Tag: Church
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The Five Stages of Spiritual Community: How a Small Group Grows
Healthy groups don’t skip these steps; they move through them in order, naturally and prayerfully.
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Feeding Hungry Sheep
When John Milton wrote the line, “The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed,” he was not speaking about literal sheep, but about people. He was thinking about people who come to church but are starving because those who are supposed to feed them fail to do so. When Milton wrote that in 1638, it was common…
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10 Benefits of Leading a Rural Church
For about 35 years now I have been a rural pastor. While serving in that role I have been greatly blessed and have discovered many benefits to pastoring in a smaller, rural setting. Here are 10 of them, in no particular order: Deep Relationships In small communities, you have the opportunity to really know your…
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Church Growth or Church Health?
Is the church an organization or is it an organism? How we answer that question determines how we view “success” in the church. If it is only an organization, numerical growth is a valid expectation and means of evaluation. If, however, the church is a living organism, growth is not nearly as important as health.…
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Top Ten Things Your Pastor Is NOT Thinking About 5 Minutes Before Worship Begins
10. Last week’s committee meeting 9. Next week’s committee meeting 8. That issue you’ve been thinking about all week so you could bring it up the next time you saw the pastor 7. Paper towels in the men’s room 6. The name of that couple who sat behind you two weeks ago 5. The most…
John W. Crowder 