7 Tips for Navigating Criticism as a Pastor
Receiving criticism is part of pastoral ministry. Expect it and be ready to learn from it so that you can grow in your walk with the Lord and in your service of the saints.
Articles on The Church
183 results found
Podcast: How to Find a New Church (Edward W. Klink III)
Mickey Klink talks about what you should look for in a new church, what factors should impact your decision, and what warning signs to be on the lookout for in your search.
How Elders Shepherd by Example
A church should be able to direct a newborn believer to an elder and say: “Do you want to know what a real Christian should be like? Then look at him.”
Your Physical Presence Is an Irreplaceable Gift
We need to realize that being embodied means that we are designed to relate to one another physically.
11 Notable Quotes from A Place to Belong
Though our congregations are made up of ordinary people engaged in predictable practices, we are an outpost of heaven itself.
Podcast: A Better Way to Talk about the “Call to Ministry” (Bobby Jamieson)
Bobby Jamieson talks about his own path to church leadership, what role seminary played, and as well as what advice he'd give to those aspiring to be pastors.
The Church Has One Testimony—and It’s Anything but Boring
In various times and places and life circumstances, God calls his people. For all the outward variety in our testimonies, we actually have a common story.
Dangers for the Churchless Christian
If you try to grow as a Christian apart from a church, your growth will be misshapen.
An Open Letter to the Hesitant Church-Goer
Helpful reflections and encouragement for believers who are hesitant to return to church for a variety of reasons.
6 Questions about Finding a Mentor
We need mature believers to help us resist sin, grow in godly affection, and to persevere in faith.
An Open Letter to Women in the Church
Sister, don’t try to follow Christ alone. There is no substitute for your commitment and service to your local church.
The Wisdom of God-Centered Rhythms in a Me-Centered Age
When every moment of our iWorld existence conditions us to celebrate the self, the church boldly celebrates something bigger, grander, and more compelling.
There are four essential identity markers of the church: oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity.
Our new status and our new identity are due to the saving mercy and transformative power of God and are not of ourselves.
As we savor the good news of the sin-bearing servant of the Lord, we learn to enthuse. The gospel of a surprising salvation can only make us laugh, sing, and cheer.
Podcast: God’s Work in the African Church (Conrad Mbewe)
Conrad Mbewe discusses what American Christians should know about the church in Africa, dispelling common misconceptions and sharing some of the big issues facing local congregations.
10 Things You Should Know about the African Church
It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million.
Practical Counsel for Those Who Have Experienced Painful Divorce
Christians who have been through divorces also have a wonderful encouragement to realize that Jesus understands our sufferings and is willing to walk beside us in them.
5 Ways the Church Makes You Wiser
Church can be an indispensable source of stability and growth; a treasure trove of communal and Spirit-infused wisdom that we’d be foolish to neglect.
Good deeds matter to God in regards to their purpose for the church, the world, our sanctification, and God’s glory.
Why You Can’t Be a Christian without the Church
A Christian is someone who, by virtue of his reconciliation with God, has been reconciled to God’s people.
5 Questions about Church Discipline
What is church discipline? Is it biblical? Jonathan Leeman answers five questions about church discipline.
3 Distinguishing Characteristics of a True Church
How can we tell if a church is really a church? What characteristics distinguish a true church?
6 Things to Look for in a Pastor
What are some things to consider when searching for a new pastor to lead the church?
How to Pray for the African Church
Major news outlets in the world tend to concentrate on the economic poverty and social deprivation that characterizes much of Africa, but then many believers miss what God is doing in his church across the continent.
Podcast: The Church's Leadership Crisis (Paul David Tripp)
What is the church's leadership crisis and what is the solution?
Don’t Neglect Worship to Enjoy the Earth
Our lives ought to be structured by regular rhythms of direct and indirect godwardness, moving back and forth between direct interaction with God himself and active engagement with the world.
Podcast: Learning from the Church Fathers (Michael Haykin)
What can we learn from the early church fathers and how can early Christian creeds help us define our faith today?
How Church History Can Help You Defend the Faith
Knowledge of the way that Christians in the past defended the faith can provide helpful ways of responding to postmodern spirituality today.
A Prayer for Racial Reconciliation
Divisions of mistrust and historical bias run deep. Without God, nothing will ever change. In our pain and our weariness, we know that only Jesus can change our hearts and unite the church.