Church

How Your Church Website Needs to Change

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Your church’s website is important to how you will reach people. It is not the only way, but it is a very helpful way. I firmly believe that the gospel is the power of salvation to those who believe (Rom. 1:16). A church doesn’t need a website to reach people with the news of Jesus, but it is a fantastic …

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Realistic Expectations for Church Regatherings

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In the weeks to come, many churches who practiced social distancing during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic will begin to regather. Regardless of when your church decides to meet back together, here are some things to consider. Attendance will be lower. Anticipate that, and don’t get discouraged by it. If your church is intentionally trying to have smaller services, …

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Quarantine Recap

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Look back over the last 8 Sundays, and look forward to this coming Sunday. Won’t forget, can’t regret what I did for love.

Don’t Pause During a Pandemic

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Crises have a way of clarifying who we are. Trials do change us, but they often reveal us more than anything else. The same is true for churches and ministries. When trials come, the health of a ministry is clearly seen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I personally was in disbelief. “Surely this isn’t happening. No, we are going to …

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Leading Towards Regathering Practically

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I was honored to discuss “Leading Towards Regathering Practically” with fellow pastors in South Carolina who are all also great friends. It was a part of the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s Advance Anyway podcast they have started during the COVID-19. As pastors, we need to learn from each other without pressure to conform to another’s plans. You are called to …

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Questions to Answer Before Reopening Church Gatherings

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As a culture walking through the uncharted territory of an international pandemic, we know that we have to begin the process of reopening businesses, parks, restaurants, schools, and even churches. While plenty of measures have been taken to flatten the curve of the COVID-19, we all acknowledge that, at some point, we have to reverse operational trends, yet we must …

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Creative Quarantine Ideas for Your Church (That Actually Work)

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I would have pulled out my notebook from seminary on how to lead a church through an international pandemic, but, like everyone else, I didn’t have that class. I am making it up as we go along. You are too. I have benefitted from hearing ideas from other places, and I thought maybe this list could help you. As a …

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Ministry Has Times to Plant and to Pluck

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King Solomon wrote that life is full of differing seasons. A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to weep and a time to laugh.  A time for war and a time for peace.  Life provides the opportunity to walk through all of these polarized experiences. Like life, the ministry has differing seasons. In the ebb …

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Good Gospel Friends

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Since Paul couldn’t personally gather with the church of Philippi, he planned on sending two individuals who epitomized reliable, gospel companions. We need to have good gospel friends, and we need to be good gospel friends to others. Philippians 2:19-30 We have unfortunately reduced Christianity to a one-time decision rather than a lifelong journey. Life requires companions more than content. …

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Have We Idolized Easter?

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God often uses unexpected situations to teach us needed truths. As the world continues to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all adjusting daily to make sense of it all, protect our neighbors, and grasp the new normal. Until it changes again in another 5 minutes. As a pastor, I want to provide care, direction, …

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If Nothing Is Missing in Your Online Worship

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Our church has been streaming services for years. We make it available for those who are homebound or traveling. We have a pretty good system of keeping our church family informed through online content. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we didn’t have to reinvent ourselves, but we did have to spotlight things we regularly use as supplements. For the …

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Leading a Church Financially Through a National Crisis

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As we all navigate through challenging and changing scenarios predicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are sure of one thing: we really aren’t sure how much this virus will impact our world. We know it is having an immediate impact, but how longstanding will the fallout be? While there are many challenging circumstances affecting our world (health, safety, security, fear, …

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The Zoomy Bunch

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Our Rocky Creek Church staff is currently having to meet by Zoom due to the COVID-19 (along with almost every other organization in the world). Our screens kinda reminded us of something the other day… #RCtogether

How to Be a Great Scattered Church Member

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Last Sunday, people all over the world had to rethink church gatherings due to the COVID-19. Whether you watched online, had a drive-in at your church parking lot, or some other option, worship felt a little bit different. As we adapt to our circumstances, it’s time to go the 2nd mile in being the scattered church.

