In Preaching Articles: "Local Church"

Pastors Lead By Example

By Philip Holmes on May 3, 2021

“The reason elders are so necessary,” says Sanchez, “is because they are the means by which our sovereign king chooses to shepherd his church to display his kingdom on earth in local churches as embassies of heaven, and also to proclaim the message of the gospel, calling all people everywhere to repent and believe and enter into the kingdom. Elders shepherd the flock of God among them, under the chief Shepherd. That’s why elders are important, because it is our ascended Lord’s chosen means by which he shepherds his church.”

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:1-2, Ephesians 4:1-32, Titus 1:5, Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Teamwork, elders, authentic ministry, church leadership, e  (view more)  (view less)

It’s Time To Get Mean About The Vision God Has Given You

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 28, 2021

Your church is in desperate need of a vision that is informed by God’s Word, inspired by God’s Spirit, and applied passionately and broken-heartedly to your local context.

Tags: Amen

Growing A Church

By Barry O. Johnson on Aug 18, 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 Growing Church Series: 10 Characteristics Of Churches That Grow

By Brandon Kelley on Feb 4, 2022

Instead of sitting and worrying about the state of the Church in America, let’s begin asking the question, what are growing churches doing differently?

Tags: Church Growth, intentional, proactive, Dying Church

The Best Way To Promote Church Growth? Support Small Churches

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 26, 2021

I want as many people as possible, all over the world, to know Jesus. The good news of the gospel can’t be confined within the walls of my church, the distinctives of my denomination, the borders of my country, or the customs of my culture.

Tags: Support, Preaching, Church Growth, Small Church

The Benefit Of A Church Crisis

By Josh Reich on Feb 15, 2021

Nobody likes a crisis. No one likes bad news or being disappointed or being uncomfortable. We like when things work, when things are easy, when things go our way. Yet if you are a leader, at some point you will walk through a crisis with your church.

Scripture: Acts 12:1-10

Tags: Preaching, crisis

Who Is Lord Of The Church?

By John Macarthur on Jun 15, 2022

The church today is badly in need of reformation again. And Christ’s lordship over His church is still the central truth we must recover, which requires the unleashing of His Word among His people again. We cannot merely float along with the latest evangelical trends and expect things to get better.

Scripture: Acts 10:42

Tags: Church, Body of Christ, Christ the head, Lord Of The Church, church  (view more)  (view less)

11 Ways To Be The Church For People Who Don't Go To Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 7, 2026

People need to know us before they can trust us. And they need to trust us before they’ll go to church with us.

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Apologetics, Discipleship, Preaching, christian living, evangelism, preaching, Christian Living  (view more)  (view less)

9 Dynamic Ways To Widen Your Church’s Front Door

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 2, 2026

As you develop your outreach strategy, consider including a plan for equipping your church members to be recommenders and inviters

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Things Church Leaders Need To Know About Small Churches

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 14, 2022

Ninety percent of the churches on earth are under 200 people. Eighty percent are under 100. There may be no segment of the church that is more normative. But they may also be the most misunderstood.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:25

Tags: christian unity, Church Unity, Megachurch, Small Church

The 4 Most Overlooked Realities Of A Healthy Church Turnaround

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 12, 2022

Many pastors say “I want this church to turn around”, when what we really mean is “I want this church to get bigger.” Those are two different goals.

Tags: Church, church

Thinking Bigger: How One Outreach Weekend Reshaped A Church’s Vision

By Hal Seed on Mar 4, 2025

A reformed mob boss drew 1,000 guests, 50 salvations, and momentum that reshaped outreach, volunteers, systems, and future vision for church-wide evangelism.

Tags: Church, Preaching, program, Church Growth, Invitation, Visitors, Market, Ministry Leadership, preaching, church, Guest Speakers  (view more)  (view less)

10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 20, 2023

It comes up in a surprising number of conversations these days. And no one’s quite sure how to respond to it. The issue? Even committed church attenders are attending church less often.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25, 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, Matthew 24:9-13

Tags: Technology, Culture, church decline, Church attendence, culture  (view more)  (view less)

5 Mistakes More Likely To Be Made By Small Churches Than Big Churches

By Karl Vaters on May 25, 2022

Different sizes of churches serve different functions. And they face different challenges.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: strategy, Small Church, Equipping The Body, Traditions of Men

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

By Karl Vaters on Aug 30, 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)