5 Reasons I’m Excited That We’re Starting Another Worship Gathering

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, Ministry, Practical Ministry, Redemption City ChurchPosted on No Comments

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Four years ago we set out to start a church that would join Jesus in building Redemption City with the gospel—a city where everyone is redeemed, every aspect of life is redeemed, because it is completely centered on the Redeemer (Rev. 21-22). We’ve given our lives to connecting people to Jesus and growing people in Jesus with the gospel. While we’ve had a lot of blessings and difficult moments, Jesus has faithfully and fruitfully advanced his work through it all.

As we prepare for the “back to school” and “back from vacation” bump in weekly attendance, we are facing a challenge we’ve never had before—we don’t have room for all the people Jesus is bringing us through your efforts! In fact, during the month of July, a month that we’ve historically seen a decrease in attendance, we have had two record attendance Sundays! On one Sunday, we literally did not have enough chairs in the building for all the people who came (thankfully some servant leaders found some without finding the fire chief!). That’s why we are excited to announce that starting on August 13th we’ll be adding another worship gathering, one at 9:00am and 10:30am!

As we approach this strategic next step, I thought I’d share five reasons why I’m excited about adding another worship gathering at Redemption City Church!

I believe it increases the chances of lost people having their lives changed by Jesus at Redemption City Church! Redemption City Church loves to introduce people to Jesus. One of the many challenges to seeing more unbelievers having their lives changed by believers has nothing to do with the gospel. It has to do with seating capacity. Studies say that people, some of whom are unbelievers, don’t want to come a worship gathering where 80% of the room is full. Most people want a chair between them and the person next to them, when it is a person they don’t know. Since we have reached our seating capacity, we have to either find a new location with more space or create more space at this location to continue to introduce more people to Jesus. With no good alternative locations, we’re creating space at our current location by adding another worship gathering. Because Jesus made room for us, we want to make room for others. Our prayer is that with more worship gathering options, more will opt! And when more opt, we pray more lives will be changed by Jesus!

I believe it improves Redemption City Church for the Redemption City Church family! Redemption City Church loves to introduce people to Jesus AND grow in Jesus. Since we have very limited space available, many people have had a hard time finding a seat. I’ve seen families eagerly searching for seats who have had to climb over a bunch of people for that one middle seat, divide their families into different sections in the space, or even go to another building for more chairs. By having more worship gathering options, we’ll have more seating options. This will take the focus off of looking for a seat and back where to it should be, on looking to Christ! It also allows great flexibility for those who have a schedule conflict with a worship gathering. Whether that is coming back in town, leaving town, going to a Titans game, or something else, more options to worship improves your ability to make needed adjustments without losing needed worship time!

I believe it will improve the Ministry Team Ministries for our volunteers! Adding another worship gathering improves the Ministry Team Ministries for our volunteers in two ways. First, serving becomes more sustainable, since two worship gatherings creates the scenario for volunteers to serve weekly AND go to a worship gathering weekly! This “Serve One, Attend One” reality creates the opportunity for those serving others to be served by others every week, those refreshing others in the gospel to be refreshed in the gospel every week. Secondly, serving becomes more strategic. Adding another worship gathering doesn’t just increase our work, it changes our work. The increased work leads to greater specialization, allowing us to let go of areas of weakness and play to our strengths! Those gifted with Kids can pour more consistently into kids. Those more gifted in worship can focus more on worship. When we play to our strengths, we advance more effectively.

I believe it will improve the Kids City ministry for kids! Since the Kids City ministry will continue during both the 9:00am and 10:00am hours, kids in the Kids City will have the opportunity to benefit from some important improvements. First, since there will be two opportunities, our class sizes will move to a more ideal size. While we’ve loved the high attendance, sometimes it felt like we didn’t give some children as great an experience in Christ as we were hoping to give them. This sweet spot allows for greater attention for each kid. Secondly, since the “Serve One Attend One” allows for a more consistent presence from Kids City Leaders, kids will be known better by their leaders, which will enable them to be helped better by their leaders!

I’m excited about adding a second worship gathering because I believe it will improve the Kids City ministry for parents! Because the “Serve One, Attend One” scenario created by two worship gatherings exists, Kids City Leaders can serve more consistently than they used too. This reality enables them to be more present in the kids lives AND the parents lives. Greater consistency will lead to greater familiarity between the leaders and parents, which will lead to greater partnership between leaders and parents!