If Your Church’s Leadership Was a Sports Team

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In Larry Osborne’s book, Sticky Teams, he used one of the greatest illustrations regarding ministry teams I have ever read. He equated ministry teams to different types of sports. The thought-provoking idea is how some ministry teams grow in size but never change to maintain effectiveness. Here is a snippet from his excellent book. I liken them to sports. As …

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Why Isolated Christianity Doesn’t Work

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A significant portion of following Jesus is the manner in which we follow Him together. As part of the Church, we are to make our lives count for Kingdom work in unison with one another. Philippians 1:27-30 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may …

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Why Dropping Kids Off at Church Isn’t Enough

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If you are concerned about your child’s spiritual development, you probably seek to place him or her in the best environment out there. What if I told you that the best spiritual environment was none other than your home? Psalm 127 helps guide us to what real parenting should look like. Somewhere between the psalm’s title and the beginning of …

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It’s Not Always What You Believe, But How You Believe It

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In counseling married couples, I often attempt to help someone see another’s point of view. It doesn’t always work, but it is necessary for reconciliation. “I don’t know why she is upset by what I said. It’s the truth!” As he hammers his point home, she sets up her defenses. Before the discussion gets more heated, I will often remind …

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4 Considerations for Long-Term Sermon Planning

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Every September, I attempt to have a fairly organized preaching plan for at least the coming year. Through a time of prayer and study, I try to arrive at a description that articulates every series and every sermon. That plan includes: Date Sermon Title Sermon Passage 2-Sentence Description Once I can communicate a plan like this, I am able to …

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Don’t Whine About Sheep If You Want to Be a Shepherd

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The Bible talks about God’s people as sheep. Out of all the animals he could have used, he compares us to helpless, defenseless, fluffy, clumsy sheep. It seems rather accurate. We know we are the sheep of his pasture (Ps. 100:3). We drift away from our shepherd (Luke 15:4). We are harassed and helpless sheep (Matt. 9:36). We have all …

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Distinctive Discipleship [Series Overview]

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On August 18, we begin an 8-week sermon series called Distinctive Discipleship. This has been a 20-month process of prayer, study, and practice to help craft a plan for how we truly make disciples in our church and beyond. I cannot overstate this hope of mine: I do not plan on this being a sermon series we engage with for …

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Can We Stop the Baptism Shaming?

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I’m a Southern Baptist. We have a large family cooperating as the largest Protestant denomination. With such an expansive group of churches, it means that we do have a few family crazies that we still invite to our reunions. You never know when Southern Baptists are going to make the news. For all the good we do, there are also …

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“You Could Have Missed This”

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A few years ago, our family was enduring through one of the most difficult times we had ever experienced. We were sure that God was calling our family to leave our home, our comforts, our hometown, and our church to serve in another context. When I say that, you might assume that we were unsure of our decision. No, without …

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How Should We Handle Unfaithful Members?

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As we commit to a local church, what happens when we fail to represent Jesus? The Bible is clear on expectations of how we are to confront one another to avoid drifting spiritually. Current Trend Every believer has an unspoken list of sins that is acceptable and a pronounced list that is unacceptable. Christians tend to protest the sins outside …

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Why Do I Feel Disconnected at Church?

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As a church grows larger, how do you avoid getting lost in the crowd? Our relationships in the church will only grow according to how intentional we are. Current Trend The larger a church becomes, the easier it is to remain anonymous. People expect to make instant relationships with a church without the patient intentionality that is necessary. Discipleship doesn’t …

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Is Church Membership Even Biblical?

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While the phrase, “church membership” is not in the Bible, the concept grounds the New Testament message and methods. Devoting yourself to a local church is essential for your soul and helpful for your congregation. Current Trend We have sold an incomplete gospel if we advertise the potential of avoiding hell while giving permission to ignore the church. Many people …

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10 Tips for Great Sundays

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If you have ever desired to have meaningful Sunday worship experiences with your church, the process starts on Saturday. In fact, if you don’t prepare well, your frantic pace on Sunday can rob you of meaningful interactions with God and with God’s people. In this episode of the 2nd mile podcast, I share 10 tips to ensure you have a …

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How Much Should I Prioritize Church?

