July 2019 » GProCommission

July 27, 2019

Zimbabwean Pastors hunger for God’s Word: GProCommission Update

Pastor Calson’s life changed dramatically after he attended Leadership International’s Biblical Foundation courses in 2000. Now he labors full-time giving others the same blessing he received. “Pastors hunger to learn more about God’s Word,” Pastor Calson says. As Leadership International – Zimbabwe’s national director, he travels through Zimbabwe and surrounding countries teaching pastoral leaders how to interpret the Bible according to what God intends. He has a heart for pastors in rural areas, where congregations might be meeting in a classroom or under a tree and training is especially scarce. Just holding the study Bible they receive with the training […]

July 25, 2019

Preaching for Encounters with the Risen Christ (Part II)

Cont’d from part one of reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources Intl. To listen to the podcast go here. KH: You’ve written before that preaching Christ must arise out of the Word and should lead us to the table, creating a worshipful experience encountering Christ there, at church. What do you mean by this, and why do you think it’s such an important idea? CS: I got that out of the Church of England liturgy, going all the way back to Thomas Cranmer and the way in which the origin of worship in the Church of England was set out. […]

July 23, 2019

What does it mean to preach Christ? (Part I)

Reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resource International. LRI’s Kevin Halloran sat down with his pastor, Colin S. Smith, to talk about what it means to preach Christ. Listen to the audio or read the transcript below. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “We preach Christ crucified,” and a few verses later, he said he was determined to “know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). But what does this mean? And how can a preacher faithfully preach Christ? Pastor Colin Smith With me is my pastor, Colin Smith, of the Orchard Evangelical […]

July 18, 2019

Three Lies Pastors Believe

reshared with kind permission from Josh Reich. All of us believe lies in our lives and those lies shape us. Lies that we aren’t good enough, strong enough, that I owe God, that we can be in control, that God doesn’t love us, that we aren’t lovable or worthwhile. Lies like these, shape us. And if we don’t face them, these lies will determine the stories we tell and live. Pastor’s believe lies as well. I know that might be a shock, but it’s true. And like lies in our personal lives, if we don’t face them, name them and […]

July 16, 2019

Building Community in the Church

reshared with kind permission from author Barry Voss. An important and often unrecognized role of the church leader is to build community among those he or she leads. Just as Christ surrounded Himself with his disciples and lived in fellowship with them, we too as leaders must develop a Christian community among our people as well. We need to recognize that God desires that we work together in ministry, with each of us being a part of the Body of Christ. No person can do all of the work of the ministry alone. By developing a community of faithful believers […]

July 11, 2019

3 Ways Attractional Church Needs to Change to Reach the Next Generation Part II

Cont’d. from Part I reshared with kind permission from Carey Nieuwhof. 3. LESS HEAD. MORE HEART. Another key shift that’s happening in churches that are reaching the next generation involves creating experiences that engage the heart, not just the head. The next generation doesn’t just want to know what’s true, they want to feel what true and to experience what’s real. Real is deeper than just an idea—real is an experience. The next generation doesn’t just want to know what’s true, they want to feel what true and to experience what’s real.CLICK TO TWEET When crafting the welcome…don’t just blanket people with information and the […]

July 9, 2019

3 Ways “Attractional” Church Needs to Change to Reach The Next Generation

In an era in which everything is changing so fast, it can be really difficult to discern what’s next. That’s doubly true in church world. While the mission stays the same, the expression or model keeps changing. The dominant model for growing churches over the last two decades is what many people call attractional church. Often (but not always) attractional church takes the form of a little less worship (3-4 songs), hosting that explicitly welcomes unchurched people into the room, running everything through a filter with the guest in mind and often (but not always) includes topical preaching. Over the […]

July 4, 2019

Why People Choose Your Church

resharing with kind permission from the Breeze church. How did you end up at the church you attend? I bet you have your reasons. Maybe you even wrote them down when you were church shopping or searching for a job. Most people have a list, even if they don’t know it. It’s often intuitive. Do you know what people are looking for? Research is helpful in this area and I’ve noticed trends in my own conversations with people who recently chose to make our church home or recently decided to leave. So, here’s the top six reasons I believe people […]

July 2, 2019

How to Study the Bible: Jeff Gage on Table Talk with Tyrell

reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources. Jeff Gage, Leadership Resource International (LRI)’s Program Director for South Africa, joined pastor and host Tyrell Haag on his radio program, Table Talk with Tyrell, to discuss how to study the Bible. In the interview, Jeff shares an insightful summary of LRI’s approach to Bible study and sprinkles in compelling stories about on how God is at work through our ministry in Africa. Even if you’re very familiar with LRI’s training, you’re not going to want miss this interview. (Their insightful conversation may just inspire you to grow a great beard, too.) Many […]