In Preaching Articles: "spiritual growth"

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 6, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Need Help Reading Your Bible?

By C.j. Mahaney on Jun 7, 2024

"If more people approached the Bible with a deep sense of helplessness, and hope-filled reliance on God’s merciful assistance, there would be far more seeing and savoring and transformation than there is.”

Tags: Bible, BIBLE STUDY, priorities, bible reading, Bible Study, Growth in Christ, Christian growth, Spiritual Discipline, dependence on God, bible study, bible  (view more)  (view less)

Eugene Peterson On Pastors, Preaching, And Consumer Culture

By Eugene Peterson on Jul 14, 2021

"I grew up in a culture which was very entertainment-centered. Pastors were really good storytellers, and they were attractive people, glamorous."

Tags: Growth, Preaching, Growth in Christ

6 Tips On How Pastors Can Help Others Discover Their Spiritual Gifts

By Charles Stone on Apr 1, 2023

The more pastors help people discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts, the healthier our churches become. How have you helped others discover their gifts?

Tags: Preaching, Spiritual Gifts, preaching

Five Ways To Keep Your Church Small And How To Overcome Them

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jul 18, 2020

God wants a church to grow because it's winning the lost to Christ and discipling them to reach others.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Preaching, Church Growth, Growth in Christ

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 29, 2020

Do numbers alone tell the story of success? What kind of numbers caught Jesus' attention?

Tags: Growth, Preaching, number, Growth in Christ

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

By Karl Vaters on Aug 31, 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)

10 Multisite Myths (And Realities)

By Jim Egli on Nov 2, 2020

Some preachers resist the idea of multiple sites. But what if technology increases your effectiveness?

Tags: Church, Growth, Missions, Multisite, Growth in Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Check The Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 2021

Show me a spiritually healthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually healthy pastor. Show me a spiritually unhealthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually unhealthy pastor.

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7

Tags: Humility, pastor, spiritual leadership, Pastoral Character, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Growing A Church

By Barry O. Johnson on Aug 19, 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 Top 8 Reasons Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 26, 2023

Why is it that most churches never break the 200 attendance mark?

Tags: Church Growth, Barriers, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Barriers to Growth, Growth Strategy  (view more)  (view less)

5 Top Priorities For Increasing Your Church

By Charles Arn on Jan 11, 2025

Whether you’re in a church of 20 or 20,000, these principles will help you to invest the talents God has given to your church.

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Growth, Discipleship, leadership, pastor, Church Growth, Pastor, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

We All Need Adversity And Affliction

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 23, 2022

I would not exchange any of my discipline-afflictions for anything. In fact, I have made it a habit to keep asking God to discipline me. This isn’t because I love affliction, but because the hope in God I’ve tasted in the promises of God I’ve trusted in the darkest days are the sweetest things my soul has ever known.

Scripture: Psalm 119:71-72, Hebrews 12:11

Tags: Adversity, sanctification, Hardship of Life, Spiritual Maturity, Christian Maturity, joy in trials, spiritual immaturity, fruit of sorrow  (view more)  (view less)

Let’s Keep Reaching Consumers. Aka, Lost Sheep.

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 29, 2021

“The American church is so consumeristic!” It’s a common line uttered by the religiously fed-up, and of course, there’s a lot of truth in it. Some churches in America do tend to cater to the consumeristic mentality of our culture. But I think, on the whole, most churches don’t, and that’s actually part of the problem.

Tags: Missions, lost sheep, Unchurched, Spiritual Maturity

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 28, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting