In Preaching Articles: "Intentional Growth"

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)

3 Things To Remember When You’re Browsing Through Social Media

By Randy Alcorn on Sep 30, 2022

"Just as we should be intentional about what we post, we should also be intentional about how we process what others are posting."

Tags: Covetousness, Competition, caution, social media, Rejoice with others  (view more)  (view less)

Eugene Peterson On Pastors, Preaching, And Consumer Culture

By Eugene Peterson on Jul 14, 2021

"I grew up in a culture which was very entertainment-centered. Pastors were really good storytellers, and they were attractive people, glamorous."

Tags: Growth, Preaching, Growth in Christ

Five Ways To Keep Your Church Small And How To Overcome Them

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jul 18, 2020

God wants a church to grow because it's winning the lost to Christ and discipling them to reach others.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Preaching, Church Growth, Growth in Christ

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 29, 2020

Do numbers alone tell the story of success? What kind of numbers caught Jesus' attention?

Tags: Growth, Preaching, number, Growth in Christ

The Top 3 Reasons Church Growth Ideas Usually Fail In Smaller Churches

By Karl Vaters on Aug 31, 2022

We're often told that small churches are failing at church growth. But sometimes church growth ideas are failing in smaller churches.

Tags: Church Growth, Context, pastoral leadership, Church Attendance, church ministry, rural church, Growth Strategy, Urban Church, context, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

10 Multisite Myths (And Realities)

By Jim Egli on Nov 2, 2020

Some preachers resist the idea of multiple sites. But what if technology increases your effectiveness?

Tags: Church, Growth, Missions, Multisite, Growth in Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Growing A Church

By Barry O. Johnson on Aug 19, 2024

Should church growth be our focus?

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:12, Matthew 28:20

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, Church Growth, glorifying God, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Top 8 Reasons Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 26, 2023

Why is it that most churches never break the 200 attendance mark?

Tags: Church Growth, Barriers, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Barriers to Growth, Growth Strategy  (view more)  (view less)

Three Root Causes Of Stalled Spiritual Transformation

By Thom Rainer on Mar 5, 2020

Why does spiritual growth sometimes stall out in believers? Thom Rainer offers his view and solutions from a study of the Corinthian church.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Spirit, Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Transformation, Growth in Christ  (view more)  (view less)

5 Top Priorities For Increasing Your Church

By Charles Arn on Jan 11, 2025

Whether you’re in a church of 20 or 20,000, these principles will help you to invest the talents God has given to your church.

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Growth, Discipleship, leadership, pastor, Church Growth, Pastor, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

3 Positive Ways To Respond To Negative Criticism

By Joe Hoagland on Feb 26, 2021

Some criticism is unequivocally bad criticism. It is destructive, not based 100% in truth, and is based in bad intentions. Prepare yourself for this kind of criticism.

Tags: Preaching, Criticism, criticism, preaching

7 Things That Get Harder As Your Church Grows

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 7, 2023

Ever think that growth will solve all your problems?

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Healthy Church, pastoral leadership, church ministry, church problems, church priorities, Effective Leadership, Focus on Numbers, Elias livingstone, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Tell If A New Volunteer Is Truly A Leader (Or Simply A Doer)

By Carey Nieuwhof on May 10, 2024

"I recently surveyed 1400 small and mid-sized church pastors to find out what they struggle with most as their church grows. They overwhelmingly identified developing leaders as their top challenge."

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Volunteer, church ministry, obstacles to growth, Barriers to Growth, Growing a Church, Leaders vs Doers, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Are You A Do Something Church?

By Miles Mcpherson on Jul 20, 2020

"A Do Something Church® is a church body that is committed to doing what Jesus did while in His body with the intent of establishing Pervasive Hope."

Scripture: Mark 10:49-51, Luke 17:17-19

Tags: Service, Preaching, Servanthood