In Preaching Articles: "Local Church Purpose"

When Church Members Leave: How Pastors Carry The Quiet Wound

By Greg Surratt on Apr 28, 2020

Pastors feel deep pain when people leave their church. Understanding why it happens and how to respond wisely can turn hurt into growth, humility, and renewed strength.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25-35, John 6:66-67, Proverbs 19:11, Romans 12:18, 2 Timothy 4:16-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church, Church Growth, Connect, Assimilation, Church Practices, connect, church  (view more)  (view less)

Five Strategic Advantages Of Small Churches

By Brandon O'brien on Feb 13, 2024

Small churches hold strategic strengths: authenticity, focus, people-powered ministry, intergenerational relationships, and margin-focused mission.

Tags: Community, Church, Growth, leadership, pastor, Church Growth, Health, authentic, Small Church, community outreach, community, Pastor, Leadership, church, Ministry Church, Authentic, Intergenerational Ministry, Community Outreach  (view more)  (view less)

52 Quotes For This Generation Of Church Leaders

By Brad Lomenick on Apr 14, 2020

Concise leadership insights from Brad Lomenick reveal how young leaders think, what drives vision, how decisions shape culture, and why authenticity fuels influence.

Tags: Church, leadership, Pastors, Leadership General, Leadership, church, Team Development  (view more)  (view less)

The Case For The Hour-Long Church Service

By Dave Browning on Jan 4, 2023

A focused, one-hour service honors people’s time, removes barriers for the unchurched, and forces churches to clarify what matters most in Sunday worship.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:21

Tags: church service

Good & Bad Cases Of Church Discipline

By Ray Hollenbach on Mar 10, 2025

A real church incident exposes why believers distrust discipline. Yet Scripture shows discipline is meant to heal, not harm, calling us to restore one another with Christ’s presence.

Tags: pastoral care, Pastoral Care

The Art Of Creating Change In Your Church

By John Bisagno on Aug 6, 2024

Change is necessary, but rushed change destroys churches. Wise pastors lead with patience, clarity, vision, and Spirit-led timing, not reaction or pressure.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:22, Ecclesiastes 3:1, Acts 20:28, Matthew 9:14-17, 1 Corinthians 14:40  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Vision Casting

Addressing Sexual And Domestic Violence In The Church

By John Mcclure on May 24, 2020

Sexual and domestic violence sits silently in every congregation. Pastors must preach hope to survivors, clarity to perpetrators, and courage to bystanders.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 13:1-21, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 1:17, Ephesians 5:11, Luke 4:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Justice, affliction

5 Team-Killers In Church Leadership

By Matt Steen on Jul 8, 2020

Healthy church teams don’t fail overnight. These five leadership behaviors quietly erode trust, unity, and effectiveness long before visible conflict appears.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Proverbs 11:14, Ephesians 4:1-3, Philippians 2:1-4, Romans 12:4-8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Community, unity, Teamwork, team building, church leadership, community, Unity, Church Leadership, Team Building  (view more)  (view less)

How To Talk About Money In Church

By Jamie Munson on Jul 29, 2020

"If we are avoiding the subject or trying to make it more palatable, we are doing our congregations a huge disservice."

Scripture: John 4:14, Luke 12:34, Matthew 25:14-30, Acts 2:44-47, 2 Corinthians 8:7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Money, Preaching, church leadership, preaching, Church Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Embrace The 5 Types Of Church Visitor

By Ron Edmondson on Aug 6, 2020

Not all church visitors come for the same reasons. Understanding why people visit can help churches respond wisely and increase the likelihood they return.

Scripture: Romans 15:7, Hebrews 13:2, 1 Corinthians 9:22, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-47  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: guest, Hospitality, Pastoral Ministry

Creating A Church Culture Through Sermons

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 16, 2020

Pastors do more than teach Scripture. Through preaching, modeling, and prayer, they shape the shared culture and values of a congregation.

Scripture: Malachi 1:6-8, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 2 Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 4:11-16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Holy Spirit, Preaching, preaching

14 Commandments For Preaching In A Multisite Church

By Jim Tomberlin on Sep 21, 2020

With thousands of multisite churches relying on live and video preaching, delivery matters. Here are essential principles to help pastors serve every campus well.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Romans 1:16, Colossians 1:28, Ephesians 4:11-12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, preaching, Video Teaching

Six Reasons The Church Still Matters

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 8, 2024

Despite the failures of many congregations, Scripture presents the church as God’s design for spiritual growth, community, authority, and witness in the world.

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 13:17, Colossians 3:12-14

Tags: Discipleship

Is Your Church Stuck Or Just Small?

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 10, 2025

If your church is healthy, quit stressing about getting bigger. God may not be calling you to bigness.

Scripture: Acts 1:1-15

Tags: Growth, Church Growth, Healthy Church, effective, Small Church  (view more)  (view less)

Growing Grace In God's Garden: The Church

By Ray Hollenbach on Mar 21, 2023

We have created a Christendom where we can choose churches the way most people choose restaurants: according to our individual tastes. How can we grow in grace when we a free to wander from one family to another?

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32, Ephesians 2:5-10

Tags: Preaching, preaching