The most important lexicographer of the Greek of the New Testament had this to say about Greek lexicons: It is a mistake to shun the lexicon as a graveyard haunted by columns of semantic ghosts or simply fall back on it as on a codebook identifying...
Commentaries are tools in the toolbox of Bible teachers and preachers. But just as a woodworker will use a table saw, miter saw, and band saw for different purposes, Bible teachers will turn to different types of commentaries for different purposes...
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Your pastors do so much for you, your church, and your community. How do you show them that you appreciate their ministry and encourage them to continue? A pastor recently told me, “I work with so many...
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival or trunk or treat—and put a fresh start to your outreach...
According to Lifeway Research, “64% of churches either have nothing to assimilate new members, or no systemic plan to move people towards membership.” Imagine if that were true in the workplace . . . not a good start. Like onboarding and...
Although “performance review” may seem like a corporate term, it’s simply a way of tracking growth or decay—matters that concern every organization. Here are some quick tips on church performance reviews, as well as the unfortunate task of employee...
What were 2021’s most popular worship songs? What about most popular sermon topics? Find out in the free 2021 Songs & Sermons Report for worship leaders, pastors, and anyone who’s just really curious. (Can’t blame you there.) Popular worship...
Church volunteers are worth their weight in gold. How many Christmas programs, weeks of VBS, and successful church events have been pulled off only because of God’s grace and volunteers’ elbow grease? Too many to count! Cheerful, willing church...
I’m going to lay all of my cards on the table right here at the beginning: I wholeheartedly, unreservedly, and unashamedly believe that every church should have a plan in place to care for its guests.
“I am not the head of the church. Jesus is.” As a pastor, I had not only heard that many times, I had said it many times myself. And I really did believe it. But it left a major question unanswered for me. If I am not the head, what part of the...
Two years ago, I transitioned from leading and overseeing our church’s youth ministries to overseeing and leading our children’s and youth ministries. Practically, that’s an eighteen-year gap of kids under my care—not to mention their older...
Pastors are people, too. It’s such a basic, “Of course!” truth, yet it so easily slips from Christians’ minds. Like “Dad” or “Mom,” a pastor’s position becomes their name. So even as the world is more and more abuzz with talk of mental health...
By Andre Kazadayev and Derek Fekkes Do you want your worship team to love serving with you? Here’s one big thing to pay attention to—rehearsals. Since a worship team spends so much time rehearsing, how your worship band, A/V team, and vocalists feel...
A 2015 study from LifeWay found that 61% of Americans attend church at Christmas time—and even more would come if invited. What an opportunity! Whether your church is meeting in person again or not, you can still take advantage of that opportunity...
It’s a hard time to be a pastor or church leader. Everyone has an opinion on how to tackle their church’s fall kickoff and what precautions to take. It’s a small comfort, but churches around the nation are asking the same questions and making the...
Lives are shattered right now, inside and outside the Church. Fighting the pandemic has led to an economic downfall, heightened mental health challenges, and other fallout. Even healthy people with job security and no children to suddenly homeschool...
If we do our job well, our song choices can provide a “sonic sanctuary” where people meet with the living God. Here are five tips for building better worship setlists.
Faithlife Proclaim has thousands of beautiful church graphics, countdown timers, motion graphics, and more for church slides. Picking a favorite would be impossible. So instead, we’ve collected the most popular options from Proclaim Pro Media...
Addiction Also called: Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, ObsessionBeing enslaved to a habit, practice or substance such that withdrawal causes trauma. Top Bible Verses about Addiction John 8:34 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you...
“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” — William Wallace Faithlife’s list of 2019’s best Christian books is full of titles to help Christians really live (along with some fiction for fun). You’ll find books on parenting, building Christian...
Your Christmas service includes details you might not have to worry about the rest of the year—including the possibility of many first-time visitors walking through your doors. You should be focusing on them, not worrying about potential tech...
I spent hours trying to find one photo to promote an event at church. One photo. I was looking for a picture of friends hanging out to promote a small group Christmas fellowship. But every free photo I found didn’t fit our church event. Sound...
Even though believers may approach generosity from different theological viewpoints, we can all agree that generosity is close to the heart of God. The Bible contains thousands of verses about money, stewardship, and generosity. The beautiful...
With Logos Bible Software, we’ve been helping people explore Scripture in more depth for over 25 years. And now with Bible Agent 7, we’re helping you share those insights with your kids. The newest episode of Bible Agent 7 just released on Faithlife...
Christine Christophersen used to be a graphic designer for a megachurch in Omaha, Nebraska. Now, she’s the art director for Pro Media, a feature of Faithlife Proclaim Church Presentation Software, and she equips churches with relevant, high...
Your church admin probably isn’t clamoring for the spotlight. He or she works behind the scenes, doing tasks few people notice and making things run smoothly. Their work is critical yet often underappreciated. That’s exactly why it’s important to...
Leadership does not begin with a title or position. It begins the moment you are concerned more about others’ flourishing than you are about your own. — Andy Crouch, Strong and Weak Leadership means risk. One of the most significant risks a leader...
Don’t be a Moses. “Don’t be a Moses?” you think. “But Moses was an incredible leader!” Yeah, an incredible leader who almost burned out. Until Jethro stepped in. In Exodus 18, Jethro came to Moses to see about everything that had been...
The Fourth of July is right around the corner—and below is some church media you can use to celebrate. To use it in a service, start a free trial to Faithlife Proclaim Church Presentation Software. If you already have Proclaim, you can access this...
By Matthew Elliot “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (Matt 22:36) An “expert in religious law,” backed up by the Pharisees, poses this seemingly innocent question to Jesus in an attempt to trap him. Will he agree...