative

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By Brandon Cox: God is quite creative. All you have to do is look up and around you and you’ll see a world filled with wonder, with color, in mesmerizing detail.

Often when people express themselves creatively, even when they aren’t producing specifically “Christian” art, they’re still glorifying God because they’re doing so as a reflection of his creative touch upon their lives.

The thing about art is that some of us just don’t “get” it. We wonder why someone would pay millions of dollars for a painting or spend countless hours listening to musical performances. Art isn’t very practical, after all.

In ancient Greece, there were two cities of global renown. Sparta was famous for their fighters and became the seat of the Greek military. Athens was the center of thought and artistic expression. Both were essential to the ongoing flourishing of the culture.

God wired us to be expressive. He designed us to employ our talents and abilities to show off his glory, sometimes with art and sometimes with engineering and innovation.

God wired us to be expressive. He designed us to employ our talents and abilities to show off his glory, sometimes with art and sometimes with engineering and innovation. Click To Tweet

Why is God so interested in worship, anyway? It doesn’t seem to feed the hungry or heal the sick. What’s the purpose of praise? The one hundredth psalm gives us a clue:

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~ Psalm 100:1-5 NIV

Shout… worship… sing… know… enter with thanksgiving and praise… these are all commands. And the why?

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever. His faithfulness continues.

We sing and shout and praise God simply on the basis of his worthiness. And when we do, we reach out and touch the heart of our Creator, and he responds by touching our hearts in return.

Praise is God-glorifying. And praise is life-changing. Let it overflow in your life right now. What do you have to praise him for today?

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Source: You were Created to Get Creative

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The Two Big Reasons Why Believers Give Praise to God

Sean Cronin — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 10:00:48 +0000

The Two Big Reasons Why Believers Give Praise to God

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by Brandon Cox: We’re a pragmatic society. Meaning, we usually don’t invest time into doing something unless we can see the personal benefit of it, the more immediate the better. And pragmatism isn’t all bad. Sometimes the right question to ask is, what will get me the result I’m looking for?

But when it comes to worship and praise in the life of the Christian, pragmatism will cheat us out of one of the richest blessings we could possibly enjoy – greater intimacy with God.

There is no immediate, practical value in praise and worship in terms of producing something of value here on earth. Praising God doesn’t earn us money. It doesn’t create more time. It doesn’t build companies or fix broken things or invent new product ideas. Praise doesn’t pay the bills or balance the checkbook.

So a lot of us skip it, to our detriment. We sometimes go a day, a week, a season, or even a lifetime without ever stopping to give praise and glory to God, but if you’re a follower of Jesus, you don’t offer praise because of any immediate benefit to you. There are two other big reasons we worship and glorify God.

1. We praise God because of who he is.

God is God. He is Lord alone. He created all that exists and sustains it by his power and wisdom. And he is good. He is morally virtuous. He is transcendent, existing completely apart from sin and unable to commit it. He is holy. He is powerful.

God is also kind, loving, merciful, forgiving, and benevolent. He offers peace, restoration, redemption, cleansing, and healing. He is love, and he loves, having demonstrated his love toward us in that, while we were still sinners, God’s Son Jesus Christ died for us.

And God is faithful. He constantly remains committed to his people. He never leaves us, nor forsakes us. He remains unchanged. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot lie and leads us into truth. He guides. He guards. He cares.

I could go on, but you get the picture. We praise God because of who he is. We praise him for is very essence and being, for his character and attributes.

2. We praise God because of what he has done, is doing, and will do.

God has been so good to me. He’s given me life, health, a home, a family, a church, a community to call home, air to breathe, food to eat, and clothing to wear. I’ve seen God heal people, answer my prayers, and draw close to me when I’ve felt all alone.

He has done great things for me – far more than I deserve, far more than I could ask or imagine.

And I will praise him for it. For who he is. For what he has done. For what he is doing right now. For what he will do forever.

We need to understand both of these angles from which to praise God. If we only praise him for the ways in which we benefit from his actions, then when we walk through suffering, our faith will falter. We’ll wonder why he isn’t doing what he did previously.

And if we only praise him for who he is, our faith takes on a cold and impersonal tone. So we remind ourselves that he is good, and that we are the recipients of his goodness.

Even if you don’t have a relationship with him, you’ve still benefitted from the goodness of God. The Bible says,

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 NIV

Everything. The air you breathe. The crops that make their way to your table. The very economy surrounding you which sustains your lifestyle – it’s all a work of God. And he deserves praise.

