In Preaching Articles: "Ministry Practice"

Senior Pastor: Friend Or Foe

By Josh Griffin on Sep 13, 2024

Veteran youth director Josh Griffin gives seasoned advice to senior pastors on developing their relationship with their youth ministry leader.

Tags: Youth, leadership, staff, Pastors, pastoral care, student, Youth Ministry, church leadership, Leadership, Church Leadership, Senior Pastor, Staff Relationships, Pastoral Care  (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)

Don’t Try To Be Successful, Try To Do Good Work

By Karl Vaters on Jul 3, 2024

A minister with a well-nourished soul may or may not have a big church, but they’ll always have a healthy ministry.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-11, 1 Corinthians 4:2

Tags: leadership, Faithfulness, Good Works, pastoral leadership, success in ministry, church leadership, measuring success, serving faithfully, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

What To Do When Your Preaching Turns Stale

By Peter Mead on Aug 13, 2025

On the dashboard of our ministry life, we need to have a light that flashes when we are preaching flat. What causes it? What should we do?

Tags: Preaching, give thanks, stale, ministry life, spiritual dryness, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Increasing Youth Retention And Involvement In Your Church

By John Gilman Ii on Mar 23, 2021

Families have long been the cornerstone of church congregations. Parents bring their children to church every Sunday. At a certain point, it becomes the children’s choice and responsibility to decide if they want to continue going to church every Sunday or not. That’s why it’s so important to show your children God’s grace and make Him a priority in their life from an early age.

Scripture: Malachi 2:15, Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Youth, Small groups, Equipping Disciples, Youth Ministry, paying attention  (view more)  (view less)

Why Small Churches Don’t Grow

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 20, 2024

Small church growth stalls for reasons deeper than numbers. These ten barriers reveal why congregations stay stuck and how leaders can pursue renewed health and mission.

Scripture: John 13:35, Psalm 85:6, Luke 11:1-2

Tags: Church, Outreach, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Fail, Church Health, Small Church, Church Practices, pastoral leadership, spiritual vitality, Pastor, church, Pastoral Leadership, Small Church Growth, Congregational Renewal, Spiritual Vitality  (view more)  (view less)

The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 1

By Lance Witt on Jun 11, 2023

Do you mistake fruitfulness for holiness? Sit with those words a moment. What does that look like practically? And how have you seen this in your life and in the lives of other leaders?

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10 Preaching Questions With Ray Ortlund Jr.

By Colin Adams on Feb 21, 2025

Ray Ortlund reflects on preaching’s centrality, the weight of the pulpit, and the spiritual realities that shape a faithful, believable, Christ-exalting ministry.

Scripture: Romans 10:14

Tags: Homiletics

Piper: 8 Guidelines For Tough Leadership Decisions

By John Piper on Mar 27, 2025

Major ministry decisions require prayer, Scripture, deep thinking, and careful writing if leaders are to act wisely and in unity for the sake of the mission.

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:8, James 1:5, Proverbs 16:3, Acts 6:1-6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Biblical Leadership

A Life Well Lived

By Lance Witt on Sep 18, 2023

No matter what has happened in the past or what your ministry situation is today, you can have a rich, meaningful life.

Scripture: Matthew 25:21

Tags: vision, gratitude, Legacy, Godly Legacy

3 Ways I Overcome My Fear Of Preaching

By Greg Stier on Jun 15, 2020

Preachers get nervous. Paul did too! These three practices transform fear into fuel by driving you to study harder, pray deeper, and preach like it’s your last time.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7-9, 1 Corinthians 2:3, Matthew 22:35-40, Ephesians 6:19, 2 Timothy 4:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Spiritual Dependence

When Is A Sermon Good Enough?

By Stephen Gregory on Jul 15, 2024

A pastor wrestles with preparation, expectations, and perfectionism, discovering how God uses imperfect sermons when the preacher is faithful, honest, and attentive to the flock.

Scripture: Proverbs 16:3

Tags: Church, Preaching, pastor, spiritual growth, Communication General, Pastoral Ministry, Ministry Leadership, Pastor, Sermon Preparation, preaching, church, sermon preparation, Preaching Challenges, Spiritual Growth  (view more)  (view less)

Pastor? Or Christian?

By Lance Witt on Jan 7, 2022

If you have been in ministry very long, you know how easy it is to get the two intertwined. When you feel called and when you have great passion for ministry, the lines between person and position can get fuzzy. You move from simply being a Christian to now being a professional Christian.

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6 Things I Heard That Convinced Me We Needed A New Church Website

By Joanna Gray on Apr 12, 2024

As church communicators we’re constantly looking for ways to make the ministry better not only for visitors, but for our church members as well. There are always little hints and quips here and there that our church family members say that give us a not-so-gentle nudge toward what we should be doing to better the ministry and further the mission.

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9 Ways Clarity Benefits Leaders

By Charles Stone on May 24, 2023

How would you rank your clarity in your ministry? Here are nine benefits of being clear as you lead your church.

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Clarity, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)