Pastors / Leadership

Unless you've struggled with thoughts of suicide, it can be very difficult to understand why anyone would dwell on such thoughts, much less act on them. Anyone can be at risk for struggling with suicidal thoughts. Sometimes, there can be a tangible reason behind the struggle, but it can also be the result of mental health challenges or even a chemical imbalance in the brain.Some age groups tend to struggle with suicide more than others. For example, it's the second leading cause of death among 10-14 year olds and 25-34 year olds. It's the third leading cause among those 15-24 years old and fourth for those 35-44 years old. However, people can struggle with this at any age. Approximately every eleven minutes, someone dies by suicide in the United States, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Here are 4 ways the church can take steps to come alongside of those who are battling suicidal thoughts and help them receive healing and hope.

This special month of honoring our shepherds is a wonderful time to give them the greatest gift of all: a deep commitment to be a prayer warrior for God’s leader.

We much remind our own generation and those to come after us why “worship is worth it” regardless of whether we feel like it or the state of the times makes us doubt His presence.

For the first time in decades, men are leading in church attendance. But the deeper story is about why women (especially younger women and single mothers) are stepping back.

Church is boring for most because the power of God has vanished from many congregations ... there is a lack of desire to pursue Him in the pulpit as well as in the pew. Like Samson, they "know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed" (cf. Judge 16:20). High attendance is not the gauge of success, faithfulness is. Granted, a healthy church should experience seasons of growth, but even cults generate large numbers of followers. Here are five simple ways to gauge the health of a church and a believer:

Who can you talk to about your questions? If you have no friend to whom you can turn, there is a serious gap in your life. You are in need of another friend or two or three.

How can youth ministers do an effective job of making disciples? Here are six hardships of youth ministry and how to overcome them.

When you start a new church and you are the pastor and you’ve done it your way, be careful not to “own” the church. According to Matthew 16:18, it’s His church and He will build it.

It seems so unfair for God to send some bad people to heaven while some good people end up in hell. How can this be?

One of the prettiest and most colorful seasons of the year is the fall season. The cooler temperatures and beautiful colors displayed among the leaves on all of the trees can be a motivator for getting outside and enjoying God's handiwork. At the same time, this particular season also includes a holiday that some Christians would prefer to avoid and others embrace as simply being a cultural event. With more and more parents feeling that trick-or-treating during the Halloween holiday puts their children at risk for potential harm, the church can choose to use a Halloween alternative such as trunk-or-treat as an outreach to the community and also share the Gospel. Part of the fun of trunk-or-treat is coming up with a creative theme. The church might want to have a brainstorming session for themes. Each person providing a decorated vehicle trunk can have their own variation of the theme as they make candy available for the children who visit their display. Here are 5 creative trunk-or-treat themes for churches.

A proven way to get more of a church’s men on fire for Jesus is with a vibrant men’s ministry. But few churches have one.

It’s important for believers to discern between popular misconceptions and what the Bible says about hell. So, let’s consider five common beliefs about hell that are not biblically supported.

Depending on a number of factors, growing a small church is one of the more doable things pastors can achieve.

Drawing on 33 years of church leadership experience, this article shares 25 invaluable lessons for church planters and leaders, emphasizing enduring principles over fleeting trends.

While Scripture calls those who would shepherd to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, congregants must be careful not to dehumanize those that lead with the assumption that they are superhuman.