Ed Stetzer | TLG Christian News

LifeWay Research: Friends and Family Matter More Than Money This Thanksgiving

15/11/2016 0 Comment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Americans count their blessings at Thanksgiving, God will get most of the credit. And money might be the last thing on their minds.

Most Americans are thankful for family (88 percent), health (77 percent), personal freedom (72 percent) and friends (71 percent). Fewer give thanks for wealth (32 percent) or achievements (51 percent), according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

“The blessings that matter most are the ones money can’t bu..

Recommended Church Planting Books: New and Old

15/11/2016 0 Comment

“Read two old books for every new one.”

Today, more than ever, we have an abundance of digital resources, webinars, training videos, and templates for church planting. However, as you might already know, not all resources are created equal. (That’s why Ed Stetzer and I created and lead NewChurches.com together—an online hub for church multiplication.)

Having said that, there really is nothing that replaces a good book! I love what the great theologian J.I. Packer says about books, “Read two ol..

Fruitful Near-Culture Church Planters: A Qualitative Study (Part 1)

08/11/2016 0 Comment

A survey of near-culture church planters

It is a fundamental principle of church-planting movements that workers for the harvest are in the harvest (Garrison 2004, 172; Cole 2005, 149). We have the privilege of living in a time when more and more missionaries are emerging from the harvest itself.

That is, more than ever before, near-culture gospel workers are spreading the good news around the world. Given the importance of mobilizing local workers into the harvest, it is surprising how little..

Diaspora Missions: Who Is Sitting Behind You?

04/11/2016 0 Comment

Invite an international student to share a meal with your family.

The world is at our doorstep, but in some cases the world’s future leadership may be sitting near you in church! As we greeted people around us during a recent Sunday service, we met two international students sitting behind us. They had taken the bus on their own. It was their first time to be in a church.

There were about one million foreign students enrolled at U.S. campuses in 2015, with China, India, South Korea, and Saudi ..

Breaking the 200 Barrier: Renaissance Church in Decatur, Illinois

01/11/2016 0 Comment

Church seeks to meet the needs of the un-churched and de-churched.

My church, Renaissance, is located in a small Midwestern city with around 100,000 people living in the county. It began as a Sunday night Bible study in the home of our pastor. Once his living room was outgrown, the church began meeting downtown at the local Arts Council building once a month. It wasn’t long before a more permanent home was found and after months of remodel, Renaissance began meeting every Sunday night at 6:00 p..

Growing Young

28/10/2016 0 Comment

Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church

We keep hearing that young people are leaving the church and the faith in droves. Is it true, and how do you hope your research helps churches today?

Much of the doom and gloom about young people leaving the church is true. Church attendance is declining overall. The share of U.S. adults who identify as Christian has recently dropped from 78 to 71 percent. No major denomination is growing. Further, 18 to 29-year-olds m..

Want an Added Treat This Halloween? Try Church, Say America’s Pastors

25/10/2016 0 Comment

By Bob Smietana

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This Halloween, millions of Americans will carve pumpkins, dress up in costumes, decorate their yards, and gobble down the candy they get while trick-or-treating.

America’s preachers also hope they’ll consider coming to church, according to a new phone survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

Two-thirds of Protestant pastors say they encourage church members to ask their neighbors to a church-related event like a fall ..

3 Mistakes Churches Make When They Talk Money

24/10/2016 0 Comment

Ministry leader wants to spread the biblical message of generosity in order to grow generous givers.

It may be one of the most dreaded and uncomfortable sermon topics—both to preach and to hear. Money and giving can stir all kinds of emotions and reactions in even the most faithful Christ followers.

While I’m no preacher, I spend a good deal of time with Christians who want to understand generosity better and the opportunities they have to impact God’s kingdom with their money. Through my expe..

Race in America: The Golden Rule: A Call to R.E.P. Christ Well

21/10/2016 0 Comment

The context of most of our cities today is increasingly urban. We live in dense and diverse neighborhoods which embody the beauty and complexity of multiethnic people coming from multicultural backgrounds living in multi-socioeconomic situations.

Even if you live in the suburbs, you have most likely experienced the effects of urbanization and globalization. If you live in these contexts, then you know what it’s like to have neighbors who don’t look like you, talk like you, or act like you.

And..

Race in America: Pushing Forward on the Heels of the ‘Voiceless’

19/10/2016 0 Comment

Co-founder and director of the Voices Project and college pastor at Kilns College

It seems that when certain people are threatened, that the standard protocol is to declare a state of emergency.

My belief, along with many others, is that we have a state of emergency and it is for the dignity of Black lives. The uprising in Charlotte last month is a reminder that we are in a critical and urgent time. Many people want to push the attention towards the few who use violence as their voice. I pray ..