By Mathena Center staff
This year, God has used the resources of contributing scholars of the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization to train and equip pastors– both current and future – for more faithful service to Christ’s bride. Here are a few of our most popular resources from the past year.
The 3 virtues of a Faithful Pastor by Dave Bearden
“I have often been asked how I define success in ministry, and my answer has usually been the same: to be faithful to the Lord, his church, and my family. As I think about the hard but joyful work of church revitalization, and my desire to be faithful in it, I am reminded of the concluding words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus.” Read more…
When is a Church Revitalized pt. 1 by P.J. Tibayan
“After almost 5 years at Bethany Baptist Church, I declared that our church revitalization was completed. How could I make such an audacious claim? Is there no more discipling work to do? While reflecting on and praying for revitalization I had a clear goal in mind that I trust faithfully expresses biblical teaching. To clarify when revitalization is completed we must answer these three questions: What is a church? What churches need revitalization? What is church revitalization?” Read more…
When Anxious Churches Create Anxious Leaders by Jeff Nine
“Why are we so anxious? Because we aren’t just thinking people. We are feeling people. We don’t simply navigate life with our intellect. We experience life with our hearts, which is why Jesus spoke so often about our hearts. We are not simply motivated by truths that we comprehend, but also by what we feel and experience… which means we are often driven by a wide variety of fears, pains, and feelings of shame. We are afraid we’ll never be who we have always hoped we could become. As we navigate our futures, we find the shadows of past wounds constantly in our peripheral vision. And too often we are dripping with shame over who we have become or what those around us will think if they see who we truly are on the inside.” Read more…