Newbie Communication
When I go to most churches, even my own, I try to see everything as if I’m a newbie. Most of the time that’s not hard as I travel across the nation. Recently I was in a mid-sized church where the pastor delivered an eloquent sermon on the need for making connections in the church. […]
Matthew Parties: A Small Group Growth Tip
The Matthew Party is one of the small group’s best multiplication tools. Matthew Parties are named for the party Matthew threw for his tax-collector friends on the evening he met Jesus. Matthew held this party so his friends could meet the Lord in a safe, hospitable setting (Mark 2:14–17). The Matthew Party at a small […]
What Small Groups Can Learn from the House Church Movement
If nominations were solicited for a single word that best described the North American house church and home fellowship movement, “potential” might be the one in the sealed envelope. David Garrison who has studied global church planting movements suggests that house church planting is one of the key factors for the growth of global Christianity. […]
What You Know Doesn’t Matter
I’m a fairly smart guy and I’ve got the degrees to prove it, so when I was in a seminar and the presenter made the assertion, “What you know doesn’t really matter,” well, it got my dander up and at least in my head I crossed my arms and thought, “That’s bunk.” But the speaker […]
Spiritual Habits for Real People
Easter is literally just around the corner and church leaders are gearing up for one of the most visitor and alumni attendance Sundays of the year. There’s so much to do: neighborhood Easter Egg hunts to organize; the Easter Cantata to publicize; ecumenical (or not) Easter Sunrise Services to coordinate; visitor follow-up programs to massage; […]
The Tenth Spiritual Habit
by Bill Tenny-Brittian In my book High-Voltage Spirituality I introduce nine broad categories of Spiritual Habits: Projection/Reflection, Prayer, Study, Worship, Giving-Up, Taking-On, Accountability, Retreating, and Faith Sharing. With spring encroaching upon us, it seemed to me to be a great time to try the Tenth Habit: The Spiritual Habit of Pilgrimage. Pilgrimages were popular spiritual practices up […]