What makes someone cling to hope when everything in life points to despair? We know that a significant part of our faith involves believing in what God has said, even when our life circumstances appear to contradict what we’re hoping for. We live in the tension of the already and not yet. We have Jesus already, yet we await his return. We have his salvation, yet we also wait for complete sanctification. The tension of delayed deliverance marks the Christian life.
We also see examples of delayed deliverance in the world around us, which serve as signposts for Christians to remember our already-but-not-yet reality. One example is Juneteenth (short for June nineteenth)—a federal holiday in the United States that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Black people in America. Specifically, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery for those in Galveston, Texas who learned of their freedom two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The late emancipation of the men and women in Galveston is a picture of delayed justice. Dreams and prayers for freedom had finally been made a reality—the already—but despite the joy of finally being liberated, other obstacles became more prevalent—the not yet. Black people were free, but the fight for survival remained. The Black community still sits in this tension today, as we look back with joy at the progress we've made while we continue fighting for criminal justice reform, seeking equal access to educational resources, and addressing racial discrimination.
The Black church uniquely experienced the already-but-not-yet tension that carried on after Juneteenth because of their faith. Black Christians saw that Scripture didn’t erase the frustration of delayed justice, but it did give them language to endure it faithfully. They recognized that concepts such as freedom, liberation, dignity, and justice were not merely biblical ideas, but at the heart of the gospel. The Black church’s methods, mobilization, and fight against injustice have always been a response fueled by faith. Here are three truths the Black church has faithfully believed and practiced while enduring delayed justice:
Freedom has always been part of God’s plan for his people—both spiritually and physically. We see God constantly delivering his people from both spiritual and literal bondage throughout Scripture, and the Black Church sought to demonstrate God’s heart for freedom by helping their community overcome discriminatory and oppressive laws. One way this happened was through the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). The MIA was an organization founded in 1955, led by E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to coordinate the Montgomery bus boycott—a thirteen–month protest against the segregation of public transportation. The Black church played a pivotal role, serving as the primary gathering place for official meetings. Even though the MIA and the Montgomery bus boycott were for the betterment of the entire community, the church and religious leaders were deeply involved in the pursuit of justice and freedom for the Black community because of their faith.
Black Christians knew it was possible to live free, even if they weren’t fully free, which is why the Black church helped its community fight for basic human rights. This looked like being involved in voter registration drives due to rampant voter suppression. During the fifties and sixties, many widely known efforts to suppress Black voters existed, such as poll taxes, intimidation and violence, and enforcing literacy tests for Black voters as a prerequisite, even though the community had limited educational opportunities after slavery. Black churches provided a safe place for voter registration and acted as a shelter. Fannie Lou Hamer, a Christian and member of the civil rights movement, laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act through her relentless fight to expand voting rights for Black people. The Black church was also involved in the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, which was organized by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to advocate for economic justice and combat poverty in the United States. The Poor People’s Campaign was a prime example of the call for Christians to use their freedom in Christ to help the poor, needy, and oppressed.
The Black church has always been a place of refuge where the sorrow of having a constant fight could live alongside the joy that God gives us to keep moving forward. Whether it was remaining steadfast during slavery, hopeful during the Jim Crow era, or loving toward enemies when racism still exists, the Black church has continued to stand in the tension that comes with delayed justice while being a beacon. Outside of the church doors, sorrow, frustration, fear of violence, and more persist. But within their doors, the Black church reminded the Black community that our faith in God gives us the resilience to remain hopeful during heartache, joyful during sad news, and expectant when faced with dead ends.
That’s why Juneteenth isn’t just a day to mark emancipation, but a time to reflect on a group of people who knew how to live in the tension of “already but not yet.” So this year, as we celebrate Juneteenth, we can thank God that he is a God of justice who desires his creation to be free. Juneteenth can serve as a reminder that delay is not denial, and we can hold joy and sorrow in our hearts simultaneously. We can use this holiday to remember that we can live free, even when we don’t feel free.
Ministry can be overwhelming. When burnout, division, and suffering threaten us, how can we be immovable church leaders?
We can stand firm in ministry because we trust our almighty God. He steadies our feet, renews our hope, and empowers our love. Our work in his name is not wasted. So, we stand, immovable. We hope in God, persevere in faith, and love without reservation.
