Pastors, Have Difficult Conversations About Membership
Body
“I demanded answers. This pastor needed to explain himself. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige and began to unpack his statement, and I was eager to listen.” - 9 Marks
As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“I demanded answers. This pastor needed to explain himself. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige and began to unpack his statement, and I was eager to listen.” - 9 Marks
“…what the church really said was, ‘Pastor, we’re dying on the vine. We need somebody who is old and can help us make changes without blowing it apart.’” - GARBC
“At least once a month, walk through your buildings, review your worship and educational services, consider different elements of church life and ask yourself: ‘How would this hit me if I were a guest?’” - The Baptist Paper
“1. Don’t discount women…. 2. Pray for men to step up…. 3. Identify men whom you can challenge toward leadership…. 4. Equip men to lead.” - GARBC
“It is to observe quietly and humbly and then, when appropriate, to ask clarifying questions. And more often than not, I have been encouraged and even challenged by these clarifications. ” - Challies
“In my ninth year as lead pastor of my church, a crucial question loomed large. Were believers truly growing spiritually? Despite an influx of people and an air of excitement at my church, the pastoral team grappled with the depth of discipleship.” - GARBC
“One week ago, I preached at a church in the area where I pastored for 14 years…. I also think about some things I wish I had done differently. So, here are some of those things I wish I had said.” - Chuck Lawless
“Simply because a plural ‘you’ is used—because a community is being addressed—doesn’t exclude individual action. That said, an individualistic application of a plural “you” should not lead us to assume every plural “you” is meant for the individual. There is much more going on.” - 9 Marks
“Reading lyrics on a page helps us grasp what kind of song we’re singing and enables us to meditate on lyrics after the slides move on. We can also look back at lyrics we sang previously to see connections the writer is making.” - 9 Marks
“There are many paths I could take to attempt to answer that question. For now, one of my research-based answers is that many church members are confused about the meaning of church-based evangelism.” - Church Answers
Discussion