As we approach this significant next step, I wanted to share these areas that I’m particularly excited about. I hope they excite and encourage you too. Let’s continue to be thankful for all Jesus is doing and prayerful about all we want to see him do!

Life After Your Short Term Mission Trip

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, Missions, Prayer, Southern Baptist Convention, UncategorizedPosted on No Comments

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Life after a mission trip can be difficult, especially when it was your first trip. It’s difficult to make sense of what you just saw while handling all of the responsibilities that have piled up. But with a little forethought, life after your mission trip can be a powerful, life-changing season. I’m praying that God would use these 12 insights to help you advance further, faster into the mission of Christ. In the last post, I offered up 6. Here are the remaining 6.

Remember what it’s like to meet God outside of your comfort zone – There are a lot of places mission teams go around the world. Rarely, if ever, does this list include a “comfort zone.” God’s mission pushes outside of our comfort zone. It’s important to remember that God offers his children special blessings outside of their comfort zones, not in them. This is true when you head back to “normal life.”

Remember what it felt like to be an outsider – Most mission teams feel what it is like to be an “outsider.” For many, feeling like an “outsider” is a first. We typically stay in circles where we feel like “insiders,” especially the older we get. Yet, on the mission field, we feel strange. When we go to the worship gathering or the work site, we aren’t in control, we don’t know everyone. We’re outsiders. Remembering this experience will help us do a better job following Jesus’ example and reaching the “outsiders” around us back home.

Remember what it’s like to be on guard – Mission teams know that they encounter strange situations and pressures when they decide to join Jesus on mission amongst the nations. So they put up their guard. Often times, people let their guard down when they get back to the states. Unfortunately, the Enemy often works harder to stop the kingdom momentum generated by the Spirit on these trips. Stay on guard when you’re back in “normal life.”

Remember what it’s like to be flexible – Flexibility is the name of the game on the mission field. You have to learn “to hurry and wait.” Plans change quickly and often. But most mission teams understand that God sets the agenda on the mission field, so they face their changes with expectancy, not anxiety. The same God is setting the agenda at “home.” Face your unexpected problems with expectancy, not anxiety, when you get back to “normal life.”

Remember what it’s like to be a missionary – Most mission teams are made up of people who see “missionary life” for the first time. Often times, people are both inspired by their example and encouraged by their normalcy. Missionaries aren’t the super heroes that we often make them out to be. They are regular sinners, like you and me, following Jesus in normal, grace-dependent ways. By God’s grace, you can live more like one where God’s placed you.

Remember what it’s like to be saved by grace – I’ve never met a person that followed through perfectly on their post-mission trip commitments. So many of them end up struggling from what I call, “post-mission trip guilt.” You experience this when you don’t feel like you did on the trip, don’t change like you hoped you would, or don’t _______________. Remember that you are saved by grace, not by your works. Jesus is the only one who has ever performed perfectly. So expect to be imperfect as you take new steps of faithfulness. Rest in his grace, even as you reach for more.

I hope these have been helpful. I’m sure I’ve left some off. What would you add?

Life After Your Short Term Mission Trip

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Missions, UncategorizedPosted on One Comment

igor-ovsyannykov-191182I love “mission trip meals.” Not so much for the actual food, as much fun as that can be, but to watch the way team members respond to the “exotic” meals placed before them. These meals aren’t the kind that you’ll find at Whole Foods or any other American restaurant. They are, shall we say, “unique.” Thankfully, most people find a way to show their appreciation for the great generosity being shown to them. While it’s rare for anyone to eat everything, most of us end up eating something.

As you make your way back into “normal life,” I’d like to offer you some food for thought. I’d like to serve up a few pieces of advice that might help you transition back into American life in a way that energizes you and positions you to take greater steps forward for the kingdom. Like your “mission trip meals,” I doubt anyone will take everything I offer here. But, perhaps, you’ll find one or two pieces of advice nourishing to you as you go. Here are 12 insights I think are worth remembering when reentering the States.

Remember What It’s Like To See Past “Normal Life” – When you spend time amongst people from different cultures, you realize pretty quickly that your definition of “normal” really isn’t “normal.” You don’t have to be on the go all the time, pursue more and more, care what’s happening on the internet, or be involved in ___________, to have a life of joy, hope, love, peace, and meaning.

Remember What It’s Like To Be Thankful – Most of your days on the mission field are filled with gratitude. You’re thankful for big things and small things. Often times, you’re gratitude naturally overflows into conversations where you share your thankfulness with others. Gratitude is supposed to be one of the key marks of every Christian’s life, although it’s often missing in our normal lives. If you discover it anew on the mission field, don’t let it go when you come back.

Remember What It’s Like Not To Be “Too Busy” – The slower pace of the mission field often helps us realize the hyper speed we’re accustomed too. It’s amazing how much more of life you actually see when you slow down a bit. You won’t be able to keep “mission field pace” when you return to “normal life,” but perhaps you are better equipped to slow down in life giving ways.

Remember What It’s Like To Disconnect From The Internet – Limited internet access on the mission field is steadily becoming one of its most transformative elements. After a few days of detox, people often realize they enjoy life more when they have limited internet access. When you go back to normal life, try to maintain “limited internet access” so that your life can be more of what you hope it will be.

Remember What It’s Like To Be Present – Mission trips are typically filled with people talking with others more often and more deeply than they would otherwise. The amount of time you spend with a mission team requires you to move past the surface. Some of this level of fellowship is caused by the lack of Internet access. Indeed, when we lack internet connection, we often find personal connection. There’s, of course, more to this dynamic. At the very least, remember to be like Jesus who prioritized consistent, unhurried conversations.

Remember What It’s Like To Engage With God Daily Through Bible Reading And Prayer – Most people find themselves praying and reading the Bible more on mission trips than they did before. These habits are necessary for any relationship to grow, especially one with someone you don’t “see” everyday. Remember how meaningful these moments were to you on the mission field as you get back to “normal life.”

In Part 2, I’ll offer the remaining pieces of advice. In the meantime, would you pray with me for a team that is transitioning back into “normal life”?

4 Ways Every Christian Can Join Jesus’ Evangelistic Mission

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, PrayerPosted on No Comments

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I know a lot of Christians who wish they were more evangelistic. They long for the day when they’ll experience the great joy of leading someone to Christ. They hunger to be like the Apostles and the early church who saw unbelievers from all walks of life give their lives to Christ.

The desire to be evangelistic isn’t near as rare as actually being evangelistic. I don’t know a lot of Christians who share the gospel regularly. Fewer are those who have actually led someone to Christ. And every study that I’m aware of says that my experience isn’t unique. Most Christians never share the gospel with lost people.

So what’s at the heart of our evangelism problem? Why don’t we share the gospel? Most Christians know that Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). Most know that we’re called to make disciples of all nations, a command that requires evangelism (Matt. 28-18-20). So if we don’t have a problem understanding that we should be evangelistic, what is our problem?

The reasons, no doubt, are many. Some people are probably scared of the responses they’ll get, whether that’s a fear of being made fun of, having tough questions thrown at them, or something else. Perhaps others find that they just forget to make it a priority because they’re so busy. I’ve come across a lot of Christians that simply don’t know where to start. For this last group, I’d like to offer 4 ways that every Christian can join Jesus’ mission to save the world.

Pray For The Lost Regularly – Only God is powerful enough to change our hearts. He alone is able to give life to dead hearts. That’s why evangelism starts with prayer. Ask God to save the lost people you encounter throughout your day. Ask him to show you a few lost people whose lives you should invest in. Evangelism starts with prayer because our confidence is in God not our evangelistic efforts.

Invest In The Lost Consistently – Most people need to belong in some way before they believe. They often need to get to know who you are before they’ll follow the God you worship. While it’s true that many people become Christians as a result of a gospel presentation from a stranger, most conversion stories I’m aware of include a part where a Christian has invested relationally in their lives. Together they hung out, worked out, shared meals, coached, or something else like this. Invest in the lost people in your life so that there’s a relational bridge strong enough to invite them to take a step towards Christ.

Invite The Lost Repeatedly – Christians are called by God to be an inviting people. No, that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be “nice” when unbelievers come. It means we are called actually to invite people to come toward or to Christ. When you invite an unbeliever to a meal, a worship gathering, a group, or something like this, you’re inviting them toward Christ. You’re inviting them to take a step toward Christ that isn’t exactly the same as inviting them to Christ. When you share the gospel with someone and invite him or her to trust Christ, you’re inviting him or her to Christ. Both types of invitations are significant kingdom advancement actions. The Enemy hates both types of invitations and will try to discourage every believer that attempts them. Satan wants to take one of the greatest kingdom advancing actions, a believer inviting an unbeliever towards or to Christ, and use it to discourage you. Negative responses to your invitations don’t change the fact that God loves you and celebrates every imperfect invitation you extend in his name. Keep praying, investing, and inviting.

Connect The Lost Strategically – Christians are called to be connectors. We’re called to be a part of connecting unbelievers to the family of God, the body of Christ, and the temple for the Spirit. When unbelievers respond to your invitation, whether that’s towards or to Christ, do your best to connect them relationally. If they respond to an invitation to come towards Christ and show up at your house, worship gathering, or group, connect them with those they’ll have the most in common. If they come to Christ and surrender their lives to him, connect them to potential disciplers. Every born-again Christian needs to be parented again. Don’t just worry about how you’re connecting, help others connect to Christ, his body, and his mission too.

I’ve had the privilege of leading people toward and to Christ. Without question, these moments have been some of the most exhilarating moments of my life. Even as I write this, many of their faces are running through my mind, causing tears of joy and gratitude to run down my face. I’m praying that every believer would experience the unique joy that is available to those who follow Jesus as he “seeks and saves” the lost in their city, country, and world.

When You Feel Dead On The Inside – Part 2

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Homepage SliderPosted on 3 Comments

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It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. “I feel dead on the inside.” This sentence, or some variation of it, has come up more often than I thought it would in my time as a pastor. It’s voiced by new Christians and seasoned Christians alike. I’ve said it. Somewhere along the way a person’s emotional energy, intellectual energy, spiritual energy, and of course, physical energy isn’t showing up like it once was. And most of the time people don’t see it coming. When it arrives they don’t know how it got there or how to remedy it.

So what do you do when you feel dead on the inside? What do you say to your loved ones when they feel this way? In the last post, I offered 10 diagnostic questions upon which to reflect. Here I want to offer 10 actions that, when taken, give life to the discouraged soul.

Remember Who You Are In Christ – We all suffer from occasional spiritual amnesia. Those who are feeling “dead on the inside” seem to be in an unusually intense spiritual fog. We forget we’re loved by God in Christ. We forget that we’re not on our own. We forget that nothing will take away anything that we need, either now or in eternity. That’s why it’s so important to attack your spiritual amnesia with active remembering. Remember the great truths of the gospel. Remember who you are in Christ. You’re not alone or left out. You’re a son or daughter of the King of Glory. He has great plans for you that don’t depend on you being “awesome.” Remember who you are in Christ until your heart starts to smile.

Read, Memorize, And Pray The Psalms – The factors that lead to a “deadness of the soul” are complex. Thankfully, God gave us an equally complex set of prayers in the psalms. Psalmists know what it’s like to feel like a “dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 42). They know there are times when all you can say to God is “consider my sighing and I’ll watch expectantly” (Ps 5:1-2). There are other times when we tearfully cry, “heal me Lord, for I am weak, my bones are shaking” (Ps. 6:2). Read, memorize, and pray the psalms everyday—it provides language of the human experience diverse enough to lift our complicated souls up from the dust.

Talk To Yourself, Don’t Just Listen To Yourself – No one influences you more than you. No one speaks more life or death into your mind and heart than you do. And all of us naturally speak more death than life. That’s why you have to talk to yourself, not just listen to yourself. You need to win your “inner dialogue” with the gospel (Ps 42). So tell yourself, the presence of your problems, worries, and struggles are not evidence of the absence of a glorious and gracious God who is actively working all things for your good! Tell yourself convincingly to “hope in God”!

Thank Your Way Out Of It – When you are discouraged, you tend to focus on stuff that will cause you to become more discouraged. I’ve found that thanking, rather than complaining, provides a way out of the soul deadening cycle you’re in. Thanking God is powerful because it requires you to focus your heart and mind on the evidences of God’s grace all around you. If you start your day by thanking God for 5-10 evidences of his grace, you’ll be more energized and hopeful. This thankfulness creates life-giving patterns that will help your soul get out of the ditch it’s in.

Show Your Trust In God By Handing Him Your Burdens – Most people don’t realize that they are carrying heavy, divine level burdens until they hand them to God. They don’t know how heavy the soul is burdened when we think we know what’s “best” or what “should” happen in our lives. Only God knows truly what’s best. Only knows what “should” happen in your life. Ask God to do what you think is best and then trust him to do whatever he thinks is best—no matter the outcome. If you trust him with your problems, you can be at peace in the midst of an increasing number of problems. If you trust him enough to hand him your burdens, you’ll be able to get better—even if your circumstances don’t.

Seek Influence Rather Than Control – Control is an illusion. We can’t control traffic, our health, the weather, and so much more. Only God has real control (Ps. 115:3). Control is an illusion, but influence isn’t. We can use our energy, wisdom, skills, and more to influence our circumstances in a more God-glorifying direction. When you seek influence, you do what you can to manage the moments God gives you in a direction for his glory. When you seek influence, you trust him to “do what’s best” while you obey what he’s commanded you to do. As an influencer, when problems appear in your life, you don’t have to waste energy worrying about any ruined plans. You can use that saved energy to focus on influencing everything for the better, whatever circumstances you find yourself in.

Create Some Margin In Your Life By Saying “No” – Many “burned out” people became “burned out” people because they couldn’t say, “no.” Learning to say “no” doesn’t mean you’re learning to be unkind, it means you’re learning to be human. You have limitations. Only God is limitless. You can’t be everyone’s friend. You can’t keep everyone happy. You can’t achieve everything you want to achieve. You need margin in your life. Like those plants in your garden, you need space to be fruitful. Do a little weeding in your calendar and commitments. Transition out of what needs to be transitioned out of in a way that is least destructive to the places you’ve committed. Release the chokehold on your schedule and create some margin in your life with your “no.”

Share Your Burden With Your Brothers And Sisters In Christ – One of the key ways to move from being discouraged to encouraged is by spending time around fellow Christians. God loves for his church to share their burdens and their struggles with each other. As we share our burdens and struggles with others, they instantly become lighter. As they become lighter, we find it easier to walk through our struggles. Find an encouraging brother or sister in Christ and pour your heart out to them. And don’t just look to living brothers and sisters. I’ve found that God uniquely uses Christian biographies to awaken sleeping hearts, to encourage discouraged souls. Take these steps and watch how the Spirit of God uses the body of Christ’s imperfect words and ways to accomplish his perfect purposes in your life.

Say “Yes” To More Of What Energizes You – God has designed you so that some activities energize you more than others. Find what those activities are and do more of them. Everybody has unique “energizers” that God uses to give them even more energy and life than they’d have if they didn’t do those activities. Create more time to do them. As you do, you’ll find that those actions will increase your spiritual and emotional energy. Give more time to doing what you love to do and watch what it does to your heart.

Make a Physical Change – There is a significant connection between our spiritual life and our physical life. So part of improving your spiritual life is improving your physical life. I’ve found that physical changes help my spiritual and emotional condition. I think you will too. So get to sleep earlier. Exercise more often. Take your meds if you’re on them. Make sure your diet is more of what it should be. Often times a big part of encouraging your soul includes making a small, easy physical adjustments.

Everybody struggles. Unfortunately, not everybody struggles well. That’s why I’ve found that the previous post’s diagnostic questions and this post’s prescriptions can do a lot of good for the weary, even the “dead on the inside,” heart.

When You Feel Dead On The Inside – Part 1

by Jed CoppengerChristian livingPosted on 9 Comments

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It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. In fact, it was something I’d been told quite a bit as a pastor. “I feel dead on the inside.” It’s voiced by new Christians and seasoned Christians alike. I’ve said it a surprising amount of times. You don’t see it coming typically. It seems to just happen. The energy-intellectual, emotional, spiritual, or physical-isn’t there like it used to be.

So what do you do when you feel dead on the inside? What do you say to your loved ones when they feel this way? I’ve found that people who reflect on the following 10 diagnostic questions find the life and energy they’ve been missing more quickly and deeply than those that don’t. The way you answer these questions will determine what steps you need to take next.