On November 5–7, thousands of church leaders will gather in Dallas, TX to explore what it means to stand firm in our faith. We’ll hear from speakers like J.D. Greear, Christine Caine, Derwin Gray, and more as they share on how we can be immovable in our dedication to Jesus. We’ll also have many breakout sessions that will help us dive into being steadfast in difficult times.
We’ll be reminded that as Christians we . . .
God never changes—he is the same yesterday, today, and forever—and we can trust him (Psalm 18:2; 119:89–91; Hebrews 13:8).
Empowered by the Spirit, the church of Jesus Christ stands firm in love, faith, and hope (Philippians 1:27–28; 1 Corinthians 13:13).
The church’s mission remains the same as it did two thousand years ago. . . to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20; Galatians 6:9).
As church leaders, we want the church to remain in the truth of the gospel so that we can make disciples. As Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58, CSB).
We invite you to join us at this year’s RightNow Conference—you can even bring your team at a discounted rate. Find out more at rightnowconferences.org.
When you hear the word art, different images may come to mind—your kid’s finger-paint masterpiece on the fridge, the mural you pass on the way to work, or the oil painting you saw in a museum. But did you include the Bible in your mental list? The Bible is itself a work of art, and it contains stories of art. Art in the Bible reminds us that all acts of creativity originate in our creator God. Not so sure? Let’s look at four examples in the Bible that highlight the artistry of God and his people.
Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning, God created everything. Like a painter who moves from a blank canvas to a finished piece, God spoke into existence light and land, animals and birds, man and woman. But unlike human artists, who start with materials like paint and a canvas, God created a wondrous world out of nothing. After God created the world, he gave the first couple, who were made in his image and likeness, instructions to “. . . be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28, CSB). God wanted his creation to point back to their creator. And God wanted to be with his creation, too.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites built two important structures to house the presence of God. After the Israelites were rescued from Egypt, God instructed them to build the mobile tent of meeting. Later, Solomon constructed the temple in Jerusalem. God used skilled artists to create and outfit both meeting places with metal and stone fixtures, furniture, curtains, fragrances, and even special garments for the priests—all of which aided in worshipping God (Exodus 31:1–11; 1 Kings 7:13–14). Both structures served as stunning displays of God’s creativity. They provided a beautiful space for the people of God to worship him. But access to both the tent and the temple was limited to certain times and people—until the New Testament.
Before Jesus died, he promised the disciples he would send a helper to be with them in his absence. This promise of a helper puzzled his disciples, but today we understand that he was talking about the presence of the Holy Spirit. When the Corinthians struggled to honor God, Paul reminded them in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that the Holy Spirit resides within each believer. Christians are “God’s temple,” where the presence of God resides. The beautiful structure where God’s glorious presence lives is not a building anymore, but his people—people he created like a potter with clay. We can worship and enjoy our creator all the time because he is always with us.
But God’s artistry goes a step further.
When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said in Ephesians 2:10 that each person is God’s “handiwork” created to do good works for the glory of God. This verse echoes God’s command in Genesis 1:28 for Adam and Eve to fill the earth with his good creation. Like Adam and Eve, Christians are to steward the good work he has done in our lives by doing “good works” that point others to God. As Christians, we are living art—God’s handiwork—a visible canvas of God’s work on display. And through our lives and our work, we can glorify God, our creator.
In Revelation, we read of the new heavens and new earth that God promises for all believers. The artistry of new creation will surpass anything we can imagine creating in our present world (Revelation 21:1–5). While many artists have completed canvases on display in museums or in homes, most artists also have a canvas or two they never finished. God, the ultimate artist, used wide sweeping brush strokes to create a world he loves. Unlike a canvas that lays forgotten and incomplete in a studio, what God began, he will complete (Philippians 1:6). Even while we look ahead to God’s promise of new creation, we can trust that God is working in our lives now to make us more beautifully like him.
From the first declaration in Genesis to the new creation promised in Revelation, God’s creativity is on display. Like an artist’s signature in the corner of a painting, every act of creativity serves as a reminder that God, whom we worship, is the master artist. The next time you pass by a piece of art—whether it’s your child’s fridge art, a famous painting, or a patch of wildflowers—remember that this act of creativity has its origin in creator God who “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Zach Zehnder has a straightforward answer: define your discipleship targets.
In a recent webinar for church leaders, Zach Zehnder, pastor and founder of Red Letter Living, shared a practical framework for measuring and achieving success in churchwide discipleship. He rooted his approach in a deep understanding of the challenges facing modern Christian communities and a passion to help churches follow Jesus's call more effectively. Here’s a brief overview of Zach’s “discipleship target” framework.
