Just as every pastor should be concerned about church health, every true believer should be interested as well in how to be a “healthy church member.” As we focused on the local church in the last blog, I thought I would address the topic as well from a local church perspective.
Read More >“We’re an old church; we just replace things when they break.”
This is the common response when I ask church leaders throughout the nation about their long-term capital planning strategy. While this statement might be true for many worship facilities, for many years, that doesn’t mean it’s the wisest form of stewardship for a church’s physical assets.
Read More >By design, MDiv degrees develop competency in ministry skills. That’s a given.
But, at Ashland Theological Seminary, the process starts, continues — and concludes — with an emphasis on personal formation, as well.
While no one model for the “ideal pastor” exists, the work of pastors can be divided into three broad categories: (1) ministering the Word, (2) pastoral care, and (3) administration.
Read More >New York Times best-selling author and Regent alumnus Mark Batterson ’12 (Divinity) believes in dreaming big and praying bold prayers.
It is a principle that he explored in his popular book The Circle Maker, and one that has guided his ministry for the last 18 years. As lead pastor of National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, D.C., his God-sized dreams have resulted in a vast ministry reaching thousands.
Often, when a church decides it wants to build, the first step is to get a set of plans designed and then bid out with several contractors. Nearly every month, we encounter churches where — after bidding the plans — the project is over budget and cannot be completed.
Other church leaders tell us their buildings were built using this process … and yet they ended up spending a significant amount more than the contractor’s original bid.
You might ask how this could happen. The answer: cost overrun.
Read More >
In this installment, we’ll focus on three types of alternative site selection:
#1: Expansion on one site (current or new)
#2: Expansion on multiple sites
#3: Expansion through church planting or new starts
Small group classrooms are integral to the spiritual life of the contemporary Church. They’re spaces of discipleship, where members and guests can digest the heart of what Christ is teaching us. They’re also places of prayer and intimate growth.
As such, it’s important that small group classrooms accommodate a great range of activities and group sizes. Yet, they must also be intimate enough that individuals feel comfortable expressing their doubts, questions and struggles surrounding faith.
It’s a delicate balance of familiarity and flexibility.
Read More >
