God’s rebuke is never about giving up on us; it’s about investing in us once again. God rebukes us because we need it.
Articles on Church Ministry
528 results found
A Church Is Not Just a Truth-Dispensing Center
The church is the household of God, so we can expect relationships, interaction, and shared identity to be fundamental aspects of its life.
Feeling Alone in a Crowded Congregation
We are social beings, and human connection is essential for our brain functioning, physical health, and emotional well-being. Loneliness is the unsurprising symptom of an individualistic society.
Podcast: Why Have So Many People Stopped Going to Church? (Paul Tripp)
Paul Tripp reflects on the importance of not just the universal church but the local gathered church, and he responds to many of the reasons that people stop going to church.
Dear Pastor . . . Let Christ Preach
If preaching isn’t simply transferring data or trying to make people feel something through our charisma, what is it?
When the risen Christ sought to put those in charge or in leadership in local churches, he chose—amazingly—teachers.
We instinctively recognize that the solution to bad authority is seldom no authority, but almost always good authority.
Podcast: Remembering the “Seashells” Sermon 23 Years Later (John Piper)
John Piper shares what he was thinking as he walked onto the stage on May 20th, 2000 to deliver a message to over 30,000 young people and talks about the impact that sermon had on his ministry.
How Do We Define “Success” in Ministry?
We do the work of pastoral ministry so that our people might treasure Christ together. That’s the often unheralded yet beautiful definition of “success.”
Teens Need Something They Can’t Find Online
It is vitally important today for all of us to prioritize our local church even as the rest of the world moves more of life online. The body of Christ is essential to spiritual growth.
Dear Pastor . . . You’re a Shepherd, Not an Entrepreneur
If we plant churches as pastors, not entrepreneurs, whose aim is to love Christ and feed and tend the sheep of Christ’s reward, then we can sleep well knowing our work will endure.
How Slowing Down Speeds Up the Church
The kingdom of heaven is like a marathon runner. He gets better at running fast by running slower. In this is a parable for church planting that demands we pay attention.
Podcast: Why the Church Needs Spiritual Mothers (Susan Hunt)
Susan Hunt reflects back on decades spent working to nurture the practice of Christian mentoring and shares her personal experience of mentoring others and being mentored herself.
We first need to understand biblically what gentleness is, because it is a largely misunderstood term. In our day, we often associate gentleness with weakness. That is not the biblical virtue of gentleness.
Is Your View of Women Aligned with Your Theology?
A body of Christ is healthiest when women are esteemed and their gifts highly valued, not just in the home but also in the church.
7 Tips for Teaching Theology to Teens
If you’re a pastor, youth leader, ministry volunteer, or simply a Christian parent of a Christian teenager, you’ve probably struggled with the best approach in talking with young people about theology.
5 Hats That a Lead Pastor Must Wear
If the quality of our elder plurality determines the health of our church, then we need to know which hats will best help us to cultivate solid teams. Here are five hats senior leaders should wear.
Coming Soon: ‘The Biggest Story Curriculum’
Releasing in June, The Biggest Story Curriculum will incorporate a host of integrated print and digital components to teach kids key Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation.
Podcast: Who’s in Charge of the Church? (Sam Emadi)
Sam Emadi breaks down the different leadership roles that Scripture outlines, explaining how God designed all of them to strengthen the body and glorify Christ.
How Should We Determine the Order of Worship in Our Church Services?
Our worship should be, among other things, God-fearing (Eccl. 5) and bibliocentric (Neh. 8). In other words, our worship should be God-revering and Scripture-saturated.
Struggling in Your Faith? Isolation Isn’t the Answer
The hardest thing for struggling Christians to recognize is that church is exactly the community they need.
Dear Pastor . . . No, You Are Not a Failure
Our present failures make us long for future heaven, to hasten the day when the pain of failure and the torture of disappointment will be gone forever.
The 2 Characteristics of Revival
By divine command, we must pray for the reinvigorating of God’s people—morning and evening, today and tomorrow, this year and next year, and in all the years until Christ’s return.
The Hidden Cancer in Our Churches
What is the most urgent need of the church today? Better leadership? Better training? Healthier giving? Orthodoxy? Moral integrity?
2 Ways Leaders Can Exemplify Humility to Those under Their Authority
Make it your personal ambition to build up those around you, and let them flourish in their gifts.
The biblical proverbs as a whole have a Godward goal: the fear of the Lord. As preachers, our job is to focus on that fear.
20 Engaging Questions to Ask Kids at Church
As churches everywhere shake their heads in frustration over declining commitment among younger generations, we need to remember that a person’s commitment to the church is often formed early.
Podcast: D. A. Carson on His Life, Vision for Ministry, and Biggest Influences (D. A. Carson)
D. A. Carson talks about his life and ministry, how God led him to the academy, the original vision behind the Gospel Coalition, and what it looks like to pursue simple faithfulness before God in his stage of life.
Dear Pastor . . . You Have Wonderfully Unique Opportunities to Counsel
Pastoral counseling is unlike any other form of counseling because of the many unusual opportunities a pastor has to engage lives. Here are seven unique facets of the pastoral life that open doors.
4 Ways to Help Save Your Pastor from Burnout
The reasons for pastoral burnout are deeper and more complex than just how congregations relate to their pastors. Intentional support can help alleviate some of the main causes.