Many churches have mission statements that reflect the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. For example: Reach – Teach – Send Empowered by God to reach others for Christ. What we need is more clarity on the sending and reaching. Are we building the local church or God's kingdom? What does that look like, [...]
A good leader inspires people to do something bigger than themselves. In the case of churches and para-church groups, the Great commission along with the Great Commandment are the driving reasons for all we do. In order to make a difference, we need to work together to accomplish key objectives. I believe that we are truly better together [...]
By Bryan Stevenson Church planting is a labor of love. Being a part of a new or expanded expression of the Bride of Christ should only be entered into with that focus. Love of the Lord and His word, love for His people, love for the lost, and love for the geographical area that [...]
Matthew 28:19–20 “Go therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We know about the Great Commission. The "going" is pretty clear. The question is more about the "making" portion of this [...]
If you have been in ministry for more than a week, you can relate to this blog topic. All of us want to see people discipled and the gospel of Jesus spread to every part of the world. if we are honest, we have all been disappointed. Maybe things didn't play out the way we [...]
By Bryan Stevenson A Matter of the Heart In the middle of the twenty-ninth chapter of Isaiah just before the prophet speaks of the Messiah, the Lord pronounces a judgment (through Isaiah) on the people of Israel – one that Jesus recalls in Mark 7:7. Isaiah 29:13 And so the Lord says, “These people say [...]
In January 2020, I was teaching on the vision for the church as is my norm each year. January and February were great months, and then there was March 2020. It was different. Much different than anything I had experienced in my 20+ years of ministry. [...]
By Bryan Stevenson Over twenty years have passed since I was first involved in a church plant. There is much that has changed in the field of worship and technology, but as the saying goes – the more things change, the more they stay the same. No, I am no longer lugging a Fender Passport [...]
I remember one of Ron Myer's blog posts from 2019. It was titled "The God Factor." Here is a snippet from that post: "In life’s many challenges, sometimes we forget the God factor. I call it the God factor because it is God showing up in the middle of life’s situations and doing the [...]
Here is sneak peak early footage as we were learning to shoot a video cast. In this episode Larry Kreider & Merle Shenk talk about the value of Catalyst Relationships for church leaders, aspiring leaders and church planters. There is a synergy that happens with these types of relationships is a great thing to see [...]