In Canada, the largest demographic population is Millennials (ages 25-35) with young children. This is an incredible opportunity for the church to reach out to families with children. Whether you’re a large or small church, you can make connections and build bridges to families with children.

When do elected officials and leaders help a church reach out to its community? When you invite them to be front and centre for your initiative to spread kindness in your community. That becomes a win-win-win.

Am I getting away from the noise of life to hear from God? Jesus frequently withdrew to lonely places. So ought we.

Big things can happen in a small town when church leaders trust God, focus on the mission and mobilize their congregation to reach out and share the love of Jesus with their community. Watch James Tripps's story.

2021 has been an exhausting season for many. I don’t know about you but I don’t feel like I have too much gas left in the tank for 2022. It’s tough to prepare mentally for a new season when you feel the light at the end of the tunnel is growing dim.

For a church to grow by reaching lost people, the congregation needs to have a passion for souls to be saved. This seems obvious, but my experiences have shown me that many Christians aren’t too concerned about the eternal destiny of anyone other than themselves and their family.

When we think of church outreach, we tend to think of carnivals or block parties or musicals; events that involve lots of people, lots of planning, and lots of dollars. Although there is a place for such things in a church outreach strategy, I find there is a much higher return when churches are consistently outward bound even on a smaller scale. To do this, you have to be able to organize small teams of people quickly and spend less money for a single outreach.

We're less than 60 days from Christmas. Let that one sink in. As we're heading into the holidays, here are three stories and seven ideas to inspire and help you as you're planning and preparing your Christmas outreach.

This years’ Ministers Gathering is designed to be a refreshing and refuelling retreat for pastors and ministry leaders who are in need of a fresh word of encouragement. From the speakers to the themes to the schedules, this year will be focused on pouring into you and your family and caring for our souls. Our goal is for our pastors and ministry leaders to feel like they’ve had a 1-week vacation after they’ve been to Ministers Gathering.

How do I handle the intensity of my grief? Al Downey, our Pastoral Care Coordinator, shares 10 points to healthy processing of grief.

No matter where you’re reading this from, this past year has been unlike any other. The world has changed and perspectives have shifted. Norms, standards, and daily rituals, like getting up and driving to work, are no longer common practices. The upcoming generation is facing new challenges and circumstances that even 10 years ago we wouldn’t have given a second thought.

Priority needs to be given to developing young leaders and placing them in roles and positions where they are point leaders and time given to debrief and provide guidance and support. If a leader doesn’t get experience in leading, they will not fully develop their confidence as leaders. The only way to develop confidence is to do it. This is why senior leaders must place leadership development as a priority.

“You’re the boss now!” These were some of the most exciting yet terrifying words I had ever heard. Quite honestly, I never imagined myself as a lead pastor. I spent six and a half years serving as a youth and associate pastor in two different churches, and while I felt that God was going to refocus my ministry, I never imagined that He would point me towards a lead pastor role.

Burning the ships is not the only path to a relentless mission. Clarity, focus, and adaptation help navigate the unchartered.

Anger-fueled opinions within the rank and file of church attendees are demanding that leaders unequivocally declare a position on the COVID protocol issue, the vaccination war, and most recently the obligation to carry vaccination passports. The intensity of the rhetoric on both sides of the issue borders on hostility, and leaders feel trapped on the plank.

The month of October in North America is set aside as Pastor Appreciation Month. While most people appreciate their pastor(s) throughout the year, October, the month of thanks, is a designated time that you can be intentional in how you appreciate and honour your pastor, pastoral team, and their families.

Momentum is hard to generate without a pandemic, let alone with all of this chaos and craziness going on. But this isn’t time to stay down. We need to get back up and keep moving. There may be some mechanisms that we’ll need to cope with in Covid during this fourth wave.

While you may once again be bemoaning the interruption of your church planning calendar, this is the season for forging great church partnerships to reach lost people and serve your community. Here are some ideas to inspire you for the season ahead.