The early doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) included the following elements:
• They met in homes — “house to house” openly (Acts 2:46)
• Worship was participatory rather than a spectator sport (Acts 11:27-30)
• Every member was involved in ministry; members shared responsibility (Acts 11:27-30)
• Teachings reflected a small group context (Acts 10:22-48; 16:30-34; 18:7-8; 28:30-31)
• […]
Key Questions for Every Creative Idea
By: Tom Bandy
Servant empowering leaders never tell people what to do, but always ask these questions when anyone suggests a creative idea:
1) Did it emerge from serious spiritual growth?
2) Is it aligned with our vision and mission?
3) Is it within the boundaries of core values and beliefs?
4) Do you […]
There are two sides of the communication coin. Asking good questions is on one side of the coin, on the other is being a good listener. Effective listening will earn the trust of those you engage and will convey your respect for the other who is speaking. Everyone wants to be heard, and we […]
How you measure up as a leader is largely determined by what it is you measure. It turns out, one of the differences between an average leader and a great leader can be found by looking at what they put on their spreadsheets.
Actually, that’s a bit misleading. Most of the important measurements don’t actually fit […]
I can’t tell you how many pastors have said to me, “I don’t want to know what my members give. That’s between them and God.”
But the reality is, if you’re the lead pastor, what your members give IS your business.
When I was a church planter, my trainer asked us, “What is the #1 […]
To become a part of the Next Level for Church Growth Pastors Group (a private Facebook Group), a pastor has to answer three questions. Question #2 is about Church Growth. It’s always amused me (not Ha Ha amusement) when some pastor pushes back and accuses me (and The Effective Church Group) about being one […]
In the ancient world there were no glass or plastic bottles, instead people would put liquids into animal skins that were sewn together and used like canteens. Eventually these skins would become brittle, and rupture, spilling out the liquid.Jesus referred to these wineskins when teaching his early followers and us about change.
And no one […]
The whole point of our Dinosaurs to Rabbits book is to help spur our colleagues in the Mainline Church to get serious about transforming the church into a multiplication monster (a good kind of monster!). But the heart of the matter is that in our experience, the Mainline Church has lost its heart for making disciples […]
The Time- The 16th Century
The Place- A monastery in Europe
The Setting – Two monks discussing the Gutenberg Bible
One monk says to the other one:
“I don’t think it will ever catch on. It is too hard to use. I find the old scrolls much easier to read. I can roll it out to sixteen feet […]
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