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CMN Launch is a training event designed for church planters. An experienced team of dynamic presenters will cover topics such as how nurture a healthy marriage and family, effective marketing strategies, developing a budget, designing a ministry plan and strategy, the power of prayer in ministry and much more. You will learn alongside other church…

I once heard two deacons at the First Assembly of God church argue about which one knew the most about the Bible. One of the men said, “I bet you ten dollars you can’t even say the Lord’s Prayer.” The other responded, “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul…

There is a familiar description in the context of clothing – ‘one size fits all.’ The basic idea behind this expression is that there is product or approach that is intended to be suitable for everyone or every purpose. While this may be true in a few cases, generally it often means ‘one size fits…

As I spoke with a friend about trying to negotiate and acknowledge my feelings, joys, and how I chose to numb the pain, a friend invited me to start reading The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser. He was hooked based on the quote by Henri Nouwen in the introduction:  …

In our neighborhood, the new year begins with exciting celebrations featuring explosions and fireworks and sometimes loud gatherings.  But after the sun rises, the decibels in life tend to remain at that same level – loud, distracting, and taking over the space that I need to be filled with the peace of God.  To counteract…

I recently attended the Church Planting Directors Summit, an annual event where 41 of 66 Districts/Networks were represented. Attendees learned that across the USA, there are many places where the rate of churches closing or merging, has outpaced the opening of new churches, and the net result is fewer churches. In 2019, we had 190…

As we start the new year, many will ask, where did the time go? What happened to this past year? How can I make the most of my time this coming year? The answer to this final question lies in another question. Who’s the owner of your time? The secret of good time management is…

Recently, that renowned theologian from mythical Lake Wobegon, caught my attention.  Garrison Keillor muses  “If you can’t go to church and briefly move from this life to the next, then why should you go to church? Just a brief moment of transcendence can cause you to leave that church a changed person.”  Keillor’s off -handed…

Are you thinking about church planting? One of the first questions potential planters and parent church pastors ask is, ‘How long does it take to plant a church?’ The Church Multiplication Network has created a concise 18-step process. These steps are not a quick checklist but reflect best practices for planting. These steps could take…

From the year of my birth came the creation of a popular song by Johnny Mercer.  It was taken from a French melody, “Les Feuilles Mortes,” or “the Dead Leaves.”  Mercer turned it into the hit song, best known from Nat King Cole’s recording, “The Autumn Leaves.”  A mere bit of historical music trivia?  I…