Monday Morning Review

Each Monday I will synthesize RSS feeds from the previous week into the four categories that Mission Mid-Atlantic has targeted for our churches. Here are my suggestions for your edification and reading pleasure for this week.

Developing New Churches

Last Monday Bill Easum posted a note on his blog on why new church plants start declining early. He suggests that this happens because early on the focus of a new church plant is reaching more people and increasing attendance. Then, the longer the church exists the focus shifts from reaching more people to taking care of those we have. His observations are very helpful for new church planters as well as potential church planters.

You can read his article here: http://www.billeasum.com/?p=81

Cultivating Church Leaders

John Maxwell added an audio post to his blog last week titled "How Successful People Think." His post deals primarily with developing thoughts for new books, but I believe his suggestions also work well with developing sermons and new sermon series.

You can listen to John's audio here: http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2009/08/07/how-successful-people-think-2/

Building Healthy Churches

CBAmerica hired Bill Hoyt to provide training in assessment, ministry mapping and coaching, and we in the Mid-Atlantic region have found Bill's insights helpful as we look for new ways to resource and help our churches. Bill posted an article in 2007 on Servant Leadership and I think his principles are great reminders about what leadership is all about.

Read Bill's article here: http://www.nexstepcoaching.org/ArticlesDetail.asp?id=129

Assisting Pastors and Churches in Crisis

I am currently enrolled in the Certified Christian Conciliator Program with Peacemaker Ministries and I always find good stuff posted on Route 5:8, their blog. Molly Friesen's post last week is a great example of what I am talking about.

Read the post from Route 5:9 here: http://bookstore.peacemaker.net/blog/?p=315

This is a summary of some recent blog posts and I look forward to what I will learn this week. Let me know what you think. Send me what you are learning in these four key areas of ministry and I will pass it along in the coming weeks.

~ Jim