Leadership

Best of 2019: Most read articles on the Mathena Center blog in 2019

Best of 2019: Most read articles on the Mathena Center blog in 2019

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.

Knowing Your Church Identity

Knowing Your Church Identity

Who do we think that we are? Who does the community think we are? Who are we really? These questions must be answered in the work of Church Revitalization. Before a church understands the need for Church Revitalization they need to know who they are. Here William D. Henard shares practical tips to find your church’s identity.

The 3 Virtues of a Faithful Pastor

The 3 Virtues of a Faithful Pastor

The words peace, grace, faith, and love permeate this book and are all purposely planted in the Ephesian benediction to remind his readers of the beauty and power of the gospel. In this, Paul keeps the proclamation of the gospel primary. Faithful pastors must do the same in every facet of their ministries, whether preaching and teaching, casting vision, or providing pastoral care and counsel, the gospel must be the primary language the pastor speaks to those whom he shepherds.

When Should a Pastor Say 'No' to a Wedding?

When Should a Pastor Say 'No' to a Wedding?

Should a pastor conduct the wedding of two non-Christians? What about a Christian marrying a non-Christian? Are there any circumstances in which a pastor should not marry two Christians?

These are questions I hear all the time from other pastors. What makes it permissible to conduct a wedding in this or that situation, and when should a pastor say no

Revitalization or Replanting?

Revitalization or Replanting?

“Aren’t Church revitalization and replanting really the same thing?”  To answer simply, no they are not the same. While both may be options for a struggling church, they are fundamentally different-even though they both seek to bring a struggling or dying church back to life.

When anxious churches create anxious leaders

When anxious churches create anxious leaders

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.