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Life.Church, America’s largest-attendance church, has no official members. Discover why they abandoned traditional church membership and what model they use to drive engagement.

How many of these questions have come up in your church staff meetings lately? How can we motivate our members to invite people to church? How can we make sure ...

A couple of years ago, while working in the ChurchSource booth at a conference, I was approached by a church leader looking for children’s and teen book recommendations. She shared that her church had informally adopted ALL the Little Free Libraries around their church. They had taken it upon themselves to stock over 100 Little Free Libraries with new and gently used Christian books and Bibles. She was particularly interested in clean teen fiction, and children’s books featuring parables and biblical themes, since so many children visit the libraries in her area.

Check out July's Fast 5

Psalm 42 concludes with a restorative proclamation but what I appreciate the most about psalms of lament like this (lament is the formal classification for the “sad” psalms) is that God allowed them to be included in this divine love story we call the Bible in the first place! Instead of disowning disillusioned people, the fifty-nine sad psalms are effectively God’s engraved invitation for us to be real with Him—to be honest when our hearts are heavy, and not wear fake happy faces.

Does this sound familiar? You finally found a great Bible study for your group. You got everyone on board and got rolling. Time flies and suddenly you’re just a couple weeks away from finishing your study. Time to pick ANOTHER one already?

An encouraging note from your friendly neighborhood ChurchSource Account Manager

Hello friends,

July is here! Or as I like to call it, Volunteers Disappear Month. 😊 Hopefully, you’re finding ways to unwind, relax, and spend time with friends and family this month, despite all the things that still have to get done at church!

We wanted to free up a bit of your time this summer, so we’ve packed this issue with turnkey, stress-free solutions for you—easy ways to engage your church in Bible reading, equip your youth and teen ministries, and start to ease into fall small group planning. We hope these tips, tools, and stories are helpful and encouraging to you!

Blessings,
Eric

If you’re like many of the people I pastor, you may be struggling with how to connect deeply and honestly with your faith. Maybe you’ve experienced not just a disappointment ...

One of my deepest recurring struggles as a pastor was getting my identity and vocation confused. My identity was ‘God’s child,’ but I related too much through my vocation as ...

Pastors are called to teach. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus commanded his disciples before ascending to heaven, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:19-20) We bear the sacred call to do many things: care for souls, manage the church’s finances, maintain the building, complete denominational paperwork, and visit people in the hospital. While the importance of these tasks is undeniable, without teaching, the pastoral call is lost.

1. Scripture of the Month: 2 Timothy 4:2-5
2. Lead the Leaders: 5 simple ways to grow strong small group leaders in your church
3. Quick Tip: Keep groups connected on the go with audio devotions -- Like this one on Esther
4. Resource: Download this free resource from Pastor Chris Hodges on teaching kids how to pray
5. Micro Challenge: Ask your group, "where did you see God today?" -- Even if they're not in the same room

A Fun Way to Spark Meaningful Conversations

Discover how you can create engaging content by having fun and drive deeper thought and conversation.

Hello friends,

Welcome to the very first issue of our newsletter! I'm so glad you're here. At ChurchSource, we're not just book people, we're Church people! Many of us on this team have served in ministry ourselves—on church boards, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, and in my case, as a youth pastor. We know how hard it can be to find resources you can trust. We’re here to come alongside you with tools, ideas, and encouragement that actually help. You're not in this alone!

Blessings,

Eric

Whether you’re on a church staff, leading a small group, mentoring students, or
running point on the parking team, I think you’ve felt it too—that unmistakable joy that
shows up when you’re in the middle of ministry done with heart.

Growing up in the church in the ’80s and ’90s, I do not recall hearing a single mention of pornography from the pulpit, in youth group, or at youth retreats. ...

Table Fellowship is the practice of welcoming children to the Lord’s table during corporate worship. "Knowing that children are not ready to affirm their faith in all the doctrines of the church or assume all the responsibilities of adult membership, LaGrave Ave CRC developed an intermediate step for children who are old enough to make a heartfelt declaration of faith in Christ as their Savior and to understand the symbolic meaning of the Supper". (Stan Mast, 2009)