A blog designed to develop missional leaders
By Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird *This is part two of the article published in the previous post. A Simple Tool for Apprenticeship If Paul’s goal of developing four generations of apprentices seems unreachable for you and your church, then I have good news for you. It is not. This goal is very doable if... Continue Reading →
By Ed Stetzer How does the word "contextualization" make you feel? Free or fearful? The $64-million dollar question about innovation and change is this: How far is too far? I can't think of any question in the church much more controversial than this one. We've been asking it for two thousand years and rarely ever... Continue Reading →
The following excerpt is from “Advent is a Season of Longing,” written by Carolyn Arends and published in Christianity Today. People are rarely neutral about the approach of Christmastime. Some of us reside at a North Pole of intense anticipation and excitement, while others of us hole up at a South Pole of irritation and... Continue Reading →
By Karl Vaters The church does not exist to give us an audience for our ideas, projects or egos. It exists to fulfill Christ’s purposes. The church belongs to Jesus. It is not owned by its denomination, its donors, its members, its staff or its lead pastor. Jesus said he would build his church –... Continue Reading →
By Dave Briggs Five insights that changed my awkward relationship with this core part of the Christian life and church ministry. I grew up in church, and my family rarely missed a Sunday. I don’t remember a single sermon, but I do remember feeling nervous about the word stewardship. Every September our church hosted Stewardship Sunday,... Continue Reading →
*This is part two of the article published in the previous post. 4 Commitments to Combat Vacation Anxiety I commit to being honest about my vacation anxiety. Some anxiety is appropriate. As the leader, I am responsible for ensuring that leadership is being raised up and trained to do the work of ministry. My husband and... Continue Reading →
By Mandy Smith Doing God's will, even in ministry, isn't always fun and flourishing. What makes you flourish? It’s a helpful question to ask when discerning our calling. It assumes that God’s call grows from our gifts and passions, that we experience blessing as he works through us to bless others. And that’s scriptural and... Continue Reading →
By Alison Dellenbaugh Success is measured in obedience. Lately, I'm hearing a lot about "calling" and following wherever Jesus leads. And I've been right there on the front row, soaking it up. Meanwhile, my church is focusing on what it means to really be a disciple, no matter the cost. When we hear these calls... Continue Reading →
The World Cup is here! In the past eight years of our Spanish blog, that has meant that we have highlighted various nations and their cultures, while offering perspectives on the state of the Church in each country as well as some prayer requests. See, for example, Pamela Alvarado’s write-up on Ghana or Mario Josué... Continue Reading →
*This is part two of the article published in the previous post. As ministry leaders, the perfection impulse already looms large—resisting the desire to look, preach, lead, and think like other successful people is vital, but also quite difficult. Here are five practical tips for combating comparison in your life and ministry: Raise your awareness.... Continue Reading →
Transform the Globe 