Finding More Switches for Enlightenment
Spiritual Enlightenment happens when switches get turned on. Ministry is all about finding those Spiritual switches that work for people at various stages and situations in life.
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Getting Switches Turned on for Enlightenment by the Spirit
How do we change the culture of our church so we are illuminated by the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment? How does that happen through the ministries of a church? And what actions can we take that make it easier for the Spirit to touch hearts and turn bulbs on bright? Can we identify things we do that get in the way of the flow of Spiritual energy, that keep the switch turned low?
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Fine-Tuning Your Church’s Culture
Changing church culture is key to growth, but change isn’t always easy. How do you change the behaviors of a congregation in ways that more faithfully unleash the Spirit and fan into flame the work he does to motivate fellowship members?
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The Limits of Rule-Making in a Grace-Focused Congregation
TBDThere may be no greater threat to the unity of the church than legalism. We can easily be deceived by legalism, but if we know God’s love and understand His Word, we see that because of our relationship with Jesus, we have everything. We don’t have to work for it. Jesus did all the work. It is by grace alone we are saved, although we do work for the Lord not out of obligation but out of our love for Him.
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Reducing Barriers to the Spirit’s Work of Building Fellowship
What we need is a Spirit-centric approach rather than a human-centric focus on what leaders can and need to do. The Spirit does the work. So how do we reduce barriers? And how do we avoid quenching the Holy Spirit?
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The Confusion Between Church as a Fellowship and Church as an Institution
In today’s economy, if you are not growing, you are in decline. Is that also true for churches? What makes Christian churches unique is their dependence on the presence of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they can become just another social organization out recruiting volunteers for social service projects. It’s the Spirit that provides the unique human energy of a healthy congregation.
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Some Basics of Church Growth
Where there is a will, is there a way? Turning around a declining congregation is very difficult. There are no guaranteed methods. Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit who calls people to faith and gathers them together as a church. But he works through people and relationships. So how do we do our part? Here are a few basic practices for church growth.
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Fields Ripe for Harvest
Is a whole generation bypassing institutional church life, but not rejecting religion? Are people today just re-mixing the ingredients of their religion and spirituality for their own personal faith? Is intuitional spirituality prioritized over institutional religion? What is behind this shift in our culture and how would Paul have handled it?
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Approaching Life Head-First or Heart-First
How would Jesus respond to the bell-shaped curve of people reacting feeling first or thinking first? And what should traditional churches do? God calls us to go out to all people. The way to get beyond head-first is to rediscover the Holy Spirit which was so basic to Paul’s ministry. He specializes in touching hearts.
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Overcoming Church Cultural Barriers Today
We can do a better job of developing our church ministries in ways that reduce barriers to how he works on people’s hearts. Change is not going to happen without first being critical of our shortcomings today. Consider these three ways that Lutherans can improve our ministries of calling others to Christ.
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