In Preaching Articles: "Rural Church"

Is Your Church Telling The Truth About Evangelism?

By Greg Stier on Jan 15, 2025

Many churches claim evangelism is their priority, but few practice it. This article exposes the disconnect and outlines five steps to make evangelism a true, lived mission.

Scripture: Acts 4:31

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Gospel, Honesty, great commission, Church General, Evangelism How To, Pastoral Ministry, church leadership, evangelism, gospel, church, Church Leadership, Evangelism Training, Great Commission, Mission Statements  (view more)  (view less)

10 Things Healthy Churches Do Well

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 24, 2025

Healthy churches face problems with wisdom, unity, and Christlike leadership. These ten traits show how congregations grow stronger even through crises.

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Tags: Church Growth, Healthy Church, Pastors, CHURCH LIFE, Church General, Accept, Christian community, church leadership, Biblical wisdom, Church Leadership, Biblical Wisdom, Congregational Health, Christian Community  (view more)  (view less)

12 Reasons Why Church Membership Matters

By Jonathan Leeman on Mar 1, 2025

Church membership is more than a formality. It defines our identity, shapes our responsibilities, supports our leaders, and displays Christ’s kingdom to the world.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:20

Tags: Body of Christ, local church, Membership, Local Church, Body Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

4 Ways To Approach Unsaved Church Members

By Brian Croft on Jul 24, 2024

Pastors often meet sincere people who desire church membership but show little grasp of the gospel. This article offers four pastoral principles for wise, patient discernment.

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17

Tags: Discernment, Local Church Leadership

3 Simple Questions For Better Church Outreach

By Kevin Harney on Mar 18, 2025

Churches often pray, plan, and invest in outreach efforts, yet see little evangelistic fruit. These three diagnostic questions reveal whether a congregation truly has the biblical conviction, the gospel-driven love, and the sacrificial willingness needed to cultivate an outreach-shaped culture.

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 11:1-30

Tags: leadership, Leadership

Top 10 Tips For Handling Church Critics

By Charles Stone on Aug 9, 2024

Criticism is unavoidable in ministry, but how pastors respond shapes their health and leadership. Here are practical ways to face critics with maturity and grace.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1, James 1:19-20, Galatians 6:1, Proverbs 27:6, Colossians 3:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Ministry Skills

The Future Of The Church Depends On Developing Deep People

By Ray Hollenbach on May 8, 2020

Gordon MacDonald argues that preaching and programs cannot secure a church’s future. Only intentional disciple-making and leadership development can.

Scripture: Mark 3:13-14, 2 Timothy 2:2, Matthew 28:18-20, John 15:5, Ephesians 4:11-16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: leadership, training, Church Renewal, Leadership

Paul's Worst Church: Our Best Model?

By Chuck Warnock on Jul 28, 2020

Chuck Warnock suggests six powerful lessons from we can learn from that much-maligned church: Corinth.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-6

Tags: Preaching

The First Step In Bringing Change To Your Church

By John Holm on Jan 24, 2023

Change is difficult under the best of circumstances. Here's how to soften the blow and prepare your people.

Tags: Leader, Guide, difficult, Change, leader  (view more)  (view less)

Move Your Church From Consumers To Disciples

By Bill Couchenour on Mar 22, 2024

"Too often, we have allowed people to settle for giving 2 percent of their income, or attending 4 out of 5 Sundays."

Tags: Commitment, leadership, Body, Attendance, Church Discipline, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Bible Reading Is Down At Your Church

By Peter Mead on Jul 11, 2025

The most recent research presents troubling results. How does your church measure up?

Tags: Bible, Study, Preaching, Isolation, fragment, e, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

50 Forgotten Days The Church Desperately Needs

By Ray Hollenbach on Feb 9, 2023

The days between Easter and Pentecost are usually an afterthought, yet they can become an opportunity to preach the significance of the resurrection.

Tags: Easter, Resurrection, Pentecost, Preaching, Significance, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Whisper That Made Me Leave My Church

By Tod Bolsinger on Sep 10, 2021

I would hear that line echoed in my mind long after each conversation was over: "Why didn't seminary prepare me for this?"

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1-25

Tags: Preaching, prepare, Theology, Seminary, curriculum  (view more)  (view less)

Why The Church? Six Bold Preaching Points

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 28, 2025

The bottom line is this: Church is God’s idea, and we ignore it at our peril.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-15

Tags: Forgiveness, Preaching, Equip, Church's witness, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

What Is The Church's Mission? And Why Does It Matter?

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jan 21, 2021

With the vast majority of churches struggling in some way, it’s time to rethink our future mission.

Tags: Preaching