Zach began the webinar by highlighting a striking disconnect: while many Americans self-identify as Christians, only a small segment of self-proclaimed Christians are practicing Christians. This gap reveals a crucial insight: despite abundant information about discipleship, there’s widespread confusion about how to follow Jesus practically. As Zach put it, “American churches have created many believers but very few followers.”
The church's discipleship problem is not due to a lack of information, but a lack of clear direction. Churches are excellent at introducing people to the concept of faith, but sometimes they struggle to guide them into an intentional journey of discipleship.
What’s often missing in church discipleship strategies? According to Zach, it’s clear, measurable targets. As he said, “You measure what’s important in life.”
These targets provide a comprehensive blueprint for spiritual growth that goes beyond simple church attendance or theological knowledge.
While Zach said he uses the targets of being, forgiving, serving, giving, and going in his ministry, he also mentioned he empowers church leaders to tailor discipleship targets to their needs. Whatever your targets, he recommended that they adhere to three critical criteria:
Zach suggested maintaining approximately five targets—enough to be comprehensive, but not so many that they become overwhelming. To ensure these targets are effective, they should be paired with measurable metrics that are tracked consistently over time. Finally, regularly repeating these targets within the church community helps embed them in the hearts and minds of members.
The webinar concluded with a powerful reminder: God deserves more than an unidentified, unintentional, and confused representation of discipleship. Success comes from commitment to truly following Jesus, supported by clear targets and intentional measurement. With discipleship targets that follow a few basic principles, ministry leaders can be on their way to measuring and achieving discipleship success.
Want to dive deeper into these concepts? Watch the full webinar for detailed examples, additional resource recommendations, and an exclusive Q&A with Zach. Click here to access the webinar recording.
Disclaimer: This blog was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. If you find content that is inaccurate or otherwise needs to be reviewed, please email webinars@rightnowmedia.org.
When you picture your ideal neighborhood, what do you see? Maybe you see the neighborhood where you already live. Or perhaps Mr. Rogers himself welcomes you with a song to a fictitious place where you’ll always belong.
But what ultimately makes a good neighborhood? It’s not a trick question: Good neighbors.
We’ve all been helped by neighbors and probably thought to ourselves, “I want to be more like that.” Jesus himself said the greatest commandment in the Old Testament is to love God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:35–40)—even telling a story to illustrate what being a good neighbor looks like and to whom we must be neighborly (Luke 10:25–37). Given this principle, Christians should be the best neighbors—hospitable, thoughtful, and sacrificial.
And the most neighborly thing we can do as Christians is share how neighborly Jesus has been to us—how he welcomed us when we were strangers.
Christians often lament the lack of opportunities to share our faith with others. But most of us have the perfect place to have meaningful conversations about Jesus—our neighborhood. Here are four principles to consider as you make disciples in your neighborhood:
To have conversations about Jesus with your neighbors, you have to be around your neighbors.
When we cram our schedules with more extracurricular activities, dinner parties, soccer practices, and happy hours, we spend less time at home and little time around our neighbors, even though we physically live next to them—we are proximate to but not present with them. But presence is different than proximity.
Instead of treating your neighborhood like a pit stop or merely as a place where you sleep, how can you commit to being present in your neighborhood?
Maybe there’s an activity you participate in that happens in someone else’s neighborhood—a practice at a local field or a barbeque at a friend’s house. Consider hosting that activity in your neighborhood. Maybe you feel stretched thin by the number of commitments outside your home. Think about cutting one activity and redeeming that time during the week to walk around your neighborhood, sit on your front porch, or spend time in public spaces around your home.
Most people prefer to be asked to do something rather than to do the asking. It’s nice to feel wanted. But the popular phrase, “Good things come to those who wait,” may not be a great discipleship strategy in your neighborhood.
When Jesus “moved into [our] neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message®)—coming from heaven to live on earth with us—he didn’t wait for us to ask him to come. He pursued us first. And as his followers, we should likewise pursue others. Regardless of how fearful you are of what your neighbors might say or how they may treat you moving forward, initiating kindness with them can open the door to deeper spiritual conversations that may otherwise remain shut.
Don’t wait for neighbors to come to you. Go to your neighbors. Instead of wanting a better relationship with your neighbors, take steps to develop a better relationship with them. Bake some treats and walk over to their house. Knock on their door, asking if there are any projects they need help with. Pay attention to your neighbors’ patterns to initiate conversations as you take out your trash cans together or walk your dogs around the block.
