October 2018 » GProCommission

October 30, 2018

How One Pastor Prepares A Sermon

This article “How One Pastor Prepares a Sermon” is shared with permission from Pastor Josh Reich. I’m often asked by other pastors or church planters about how I prep a sermon. While these aren’t so much things you should do, these are things that are principles for me and shape how a sermon goes from nothing to something. 6 things that go into preparing a sermon. CLICK TO TWEET 1. Plan ahead. My goal is to know 18 months in advance what I plan to preach on. This is crucial to my process. I’m a big believer that the Holy Spirit is just as […]

October 25, 2018

The Pastor’s Wife Survival Kit

We, women, are known to have what I would call a survival kit – a small pouch that holds what you need for whenever you travel, whether short distance or long distance. Some kits would have a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, dental floss, nail cutter, safety pins, baby powder and lip balm. Others may need to include a deodorant, lipstick, eyeliner, cologne, travel tissue, comb, etc. Then you learn a thing or two from an embarrassing experience and add something else here and there. As pastors’ wives, we could use a survival kit as well. The contents of this […]

October 18, 2018

Four Things That Shouldn’t Drive Church Growth

Article shared with permission from Carey Nieuwhof. Something’s driving your church. There are a variety of things that drive a church…the challenge for many church leaders is no one is really quite clear on what that is. What drives your church is critical because it impacts everything you do. Ultimately, it directly impacts both your health and your growth as a congregation. As I talk to leaders of churches of all sizes, I find different factors at work. As much as we’d all love to say Jesus runs the church, the reality is that church is a partnership. God seems to delight […]

October 16, 2018

On Wearing Masks In Ministry

This article appeared originally on Claire Muster’s blog. I have been in Christian ministry for 25 years. And in common with practically everyone else alive, I have worn masks. Not literally, of course. At times, a mask has been the means of self-preservation, at others a ministry preserver – and even an act of generosity and service. In other words, masks can and should have their place. To some extent. But they are also detrimental to psychological wellbeing and community life. They conceal rather than reveal. They can do even more damage to the wearer than they do to those who only encounter […]

October 11, 2018

The Art of Giving Tough Feedback In The Church

Reposted with kind permission from the Breeze Church ChMS . By Aaron Buer I don’t know about you but I’ve found that one of the most challenging aspects of leadership is giving feedback. And I don’t mean, “Hey nice job on that presentation!” I’m talking about, “Hey, did you notice that everyone was sleeping during your presentation? Let’s talk about that.” I used to hate conversations like this because I’m naturally a people pleaser. But, over time and through a lot of bumps in the road, I’ve grown to appreciate these conversations because I know there is incredible value in helping people see their blind spots […]

October 9, 2018

Influence of the Bible: Bible Engagement and Daily Conversations

By Dr. Lloyd Estrada I am sure that you are familiar with the following words and phrases: “scapegoat” a person who is blamed for the mistake or wrongdoing of someone else “drop in a bucket” a very small amount; less than nothing “the powers that be” important people that have authority over others “put words in one’s mouth” to falsely attribute a statement to someone “fall from grace” to fall out of favor; to have one’s reputation tarnished “labor of love” work done for the benefit of others rather than for material gain “the blind leading the blind” a situation […]

October 4, 2018

The Wisdom of God

“ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED AND IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING AND TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.” 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 We live in a world where everyone has their own source of truth. I believe that there are 6 main sources of truth that most people look to. First, some people believe that truth is what they have been taught, whether by their parents, schools, books, or people they look up to. Second, some people believe truth is what the media tells them based on what they see […]

October 2, 2018

Devoted to the Public Reading of Scripture: Ideas, Techniques, and Resources

by Kevin Halloran, reposted with kind permission from Leadership Resources. Paul commands Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. . . .” Why be devoted to the public reading of Scripture? Let’s take a look at the theological foundations of public Scripture reading and some ways to give Scripture a more prominent place in public gatherings. Theological Foundations God has spoken. From the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 1:3), we see that God speaks, and His word is powerful and life-giving. At the end of the Bible, we see that a word from God ushers in […]