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It’s a frustrating position to be in, thinking you’re the only one that wants to see positive change in your church. That might really be the case, or it may just be that nobody has yet dared broach the topic. It might as well be you! So how can you move from something you’re just thinking about to a movement toward change? We’ve mapped out the first four steps in this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/193

Why is it so difficult to disciple men effectively? Every man has his own unique challenges, but all men are in need of spiritual growth and vitality. Unfortunately, most churches place minimal focus on developing men. It’s just too hard. But if your church is ready to step up and make a difference in the lives of the men in your congregation, there are five key principles that can help you get better at discipling men. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/192

Public speaking regularly tops the list of things people fear–even more than death! But pastors are called to put away their fears and boldly proclaim the word of truth Sunday after Sunday. It’s critical that pastors not only put together a competent message, but a compelling sermon. There are a few bad habits that crop up frequently, and avoiding them can elevate a “decent” sermon to a genuinely good sermon. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’ll discuss five bad sermon habits to be on the lookout for. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/191

How many times have you said, “We don’t have enough volunteers”? This is among the most common challenges that church leaders face. Is it possible to actually get ahead, to have the volunteers we need, and to truly have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to our volunteer rosters? While volunteer recruitment will never be easy or automatic, it is possible to get ahead and not feel desperate or discouraged from week to week. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’ll explore five simple but often overlooked tactics for volunteer recruitment that any church can implement and begin to gain momentum. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/190

Do you (or your church) love the thought of participating in the movement of the Gospel around the world? Do you (or your church) want to see disciples on every continent become disciple-makers? Do you (or your church) see the value in building up leaders that can lead well into a challenging and uncertain future? We do! And if you answered “yes” to one or more of those questions, then you are in a position to help us increase all of those things! As a well-known leader in church health and leadership development, The Malphurs Group is uniquely positioned now for a significant global impact on the Church. We need you as a partner. Today on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are sharing the vision of the Malphurs Group, and we are sharing how you or your church can get involved. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/189 Sneak preview of Healthy Churches Toolkit:    • Special Sneak Pre...   To make a donation now: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXD...

Have you ever looked around your worship center on a Sunday morning, and people aren’t singing along? Or noticed people scrolling their phones during your sermon? Everyone gets distracted from time to time, but if you’ve noticed a growing sense of apathy from your congregation on a Sunday morning, it’s time to fix it. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’ll explore three key ways to break free from apathy in your Sunday worship service. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/188

A church in decline is painful for almost everyone involved, especially the leadership. There is no definitive answer as to when you should consider moving to one service, but when attendance is down to one-quarter to one-third full in each service, it may be time for this discussion. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we're reviewing some things you need to know before you make the move to one service. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/187

“We want to be a multigenerational church!” This is a common refrain in churches we work with. But when we show up to services on Sunday morning, we see a lot of white hair and hear too few babies. Desiring to minister across generations is a holy desire, but it requires that you take time to think like a missionary and truly understand the next generation. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’ll explore three key strategies you can use to reach these generations and become the multigenerational church you're dreaming of. To read today's show notes and download the Spiritual Formation worksheet, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/186

A spiritually unhealthy church may find short-term gains, but sustainability only comes when people, and church leadership in particular, are right with God and others. Beginning a revitalization process in the church should first include an introspective look at the spiritual condition of those working on the revitalization plan. As a part of this week’s episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’ve provided a free download of our Spiritual Formation Worksheet. To read today's show notes or download the Spiritual Formation worksheet, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/185

Church leaders serve various functions within the church, but there are certain capabilities or competencies that are essential to leaders at any level and of any function. One of these core competencies is spiritual mentorship. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll go deeper into what it means to be a spiritual mentor and explore how the core competency of spiritual mentorship manifests at various levels of leadership within the church. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/184 

Being elevated to a leadership position does not make anyone immune to being emotionally unhealthy. Likewise, leadership promotions should not be taken as an affirmation of a clean bill of emotional health. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we talk through five common emotional disorders that can hold people back from excelling as a leader and leading effective teams. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/183

This week’s episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast takes a little lighter tone. We explore the diverse landscape of American evangelicalism by taking a quiz based on an article by Mere Orthodoxy called "The Six Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism." Of the six categories outlined in the article where will we end up? You’ll hear it unfold in real time as we go through it and anxiously await the results of the quiz. Mere Orthodoxy article: "The Six Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism" - https://mereorthodoxy.com/six-way-fracturing-evangelicalism/ To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/182

One of the most common hurdles as churches begin to grow is how to transition from one to two services. If your church has outgrown its capacity for a single service, it may be time to start considering the possibility of moving to two worship services. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll explore the reasons why this transition can be beneficial for your church, as well as key factors involved in making the move. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/181

We haven’t done the hard work for you, just given you a path. A common question that we as Malphurs Group Guides get from pastors that we work with is “Do you have any suggestions for sermon topics that will help with revitalization?” Generally, the answer is to preach through the primary topics of a healthy church: Great Commission mandate, building up mature disciples, and having a compelling future-focused vision. For this week’s episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, though, we’ve zoomed out to some broader themes and given you five sermon series outlines to take your congregation deeper into the truths of Scripture. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/180

Leading and directing are both crucial functions of effective church leadership, but they involve different approaches and goals. Our goal is to help you better understand the difference between leading and directing and how to apply each approach depending on the situation.  To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/179

What does “revival” even mean? Is that what is happening? That is what we are diving into on this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/178 

Dying churches are stagnant, and thriving churches are full of life. The difference is action, animation, movement, and even the dreaded word….change. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we talk about the basics of working through an action plan. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/177   #TheMalphursGroup #revitalization #actionplan #churchculture #churchhealth #churchrevitalization #churchgrowth #churchpodcast   Show less

The news has been filled with stories of the amazing things that artificial intelligence (AI) can do. It can write song lyrics, give you advice on what to do on your next vacation, and even write business plans. As artificial intelligence grows in prominence and ability, pastors might start to wonder: exactly how good is an AI sermon? Beyond this question, is AI something pastors should embrace or reject? How will artificial intelligence shape ministry in the years to come? To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/176

Honesty is always the best policy. In this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we’re not really accusing any church of actively lying. We certainly understand the motivations behind this list of things churches tell themselves. We try to make things sound better than they really are. That doesn’t help anyone. It's better to face the facts and do the work of establishing where our church is today, and working towards a better, healthier future. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/175

More churches articulate a vision than reach one. In fact, the number of churches that actually make progress toward their goals is small. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by obstacles to change, the tyranny of the urgent, and other roadblocks to actualizing your God-given vision. But you shouldn’t give up! In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we’re going to focus on how you can use systems thinking to reach your church’s vision. To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/174