In Preaching Articles: "Church Life"

12 Reasons Why Church Leaders Don’t Delegate

By Chuck Lawless on Feb 3, 2021

It's an all-too-familiar scene: a pastor who burns out while doing things that a member of his congregation could have helped with. Here are twelve of the worst reasons not to delegate.

Tags: Preaching, idolatry, energy, Bad leadership, delegated authority  (view more)  (view less)

Church Members Don't Want A Hero, They Want A Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 12, 2021

Church members aren’t looking for super-pastors, they want basic pastoral competence, honesty and leadership. That’s what they ought to expect.

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Hero, Pastor

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 28, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

7 Reasons Every Church Website Needs A Porn Page

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 19, 2022

Every church website needs a porn page – a page dedicated to pornography.

Tags: Outreach, Pornography, Culture, brokenness, culture  (view more)  (view less)

7 Steps To Start Becoming A Church People Want To Commit To

By Karl Vaters on Apr 12, 2022

A growing number of people who do go to church don’t want to go, either. If we don’t give them something worth committing to, they’ll be gone soon.

Tags: Learning, inspiration, Leadership Listening, fixing eyes on Jesus, commitment to church  (view more)  (view less)

8 Reasons Churches Should Partner With Secular Community Groups

By Karl Vaters on May 5, 2022

How can we reach our communities if they have no idea we love them? And how will they know we love them if we don’t work alongside them?

Tags: Service, Humility, Culture, community outreach, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Urgent Church: Nine Changes We Must Make Or Die

By SermonCentral .com on May 14, 2022

Many of our congregations must change. They must change or they will die.

Tags: Gospel, Prayer, Change, Dying Church, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Do We Need A broader Definition Of Church Growth?

By Karl Vaters on Oct 13, 2023

Any definition of church growth that doesn’t allow for, even celebrate, churches that contribute in non-numerical ways is incomplete.

Tags: Church Growth, priorities, pastoral leadership, First Things First, Right Values  (view more)  (view less)

Every Church Staff Team Needs A Little Bit Of Friction

By Brandon Cox on Nov 20, 2023

"Eliminate friction!!" That’s the goal most of us have when it comes to leading a team, or a church, or a company. But what if friction is actually the key to getting things moving in the right direction?

Scripture: Genesis 1:1

Tags: leadership, strategy, conflict, Teamwork, Tension, pastoral leadership, Friction, Team Dynamics, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

If You're Going To Do Church That Way, Do It Well

By Karl Vaters on Nov 30, 2023

Churches don’t become great by adding more programs. They get better at the ones they already have.

Tags: liturgy, Denomination, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, church leadership, People Over Programs, Form and Substance, Do What's right, e  (view more)  (view less)

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 6, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

You Can Make A Difference As We Make A Difference Together

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 9, 2021

Two thousand years ago, Jesus gathered some ordinary misfits into a little community called the church. He trained them as his disciples, died for their sins, rose again and breathed life into them by sending his Holy Spirit.

Tags: Outreach, Preaching, Difference, preaching

What Does It Really Mean To "Go Deeper”?

By Alan Danielson on May 2, 2020

Alan Danielson offers his take on one of the most overrated comments in the church today.

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7, Colossians 2:7

Tags: Thought, Church, leadership, Preaching, spiritual growth, Leadership, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

God’s Great Evangelistic Plan

By Peter Mead on Sep 27, 2022

"God’s plan to reach people with the gospel is not primarily evangelists or apologists, although both are vitally important. God’s plan to reach people with the gospel is the church."

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Testimony, great commission, Church Purpose of, Evangelism How To, gospel proclamation, Enjoy God, evangelism, church  (view more)  (view less)

Don't Get Caught In The Practical Preaching Trap

By Chris Surber on Nov 4, 2024

Life isn't a series of problems to be solved. It is a journey to be lived out.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-18

Tags: Preaching, Practical, trap, glorify god, corporate worship, preaching  (view more)  (view less)