In Preaching Articles: "Church Death"

If Your Church Is Drifting And Stuck, Should You Try To Change It From Within?

By Jonathan Herron on Jan 12, 2022

What do you do if you’re a frustrated support staff member of a visionless church? Do you try to change things from within?

Tags: church planting, Church Death, pastoral leadership, Church and change

Death By Ministry

By Eugene Cho on Jan 23, 2025

Is pastoral ministry a dangerous profession? Eugene Cho shares the facts.

Tags: Ministry, leadership, pastor, Servanthood, Pastors, Church Body of Christ, Pastor, Leadership, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas: The Dawn Of Death’s Destruction

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 19, 2020

John Piper helps connect the pain of the holidays--felt by so many--to the preacher's task.

Tags: Christmas, Death, Jesus, destruction

Death To Dancing Bears

By Lance Witt on May 31, 2022

“Sometimes as a worship pastor,” he said, “I feel like a dancing bear. It’s my job to get up and perform for the crowd, and as long as the performance is good, everyone is happy. Except me. Something is missing and I don’t know what to do.”

Tags: Ministry, burnout, pastoral leadership, Lost Focus, People Over Programs, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Adjusting To Reality: Loss And The Christian Life

By Joe Mckeever on Feb 4, 2020

Earlier this year, author and pastor Joe McKeever lost his beloved wife of more than 50 years, Margaret. In this moving article, he reflects on what it means to "adjust" to the new reality--and how faith requires an adjustment, as well.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:14-17

Tags: death in Christ

Death And Life: Preaching Through Lent

By Patricia Tull on Mar 2, 2020

"Ultimately, for the faithful, all this talk about death in the lectionary offers liberation."

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Tags: preaching, Death, Preaching, Life, lent  (view more)  (view less)

Death Is Dead, Christ Has Conquered

By Sam Allberry on May 23, 2024

Too many of us view the resurrection of Jesus as little more than a nice, happy conclusion to the gospel story. But the Easter story isn’t just “what happens next” to Jesus after his death. It doesn’t just wrap up the story; it fulfills it. In fact, there really is no story without it.

Scripture: Romans 4:25, 1 Corinthians 15:17

Tags: Resurrection, Gospel, Victory, Christ is Risen, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

How To Guard Your Heart--In The Pulpit

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Aug 6, 2019

Preachers struggle with the temptation to make their charge from God a performance before men.

Tags: Preaching, Fear of Death

What Is The ‘sin Not Leading To Death’ In 1 John 5?

By John Piper on Jul 13, 2024

Check out John Piper's answer to a perplexing question from 1 John.

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, 1 John 5:16-17

Tags: confession, repentance, God's Promises, faith and repentance, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

7 Easter Declarations People Are Literally Dying To Hear

By Joe Mckeever on Apr 18, 2020

Stay on track. You have the greatest message on the planet; try not to weaken it with trivialities.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Tags: Death, Easter, Jesus' Resurrection

How To Preach On Death Row (Or Other Unfamiliar Settings)

By Joe Mckeever on Feb 14, 2020

Sooner or later, every minister faces this kind of fearsome opportunity. (Wonderful nightmare? Scary blessing?)

Tags: Preaching

What Not To Say When Someone Dies

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 3, 2024

There is a danger turning faith into fairy tale for our own comfort. At the same time it may help us to approach someone with biblical truths after we understand their line of thinking.

Tags: Death, Comfort, Preaching, Funeral, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching When The News Intrudes

By Eric Reed on Jan 6, 2025

When natural disasters, terrorist attacks, celebrity deaths, and political intrigue dominate the news, should pastors talk about them? And if so, how?

Tags: Church, Preaching, Culture, disaster, media, Trials and Difficulties, preaching, church, culture  (view more)  (view less)

5 Funeral Blunders To Avoid At All Costs

By John Pond on Jun 26, 2021

What we say is powerful in such a vulnerable situation, and we should tread carefully.

Tags: mistakes, Funeral, preaching, Death, Heaven, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Subtle Signs Your Church Is Dying

By Carey Nieuwhof on Feb 18, 2021

As with almost everything in life, there are subtle signs your peak may be near or you may be cresting past it. Other times, the signs of death are evident to everyone but the leaders. If you recognize the signs early enough, you can reverse the trend.

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Church Health, Leadership