Church planting and church replanting are not competing works. We need both. We need healthy new churches planted in growing communities and unreached places. But we also need struggling churches renewed and replanted with fresh gospel hope. Across our nation, there are churches with faithful histories, strategic locations, and untapped potential that are not dead yet. By God’s grace, their story may still be unfolding. The work is different. Church planting often begins with momentum and building something new. Replanting usually begins with lots of tactical patience, wisdom, courage, and earning trust. One launches from the ground up….the other restores what is broken and helps bring renewal where discouragement has settled in. Both are hard. Both require faith. Both matter deeply to the mission of Jesus. This is not an “either/or” conversation. The Kingdom needs church planters and church replanters. Same mission. Same gospel. Same King. @sendnetwork @NAMB_SBC

Ambition is a good thing. The Lord made us to be ambitious! But if you’re like me, maybe you’ve wrestled with how to balance ambition for God’s glory and His purposes with your own motives and desires. I want to make sure my ambition flows from the right kind of heart and mind, rooted in God’s Word and guided by His Spirit. Do you ever wrestle with that? So the question I ask is how can I/we pursue godly ambition in every area of our lives, making sure it’s ultimately about His glory and not our own? This book was really helpful for me in thinking through these questions. Highly recommend it! a.co/d/03Ne7QfS

Hey pastors, a little encouragement for you this Sunday… Ministry is hard. At any given time, chances are there are a few people in your church who are frustrated with you about something. And usually for completely different reasons! That can be discouraging, especially when you’re doing your best to love and lead people well. But remember, this is normal. You can’t please everyone, and the good news is, God hasn’t called you to. He’s called you to be faithful to Him. So keep loving people. Keep showing grace. Keep forgiving, even when it’s hard, so bitterness doesn’t take root. Keep preaching the gospel and clinging to Jesus. And one more thing…you probably don’t hear this enough, but you are a gift to SO many people. More than you know. God is using your faithfulness in ways you may never fully see. I’m so thankful for you, pastor. Keep going. The Lord is with you!

Wise words a godly mentor shared with me years ago... In life and ministry: 1. Not every comment needs a response. 2. Not every criticism requires a defense. 3. Not every controversy deserves your attention. This is so true...I have to remind myself of these 3 things regularly. Sometimes the wisest, most Christlike and fruitful response is to remain silent and move on. There is great wisdom in knowing when to speak, when to listen, and when to lovingly walk away. Paul said it best... “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.” — 2 Timothy 2:23

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3

Why does church revitalization and renewal matter? Because the gospel that saved us must not stop with us. Think about it… Twenty, thirty, fifty years from now, there will be children growing up in broken homes, young adults searching for purpose, and families desperate for the hope of Christ. Will there be a faithful, gospel-preaching church nearby to reach them? Future generations need churches that: 
- Faithfully proclaim the gospel
- Help children and young people flourish
- Pass down biblical truth
- Raise up future leaders
- Model sacrificial love and courageous faith
- Send and multiply among the nations
- Steward well what we’ve been given Years ago, when our church faced the real possibility of closing, my small children were watching. They saw faithful saints like the Elliots, the Bridges, and sweet Suzy Harpster refuse to let fear have the final word. My kids are in their 20’s now, and they still carry that example with them. Your church may be small. Your people may be tired. But the Lord is not limited by any of that. “One generation shall commend your works to another.” (Psalm 145:4) So here’s the question: What are we willing to do today so that future generations will have a faithful gospel witness tomorrow?

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. - Soren Kierkegaard

Really excited about this new book that will be coming out soon. It is based on years of work we have done with the NAMB Replant and Renewal team to identify the key marks of churches that are truly ready to pursue revitalization and renewal. Here are the 6 biggies: Mark #1: Reality - Is the Congregation Ready and Willing to Name Reality? Mark #2: Humility - Is the Congregation Made Up of Hearts That Are Humble? Mark #3: Authority - Does the Congregation Have a Deep Commitment to the Authority of God’s Word? Mark #4: Mission - Does the Congregation Have a Genuine Desire to Reach the Community with the Gospel? Mark #5: Flexibility - Is the Congregation Willing to Lay Aside Non-Essential Preferences? Mark 6: Faith - Does the Congregation Believe That God Isn’t Finished with Them and Can Turn This Church Around?

Churches can accomplish far more for the Kingdom of God together than they ever could alone. This means we need pastors and church leaders who are willing and eager to share their resources, give away their best leaders, celebrate other churches’ successes, and sacrifice for the advance of the gospel. We need churches that think beyond their own attendance, budgets, buildings, and programs. We need churches that understand Kingdom advancement is more important than individual church advancement. This is why micro-networks and families of churches matter. Because the mission is too important, the needs are too great, and the opportunities are too significant for churches to keep trying to do it all alone. If you want to learn more about how churches can radically collaborate together, this book will help: a.co/d/04AfUHcO

While it is true that not every dying church is willing and eager to do what it takes to pursue genuine revitalization and renewal, many are. Here are 7 reasons why we need young pastors running toward these churches rather than away from them: #1. These dying churches still belong to Jesus. They may be struggling, discouraged, and declining, but Christ has not stopped loving His church. #2. These dying churches are sitting in mission fields. Many are surrounded by neighborhoods that desperately need the gospel. The opportunity is often greater than we realize. #3. These dying churches have Kingdom resources that can be redeemed. Buildings. Land. History. Relationships. Generational influence. These can become tools for mission again. #4. These dying churches need shepherds, not just strategies. Renewal usually begins with a pastor willing to love people patiently, preach the Word faithfully, pray desperately, and stay for the long haul. #5. These dying churches can forge healthy pastors. Church revitalization exposes pride, deepens prayer, and teaches a pastor to depend on the Holy Spirit. #6. These dying churches, once renewed, can become multiplying churches. The goal of church revitalization isn’t merely survival, it’s multiplication. Imagine a dying church becoming a sending church…planting, replanting, and raising up leaders. It is happening…we need to see more of it. #7. The Biggie: Jesus specializes in resurrection. We believe a gospel centered on a crucified and risen Savior. No church is beyond the power of God to breathe new life into it. Young pastors, don’t assume the most exciting ministry opportunity is the newest church with the biggest platform. Sometimes the greatest Kingdom opportunity is found in an old church everyone else has given up on. Consider running toward it! Love those people. Preach the gospel. Pray like crazy. Stay faithful. And see what God might do.

5 essentials to becoming a Sending Church: 1. Humility - It’s about God’s Kingdom, not building “our church.” 2. Zeal - Doing whatever it takes to reach the lost. 3. Faith - Trusting God enough to send people and resources. 4. Obedience - Doing what Jesus says without hesitation. 5. Joy - Celebrating the privilege of joining God in His mission. Healthy churches don’t just ask, “How many can we gather?” They ask, “How many can we send?” Kingdom over castle. #plantandreplantchurches

Amen!

Life flies by. I came across this picture from the day I left my first youth pastor gig in 1997. I had no clue what I was doing, but I loved Jesus and loved those kids! The Lord was so kind. May our churches always be committed to make the evangelism and discipleship of teenagers, both in our homes and in our communities, a top priority. “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” - Psalm 71:18

“The godlier a man is, the more merciful he is.” - Thomas Watson (1620-1686) “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” - Jesus in Luke 6:36