Posts in church

One on One Bible Reading: Weaving into Church Culture (Model #3)

One-to-one Bible reading is not a ministry or program, but a simple, relational, and powerful tool that can be injected into the ministries of a church. Far from growing your church’s to-do list, one-to-one Bible reading can help a church’s ministries refocus their attention upon discipleship and fuel that mission by empowering its volunteers. Here are three examples of how ministry leaders have refocused and fueled discipleship in their ministries by injecting one-to-one Bible reading.

churchBen RuhlJune 17, 2023Discipleship, Bible ReadingComment

One on One Bible Reading: Weaving into Church Culture (Model #2)

The task of shepherding eternal souls is weighty, therefore those involved in ministry must take their preparation seriously.

churchBen RuhlMay 15, 2023Discipleship, Bible ReadingComment

One on One Bible Reading: Weaving into Church Culture (Model #1)

In their book, The Vine Project, Tony Payne & Colin Marshall explain that “[Culture is] a way of summarizing the whole way you do things, the multifaceted web of […] beliefs and practices, formal & informal, that make up who you are and how you roll.” That means that any group of people, whether an ethnic community, a family, an office, or a team, that has a collection of shared beliefs and practices that seem normal to them, has a culture.

churchBen RuhlApril 6, 2023Discipleship, Bible ReadingComment

Feb 11, 2024

The Death of Death: A review of John Owen's perspective on the Atonement

John Owen came from Welsh descent, was educated at Queens College, and became a renowned Puritan theologian, Oxford professor, and passionate pastor who lived from 1616 to 1683. In 1647, he wrote the exhaustive treatise The Death of Death defending Limited or Definite Atonement against the Arminian view of Universal Atonement or Unlimited Atonement.

Apr 6, 2023

Fusion: Exploring Biblical Ecclesiology and How to Connect Guests (Part I)

I started reading Fusion to help think through the church’s responsibility toward guests and how to execute that responsibility faithfully. Like many of you, I have been to churches that greet newcomers obnoxiously, and then others where I have wondered if anyone even noticed I was present. Certainly, there is a biblically faithful practice somewhere between seeker-sensitive and religious exclusive that is rooted in orthodox ecclesiology. Unfortunately, this logic appears absent in Fusion.

Jan 20, 2023

Clever: A Book Review about Secular Leadership Principles for the Church

Clever people are highly talented individuals with the potential to create disproportionate amounts of value from the resources that the organization makes available to them.

Nov 9, 2022

Church Planting 301: Increasing Commitment

If you’ve been in church leadership before, you’ve probably experienced difficulty getting people to commit to the church. In today’s church culture, it’s tough getting most church members to show up on a regular basis—not to mention engaging at another time during the week. Tact on asking them to serve in a meaningful way that contributes toward the fulfillment of the mission? That’s an altogether ‘other’ level of exasperation.

Oct 15, 2022

Living Mission Focused

"What's your mission today?"

How would you respond if I asked you this one question?

Perhaps many of us would respond with something about our to-do list or required tasks for the day. Maybe the mission is something on our work schedule or one big thing on the agenda that if we could just get it done, the day will be labeled a success and we'll have accomplished our mission.

Sep 18, 2022

The Dwelling Place of God is with Man

"Don't miss the forest for the trees." I've heard this expression at various points and in different contexts when I get too bogged down by details. When it comes to reading the scriptures, it can be good to get lost in the trees, taking a deep dive into concepts and word studies for a more thorough understanding. Albeit important, we can sometimes become singularly focused that we miss out on the grandeur of the entire forest. When we step back to see the big picture, we unlock even greater heights of love and awe for our God and His amazing plan.

One On One Bible Reading

BEN RUHL - ONE ON ONE DISCIPLESHIP, PASTORAL MINISTRY, AND PREACHING

Marks of a Discpile is an online community where christians are encouraged and challenged to…

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