The vision of the Free Methodist Church is to see a healthy church within the reach of every Canadian and beyond. Here are some of the ways that we are currently working to make that happen.
“One of the reasons people are hesitant to try attending a church for the first time is that they’re not sure what to expect. In fact, they probably expect it to be a little bit awkward and uncomfortable. Over time, it’s important for your church to become known as a […]
How to Help Church Guests Understand What’s Happening Read More
“Throughout the week, I balance my roles as pastor, FYI staff member, and student. Bivocational ministry is not easy, but for me, it has been a formative practice. It has shaped my understanding of time. Even though I get a rush of excitement when I cross things off of my
I have a lot of conversations with churches who are planning. Some are planning specific events while others are putting together a 2-year ministry plan or a 5-year long range plan. All of that is exciting. But I find that there are some good questions that would serve all of
“Thankfully, God specializes in bringing dead things back to life. Over those months, God took my soul—my burned out, exhausted soul—and slowly but surely gave it rest. He breathed life back into me. I began to feel again. I began to care again. I began to live again. And it
“Almost every church I’ve ever known has wanted to Attract Young Families. The reasoning behind this includes the following: If we don’t regenerate, everyone will eventually get old and die. It’s energizing to have young people around. Younger members can do the work that older members can’t/won’t do anymore. Older members
When Churches Want a Pastor Who Can “Bring in Young Families” Read More
I was sitting in church the other day listening to a sermon. The sermon was fine. But there was something the preacher said (unrelated to the point of his sermon) that got me thinking. I forget the preacher’s exact words but he talked about getting a thumbs up from
“It broke my heart. Another church closed. This church had unbelievable potential. Indeed, it had its own “glory days,” but only for a season. But, 10 years ago, few would have predicted this church’s closure. Today, it is but another statistic in the ecclesiastical graveyard. I know. We don’t compromise
Check out Karl Vaters’ “4 Reasons Our Church Stopped Doing ‘Come and Watch’ Events (And 5 Alternatives)” with still more advice for pastors and leaders as you think about fall planning.
4 Reasons Our Church Stopped Doing ‘Come and Watch’ Events (And 5 Alternatives) Read More
When you do a good amount of Church Health or Church Revitalization reading, you will start to see some common themes emerge. I can almost guarantee you that you will read about prayer, discipleship, outward orientation, mission and vision. Those topics come up over and over again. And they need
“I always kind of thought discipleship was a little awkward. The idea that someone tells me what to do because they know more than I didn’t sound like fun. Clearly, I didn’t understand true discipleship; I didn’t know discipleship was about loving like Jesus. It wasn’t until I understood that