We don’t merely praise him for what we get out of it. We praise him because he is deserving of praise.

And amazingly, graciously, God does give us an immediate, practical benefit for our praise. He communes with us there in the place where we lay our hearts before him.

He fills us. He empowers us. He warms us. He draws us closer. He draws closer to us.

Maybe it’s been a few hours, a few days, or a few years since you’ve consciously and intentionally offered praise to God for his goodness. Why not pause right now to do so?

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Source: The Two Big Reasons Why Believers Give Praise to God

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Shaping Your Worship Culture

Sean Cronin — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 09:00:09 +0000

Home > Blog > Shaping Your Worship Culture

September 11, 2019

Shaping Your Worship Culture

By New Churches Team

Selecting Worship Leaders

As a church planter looking for the right worship leader, you must consider a person’s character, chemistry, capacity, and competency. Remember that worship leaders lead music, but worship pastors lead people. Look for leaders who can lead people and pour into them.

As you build the worship team under the worship leader, create a tiered process that includes evaluations. Start with an audition during which time people understand that they will receive feedback whether they make the team or not. Encourage those who do not make it to try again. After initial auditions, bring your new members into rehearsals to see how they blend into the team. Finally, bring the new member onto the platform for a worship service. And again, evaluate how the worship service went and make sure to check in with the team member about their comfort level of being on stage.

Creating a Feedback Culture

Beginning with the very first worship experience you offer, give your team feedback. Depending on your staff makeup this may be an in-person meeting or this may be through email. Either way be sure to celebrate the good things, discuss challenges, and discuss things you want to do the following week. Encourage the team to evaluate themselves together. This creates an environment of transparency and encouragement.

Working as a Team

As the pastor, if you do not have a heart for worship, it will be reflected in your church culture. Value worship – not just in theory but in practice.

To read the rest of this article, and to watch the entire video training, click here for the full videos and post.

These videos are part of Plus Membership. To get full access to them, and much more, I encourage you to become a Plus Member. Click here to see all the benefits of becoming a Plus Member.

Source: Shaping Your Worship Culture

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CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services

Sean Cronin — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 09:00:22 +0000

by Carey Nieuwhof: The attractional church model has been the dominant church model for 20 years in growing churches and many leaders are noticing it’s not nearly as effective as it used to be. Few churches were better known for the attractional model than Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN.

In a raw, honest and open conversation, Creative Director Drew Powell and Executive Director Matt Warren talk about why attractional church isn’t what it used to be, why it was effective but isn’t as much anymore, what they’ve changed (and why Cross Point is now the largest its ever been) and where the future church is heading.

Welcome to Episode 251 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.

Guest Links

@drewpowell | @mattywarren | crosspoint.tv | crosspoint.tv/music

Episode Links

Step up your digital game and grow your congregation through custom-tailored content with Pro Media Fire. Take advantage of this special offer for podcast listeners at promediafire.com/carey and receive 10% off all plans for life and 40% off media bundles for life.

Mark Clark and I team up in The Art of Better Preaching, where we share everything we’ve learned about communicating in a way that will help your church grow without compromising biblical integrity. We cover detailed training on everything from interacting with the biblical text, to delivering a talk without using notes, to writing killer bottom lines that people will remember for years. Find out how you can improve your preaching by enrolling today.

5 Reasons Charismatic Churches Are Growing (And Attractional Churches Are Past Peak) by Carey Nieuwhof

3 Insights from Drew & Matt

1. The foyer of the church has moved online

Nobody goes to a restaurant without checking out the website and reviews first and it’s no different for seekers looking for a church to call home. Most people are going to visit a church online before ever considering to step through the doors and that’s why the foyer of the church has moved.

Once online attenders are ready to experience a service live, the transition can be intimidating. That’s the time where they get to find out if everything they’ve been experiencing online (and missing out on live) is real and true.

It’s important to have volunteers on the ground ready to make them feel expected, welcomed and at home. That successful transition often leads to fast engagement because they are eager to get involved in the church community once that online barrier has been crossed.

2. Everyone can still be welcome in a charismatic model

As many churches move towards a more charismatic model, it’s important to continue to be welcoming to everyone – a key component of attractional church that doesn’t need to disappear.

What’s shifting in the charismatic approach is who the programming is being created to reach. Instead of cultivating a service with only the unchurched in mind, incorporate space in the program that provides the “first couple of rungs on the ladder” for anyone new to the church space while keeping the focus on engaging Christ followers in continued spiritual growth.

