The preparation was unusually thorough. Owen Brown had recently been appointed leader of the Welsh UCCF staff workers. He was ably assisted by key Staff Worker in Cardiff, Sarah Hewerdine, who was the fulcrum the whole undertaking. Part of the preparatory planning was a visit by Becky Pippert, an experienced US evangelist with remarkable gifts in training and motivating people for outreach. She had recently written a 4 week course. 'Uncover', based on St.
Read moreIt was great to show the Archbishop of Canterbury what we were doing when he came to see us as part of his trip to the Derby Diocese. I know he was glad to hear that, as a mobile church, we have seen God move dramatically in people's lives. Some people come to us specifically for prayer but we are there to minister to others no matter what and that means sometimes you can come away happy and sometimes you can come away sad. Every day is different; you never know who you are going to meet.
Read moreApproximate number of U.S. congregations with 2,000+ in weekly attendance:
1970: 10
1980: 50
1990: 500
2005: 1500
Good works are important, Mohler said in the Oct. 27 debate, but they are not the church's mission.
"Everything the church does is not its mission," Mohler said. "There are many things that the church is involved with that are not essentially its mission but are nonetheless what Christ's people do precisely because they belong to Christ."
Read moreBegun in January of 2011, Sure Foundation is a training and equipping program that enables congregations to grow numerically and spiritually. Designed for parish leadership (clergy and lay) by the American Anglican Council, it addresses issues of vision, evangelism, discipleship, every member ministry and much more. Sure Foundation also helps parish leadership teams develop a strategic growth plan for their congregation.
Read moreThe report was not good. Nellie Jo had cancer. The next two years would prove to be some of the most challenging years of our lives and marriage.
When an Unhealthy Body Looks Healthy
Looking back, it is amazing to recall how healthy Nellie Jo looked. She showed no signs of fatigue or sickness. Had she not seen a couple of warning signs, she might have found out too late about her cancer. She might not be alive today.
Read morePuzzling, and damaging to the health of many of the nation's churches, especially those most in need of revival.
Even though research shows spiritually alive churches are the most likely to grow, the percentage of U.S. congregations reporting high spiritual vitality declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 28 percent in 2010, according to the latest Faith Communities Today survey.
Read moreToday's news video
In 12 years, the music has never stopped at the International House of Prayer - a leader in a small but growing movement dedicated to perpetual prayer.
Young people have flocked here from as far away as Britain and South Korea, convinced that their prayers, joined in a never-ceasing stream, can push back evil forces that threaten to overwhelm society.
Read moreRev. Keller was a keynote speaker at previous Anglican1000 church planting conferences and is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
Read moreWe went to the same gas station every week practicing strategic consumerism. I learned this from Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleburg in Becoming a Contagious Christian. The big idea is to shop at the same stores so that you can get to know the people who work there and build relationships for sharing the gospel.
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