This sponsored post was prepared by Dr. George Scipione, Director of the Biblical Counseling Institute at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Pastoral work is a lot like combat. You are never truly prepared for battle just by theory or classroom instruction. In combat, physical and spiritual, you need hands-on training in the field. Training for pastoral work must include hands-on training in the art of discipleship. Jesus gave His church the job of making disciples of the nations (Matt 28:10-18). …

Dear Church Leader,  YOUR CHURCH NEEDS A GREAT WEBSITE Your site is your new front door and church lobby. Newcomers will visit website before showing up in person in order to help them feel oriented to your congregation. They will form a first impression that will cause them to visit, or to move on.  What impression are you sending about your church community through your current site?  Your church has a great opportunity to send a clear message and accurate …

This sponsored post was prepared by Dustin Willis A solitary faith is not a Christian faith.  Lose the Lone-Ranger Mentality While our culture may place high value on independence and individualism, the truth of the matter is that we need one another to carry out the mission of God. A foundational truth for everyday missionaries is understanding their biblical calling to be anchored to group of believers to whom they confess, with whom they repent, celebrate, live in faith, and …

This sponsored post was prepared by C.J. Williams of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. When Adam found that among the creatures there was not one suitable for him as a partner (Gen 2:20), it is not as though he (or God) first thought that there might indeed be an animal that would match him as a companion. The creation of Eve was not a “plan B” or a second attempt at finding partnership.  The point of this failed search for a …

by E. Ray Clendenen In the 1970s many feminists saw androcentric language—the abundant use of man, he, him, and his for groups or individuals of both genders—as one of the influences keeping alive the subordination and even demeaning of women in society. Consequently, many organizations, including publishers and teacher associations, were quick to publicize their concerns in raising consciousness about this issue. The American Bible Society produced the first “inclusive language” Bible in 1976 with the Good News Bible (Today’s …

by William P. Farley If someone polled your church with the question, “Which preacher do you listen to most frequently?” how would you respond? Some would point to the pastor. Others might suggest a minister they hear on the radio or by podcast. But if we are honest, none of these wins the contest. Believe it or not, the individual who has the greatest access to our hearts, the one who preaches to us most frequently, is not who we …

By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert The below article is adapted from Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (Moody Publishers.) The world has shrunk remarkably in the space of a few decades, creating new possibilities and questions for the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul spent his life sailing around the Mediterranean world visiting churches, sometimes arriving waterlogged or snake-bitten. Now we can fly halfway across the world in ten hours, rarely experiencing anything …

This sponsored post was prepared by Dr. C.J. Williams, Professor, Old Testament Studies, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary To open the Bible is to step into a world in which shepherding, farming, swords, and plowshares were the stuff of everyday life.  The Gospel message is affixed to such images by way of parable and metaphor, but it is not fossilized in ancient culture.  If anything, the ancient imagery of the Bible serves as a reminder of how enduring God’s Word is.  …

Hi, my name is Matt. I’m a pastor, and I also run a small business called Mere Agency. You may have heard of MereChurch. I know many other bi-vocational ministers, those who aren’t able to be paid enough by their congregation to meet the needs of their family, and so need to take a second job to make ends meet. Many of them wish things were otherwise. I’d like to offer three avenues to joy in bi-vocational ministry. 1. Embrace …