3. Don’t wear Saul’s armor; find your own fit

If you feel stuck in a model that isn’t working and aren’t sure how to change course, there are two places to focus on in order to slowly turn the ship around.

First, pray – and if you don’t know how to pray, ask God to teach you how. Seems too simple, but never underestimate the powerful changes that can come through intentional prayer.

Second, focus on your unique calling instead of getting lost in the comparison trap. The things that connect your church to your community are not necessarily the same things that connect other churches to theirs. You can’t wear Saul’s armor. You need a suite customized for your own battle. Focus on your strengths, know who you are and hone in on what God has called you to do.

Quotes from Episode 251

Nobody is looking for WOW anymore in the church. If they are truly lost, they are looking for HOW. -Matt WarrenClick To Tweet

People show up looking for Jesus and shame on us if they show up and only find us. @cnieuwhofClick To Tweet

I never want to lose the environment that says everybody is welcome. -Matt WarrenClick To Tweet

We’re never going to have the opportunity to actually get our arms around online attenders if we don’t engage them in the new foyer, which is online. -Drew PowellClick To Tweet

Read or Download the Transcript for Episode 251

Looking for a key quote? More of a reader?

Read or download a free PDF transcript of this episode here.

Reach More People…Every Weekend

Ready to start preaching better sermons and reach the unchurched without selling out? Then it’s time to start using the right tips, lessons, and strategies to communicating better.

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Why you need to ditch your sermon notes (and how to do it far more easily than you think.)
How to keep your heart and mind fresh over the long run

And far more! Plus you get an interactive workbook and some bonus resources that will help you write amazing messages week after week.

In the Art of Better Preaching, Mark and I share everything we’ve learned about communicating in a way that will help your church grow without compromising biblical integrity. We cover detailed training on everything from interacting with the biblical text to delivering a talk without using notes, to writing killer bottom lines that people will remember for years.

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Next Episode: Kevin Queen

What do you do when a well-known, charismatic founder of a highly visible, successful church resigns and you’re the successor? That was Kevin Queen’s situation in 2017 when he took over the Lead Pastor role at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN after Pete Wilson stepped back. Kevin had never been a Lead Pastor before and has a very different style and approach. 18 months later, the church has never been stronger or larger, and is moving into the future as alive as it’s ever been. Kevin shares that astonishing, unlikely story of how it all came together under God’s grace.

Subscribe for free now and you won’t miss Episode 252.

The post CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services

The post CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services appeared first on Passion for Planting.

Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church?

Sean Cronin — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 10:00:22 +0000

by Bobby Harrington: Dear Discipleship·org community,

Defining a church and a disciple making church are big challenges.

We brought a small group of disciple making leaders together last month to help us define these two key terms that are crucial for disciple-making leaders to thrive. I wanted to share the challenge and our working solutions with all our readers, and that’s why I’m writing to you today.

There are three key definitions:

A church
A disciple-making movement
A “Level 5” disciple-making church (viral multiplication of disciple making within a church)

It is hard to define each of these terms because they represent complex, nuanced realities.

We tried to broach these definitions at a gathering of Discipleship·org leaders in 2018, but we got bogged down and had to stop. I knew we would need to come back to this important work early in 2019 and that’s what we did in early January. After praying about it and seeking counsel, we met in Phoenix. This article is a summary of our meeting and the working definitions that we plan to use with Discipleship·org.

Thank you for taking time to read through my brief summary of our definitions and for joining this conversation with your comments and prayers:

KEEP READING BLOG

For King Jesus,

Executive Director, Discipleship.org

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Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church?ciple Making Forum in Nashville, November 7-8 by clicking here.

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“Disciple Making Movements – a History and a Definition (Part 2)”

by Roy Moran

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by Bobby Harrington

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S6 Episode 3: How to Let the Holy Spirit Guide Your Discipling Relationships (Kent Chevalier)

S6 Episode 2: Bridging the Intergenerational Gaps—X, Millennials, Z and More (Heather Zempel)

S6 Episode 1: Making Disciples with Mandisa (Dave Buehring and Mandisa)

The post Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church? appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church?

The post Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church? appeared first on Passion for Planting.

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Shaping Your Worship Culture

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September 11, 2019

Shaping Your Worship Culture

By New Churches Team

Selecting Worship Leaders

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CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services

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Weekly Update: How Do You Define a Church and a Disciple Making Church?

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