-
Learning to Listen to the Whole Counsel of God
What does Jesus want to say to the church in the West? To the church in North America? To the church in the South, or in New England, or in the Midwest? What does Jesus want to say to your church? That all depends: what is your church like? Where are you strong? Where are you weak? We live in a big country with hundreds of thousands of churches
-
The Church as Creature of the Word, Part 3
How do we practically get consumer driven churches to shift their “culture” to experience transformation and to become a Creature of the Word? Part 3 of this series, The Church as Creature of the Word, continues with a discussion among authors Eric Geiger, Matt Chandler, and Josh Patterson
More about Culture
-
The Cure for Unhealthy Culture at Your Church
by VRcurator | January 12, 2018How can you protect and grow your church culture, without having to be negative all the time? Either you will manage your culture, or it will manage you. Simply defined, culture is the way people think and act.
-
Small is Good: Communicating the Kingdom of God
by Michael Kelley | April 2, 2015The most dominant theme in the teaching of Jesus isn’t about hell, money, or even righteousness. It’s about the kingdom of God.
-
Creature of the Word
by Eric Geiger | January 27, 2015The Reformers viewed the gospel as not merely one thing among many in the life of a church but rather the means by which the church exists. When the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God's people, the church becomes "a creature of the Word.
-
3 Driving Factors in Creating Culture in Your Church
by Dan Reiland | January 23, 2015Chick-fil-A is a favorite fast food restaurant chain in the Southeast. When you get something to eat there you are likely to hear a cheerful "My Pleasure" from any employee.
-
What Churches Can Learn from the Cultural Influences of the Disney Organization
by Rich Birch | January 19, 2015Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of taking a bunch of family vacations at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I love it … partly because it’s such a fun place to visit and partly because I find leadership lessons everywhere I look.
-
Taking the Temperature of America’s Theological Health
by Trevin Wax | December 30, 2014A recent poll by LifeWay Research, sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, surveyed Americans on a variety of theological issues in order to, in the words of Stephen Nichols, “take the temperature of America’s theological health. ” Bob Smietana’s article, “Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell, and a Little Bit of Heresy,” walks us through the statistics and the study’s major findings.
-
4 Questions to Check Your Church Culture
by Trevin Wax | November 29, 2014There’s only so much you can learn about a church from their website. Sure, you can check the church’s doctrinal statement to find out what the people believe.
-
Is Your Children’s Ministry More Than Fun?
by Ed Stetzer | October 22, 2014One of the hidden treasures that the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon, left the church was a little book titled Come Ye Children. In it, Spurgeon contended earnestly that one of the most important tasks given to a parent, teacher, or minister is teaching kids the gospel.
-
Preaching with Non-Believers in Mind: Learning from Andy Stanley and Tim Keller
by Trevin Wax | September 8, 2014Last year, I read Andy Stanley’s Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend and Tim Keller’s Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City back to back. An odd combination, I know.
-
8 Strategic Changes You Must Consider When Changing Culture
by VRcurator | August 20, 2014Since the world around us is constantly changing, the inability to change with it can have huge, negative consequences. Everyone knows this and yet many organizations - even those full of very smart people - often find it almost impossible to change.
-
Ministry Branding and Culture: Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Matt Monge | June 11, 2014Your church's culture is the combined effect of the interacting thoughts, values, thoughts, attitudes, and actions that define the life of your church. At the same time, your church probably pumps out communications all day long but misses the opportunity to constantly reflect and reinforce its vision.
-
7 Kinds of Stories Every Church Leader Should Master
by Will Mancini | May 5, 2014All ministry is communication intensive. It follows that story-telling and understanding the nuances of story will help any leader in the daily ebb and flow of communication.
-
Learning to Listen to the Whole Counsel of God
by Kevin DeYoung | April 30, 2014What does Jesus want to say to the church in the West? To the church in North America? To the church in the South, or in New England, or in the Midwest? What does Jesus want to say to your church? That all depends: what is your church like? Where are you strong? Where are you weak? We live in a big country with hundreds of thousands of churches. If you think the issue out there is too much law, you’d be right.
-
Jesus and His Kingdom is the Better Story Our World Needs Today
by Logan Gentry | March 28, 2014Evangelism might be the most discussed, most intimidating, and least discussed practice in the American church. As our church just finished our sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, I’ve been amazed by how Jesus evangelized through his message and his life.
-
Mark Defining Moments in Your Ministry with Celebration and Anticipation
by Steven Furtick | June 24, 2013There’s a tension that exists whenever God has moved greatly in the life of a person or church. It’s the tension between looking back and looking forward.
-
Conscious Culture
by Will Mancini | June 19, 2013The missional visionary is also a cultural architect. One of the basic foundation principles of Church Unique is the assertion that each church has a unique culture.
-
Changing Culture in Your Church, Part 2: 4 Phases, Not 4 Steps
by Center for Creative Leadership | May 17, 2013Executives, leadership teams and entire organizations need more mature minds to deal with the increased complexity, uncertainty and inter-connectedness of our world. CCL's approach to changing culture is focused on growing bigger minds and fostering the thinking that allows for creative action in the face of complexity.
