Interviews

Gene Appel: Do Less Ministry; Reach More People

None of the programs at our church were bad in and of themselves. The volume of it just prevented us from being focused on building relationships with those who are far from God. So, we had to do less ministry to reach more people. It sounds funny, but people had to be trained in how to do life with nonbelievers or people spiritually disinterested.

Mark Sayers: The False Promise of Platforms

A platform society equates visibility with influence. But it doesn’t really align with the kingdom of God mentality.

David Kinnaman: And Now for Some Good News

The inevitability, the inexorable decline of Christianity, is not a done deal. It’s not as though there’s been a complete turnaround and everyone’s a Christian, but there’s a real moment of spiritual openness that is translating now into this resurgence of interest in Jesus. It’s a big deal.

Scott Nickell: ‘Teaching Real Truth to Real People’

“Healing only happens when you are willing to address a wound; pretending it’s not there makes it worse.”

Chris Stephens: ‘The Church Needs to Be the Grace Place’

“Developing leaders takes some serious effort and time. You can’t ‘nuke’ leaders; they must be ‘Crock-Potted!’”

Ron Vietti: ‘Let People Take Precedence Over the Machine’

“True, sincere love for others can break down any walls. You don’t have to agree with the way people live to love them.”

Tim Harlow: ‘Humble Yourself Right Away’

“I’m realizing that the harder I push and the more I lead, the more their lives are changed. If I wimp out, they will, too.”

Steve Poe: ‘Trust God and Take Risks’

"Once we have prayed and know the mind of Christ, we need to stop talking about what we want to do and just go do it.”

Dan Betzer: ‘It Is Essential That People Know the Scriptures’

“I let the congregation know constantly that they are loved. They get ‘beaten up’ in the world; they don’t need it from the pulpit.”

Alan Fadling: Becoming an Unhurried Leader

“I wouldn’t say an unhurried leader gets more stuff done, just better stuff done.”

Claude Alexander: One-Degree Shifts

“My sabbatical allowed me to see that the church belongs to God, not me.”