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Off the Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders

Entries from Off the Agenda tagged with: evangelism

September 2, 2009

5 Common Cultural Differences

Things to remember when reaching out across cultural lines.

Our newest download is designed to help you equip yourself and others in your church for outreach to other faiths. Often the barriers we face in doing this aren't just religious—they're cultural. Below are five cultural barriers a Westerner...

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Posted by tavery at 11:44 AM on September 2, 2009 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
July 17, 2009

Book Corner: Sharing the Good News Naturally

Looking for evangelism zeal, not tricks.

Most evangelism books are riddled with gimmicks. Ask this question. Say this prayer. Give this speech. Maybe that's why Organic Outreach for Ordinary People: Sharing the Good News Naturally (Zondervan) by Kevin G. Harney is so refreshing. Harney urges...

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Posted by tavery at 10:56 AM on July 17, 2009 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
April 27, 2009

BlogSpotting: Ed Stetzer Calls for Great Commission Resurgence

A response to a disappointing year for the SBC.

Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research and friend of BCL, wrote a response last week to the 2008 statistics for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Membership in the denomination dropped 0.2 percent from 2007, and baptisms were down 1.1...

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Posted by tavery at 11:10 AM on April 27, 2009 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
April 1, 2009

Introducing the Podule

Check out our newest kind of training tool.

This week, we're debuting a new kind of resource for BCL: the "podule." As you can tell from the screenshot above, it's a little different from our regular training tools (go here and click on "Demo" to get a...

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Posted by tavery at 8:54 AM on April 1, 2009 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)
March 30, 2009

Our Outreach Story Contest Winners

Be encouraged by these amusing and/or humbling moments.

A few weeks back, we asked for your humbling/embarrassing outreach stories. Well, the five winning entries have been chosen! Check them out below and see if you can relate. When I was a junior in college, working on my...

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Posted by tavery at 4:14 PM on March 30, 2009 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
February 25, 2009

Fess Up to Messing Up and Win a Free Book!

Send us your most humbling, and amusing, outreach stories.

Outreach is a vulnerable thing, which is why most of us don't do it as much as we should. Sometimes we even make fools of ourselves. In light of this week's featured resource, Evangelistic and Newcomer Ministry, we're holding...

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Posted by tavery at 8:53 AM on February 25, 2009 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
June 25, 2008

The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel—Part 2

Reviving forgotten chapters in the story of redemption.

In our last post, Scot McKnight shared his first four marks of a robust gospel. To read those, click here. To continue on with his thinking, refresh yourself with this summary before you dive into points five through eight. I...

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Posted by rwilloughby at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2008 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
June 22, 2008

The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel—Part 1

Reviving forgotten chapters in the story of redemption.

I sometimes worry we have settled for a little gospel, a miniaturized version that cannot address the robust problems of our world. But as close to us as the pages of a nearby Bible, we can find the Bible's robust...

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Posted by rwilloughby at 7:00 AM on June 22, 2008 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
March 20, 2008

Outreach After Programs

How do we reach out when programs fail?

About this time last year, our outreach committee (of which I am a member) began planning our church's participation in the community's Fourth of July parade. It's a big deal. Literally everyone in town shows up. Consequently, it has been...

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Posted by rwilloughby at 7:00 AM on March 20, 2008 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
February 14, 2008

To Those Who Lead the Rural Church

An open letter to an increasingly marginalized—and marginalizing—church

Each week this month, BuildingChurchLeaders.com is considering how different expressions of Christianity can more faithfully embody the calling God has placed on them. These letters are patterned off the words of Jesus in Revelation 2?3. While they lack the authority...

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Posted by mbranaugh at 7:00 AM on February 14, 2008 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
January 30, 2008

How Websites Communicate Congregational Values

Websites “speak” beyond the words they use

I spent the better part of two years looking at congregational websites as I wrote my doctoral dissertation in the field of communication studies. One of the things I noticed was the strategic use of links by congregations to communicate...

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Posted by mbranaugh at 7:00 AM on January 30, 2008 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
December 6, 2007

Wisely Managing Use of the Building

Five reasons churches need up-to-date policies and practices on facility use

Many communities struggle with a shortage of public space in which to hold meetings, events, and offer education. These communities often view local churches and their facilities as accessible and welcoming places that meet their needs. When it comes to...
Posted by mbranaugh at 7:00 AM on December 6, 2007 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
October 22, 2007

What Makes a Small Group?

