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Book Review – Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential, by Collin Hansen & Jonathan Leeman

8/2/2022

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Rediscover Church is a refreshing reminder of the importance of Christians joining and being active members in a local body of believers – for their sake, for the sake of that body of believers, and for the Lord’s glory. Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss why church is essential for believers and God’s mission. Through biblical references and personal stories, they show readers God’s true intention for corporate gathering: to spiritually strengthen members as individuals and the body of Christ. They even go so far as to say that “your church and ours is where heaven touches down on earth – where our prayers begin to be answered: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”


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Evaluating Church Worship Services

10/20/2015

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​As a DOM, I worship in a different church most every Sunday.  I pray for specific pastors and churches each day, and for those I worship with on a given Sunday.  I served as a pastor for several years, so I can relate to how difficult it can be to evaluate and improve on various aspects of the worship service.  (See some of my other blogs for helps with preaching.) 


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Revitalizing Churches and Their Cultures

6/8/2015

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The topic of Church Revitalization is a needed and ongoing subject.  In this issue of my blog, I want us to look at it from some different angles…


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Men’s Ministry/Discipleship

8/20/2014

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If we as pastors, ministers, and church leaders are going to see significant spiritual renewal and impact for the glory of God, we must be investing in the men in our churches.  It seems like that is a lost art.  


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Church Websites Are Needed… and Need Improving. Does Yours?

7/2/2014

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I believe the true front door of the church is now a church’s website.  Most people – and especially adults under 50 – will not visit a church until they first check it out on the web.  People do not check out the Yellow Pages anymore.  They Google.


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Church Health and Growth

6/4/2014

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Church health and growth
Statistics show that 80-90% of evangelical churches in North America are plateaued or declining.  A similar number of Southern Baptist churches are, too.  This is staggering.

We need to humble ourselves, confess known sin, and study God’s Word and God’s world (like the Bereans and the men of Issachar).  In addition, we should pray and ask the Lord to make our churches healthier and more effective doing God’s work.

Your brother in Christ,
Ray
Pr. 3:5-6


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Church Revitalization

3/13/2014

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Church Revitalization is a topic that is vital to all of us.  Researchers say over 82% of American churches are in decline or on a plateau.  Approximately 900 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches close their doors each year.  Tom Cheyney, DOM of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association, and host of the revitalization ministry, Renovate, 
reports that only 6.8% of SBC churches are healthy and growing.  That is only 3,087 churches out of over 45,000!

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    I’m Ray Gentry, the President/CEO of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL). I’ve served Southern Baptist churches & associations in various roles for over 35 years. I have served as an associational leader for five associations, starting in 1993. The most recent one being the Southside Baptist Network, McDonough, GA.

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© Ray Gentry
 
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