-
Better Worship Requires Better Theology: How to Increase Joy, Fidelity, and Intensity in Worship
by Aaron Armstrong | April 18, 2013“How do I help people engage in worship?” I know of few church leaders for whom this isn’t a concern on some level. Whether we’re small group leaders, playing in the praise band or the senior leaders, we all want to see the men and women in our churches increasingly engaged in worship (in every sense of the word).
-
Conquered by the Text: Make Sure God’s Voice is Heard
by Darryl Dash | March 8, 2013I don't know how many times it's happened. I pick a text as the basis for a sermon.
-
Know Your Culture, Connect to Your Culture: Lecrae Raps the Gospel in One Minute
by Jonathan Parnell | March 3, 2013The missional visionary is also a cultural architect. One of Auxano's primary assertions is that each church has a unique culture.
-
Beware: The Bible is About to Threaten Your Smartphone Focus
by John Piper | March 1, 2013Are apps a threat to God-focus? Yes. But it works both ways.
-
When the Light Comes On: Creatively Using the Power of Story for Your Church’s Worship
by Jonathan Parnell | February 28, 2013Stories move us. They engage us.
-
Don’t Bury the Lead; Preach the Gospel
by Steven Furtick | February 27, 2013There is an old adage in journalism that tells writers, “don’t bury the lead. ” This refers to placing the most important and attention grabbing elements of a story in the body of an article instead of at the beginning where they belong.
-
5 Cs That Help Shape a Missional Culture in Your Ministry
by Jeff Meyer | February 10, 2013Changing the culture in any ministry is difficult work. How do you help shape a missional culture in your ministry? How are you creating an environment in which mature Jesus-followers "live in the world without being of the world, for the sake of their neighborhood?" Here are 5 C's to help put it a little more within reach.
-
How to Preach the Gospel from Every Part of the Bible
by Fred Zaspel | February 4, 2013I love it when I hear students and pastors ask how our sermons can be more gospel-shaped in the regular course of preaching — even sermons from narrative or hortatory passages, for example. I love it because it shows their interest to do what every preacher of God’s Word ought to strive to do, and I love it because it forces me again to think through the question myself and determine how I can more faithfully minister God’s Word.
-
10 Commandments for Creating a Culture of Mission in Your Church
by Will Mancini | January 26, 20131. Thou shalt have a clear statement of mission and no agenda above that mission 2.
-
A Brief Review of Les Miserables
by Trevin Wax | January 12, 2013Ever since the trailer for the new Les Misérables movie made the rounds online, I’ve been highly anticipating this film. Last weekend, Corina and I went to see it.
-
Don’t Put Jesus First This Year
by Steven Furtick | January 1, 2013I have one piece of advice for you as we start out this New Year: Don’t put Jesus first this year. Yes, you read that correctly.
-
4 Stellar Declarations of a Gospel-Centered Church
by Will Mancini | December 28, 2012I recently heard Tim Keller speak on his new book Center Church (more on this in the blog later). The image above is his outline on gospel theology which is about one-eighth of the book.
-
5 Gospel Truths from Jesus’ Geneaology
by JD Greear | December 27, 20121. The gospel is not good advice, it is good news.
-
The Theology of Christmas Songs in Your Church
by Trevin Wax | December 23, 2012It’s quite possible that non-Christians hear more Christian theology around Christmas-time than any other time of the year. A number of Christmas songs are filled with rich theological truths.
-
Protecting a Gospel-Centered Culture in Your Church
by Timmy Brister | December 23, 2012One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about leadership in the local church has to do with creating, cultivating, and contending for a gospel-centered culture in the church. This past weekend, I led a discussion in our “Introduction to Grace” membership class on this very thing.
-
The Science of Storytelling
by Leo Widrich | December 19, 2012In 1748, the British politician and aristocrat John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich used a lot of his free time for playing cards. One of the problems he had was that he greatly enjoyed eating a snack, whilst still keeping one hand free for the cards.
-
Culture Trumps Everything
by Eric Geiger | December 12, 2012Martin Luther referred to the gospel as “this article. ” He said, “Most necessary is that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.
-
The Gospel and Community
by Aaron Armstrong | December 11, 2012A lot of time is spent discussing of the mission and purpose of the church in the world. What should it look like? What makes it unique? Does it still matter? The answers are incredibly varied and nuanced, but usually they tend to focus on a couple of elements: doctrine and practice.
-
Creating Jesus-Centered Culture
by Aaron Armstrong | December 11, 2012Part Two of The Creature of the Word focuses heavily on the mechanics of fostering a Jesus-centered culture within your church. The authors remind us that, first and foremost, if we want to build a culture like this, it must be founded upon the clear teaching of the Word of God.
-
The Gospel-Centered Leader
by Aaron Armstrong | December 11, 2012Arguably the greatest challenge the authors make in The Creature of the Word - even more than their cultural critique - is the one they level at leaders. “Culture and ethos is a reflection of leadership.
