In Preaching Articles: "Rural Church"

11 Signs Your Church Is Going Extinct

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 12, 2025

Unless you’re in a free fall right now, it can be hard to know whether your congregation will thrive, survive or take a dive in the next decade.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

Tags: Church, Preaching, preaching, church

Eight Things I Like About The Church…and Five I Hate.

By Joe Mckeever on Jun 6, 2023

Show me a Christian who can please God better alone than with other believers and I’ll show you a one-of-a-kind, something never before seen on planet Earth. The Lord thought you and I would be needing each other, so placed us in a church fellowship when He saved us.

Tags: Church, Preaching, preaching, church

A Category You Won’t Find In The Bible: The Churchless Christian

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Oct 26, 2022

"It is important for Christians to be members of a local church because the New Testament apostles can’t conceive of anything called a Christian that’s not connected to Christ’s body."

Tags: Church, Discipleship, Christian Life, Healthy Church, Called to serve, local church, be the church, Church Body of Christ, Christian community, 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)

Preaching The Place Of The Church In God's Plan

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 23, 2020

When God graciously saves us, he also has a plan to plant and nurture us. The Father isn't in favor of theoretical family; he creates actual families of faith.

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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

Tags: Money, Preaching

Embrace The 5 Types Of Church Visitor

By Ron Edmondson on Aug 6, 2020

Ron Edmondson offers a helpful description of the different types of guests you'll find at your church on any given Sunday.

Tags: guest, Hospitality

Creating A Church Culture Through Sermons

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 16, 2020

Our responsibility is not only to feed the flock a balanced diet from Scripture but also to create a church culture within our congregation.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Why The Church? Six Preaching Points

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 8, 2024

It's popular today to meet with friends at a coffee shop and call it "church." Popular, but wrong.

Tags: