Center of Hope Church

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

What does Jesus think about Homosexuality?

Is homosexuality a sin? It’s an age-old question, and there are people on both sides of the debate, each quoting their Bibles. How do we know who’s right? What would Jesus do if he were…

Shut down the bus tours: What older church members should really be doing

So how do you engage older church attendees… say people over age 50? The question’s been around a long time. And, as most church leaders could tell you, it’s a bit of a loaded question. It’s also a question I’m...Read More→

Single mums finding acceptance in church

The days of castigating unmarried women with kids are ending

What You Need to Know Before Joining a Church

Before we attend a church, we should know that it is a legitimate church. Now, obviously, if the sign on the front of the church reads “Church of Satan,” we know it isn’t a legitimate body of Christian believers.

How Pastors Accidentally Ruin Their Church

It wasn’t on purpose. They never meant any harm to come. But they sat and watched as the church they loved crumbled.

How can a church learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit?

Learn our seven dynamics we use to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, summarized from the Book "Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit"

The Joy of God in Us: Why the Spirit Produces Happiness

Why is the Holy Spirit so often connected to joy in Scripture? Because he is the Joy at the center of reality.

Being Church: Reflections on How to Live as the People of God

What modern church doesn’t call itself a “community”? Yet for how many is it real? How many churches form disciples intimately connected enough to call themselves Christ’s “body”? How many churches form disciples who know the relational arts that create a robust unity? How many form disciples practiced in the ways of sacrificial love?

Is God Really Good?

I once overheard a conversation between two moms in a church parking lot. One asked the other about her son who had been seriously ill. The mother of the boy r

The Church: A Dwelling Place for God

If you’ve ever traveled crossculturally, you likely know what it’s like to feel displaced—to not speak the language, to be confused by the cultural norms.

When Pastors and Churches Pray, God Moves

If you're a pastor, you should certainly be striving for greater excellence as a communicator, as a leader, and as an organizer. You need a vision. You nee

Does God Want Your Church to Grow? Yes, But...

Does God desire for your church to grow? The short and simple answer is “yes.” We can make this deduction from the fact that God has called us to make disc

They Tried to Start a Church Without God. For a While, It Worked.

Secular organizers started their own congregations. But to succeed, they need to do a better job of imitating religion.

Does God Care if I Don't Go to Church?

While failing to attend church will not send a Christian to hell, it is not what God intended for His people.

3 Signs God Is on the Move in Your Church

How Do I Engage God in Worship Daily?

When asked how to engage God in worship, two words come to mind. Attention and Intention. Giving God our attention and setting our intentions on Him in all that we do. The question is what is the object of our worship?

What names can we use for God?

Why should the kids at my church care about pursuing God?

I don’t have all the answers, but I have a few ideas.