Church planting is en vogue. You can find books upon books on the subject and even conferences on the topic that draw 1000’s of attendees. (I have to admit my favorite one of these conferences is Exponential.) But most church planting isn’t planting in the biblical sense. Yes it’s the start of new congregations, whichContinue reading “Apostolic Church Planting”
Category Archives: Ministry
Finding Your Way Back to God Review
Finding Your Way Back to God DVD. Dave and Jon Ferguson. Multnomah Books, 2015. Not too long ago I received a copy of Dave and Jon Ferguson’s DVD for their book Finding Your Way Back to God. Now I’ll be honest – I love the stuff the Fergusons put out, especially anything related to Exponential.Continue reading “Finding Your Way Back to God Review”
A New Grace-Based Resource For Growing in Sexual Integrity
An excerpt: Among clergy, a 2009 study conducted by Texas Tech University of 460 male ministers revealed over 20 percent accessed pornography at least twice monthly. Older statistics on Christian clergy showed anywhere from 35 to 50 percent of ministers consider pornography a personal struggle, whether currently or in the past. As Christian leaders theseContinue reading “A New Grace-Based Resource For Growing in Sexual Integrity”
The Story That Chooses Us (Themelios)
The new issue of Themelios is now out – you can download it for free as a pdf or (for a short time) free for Logos. In this issue you will find a lot of engagement with Adam, the Fall, and Original Sin. You will also find reviews of some interesting books like Thomas F.Continue reading “The Story That Chooses Us (Themelios)”
Why do we Preach to People With Really Bad Memories?
Studies show that we will forget about 40% within the first 24 hours of learning something. If we wait another 24 hours before reviewing the information, we lose about 60% of it. So if we were taking a test we could go from a grade of ‘A’ (100%) to ‘D’ (60%), to ‘F’ (40%) inContinue reading “Why do we Preach to People With Really Bad Memories?”
Mark Dever on the PhD and the Pulpit: “On Having a Doctorate in the Pastorate”
Originally posted on PJ's personal blog. For articles see gospelize.me:
Should a pastor have a PhD? Is it helpful? Is it necessary? Mark Dever spoke on the assigned topic: “Why a PhD is Needed in the Pulpit” (mp3) but changed the title to “On Having a Doctorate in the Pastorate.” I outlined his…
Structured for Mission
The technological revolution, transformed economies, capitalism, globalization, decentralization, individualism, commodification, fragmented communities, fragmented identities, alienation…. At the end of the 20th century these transformations converged creating a radical shift in social culture. (94) Many churches have tried to respond to these changes with a greater emphasis on programs, structures, and new initiatives. Yet time afterContinue reading “Structured for Mission”
Paul’s Theology of Preaching
The argument of Paul’s Theology of Preaching can be broken up into two steps: 1)Begin by showing the distinctives of Greco-Roman rhetoric. 2)Show How Paul’s first four chapters in 1 Corinthians is meant to address preaching done in view of Greco-Roman Rhetoric. The fundamental assumption behind Greco-Roman Rhetoric is that the audience + the speaker’sContinue reading “Paul’s Theology of Preaching”
What Should Preachers Be Reading?
What would you say to a preacher who feels intimidated by all he feels he needs to read in order to “speak to the culture”? Where should he start? He needs to start noticing the cultural water he swims in every day. You don’t need to start with heavy tomes. Look at the music videos onContinue reading “What Should Preachers Be Reading?”
Preaching to Non-Believers
Trevin Wax on Preaching to Non-Believers…. There is one thing Stanley and Keller agree on: preachers ought to be mindful of the unbelievers in their congregation. Different Reasons for the Same Practice Stanley and Keller may be worlds apart in terms of their theological vision for ministry, but they both maintain that a preacher shouldContinue reading “Preaching to Non-Believers”
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 