Faithlife StaffScrolling endlessly through photos is only fun when it’s by choice (oh hello, vacation albums). When you’re trying to find media for your church presentations, it’s just frustrating. And if you serve in a bilingual church where you need to create...
Quick, list everything you know about angels! If you’re thinking about bells, harps, and wings, your idea of angels might be more informed by Christmas movies than the Bible. That’s what Dr. Michael S. Heiser is trying to correct in Angels—now...
These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add these new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals. *** On Guard for Students: A Thinker’s Guide to the Christian Faith An intelligent faith...
By Jennifer Grisham and Mary Jahnke Every month, the dreaded day arrived—the church credit card bill came in the mail, full of charges for church software. It’s not that we were too spendy. We were actually quite frugal! But our credit card...
Toy theft and pursuant wails in living rooms and church nurseries make it ear-splittingly obvious: taking is instinctual. Learning to give? That takes effort, but it’s a critical step in helping kids understand stewardship. We asked pastors...
Social media for churches is about relationships. And just like any relationship, a little goes a long way—as long as the little is consistent.
There’s no doubt about it: small churches can have massive impact. And church tech? It can help that reach extend even further. Find out how in Faithlife’s new guide, Adapt or Dwindle: Futureproof Your Small Church. The excerpt below answers “Why...
Church software can be like the brand-new volunteer trying to help out in an area where they’re not gifted. They get the work partway done, but you have to come behind to pick up the slack, correct errors, and finish the job. Or it can be like the...
To see some excellent examples of how you don’t have to be an efficiency expert to suddenly start getting more done in less time, watch this event from Faithlife. In around 30 minutes, find out how you can save steps with your church presentations...
Why is it that our evangelistic efforts are often fraught with failure? Several reasons may be given . . . but one main reason is that we don’t look like the Christ we proclaim. . . . A Hindu professor, identifying one of his students as a...
Family devotion time: sweet memories or absolute mayhem? For most families, it’s a little bit of both. We asked readers over social media—plus a few colleagues at Faithlife—to describe their family devotions and how they make the time meaningful and...
In 2020, churches accomplished many feats for the first time. For 24% of churches we surveyed, that included implementing online giving. Yet a somewhat surprising 38% of churches said cash or checks still had the biggest positive impact on church...
Hands down, one of the toughest things Faithlife had to do this year was select a winner for the Pastor Pod. Contest submissions left us teary-eyed, prayerful, and more grateful than ever for pastors and the enormous work they do so selflessly...
An old saying goes, “A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to come unraveled.” And even though that’s true, Christians still need encouragement to pray. Here are nine sermon illustrations on prayer to help provide it. 1. How God listens From 300...
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...
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—and put a fresh start to your outreach for a new season...
Scriptures touch hearts and change lives in every area, even the touchy subject of money—specifically, tithes and offerings. So are you using Scriptures about giving in your church services? There’s no better (and quicker) way to show people why...
Great documentaries are like great stories. They capture your attention and leave you with something new—a new fact, a new image, a new appreciation or perspective. Great Christian documentaries do the same thing, and they can make a mark on your...
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...
In January 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was declared. This legal document said that all slaves were now free. But in Texas, someone kept it a secret. They didn’t tell us that we were free. So for a couple of years after the Emancipation...
Want stronger faith, bolstered biblical literacy, and closer community in your church? Digital discipleship can help! As churches have moved to more online tools for community building, mobile giving, and live streaming, church leaders are talking...
Is there a difference between a group vs. team? According to Justin Irving, the answer is yes—and it’s important for churches to know. In the following excerpt adapted from Leading Teams and Groups in Ministry, an 11-hour course from Logos...
Summertime doesn’t have to be a season that stretches your church funds. If you aren’t capitalizing on the ways people use mobile devices, including recurring giving, you’ll probably face the dreaded summer slump every year. Taking advantage of...
It’s summer. Families are traveling, attendance is sparse, but your budget hasn’t changed. How can you ward off the summer giving slump and encourage your congregation to give cheerfully so that you stay on track with your church budget? 1. Show the...
How do you do church live streaming? Or do it better? There’s a lot to think about, but don’t worry. We’ll guide you through it. Here are three down-to-earth tips from The Ultimate Guide to Church Live Streaming to get you started: Don’t try...
Every church outreach event takes some foresight to pull together, but VBS planning? That can take even more. (How does it go from the start of spring to the dead of summer in a blink?!) Here’s a handy VBS planning checklist to start you off on the...
For many churches, the pandemic caused a noticeable change in giving. Others that have still experienced fairly consistent giving are about to face a season that traditionally sees dips every year—summer. It even has a name: “the summer giving slump...
This behind-the-scenes guidance uncovers which church live streaming equipment you need, what you can't go without, and more.
This is a guest post by Peter Krol. A reader of my blog recently emailed to say, “I was never intentionally taught how to lead a Bible study, and, when the time came for me to teach others how to do it, I had no idea even where to begin.” Do you...