Tribal name: Nazarene. Tribal mission: Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations. Tribal values: Christian, Holiness, Missional. My tribe, the Church of the Nazarene, is typically described as faithful, loving, hard-working people engaged in the mission of God in the world. However, as we transition further into postmodernity new dynamics are unfolding that are testing the … Continue reading Tribal Trichotomy
People like to put us down… Talkin’ bout my generation! The WHO began screaming those words in 1965 as young people were trying to find their place in society. Every generation since has continued the quest to find their footing. These lyrics resonated with the Baby Boomer generation. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are people who … Continue reading Generation Gap
Transparency is essential for effective leadership. It is also a necessary attribute of holiness. As a pastor, over the years I’ve chosen to be very transparent with staff and ministry leaders, and many times probably too transparent from the pulpit (I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve). However, there have also been times … Continue reading Transparency and Confidentiality
A few months ago I read a blog written by Ric Shewell titled: “Why I Left the Church of the Nazarene.” He was obviously disappointed in his experience with the processes of the Church of the Nazarene (CotN) and I sympathized with him. I thought to myself: I’ve been there and I know how he … Continue reading Why I Didn’t Leave the Church of the Nazarene
A great man once said to me, “Pastor, the church is the biggest business in the world because it’s God’s business and it’s not like any other business.” If you could have done life with this man for even one day, you would have understood a man with a kingdom-mind and a servant-heart. The idea … Continue reading Under-Leader
One of my associate pastors recently said, “I’ve been to churches that felt like going to a country club with Jesus music.” How sad, that many churches have become places that are void of redemptive passion. Where everyone is satisfied with the way things are and they see no need to get involved in reaching … Continue reading Reconnecting the Disconnected
#5 – Broken Systems. Many churches function as if they’ve arrived, as if they don’t need anything else, as if they’ve gotten all of God there is to get. They go through the motions week-after-week and settle with the mundane task of circling the wagons. Reality is no congregation has arrived at a place where they … Continue reading Five Reasons Churches Get Stuck
You can feel it in the air; God is up to something. The only thing we can do at this point is believe that God is who he says he is and that he can do what he says he can do. Sometimes it seems as though God asks us to do the impossible. However, … Continue reading Everything is Possible
The concept of ‘Christian Community’ is crucial for any church striving for health and effectiveness. There is an extreme sense of individualism that pervades our society. Jesus did not call us into individualism; he called us to embrace community. In the context of community, according to the bible, we discover our individual gifts and realize … Continue reading Intentional Christian Community
For years I have been part of a church culture that employs an attractional approach to ministry. For too long we have relied on programs and uniformity to determine our worth. The tradition of the local church, in many instances, stems from an internal focus. We have mastered the art of entertainment, and we are … Continue reading Attractional to Incarnational
Brian L Powell 