Posts Tagged ‘Church Policy’
How Valuable Is Children’s Ministry?
Here’s a statement that will probably make most pastors and church members pause: Children’s ministry may be the most important ministry of your church. D.L. Moody once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” Statistics show that 80-85% of those who believe in Christ…
Read MoreSmall Church Financial Stewardship
Last Sunday was our church’s Annual General Meeting. We always look forward to this meeting because, for us, it’s been a discipleship tool and a time of “body-building” among our members (the “church body,” I mean). I don’t recall ever really having much disagreement in these meetings, for which we praise God. We also take…
Read MoreIs Tent-Making the Biblical Norm?
Some well-meaning believers promote tent-making as the preferred biblical pattern for pastors today. By “tent-making,” I am referring to an approach to pastoral ministry in which a pastor works a full-time vocational job to support his family while also serving as a pastor. Thom Rainer encourages this perspective in an article entitled, “Eight Reasons Why…
Read MoreP&D Best Of: A Look Back at Child Protection
A Christmas day shock hit my town with this story of a terrible murder of two lovely little girls, apparently committed by their father. An op-ed points out several similar tragedies in other communities recently. The story appears to be the all too familiar bitter custody battle between mother and father. It is hard to…
Read MoreSunday school vs. Small Groups
Don Johnson A recent blog opened with this shocking statement (shocking to some, at least): This fall we are going to do something that will seem crazy to many. We are going from a small group model to a Sunday school model (under a different name). Most church growth material over the past 20 years…
Read MoreMarriage Policy for the First Baptist Church of Troy
FBCTroy, Pastor Mike Harding Pastor Mike Harding of First Baptist Church of Troy, Michigan, offers a recently approved statement on marriage which was adopted by his church. We offer it here in light of current controversies as a resource for other churches who may wish to consider adopting a similar position statement. Marriage is an…
Read MorePreventing Abuse in the Church
Linda Hull Recent events regarding sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remind us that sexual abuse can happen anywhere—at any time—to anyone—but the most vulnerable are women and children. [Note: this article was first published in 2003. – ed.] We church members have a special relationship with our pastors and other church leaders because we…
Read MoreA Checklist for Choosing a Good Local Church
by Jim Hollandsworth How should one go about choosing a good local church? Apart from a recommendation by a trusted pastor or friend, the process can be daunting, especially in this age of apostasy and evangelical compromise. Churches that once adhered to the fundamentals of the faith have departed. Multitudes of ministries have gone the…
Read More“Dad, We Need to Talk”
Originally published in the Jan/Feb 2012 edition of FrontLine. by A Concerned Pastor and Father Please note that gender usage in reference to the victim is neutral throughout the article. “Dad, we need to talk.” In our family we had many conversations that began the same way. This time, this conversation would change everything.…
Read MoreDeveloping an Effective Child Protection Policy (Part 2)
Originally published the Jan/Feb 2012 edition of FrontLine. Part 2 of 2 – see here for Part 1. Recap from Part 1: Every church or other ministry ought to adopt a policy to help prevent child sexual abuse. Below are some ideas that can help with this process. Tailoring a Policy for Your Ministry Involve…
Read More