Healthy Church Development Series By Cara Garrity, Development Think back to the image of caretaking plants as a metaphor for tending to the health of our local congregation. (See January Equipper.) Assessing and responding to signs of health and unhealth in the life of the local congregation is an act of stewardship – and it … Continue reading "Paul’s Healthy Church Message in Galatians" Read the article
Accountability helps us keep our MAP a workable plan rather than a wish list or something to make the leadership happy. By Tim Sitterley, Regional Director US West. As I sit down to write this, we are two weeks into the new year. This is the point when many New Year’s resolutions start to wear … Continue reading "A Resolution vs a MAP" Read the article
“I saw you under the fig tree.” By Rick Shallenberger I love how The Chosen shares the story of Nathaniel (Barthalamew in the other Gospel accounts). In the drama series, which uses artistic imagination to add backstories for characters, Nathaniel was portrayed as an architect who dreamed of building beautiful synagogues for God. Due to … Continue reading "Nathaniel’s Plans for Passion Week" Read the article
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” Soren Kierkegaard By Anthony Mullins, Church Planter, Durham, NC I suspect Danish theologian and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was on to something truthful with the above statement. Prayer forms the person who prays. It forms us by … Continue reading "Spiritual Practices for Holy Week" Read the article
On any given day, the average person tackles around 35,000 decisions, spanning from what to eat for dinner to pivotal choices like job offers. The comforting aspect in this decision overload is that the Holy Spirit equips us with the gift of discernment to navigate these choices. For more information on discernment download the January … Continue reading "Church Hack: Discernment" Read the article
Silence and solitude help us fully appreciate that God is always seeking us and inviting us to participate with him. By Carmen Fleming, GCI-US Home Church Member Some of us arrive at Easter Sunday without any preparation for such an extraordinary celebration – the fact that Jesus conquered death! I am guilty! Sometimes the message … Continue reading "Spiritual Formation for Easter Preparation" Read the article
Love, Hope, and Faith Avenues working together. By Linda Sitterley, Pastor Junction City, Oregon Our planning for Easter began before Christmas. In fact, it began the night of our annual Halloween Trunk R Treat, as you will soon see. As all events go, even during the current activity you are planning the next one and … Continue reading "Preparing the Congregation for Easter" Read the article
A testimony is a personal account or narrative shared by an individual to express the transformation they have experienced in Christ. Sharing a testimony is a sacred practice that magnifies Christ and celebrates the transformative power of faith. This month’s Church Hack outlines the purpose and impact of giving a testimony as well as best … Continue reading "Church Hack: Testimony Best Practice" Read the article
The who, what, where, and why of the DEI council. By Jeff Broadnax and Dishon Mills What is the Council’s mission? GCI’s National Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (or D.E.I. Council) is a fellowship of local ministry leaders who advise the Superintendent of North America on ways to live out the gospel through unity, … Continue reading "National Advisory Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" Read the article
It’s not a check list, it’s discerning God’s plan. By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator GCI’s vision continues to be Healthy Church. What does it mean to be healthy? How do we assess “health”? Is it even appropriate to measure the “health” of our local congregations? I want to take a moment to offer an image … Continue reading "Measuring Church Health" Read the article