How Life-Giving Is Your Devotional Life? Every Christian goes through seasons where their devotional life is incredibly life-giving and seasons where it’s a bit dry. In a dry season, you open the Bible or start to pray, but nothing seems to happen. You don’t leave more encouraged and aware of God’s gracious purposes for you and presence with you today. You don’t walk away with a humble confidence as you face your problem filled day. Unfortunately, you feel just like you did before—weary. When a dry devotional life becomes the norm, burnout is typically not far ahead.

How Often Are You Asking God For Help? Every Christian knows that they should pray, but most don’t. As they find themselves feeling more and more discouraged, rarely do they ask God for help more and more. It’s weird that when many people feel their greatest need for help, when they feel their weakest, they don’t ask for help. Is any of this true of you? If you aren’t asking for help from God, then you’re not accessing all of the resources available to you. If you aren’t accessing the divine resources available to you, then you’re looking for divine help from people and places that aren’t able to provide it—including yourself. Be on the lookout for a lack of prayerfulness as you diagnose your struggle.

How Much “New” Are You Facing? It always takes more energy to start something new than it does to do what you’ve always done. It could be a new job, a new project, a new schedule, new city, new relationship, or anything else that takes you out of your comfort zone. Too much “new” at one time raises your chances for burnout.

How Wisely Are You Managing Your Energy? Everything you do takes energy, but some projects take more energy than they should. There are places that you spend your energy that actually give energy back, energizing you. There are other areas that you have to use your energy that don’t energize you. In fact, they take disproportionate amount of energy. We all have to work on projects that don’t energize us, but you can’t do it too long without facing some serious problems.

How Much Are You Worrying? One of the greatest ways to put a choke hold on your soul is to worry. While worry can indicate that you care, it can also be evidence that you don’t trust God. In order to worry, you have to believe that you know what’s best. Worry happens when human beings try to act like divine beings without divine abilities. You think you know what “should” happen in this conversation, on that project, with this problem, and all the rest—but you don’t have the ability to make it happen. The longer you believe in your “I know what’s best for me now and in the future” enough to worry, the more you will increase the possibility of burnout.

How High Are Your Expectations For The People And Projects In Your Life? The higher your expectations are for the people and projects in your life, the greater your potential for disappointment. Disappointment often comes simply from unmet unrealistic expectations that are put on people and projects. Beware of setting divine sized expectations on human sized people and projects or you’ll end up burning yourself out while blaming others.

How Much Time Is Spent In False Refuges? When the world seems overwhelming, you will look for refuge. These refuges aren’t physical. These are places where you take your mind and heart for relief and life. Some of you will look for refuge in a screen, others in drugs and alcohol, or perhaps in some routine. Whatever the refuge—and there are many more—it’s important to realize that there’s no life in them. The more you look for a life-giving refuge in the places and people that can’t provide it, the closer you’ll get to burnout.

How Wise Has My Stewardship Been of My Body? – Christians often overlook the importance of taking care of their bodies. When you’re down in the dumps, many times there are negative physical factors at play. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting enough exercise? Are you eating well? If you’re on medication, have you been taking it? There are a lot of complicated aspects to living life, but this isn’t one of them. If you don’t take care of your body, you’ll increase your chances for discouragement and burnout.

How Are You Using Your Words? Your words are a good indicator of where your heart is and we’re it’s headed. They’re a good indicator of what you’re dwelling on and will be dwelling on. If you are criticizing people consistently, you’re heart is probably in a bad place and will stay in a bad place. Sure, we live in a broken world with broken people. There’s a lot of stuff to criticize. It’s easy for the cynical and almost burned out to criticize. It comes natural. Constructing and encouraging comes form a heart that has life in it. Beware of the ways your words are revealing and leading your heart.

How Often Are You Gathering With God’s People? Everybody knows that worship attendance is down. Many people talk about gathering with God’s people for worship like it’s not designed by God to be a unique part of their spiritual growth. I don’t think God sees it this way. There is something mysteriously glorious that happens when God’s people gather to lift up the name of Christ. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that while worship attendance is down, burnout and weariness is up. Sure, there are other factors. But it’s biblically naïve to argue that this isn’t a key factor. Don’t neglect the regular means of grace without expecting a negative impact on your heart’s health.

These diagnostic questions aren’t the end of the restorative journey, they’re the beginning. In order to take those next steps, I’ve found several habits helpful that I’ll share in the next post.