Strengthening Ministry Through Evaluation
Licenses and credentials are nothing new to us. If you drive a car, there is a process of written and practical evaluation to become a licensed driver, and systems of accountability for misusing the privilege of operating several tons of metal and plastic at high speed. Various professions require licensing,…
In and Out of Season
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season. – 2 Timothy 4:2 Never in my life has it felt more out of season than this year. A global pandemic that has altered every aspect of life, including church life, ever-deepening partisan divides that amount to fundamentalism on…
4 Benefits of Collaborative Sermon Prep
In most churches, the preaching pastor spends a significant amount of time studying alone and crafting the sermon each week in preparation for Sunday. It’s hard work and a great labor of love. At Redemption Hill Church we have taken a slightly different approach. We study together every week. Before…
Trump is officially POTUS. Now what?
Guest post by Bill Riedel, Lead Pastor at Redemption Hill Church. I pastor a church in the heart of Washington, DC. We meet in a historic building that is about four blocks from the US Capitol, in the neighborhood called Capitol Hill. A lot of attention is focused on our…
7 Things To Do Now That Your Church Is Online
Sometimes when I think about my church’s online presence, it stresses me out. I’m comfortable online. We have a strategy and a team. We have been using our approach effectively for a long time, and yet it still feels overwhelming to consider all the new trends, how to keep gathering…
When Perfect Isn’t An Option
The expectation that we are all highly functioning leaders, at all times, has to die. I certainly don’t want my volunteers trying to live up to that impossible expectation, so we tell our leaders and volunteers that our expectation for them is that they aren’t perfect, just growing. Yet, when…
Why I Jumped on TikTok and What I Learned About Being Relevant
I had been hearing the name mentioned for a while. TikTok. Kid’s would be recording themselves doing crazy “trending” dances for this relatively new video and music based app at almost every speaking engagement I had. It was clear the kids weren’t interested in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even Snapchat…
How To Grow Your Audience When No One Is Paying Attention
I don’t know how to say this… Most people don’t even know you exist. As a church, this presents a problem if you are actually trying to reach people in your community. The problem isn’t that you’re doing ministry wrong. It’s not because we live in a post-christian world. The…
4 Obsessions That Will Move Your Church Forward
Most leaders are readers and into leadership books. Full disclosure: I’m not a book guy, but I am obsessed with leading well and growing as a leader. Don’t get me wrong I love books. I just love multitasking more and have found it really hard to read a book while…
7 Ways To Change An Unchangeable Church
There are churches that feel unchangeable, but any church can experience change and become a healthy, growing, even multiplying church. Before we get into how to change an unchangeable church we need to admit something together: If churches don’t change, they die. This is a reality we may try to avoid or ignore but…
3 Things That Kill Vision In A Church
Has your church plateaued? A new person trickling in once in a while doesn’t count as growth. Has your church been in decline? Decline isn’t measured in seasonal or short term attendance drop off. Instead, decline means a sustained decrease in more than one area of your church. Are leaders leaving and…
Post It! The question I get asked the most about social media.
We leverage a simple social media strategy at Grace Free Church and it has led to exponential growth in our numbers. More importantly, it has expanded the reach and influence of the Gospel to the 118 thousand people in our county. While having a strategy and following through on that strategy…