In Preaching Articles: "Local Church Purpose"

What Is The Future Of Preaching?

By Dwayne Milioni on Mar 2, 2024

A homiletics professor offers 14 thoughts on the future of preaching in the American church.

Tags: Church, Preaching, American, Homiletics, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

Why Is It So Difficult To Lead A Church Through Change?

By Rob Pochek on Jul 10, 2025

Everyone says they want change, so what's the problem?

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Acts 9:3-6, Titus 3:1-5

Tags: Church, leadership, Change, Pastoring, Leadership, church  (view more)  (view less)

How To Avoid Settling For Good Enough Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 5, 2022

You can take a stand against “good enough ministry” in your church with a simple practice adopted from the business world: writing down how things should be done.

Tags: Excellence, details, church and business, church organization

8 Ways To Make Church Change Run Smoother

By Charles Stone on May 30, 2022

In your church you’re probably trying to bring change in some way or are contemplating it.

Tags: Church, Change, Healthy Relationship, Transitions, church  (view more)  (view less)

When People Make Up Stories About You: A Pastor’s Guide To Handling Labels

By Charles Stone on Jul 31, 2024

Pastors are often misunderstood and mischaracterized. Responding with wisdom, restraint, and Christlike character helps transform false stories into God-honoring ones.

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:12

Tags: Church Relationships

How To Get Out Of A Ministry Funk

By Tim Stevens on Apr 9, 2020

Churches and leaders go through seasons of malaise where momentum fades and clarity disappears. This article explores why funks happen and offers practical steps that helped one ministry find its way out.

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Church Practices

Preaching For Life-Change

By Rick Long on Mar 31, 2025

MacArthur warns against shallow preaching, but Scripture allows diverse methods. Faithful preaching aims at transformed lives, not uniform styles.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 8:29, James 1:22, Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Church Discipleship

Six Details To Include In Your Church Staff Bios

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 14, 2022

When we talk with first-time guests about church websites, many of them share their surprise that the website fails to include bios or any information other than a name for the church staff.

Tags: Healthy Church, Connect, Clarity, church ministry, Church Website, Digital Strategy, Executive Pastor, Church Bio, connect  (view more)  (view less)

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)

Your Great Preaching Is Not Going To Build Your Church!

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 12, 2022

Get out of the office, pastor, and knock on some doors. Later, you can get your people to do it. But first, you do it. Do it by yourself, if you must. Or take someone with you. Do it by appointment or cold-turkey. But do it. That is as profound a way as I know to build a great church.

Tags: Church Growth, Church Attendance, Personal Evangelism, Growth Strategy, Building the Church, Out of the Office, Door to door, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

3 Big Problems With Running A Church Like A Business

By Karl Vaters on Oct 4, 2022

"We’re always decrying the rise of the consumer culture within the church. But how should we expect people to act when pastors act like CEOs marketing Jesus as a product?"

Tags: Jesus is Lord, pastoral leadership, church and business, Pastoral Ministry, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Lord Of The Church, shallow church  (view more)  (view less)

Is Modern Church Leadership Tilting Toward Bivocational Ministry?

By Hugh Halter on Feb 12, 2024

"The goal of our existence is to learn how to leverage everything God has given us."

Scripture: John 21:15-17, John 21:15-22

Tags: Ministry, Church, bivocational, leverage, mobile, ministry, church  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways To Have A Reproducing Culture

By Ron Edmondson on May 7, 2021

You can’t recruit leaders – at least not effectively – if you never develop a culture to do so. Reproducing cultures reproduce leaders.

Tags: empower, church culture, ministry vision, church leadership

Ten Traits Of The Healthiest Churches Ten Years From Now

By SermonCentral .com on May 10, 2021

So, what if we could look into the future ten years from now, and see the characteristics of the healthiest churches in America? Would you be willing to make changes now? Take a look.

Tags: Healthy Church, diversity, Church Small Groups, mission

8 Reasons Why Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 14, 2023

While social media and even traditional media are still preoccupied with mega churches and multi-site churches, the reality is that most churches in North America are quite small.

Tags: leadership, Change, Church Growth, Small Church, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)