There’s always the no-fun home on your street or in your building. They call the homeowners association to file a noise complaint or—God forbid—hand out toothbrushes for Halloween.
One way to be a disciple-maker in your neighborhood is to be a fun, playful home for others to see. Jesus himself attended parties (see the wedding in Cana in John 2) and had a warm enough personality to relax with friends around a meal (John 13:23–25). If little children were drawn to Jesus (Matthew 19:13–15), he had to be an approachable, fun person.
There are many opportunities for fun in your neighborhood. You could create holiday events—a hot chocolate bar for Christmas, hot dogs and burgers for the Fourth of July, donuts for National Donut Day—that encourage people to spend time in your front yard, backyard, or apartment floor. If you do live in an apartment or college dorm, there are ample social events set up by management or resident staff for neighbors to have fun with each other—simply participate!
Making disciples often happens out of relational connection, and one of the best ways to build relationships with people is to just have fun together.
Prayer should be the foundation for all disciple-making efforts in our neighborhoods. Acknowledging God’s loving care over all areas of our lives—including our neighborhoods—is both right for us to do and can relieve some of the pressure we feel as we make disciples.
If you already have a regular prayer routine, consider what it looks like to integrate your neighbors into your prayer life. Think about specific homes, people, or groups living near you that you could pray over by name and number. Perhaps the Spirit will lead you to ask those people for prayer requests. Even if they don’t share anything specific, they’ll know that you are praying for them.
Jesus prayed for people who wanted his prayers (his disciples in John 17) and those who wanted nothing to do with him (his torturers in Luke 23:34). Maybe you’re surrounded by caring neighbors with whom you have a good relationship. Maybe you’re around people who don’t even notice you exist. Either way, praying for your neighbors—especially those who don’t yet know Jesus—puts Jesus’s call on your life into practice. Go and make disciples.
The following is an article originally written by Ed Stetzer for Outreach Magazine. RightNow Media is excited to work with Ed Stetzer on an upcoming project for pastors releasing in January 2025. We love Ed’s heart for the church and agree with his reminder in this article that small churches matter.
As I travel, I regularly tweet, “If you are pastor of a small church, I’d love to fill in for you this Sunday.” I’ve done it in Amsterdam, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and more. And I’ve loved seeing how God is working through small churches throughout the country and around the world.
Christians and leaders who are a part of small churches can sometimes feel like they are on the sideline of the mission, that larger churches are the ones that are really in the game. This feeling, however, doesn’t align with the reality of mission and ministry. According to one study, the median number for Sunday morning church attendance in the United States is sixty-five people. Seventy percent of churches average fewer than one hundred attendees.
The truth is, small churches have been the norm for most of Christian history. The megachurch is the outlier, a unique feature of late 20th-century Christianity in America. The bottom line is small churches have always mattered for the mission and God’s kingdom. And they still do.
Here are five reasons—among many others I could list—why small churches matter.
Jesus gave the Great Commission to the local church—to a group of disciples who would lead small house churches, and as I’ve already mentioned, the vast majority of churches globally and historically would be considered “small.” Additionally, in the language of the Great Commission we see the local church’s functions of discipleship in baptizing and teaching: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20a). So Jesus calls every church—and in fact every Christian—to participate in the work of making disciples. That includes small churches.
Here’s the through line: First, Jesus calls every local church to be the place where the Great Commission is fulfilled. Second, most churches are small. This means, third, that small churches must be a big part of Jesus’s plan for his mission. Jesus doesn’t look at the church growing throughout history and throughout the world and think, If only these churches were bigger, then I could really do something. Instead, he sees thousands—millions—of churches, and he sees them all as a big part of his design to reach the least and the lost.
A church that has dozens of people who attend every week rather than hundreds or thousands provides opportunities for those people to connect and grow in fellowship with one another. When people see the same people in weekly worship and at church events, they can develop friendships and deep relationships. Likewise, small churches rely on people actively participating in all areas of the church’s life, creating a sense of belonging. In a small church people can have a harder time thinking that they don’t need to serve, because they aren’t surrounded by a massive crowd. Then when someone does step into a role, they can feel like their contribution in the church really matters.
In some ways, small churches can function as extended families. Now, the words “extended family” can bring to mind the image of a weird uncle at Thanksgiving. But anyone who has an extended family network also knows how much it can provide a basis of support. In a small church, news about people’s needs “gets around,” and rather than devolving into gossip, such knowledge can lead members to care for one another. By virtue of the dynamics of their size, small churches present opportunities for community and care that larger churches must work harder to cultivate.
