pastoral leaders Archives » GProCommission

March 24, 2020

How do we keep our churches focused on the Great Commission?

How to Keep Your Church Focused on the Great Commission

This article on the Church and the Great Commission is reshared with kind permission from Breeze church. Something that scares me is that it’s possible to do church without actually doing what a church is called to do. It’s possible to gather people together, sing songs, listen to words spoken from a stage, pass offering plates, and not even come close to the mission that Jesus gave the Church. Does that scare you? I don’t ever want to be a church that isn’t accomplishing the Great Commission of reaching lost people and discipling them into Jesus followers. And yet, we know from […]

January 23, 2020

Pastor Nieuwof breaks down the big shifts that will be needed to change the direction of the church in the coming years.

6 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2020

So what are the 2020 church trends you should watch in what is shaping up to be a very pivotal year? In this post, I’ll share six new trends that really have my attention. While it might seem like a lot of change and challenges ahead, you and I lead in an age of massive disruption. Industries are being disrupted or obliterated in years, not decades, and once-dominant companies are falling fast (just ask Polaroid, Blockbuster or Compaq computers). And leading in the church is even a little more complex than leading in the marketplace for numerous reasons. Here’s one of them: […]

December 3, 2019

Baby monkey clinging to his mother, showing the monkey example of grace.

When Christian Leaders Defect: “The Goodbye Kiss”

Dr. Ramesh Richard shares his wisdom and insight on how to reflect and understand as well as react when high-profile leaders defect from the faith. God has patiently put up with a history of leaders who defect—of whom I am one. I defect often. Although I am more aware of my sins of commission than omission, my every sin denies and defies allegiance to the Lord I love. I must return to the One I belong by confession, quickly and regularly, about attitudes and actions not aligned to His standards. Short History Two higher-profile defections in 2019—a mega-church pastor and […]

October 27, 2019

Resource highlight: Oasis Africa Study Bible & App

Imagine preparing for a sermon without a Bible. Yet, sadly, many pastors don’t have access to the Scriptures, much less understand how to study it! This month we want to highlight an amazing resource, the Africa Study Bible (ASB), that helps African pastors overcome those challenges specifically in Africa—the fastest-growing region for the Christian Faith. Watch our video interview with Dr. Matthew Elliott, president of Oasis International, to learn more about the ASB. Then learn how you can receive a digital version of the ASB via the ASB App for FREE!** Be encouraged, and learn how you can get your […]

October 24, 2019

Designer Shoes

This article “Designer Shoes” is reshared from RREACH. Searching for worship music and sneakers on the internet, a young man started noticing a strange occurrence. Several Christian pastors wore rather expensive sneakers in the pictures on their church websites. The shoes ranged from $600 to $3,000. This trend alarmed him, and he asked a question, “What is OK as far as optics … as far as pastors wearing hype or designer clothing?”. His Instagram post started a blaze of comment from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times and several other media outlets. Public criticism is an occupational hazard of Christian leadership. […]

October 8, 2019

Preaching to Make the Bible User Friendly

Have you ever listened to a sermon and thought, “Wow, I could never get as much from that Scripture text as he did”—as if the preacher was a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat? I have. When the preacher is biblically faithful, this can be a beautiful demonstration of God gifting the church with shepherds and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). It may also expose a flaw: the preacher may not be training his flock how to read the Bible through his preaching. Preachers need to see the preaching event as a key moment in church life that makes the […]

October 1, 2019

Building Successful Teams

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 We all enjoy watching individuals achieve success in sports, business or entertainment through hard work, dedication and perseverance. It’s often called the American way because […]

August 1, 2019

Theology is Practical

reshared with kind permission from Leadership International Everything we do has a reason behind it. What we do comes from what we believe is true. The motives for our actions come from our worldview- what we believe about life, God, humanity, etc. If your convictions align with God’s truth, you will be conformed to do God’s will. That is why theological education is important. It is the foundation for proper praxis, missional living. Theological education seems to be less important to Americans, who want more “practical” teaching instead. The assumption is that theology isn’t practical. Let’s look at why theology isn’t just practical; […]

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 […]

May 30, 2019

8 Fundamental of Church Management Part II

Cont’d from Part I Fundamental #5: Have a Compelling Vision Vision is about foresight, looking ahead and seeing the possibilities of what could be or where God may be leading you. A vision can be defined as a statement about the future, an imagining of something specific that does not exist today. A pastor needs a clear vision of the future in order to guide and lead the church. Without a vision a church has no direction, and the people “cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18), which means to simply go their own way or do what they think is best. […]