Have you ever asked why aren't people coming back to your church? I know this seems a little opposite of how we typically view church; come here, and we’ll fill you up for the week. But, I would say we have an opportunity here to reframe what church looks like in this season and meet people where they’re at. The gospel never changes, but our methods can change constantly.

Is your church stuck? Do you find yourself in the tension of organizational structure and relational equity? Once you decide to focus on these seven things, you can begin to work and develop them as you go forward. The blend of organization and organism embedded in each of these areas will keep you growing in numbers while also growing in depth of relationship and commitment to Christ.

How well can you lead changes in your church or ministry? Organizational change is inevitable. Unfortunately, it’s not easy. The true test of any leader is their ability to lead change in an organization. Pastors must lead change. They must lead it well. Here are five things you can do to lead change well.

Now that we are gathering physically it doesn’t mean we’re off the hook digitally. There are still large segments of our congregation and community who can’t or won’t venture out into public gatherings. We can’t leave those people behind in our desire to get back to whatever we define as normal. Stories from churches about outbound online.

We know how difficult it can be to stay encouraged and find affordable resources when you are a small church. At the same time, we believe that small churches are essential to the mission God has for his Church in our local communities and around the world! We have listed and linked some resources that we have found useful, and we hope you will benefit from them too!

There’s no question: this COVID-19 pandemic has grabbed our attention. It just cannot be “the same old same old.” I’m not too old to learn; I want to learn. My prayer, as we face an uncertain future, is “Lord, teach us. Lord, use us.”

Raise your hand if you had church plans cancelled by new gathering restrictions just before Christmas 2020 or Mother’s Day 2021? Now that we all have our hands raised we can agree that we need to start planning differently moving forward. Agility is the key to anything we think through now. Rigid plans have a distinct possibility of failing more than ever. We have to be willing and able to change on the fly. Reaching souls and making disciples did not stop because of a global pandemic. We have to be even more creative and intentional about doing them whatever comes our way.

On May 3-4, over 300 ministers attended the very first, completely virtual, Ministers Gathering 2021. Although we usually meet in beautiful Banff, Alberta, this was one for the books, as many of our international ministers were able to be in attendance this year.

As you head into these final few weeks leading up to Easter just think of all the people who will be invited to your online and onsite experiences. Imagine all those people engaging and receiving personalized, follow-up messages from you. Are you ready?

In this blog you will find helpful ideas and resources for creating your Easter Experience whether you are in person or online, needing an online plug and play, or simply some Pinterest ideas to enrich what you are already planning.

God is doing miracles through online outreach. Here’s the reality: Church attendance is not decreasing; it’s decentralizing. Digital channels do not compete with physical attendance, they partner with it. A discipleship pathway will serve you in making digital disciples.

Easter spells hope. Clarity creates certainty. No one knows for sure what gathering restrictions will be like at Easter. AHS Step 3 may go into effect on March 22nd. What that means for gathering restrictions is unknown. Planning for an onsite AND an online service this Easter weekend creates certainty for your team and congregation and hope for seekers in your community.

What will the local church look like in the future? That was the subject of discussion I was invited into recently. And the number of answers was greater than the number of participants. There was a lack of certainty but a multitude of possibilities.

Here is how you can build a community profile to really understand who your neighbour is and how you can reach them.

It’s a term that has been used to describe the “new normal” for almost every facet of society moving out of the pandemic of 2020.

In 2004, Nancy Beach wrote a bestseller entitled, An Hour On Sunday. Her goal was to help church leaders reach their redemptive potential. The goal hasn't changed - the online time frame has.

The Alberta government has allowed churches to gather in groups of less than 50 or 1/3 your auditorium size. Many churches have opted to stay online for their Sunday gathering but what other ways can they gather outside of a Sunday morning service?

What if every Pastor and Board seizes the moment and leads the way in celebrating the Church as who we are, not where we gather. Return stronger by celebrating God’s Church on Pentecost Sunday at home.