NOTE: The Following is an excerpt from Faith-Based: A Biblical, Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in the Church, by Michael Gafa. Confidence and assurance for what lies ahead is rooted in understanding and appreciating what has already taken place. The whole of scripture reveals the breathtaking dimensions of God’s unfolding plan of redemption and restoration, which is assured in Christ. …
Three Needs that Every Church Can Meet
Whether your church is big or small, old or new, there are three needs that every person longs for and every church can meet. On this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday Doug McClintic, Church Multiplication catalyst for Luminex, delves into these three needs – transcendence, significance, and community – and how every church can meet them. The first, transcendence, is the need …
Healthy Churches: Empowered by the Holy Spirit
A Note from Luminex: This morning’s blog post is the eleventh – and final – entry in our “Healthy Churches” blog series. Enjoy! Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) I love …
Healthy Churches: Kingdom Vision, Gospel Power
A Note from Luminex: This morning’s blog post is the tenth in an 11-week series on “Healthy Churches.” Each week, one of our stable of leaders/bloggers will share thoughts on a significant aspect of healthy churches. Enjoy! I recently enjoyed the privilege of sitting at the feet of Dr. George Bullard for two days in which we focused on how we …
Healthy Churches: Irresistible Hospitality
A Note from Luminex: This morning’s blog post is the ninth in an 11-week series on “Healthy Churches.” Each week, one of our stable of leaders/bloggers will share thoughts on a significant aspect of healthy churches. Enjoy! What a four days it was. As part of my Sabbatical my wife and I had an opportunity to attend a Pastor-Spouse retreat. Hosted …
Reaching The Next Generation Part 2: Podcast Episode 6
Show Notes In part one of this episode, we dug into the reasons why so many emerging adults are leaving the church, or never attended in the first place. This week Rick Zomer & Tanner Smith return to give us the next steps to practically integrate the generations within your church and authentically walk in step with young adults as …
Mission and Values: The Flesh and Bones of Who We Are
Two words that are used a lot in churches are mission and values. But sometimes those words aren’t used with clarity. On today’s Whiteboard Wednesday, Dan Ackerman, Executive Leader of Zeeland Classis, illustrates the true meaning of mission and values through the flesh and bones of how we live. The mission is like the skeleton of our body, whereas the …
Healthy Churches: Leading through Apathy
A Note from Luminex: This morning’s blog post is the eighth in an 11-week series on “Healthy Churches.” Each week, one of our stable of leaders/bloggers will share thoughts on a significant aspect of healthy churches. Enjoy! Even the most healthy and vibrant churches experience pockets of congregational apathy. While apathy can emerge for a variety of reasons, it is always …
Healthy Churches … Are Fruitful and Multiply
A Note from Luminex: This morning’s blog post is the seventh in a 11-week series on “Healthy Churches.” Each week, one of our stable of leaders/bloggers will share thoughts on a significant aspect of healthy churches. Enjoy! “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28, ESV) means much more than “have babies.” It is a critical God-given function for all humanity, and even …
What Makes for a Successful Ministry — Part One
Oftentimes, we tell stories of what success looks like and doesn’t look like, but most of those stories go unexamined. On today’s Whiteboard Wednesday, we have Eliza Cortez Bast from the Local Missional Engagement of the RCA and Andy Bossardet, who serves as Coordinator for Equipping Thriving Congregations of the RCA. Today is part one of two on the question, …