Some clearly define "small groups," and some don't--here's why it's important we do.

Several months ago I had the privilege of attending the Purpose-Driven Small Groups conference at Saddleback Church. Randy Frazee was the opening plenary speaker, and he started off with a quote from Lyle Schaller that still has my attention today:...

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Posted by mbranaugh at 8:00 AM on October 22, 2007 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)
October 15, 2007

About Off the Agenda

Conversations for Building Church Leaders
Off The Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders is a blog where people in church leadership positions — pastors, staff members, and volunteers, among others — gather for discussion, where they encourage, equip, and prepare each other for the joys and challenges...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)
"Every church wants to grow, right? Not necessarily. Some leaders and members subconsciously may see growth as threatening and prefer to keep things ?the way they used to be.' This secret resistance among key people will surely inhibit growth." -...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)
October 15, 2007

Breaking Your Church's Code

What is code? It's a difficult question. We can talk about code as the essence or soul of a church. We can talk about what code does, which is to shape the face of how the church displays itself to...

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Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)
October 15, 2007

Evangelical Drop-Outs

Our friends at Out of Ur recently wrote a post regarding a new survey that finds 70 percent of young adults stop attending church by age 23. The research was conducted by LifeWay Research and directed by Ed Stetzer,...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007 | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
October 15, 2007

Leith Anderson

Leith’s many interests involve him in pastoring, teaching, writing, speaking, and leadership. Leith earned a master of divinity from Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, a doctor of ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a doctor of divinity...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Charles Arn

Charles Arn completed his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California, majoring in Instructional Design and Technology. He became actively involved in the church growth movement as his father, Dr. Win Arn, began to pioneer the study...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Ruth Haley Barton

Ruth Haley Barton is co-founder and president of The Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to caring for the souls of pastors and the congregations they serve. She is a teacher, spiritual director, and retreat leader trained through the Shalem Institute...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Chris Blumhofer

Chris Blumhofer is assistant editor for BuildingChurchLeaders.com, where he began working in February 2006. In his role, Chris coordinates and edits many of the articles and training downloads that reach Building Church Leaders' customers. Chris attends College Church in Wheaton,...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Matt Branaugh

Matt Branaugh is director of editorial and special projects for Christianity Today International's Your Church Media Group. Prior to this role, he led Christianity Today's Ministry Team, which includes BuildingChurchLeaders.com and FaithVisuals.com. He is passionate about equipping and energizing church...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Mark Buchanan

Mark Buchanan is an author and pastor living on Vancouver Island with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children, Adam, Sarah, and Nicola. Mark graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Department, and he holds a master’s degree...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson is the lead pastor of Community Christian Church, a multi-site, missional community in Chicagoland that draws more than 5,000 people every weekend at eight locations. The church recently was recognized as one of the most influential churches in...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Gordon MacDonald

Gordon MacDonald is an author, speaker, and teacher. He was a pastor for more than 40 years, most recently the senior minister at Grace Chapel, Lexington, Massachusetts. When he stepped down from that position, the Grace Chapel congregation honored him...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Reggie McNeal

Reggie enjoys helping people, leaders, and Christian organizations pursue more intentional lives. He currently serves as the Missional Leadership Specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, Texas. Reggie’s past experience involves more than a decade as a denominational executive and leadership...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Sue Mallory

Sue Mallory, the author of The Equipping Church and co-author of The Equipping Church Guidebook, has spent more than 20 years in full-time ministry. Sue served as the founding executive director of Leadership Training Network (LTN) for eight years and...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Kevin Miller

Kevin A. Miller is editor-at-large of Leadership journal and executive vice president at Christianity Today International. Kevin writes for Leadership journal and PreachingToday.com, and he is a featured speaker for Preaching Today Audio. Kevin is also the author of several...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007

Marshall Shelley

Marshall Shelley is editorial vice-president of Christianity Today International, and editor in chief of the Leadership Media Group, which includes Leadership journal, PreachingToday.com, BuildingChurchLeaders.com, FaithVisuals.com, SmallGroups.com, and ChristianBibleStudies.com. He served as general editor of The Quest Study Bible, a best-selling...
Posted by mbranaugh at 8:01 AM on October 15, 2007

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