-
3 Questions to Ask of Your Sermon
by Trevin Wax | December 5, 2012There has been a lot of talk in recent years about making the gospel announcement of Jesus Christ front and center in our preaching and teaching. As our society becomes increasingly post-Christian, it is critical for us to not assume lost people know who God is, what He is like, and what He has done for us.
-
God as the Communicator
by Jonathan Parnell | December 4, 2012It was a stretch you might say. A 19th century British preacher apprehended a 3,000-year-old psalm for peace and courage in the midst of dire circumstances.
-
5 Elements of Powerful Stories
by Matt Ragland | December 3, 2012Here are five elements that you will help you tell more powerful stories: Powerful stories resonate within us. A good story connects in your soul.
-
Why Changing Your Church’s Culture Rarely Works Out
by John Kotter | December 3, 2012The Boston Globe recently ran a front-page story in their "Ideas" section on organizational culture, inspired by some depressing events involving the Boston University hockey team. It was much more impactful than the average writing about culture, and raised the important question: Why do conversations about an important topic like culture typically go nowhere, leading companies to waste time and money with "cultural change efforts" which very seldom work? Here is the problem: First, virtually no one clearly defines what they mean by "culture," and when they do they usually get it wrong.
-
Gospel, Culture, and Mission: An Interview with Tim Keller
by Trevin Wax | November 15, 2012Tim Keller’s new book, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City may be the most important book he has written. It’s the size of a textbook because of how expansive its vision is.
-
Cultural & Religious Cheat Sheet
by Ed Stetzer | November 15, 2012For the past week, I've blogged quite a bit on statistics and their use. I've discussed the misuse of stats, how to discern which stats are good and which are not, and even presented some new research on pastors' views of the election and the use of stats.
-
The Church as Creature of the Word, Part 4
by Trevin Wax | November 13, 2012Session 3 – Matt Chandler God saves people, and it’s not always the same circumstances around conversion. The beauty of conversion is to see people saved in Sunday School or saved out of a strip club.
-
The Church as Creature of the Word, Part 3
by Trevin Wax | November 13, 2012How do we practically get consumer driven churches to shift their “culture” to experience transformation and to become a Creature of the Word? Part 3 of this series, The Church as Creature of the Word, continues with a discussion among authors Eric Geiger, Matt Chandler, and Josh Patterson. Josh: Truth be told, our church has a lot of consumers too.
-
The Church as the Creature of the Word, Part 1
by Trevin Wax | November 13, 2012Part 1 of a 4-part series. A couple weeks ago, I reviewed the book Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, and Eric Geiger.
-
The Church as Creature of the Word, Part 2
by Trevin Wax | November 13, 2012Part 2 of a conversation with authors Eric Geiger, Matt Chandler, and Josh Patterson about their recent book, The Church as Creature of the Word. This post is features Eric Geiger, vice-president of the Church Resources Division at LifeWay.
-
What Your Church Can Learn from the Failed Strategies of the 2012 Presidential Election
by Trevin Wax | November 7, 2012It’s a tricky thing to engage in political analysis before the dust has fully settled on a recent election. No doubt pollsters, pundits, and politicians from both sides of the aisle will be examining the 2012 election in the coming weeks and months.
-
7 Reasons Storytelling is Important for Branded Content
by Jon Thomas | October 12, 2012Gutenberg invented the printing press around 1440. The first radio transmissions were in the early 1900s.
-
Limit Your Limitations – 3 Essentials for Creating a Movement
by Will Mancini | October 11, 2012In this fourth post on Take Seth Godin to Church I want to focus on Tribal Movement. Consider using the questions in these posts for staff or volunteer meetings in the month of December.
-
How Your Location Impacts Your Biblical Interpretation
by Trevin Wax | October 3, 2012You may be surprised to discover just how much your culture determines what you see in the Scriptures. During my years in Romania, I found myself challenged by the insights Romanian pastors drew from the text.
-
The 3 R’s of Christian Engagement in the Culture War
by Kevin DeYoung | October 2, 2012I know, I know—you really don’t like the term “culture war. ” The mission of the church is not to “reclaim” America.
-
The True Heart of the Father
by Matt Chandler | September 24, 2012There is a magical thing that happens in homes all over the world. When you have a child, you want your child to crawl, and then you want your kid to walk.
-
10 Elements of a Great Company Culture
by Paul Spiegelman | September 24, 2012Building a company culture of engaged employees takes years and requires consistent execution. I boiled down our culture strategy into 10 essential components I call the "10 Cs of Culture.
-
The 22 Rules of Storytelling According to Pixar
by Emma Coats | September 17, 2012On Twitter, Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats has compiled nuggets of narrative wisdom she's received working for the animation studio over the years. It's some sage stuff, although there's nothing here about defending yourself from your childhood toys when they inevitably come to life with murder in their hearts.
Clarity Process
Three effective ways to start moving toward clarity right now.