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With so many expectations on us, what does committing to a church realistically look like? As we study the early church, we will see God’s intention that the church is to be more than a service you casually attend. Current Trend Devaluing the priority and the purpose of the church has dramatically decreased our expectations and effectiveness. Worldly standards have …

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Worship Hospitality

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Worship is a weekly time when God’s people gather together to celebrate Jesus.  I look forward to these pivotal times of worship every week.  Oftentimes, people debate as to whether worship should be geared towards members or guests.  In reality, the main audience in worship should be none other than Jesus.  We gather to honor Him – not expect Him …

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How to Invite Someone to Church (Without Scaring Them Off)

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Christians live in a time when we are comfortable talking about trivial matters and uncomfortable discussing gospel opportunities.  If someone brings up your favorite sports team, you passionately defend their chances.  If someone brings up movie you’ve seen, you sound like a professional cinema critic.  If there is an awkward pause in a conversation, you know just how to start …

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When a Church Changes Directions Too Often

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My family and I were still learning our way around the church campus. It had been a few weeks into our new assignment, and we were heading back to the other side of the building to get in the truck and drive home. Somewhere along the way, I started quickening my pace to see if my kids could keep up. …

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The 3 Churches You Visited Sunday

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It’s a rarity when the task of visiting churches proves to be an exciting experience. The reason I say that is because normally when you look for another church, it implies that a significant change is taking place. Sometimes people move due to hurt feelings, disagreeing directions, or frustrating experiences with a previous church. Some people are visiting churches because …

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How to Tell If You’ve Joined an Imposter Church

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imposter – a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain This post isn’t what you think it is.  I’m not describing an imposter church as those who teach subpar doctrine or use worldly practices or practice unwise methods.  In fact, I’m not talking about anything that calls itself a “church.” I’m writing …

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Your Church’s Front Door

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After working for a few days in Senegal, I asked our translator if he wanted to go to his church on Sunday.  The villages we were working in had no local church (yet), and I wanted our translator to have the opportunity to see his physical and spiritual family, while at the same time, I wanted our team to be …

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The Ever-Changing Church

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No matter what your church is like, change can be frightening.  Whether it’s a tradition of 50 years or 50 days, the moment that something changes, it’s a difficult process for people of every age and every background to embrace.

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Open Doors

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Whether you are a member or a guest of Rocky Creek, we want to keep you informed during this time of transition in the Fall of 2018. Rocky Creek continues to celebrate spiritual and numerical growth, and the church must provide space for current growth and plan now for continued growth in the future.

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Jesus’ Prayer for His Church

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When Jesus spoke of His Church, He spoke of a people and not a building (Matt. 16:18).  We are not called to come to church but to be the Church. In John 17, we get insight into how Jesus prayed for the universal Church and how that applies to each expression of a local church.  Our hearts should be comforted …

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God’s Favorite Style of Church

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Every Christian has their favorite style of church.  We all tend to gravitate towards a type of church that meets our desired preferences.  Have you ever thought about God’s favorite style of church? God’s favorite style of church is a lifestyle church. Be the Church 01 – God’s Favorite Style of Church Jesus’ Great Commission provides a template for a …

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Multiply Churches

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The Multiply Initiative is our simple yet aggressive plan to multiply disciples.  As we make disciples within our own church, our prayer is that we will see growth in our church and in the churches we plant or replant.

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Be a Disciple – Not a Consumer

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Church isn’t about you. Christianity began with a sinless Savior sacrificing himself on a rebel’s cross, and yet we are still trying to divide his garments among us. It’s all about what we can get rather than what we can give. We treat Jesus like a lottery ticket expecting to cash in big on worldly treasures. We treat Jesus  like …

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