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12 Reasons to Have Lunch with Senior Adults

If you’re a church leader, you need to spend intentional time with a senior adult — or with a lot of them. Even a monthly lunch and conversation will pay dividends in your ministry. Here’s why you need to... Continue Reading »

Dear Pastor: To be a Success, Pursue Tireless Faithfulness

Editor’s note: Several years ago, Founders Ministries published Dear Timothy, an excellent multi-author work (see New & Noteworthy Books in this issue) that quickly rose to the top of my list among books on pastoral/local church ministry. That work... Continue Reading »

How to Measure Discipleship in Your Church

How does your church measure success? For many churches, the ABCs of success are attendance, buildings and cash. While these are the easiest things to measure, pastors know they aren’t the best. There has to be a better way... Continue Reading »

Empty!

Empty – it’s not one of our favorite terms. It’s not one of our preferred greetings. When someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you probably don’t respond by saying, “Empty, thanks for asking!” Many popular songs through the... Continue Reading »

Be Berean in the Age of AI News

I regularly hear the voice of William D. Downs Jr. echoing in my mind. Dr. Downs was the department chair and professor of communications and journalism at Ouachita Baptist University for 41 years. He was relentless, hounding us want-to-be... Continue Reading »

12 Markers of a Church on the Downslope

Church growth writers talk about the bell-shaped curve that characterizes the growth of many churches. The left side of the bell curve is exciting (vision, outreach, growth, etc.), but the right side is challenging (nostalgia, decline, division, etc.). Based... Continue Reading »

How the Church Can Help Calm an Anxious Generation

You have probably heard some of the troubling statistics about teens and young adults. The data points are piling up like symptoms for a very ill patient. Since 2010: Anxiety is up 139 percent among 18-25-year-olds. Depression is up... Continue Reading »

Persecution and Protection of Iranian Christians

With the present war involving Iran, the United States and surrounding countries, a closer look at the history of Christianity in Iran may help place these events in context and guide believers in how to pray for Christians living... Continue Reading »

Preparing for the Unexpected in Your Worship Service

The choir was singing while we were in the middle of serving the Lord’s Supper one Sunday morning. The ushers were halfway down the middle aisle when the sanctuary’s rear doors flew open and a young man stepped in... Continue Reading »

Is His Name Jesus or Immanuel?

In Western Civilization, people generally have two names — a first name and a middle name — in addition to their last name. However, they are usually only known by their first name. My first name is Jonathan. Others... Continue Reading »

Legalizing Sports Gambling and Casinos Will Harm South Carolinians

After a failed attempt to legalize sports gambling in 2025, some members of the South Carolina legislature are trying again this year. If approved, HB 3625 or SB 444 would allow the legislature to create the South Carolina Sports... Continue Reading »

How Not to Respond When People Are Hurting

Pastors must be prepared to respond to tragedy. It is inevitable in our world. The experience may be a situation like: A family of four dies unexpectedly on the highway. A routine visit to the doctor’s office reveals a... Continue Reading »