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.
As a bi-vocational pastor you feel the reality of your unique burdens and embrace the opportunities of your unique position. In this helpful article Spencer Harmon shares four basic, and obvious rhythms you can , and should implement as a bi-vocational pastor.
In part two of this series “When is a Church Revitalized” Pastor-Theologian P.J. Tibayan answer two pivotal questions. First, what is Church Revitalization? and secondly, when is it complete? He then unpacks the truth that a Revitalized Church is a Christ-Shaped and Christ-Centered Church.
The work of church reform can look a little like a jungle when you’re in the thick of it. Where do I go from here? Where do I even start? What do you do first? What should you ignore? What’s the goal I should be working toward?
Humility, not humiliation, is essential. Growing downward was a practice in preaching the gospel to himself that many in ministry, especially those in a revitalization setting, should strive for. It was the seed that blossomed patience. But not merely patience in isolation, it also led to perseverance in his ministry, something all pastors, but especially those revitalization must possess.
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.
As a church leader, revitalizer, or church-planter the desire to be faithful at shepherding Christ’s flock must include that no group ever feels overlooked or rejected because they’re different. Unfortunately, too many pastors have not yet seen the need to be intentional at reaching out to the oft-slighted disabled people among them as part of their church growth strategy.
