by Kevin Ezell,  President of the North American Mission Board ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — As each year transitions into the next, we see a lot of “list” stories looking back on the best and worst of the preceding...

By Thom S. Rainer It is an old joke, one that is still told too often. You go up to your pastor and say, “I wish I had your job; you only have to work one hour each week.” It is likely your pastor will laugh or smile at your...

By Thom S. Rainer If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns. It is, unfortunately, a common issue in many churches. I did a...

By Thom S. Rainer I am honored and humbled to be in a place where I get to hear from and study about thousands of churches. The leaders and congregants in those churches provide me with incredible information and data. I am...

By Thom S. Rainer I want to share with you readers my specific prayers for congregations as we enter a new year. Obviously my prayer requests and trends are not the same. The latter is my assessment of where churches are headed....