I mean this in two ways. First, small churches can adapt and pivot more quickly than a much larger church with more institutional infrastructure. Second, small churches tend to see people’s lives change in a greater proportion than larger churches do.
In terms of adaptability, small churches can respond to the needs of their community with speed and agility. Often larger organizations have bureaucratic processes that small churches have never accumulated. So small churches can pivot, launching new ministries to address emerging challenges. They can nimbly respond to specific needs in their neighborhoods in light of changing circumstances, addressing issues that larger churches might overlook.
Such flexibility for ministry and mission allows small churches to reach people with the gospel, serving them physically and spiritually. Research has shown that God usually uses smaller social contexts to bring about life change. Small churches have an opportunity here, because they can connect deeply with people in their community. For example, a few years ago I was a part of a research study on small churches that discovered something that might surprise many people: Small churches tend to experience conversion growth at a higher per capita ratio than larger churches. In many small churches, leaders are accessible and approachable, actively engaging with congregants regularly. This accessibility creates a sense of trust, as members feel comfortable sharing their concerns and prayer needs with pastors and other leaders. In small churches, pastors and other leaders can invest deeply in the spiritual growth of members because there are fewer layers of hierarchy. And members can invest deeply in one another. Such close connections between leaders and members can help build transformative relationships.
Too often we measure success by our cultural values. In the United States, we tend to value “bigger” and “more.” So American Christians tend to see big churches doing big things, and they value and celebrate them for that bigness. For example, megachurches can accomplish big things for the mission, sending staff overseas, resourcing tens of thousands, and more. We can celebrate these things while we also assess our cultural values in light of the full scope of reality. And here is the reality: most overseas mission work is done by groups and networks of small churches working together.
I work in a lot of large churches. Sometimes I tell them that the best thing that they can do is to stop doing mission on their own and start partnering with others. Most missional work is accomplished in “slices”—a small church takes ownership of one slice, another small church focuses on another, a mission board yet another, and so on. Such collaboration ends up accomplishing more than any individual large church can accomplish by itself.
Small churches that are currently independent might consider partnership with a theologically and missionally aligned network or denomination as a form of collaboration. For example, City to City—a network of churches started by Redeemer Church and Timothy Keller—is finding ways for churches to collaborate, as churches have done for centuries. In organizations like Cru, Wycliffe, the Evangelical Free Church’s global mission arm, or the Southern Baptist Convention, most missionaries are supported by collaborations of smaller churches. Such collective effort makes much more of an impact than any single large church.
Small churches are essential patches in the tapestry of God’s kingdom and his purposes in the world. Each small church has a unique story and many unique ways of worship, fellowship, ministry and mission. As the global church grows and connects across cultural and geographical differences, small churches will become increasingly important. Small churches have the opportunity to model contextualized ministry and mission. They can develop and empower leaders from diverse backgrounds and situations.
Many Christians are keying in on this next decade because 2033 will mark the 2,000-year anniversary of the Great Commission. (Now, even if the actual anniversary is not 2033, I don’t need to be that “well, actually …” guy who wants to correct everyone on the Julian calendar, and neither do you.) Many are forming 10-year plans aimed at finishing the work God has given us. Granted, some will focus on different aspects. For example, I was recently with Pentecostals who emphasize the 2,000-year anniversary of Pentecost. Whatever the specific focus, many anticipate this monumental anniversary with large goals. IllumiNations is an alliance of Bible translation agencies, for example, working to finish translating the Bible into all the languages—something that could happen in our lifetime. We can finish the task if we cooperate and collaborate, and small churches must participate for such cooperation and collaboration to succeed.
Members and leaders of small churches must embrace both a smaller and larger vision of their calling for the Great Commission. A small church can acknowledge that by itself with its dozens of members it will not accomplish the task (something true of any megachurch, too). No single church can “make disciples of all nations” alone. But this reality should not discourage the smaller church. Instead, this reality should encourage those in smaller churches toward ministry and mission.
To learn more about our project with Ed Stetzer, RightNow Pastors+, fill out this form, follow us on social media, or text PASTOR to 49775 for updates.
UBP, Ed Stetzer editor's column, Outreach magazine, 2024. Original found here: https://outreachmagazine.com/features/81396-ed-stetzer-the-power-of-small.html?
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