Matthew | November 30, 2012
Recently, one of the members of the Castle Rock congregation approached me about a new ministry. He wanted to produce something to help get the message of the gospel out into the world in a sound bit culture. On the internet people will not listen to a 30 minute sermon, but will look for quick [...]
Matthew | November 28, 2012
Rarely does a young man start preaching in a large church. Often the young man will begin preaching in a congregation that averages 90 members. The problem is that the models that have been held up in the church to be successful come from congregations over 500 members. The reality, these models do not work [...]
Matthew | November 16, 2012
The hidden culture in most congregations is the most powerful force for growth or decline. Often leaders in the church will seek to turn a congregation around. A church might be declining in attendance for over five years, and often the blame is placed on an elder, preacher, or “those people.” Rarely is the estimation [...]
Matthew | November 14, 2012
We are having another wonderful weekend of focusing on missional areas in the congregation. We appreciate everyone coming because of us being down at the Starlighting on Saturday. We are always excited to participate in this wonderful community. Castle Rock is truly a great town to raise a family. In fact, it is always ranked [...]
Matthew | November 13, 2012
Probably the biggest issue that the team saw in moving forward was dealing with consumer attitudes by those looking for a church home. People are typically looking for what the church can do for them, instead of what they can do for the church. The problem is the missional call is one to service. So [...]
Matthew | November 8, 2012
A friend of mine, Tim Spivey, on Fridays always as some quick thoughts on church, life, or whatever. I always enjoy this post, though his other posts are excellent, especially his leadership thoughts. But on Friday, I always like seeing what he is thinking. So in the same vein, here we go. 1. I love [...]
Matthew | November 6, 2012
Religion and politics can cause extreme outbursts of emotion. Mixing the church and the state in conversation increases this emotional pitch. The question concerning the proper interaction between the church and the state is ferociously argued in modern society. The discussion is complex because of the many facets of the conversation. The debate concerns more [...]
Matthew | November 5, 2012
It has been a while since I have read a highly readable book. One of those books that makes you turn the pages, instead of having to turn the pages. A book like this is rare. It has to be on a topic of value, and it has to be insightful, and highly readable, which [...]
