Last week on the podcast Randy Weener talked about small churches and how some of them are at the end of their life cycle. This week Doug interviews Jason Vermeulen about his experience pastoring Casnovia Reformed Church during its final days and the time leading up to the end. [00:00:20] Introduction to Casnovia Reformed Church Casnovia Reformed Church is located …
Four Ways to Encourage Staff
Everyone needs some encouragement. Here’s some simple ways to do it at your church! Make Gafa brings us this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday with four ways to encourage staff members: Be present. Give your time and attention to the staff members in your church. How? Listen closely, be attentive to their needs, and be focused on them. Be affirmative. Intentionally affirm …
Luminex Podcast 10: Small Churches Matter
The bigger the better, right? Well, not necessarily. Small churches have advantages that a big church couldn’t have. This week Doug interviews Randy Weener, Classis Leader for the Great Lake City Classis in Michigan. They discuss small churches – their advantages, disadvantages, and unique opportunities. [00:00:30] Defining a small church A small church can be defined as a congregation of …
Time to Party
Food, fun, and friends – it’s time to PARTY! Season 3 of our Whiteboard Wednesday ends on a fun, high note with Doug McClintic, Church Multiplication Catalyst for Luminex. Outreach can often seem like it needs a complex, theological strategy in order to be effective. But there is a simple outreach technique that everyone can use and that Jesus used …
Instilling Hope in the Midst of Transition
The uncertainty that often occurs when a ministry is going through a leadership transition tends to drain positive energy and raises doubts about the future of that ministry. While much of this doubt will usually be unspoken, the reality is that if it is not intentionally addressed, it will cause the ministry to lose considerable momentum. One of the most …
Luminex Podcast 9: What to Do – and What Not to Do – When it Comes to Ministering to Muslims
How do we love and befriend our Muslim neighbors so that we can introduce them to our best friend, Jesus? On this week’s podcast, Doug interviews Agshin Jafarov. Agshin works with RCA Global Missions to help resettle many refugees in the Great Lakes Region. During this interview, they discuss Agshin’s experiences working with Muslim refugees – how to evangelize to …
Where Leadership Begins
Are you a new leader wondering where to start your leadership journey? On today’s Whiteboard Wednesday, Curry Pikaart, Classis Leader for the Southwest Michigan Classis, tells us about where leadership begins based on his experiences in college and the story of Nehemiah. Doctor Kenneth Weller became the president of Central College in Pella, Iowa, when Pikkaart was a student there. …
Standing Firm in the Gospel
The Gospel must be central to all that we do, say, and think. The truth of the Gospel – God’s unfathomable love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8), our inherent sin (Romans 3:23, 5:12), salvation by and through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23, John 1:12) – is the Good News that we are called to live out and carry to the very ends …
Luminex Podcast 8: To Catch the Wind, Hoist Your Sail
Show Notes On this week’s podcast episode, Doug is interviewing Curry Pikkaart, Classis Leader for the Southwest Michigan Classis. The topic of their conversation is based on Curry’s blog post, To Catch the Wind, Hoist Your Sails, about how to persevere through trying and empty times while waiting for the Holy Spirit’s wind in our sails. [0:00:25] The Story Behind …
Leading for Collaboration
A thriving church often has many separate teams overseeing multiple ministries. How can those ministries work together instead of creating division? On this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday, Art Wiers, member of the Luminex core leadership team, shares his experiences with church leaders working towards collaboration. Throughout his time working with churches, Art noticed a pattern he calls the “silo effect.” The …