Articles: Connect

Adult Resource Consultant, Tom Bougher, discusses 10 questions to ask about your small group ministry.

View the archive of Tom Bougher's webinar, Connect More!

Looking to promote Acts 2 in your church? Here are some logos to help you out.

Wes Bartel interviews Jim Hall about evangelism, the Harvester's Handbook, and One Plants One Discipleship.

Article By Randall Neighbours - Author of The Naked Truth about Small Group Ministry

As you build a church that follows The Acts 2 Process, you will realize that connection is vital to keep process focused on three key areas: relationships, environments, and vision casting.

by Pcom Pete

Developing relationships among a group of strangers can be incredibly difficult. But here's the good news! As they spend more and more time together, your group members will feel more comfortable sharing their lives with one another.

by Thom and Joani Schultz

What do friends do? They like to eat together. "Let's do lunch." "Let's go out for dinner." "Let's meet for breakfast." "Let's have coffee."

Eating together is a natural and effective avenue for building friendships.

By Carey Huffman

My 4-year-old daughter loves to quote Scripture. But reciting, “I can do all things …” is one thing; actually facing the dark is another. She’ll even remind herself “Children obey your parents,” as she proceeds to ignore my instructions. Perhaps such behavior is understandable with little children. But there is a similar detachment of faith from behavior in society...

An ancient question is new again for 21st-century Christians.

by Marlyn B. DeFoggi

When Pastor Wendel Cover steps into his pulpit on Sunday mornings, he greets worshippers from 70 different nations. "Years ago it would have been unusual to have one or two internationals in a congregation," he said. "But today, it [a multi-national congregation] is the norm for us." Word of Life Assembly, Springfield, Virginia, opens wide its doors to people of all races, cultures, and backgrounds who worship and serve together.

The Classroom of the Twenty-First Century

It seems strange that a community could come to dread a day of the week but that happened in Gloucester, England in the eighteenth century. Instead of inspiration and rest, Sunday became a day of dread for much of the population.

God’s Word is absolutely relevant to the lives of teenagers. Their perception of that, however, depends on how we deliver the truth. Your best way of doing this is to build a bridge of relationship.

The difference between a good class and a great one often is determined by one feature: discussion. We know students learn most effectively when they are actively involved. We know quality interaction draws students together, making their class a home rather than just a house.

In the classic film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, a prosperous white couple faced the prospect of meeting their daughter’s black fiancé and his family for the first time. Suddenly confronted by this drastic change in their lives and faced with a new reality, they were forced to choose between their values and their fears–the security of their past and the risks of the future.

For many young families, a summer ideal is spending time in the sun, creating memories, and relaxing with one another. Limited time and money sometimes turn that ideal into a dream, rather than reality.

If we are to turn the world upside down for Christ, then we must first turn the church inside out. In other words, to fulfill its mission, the local church and the Sunday School must look beyond its walls and into its community. The responsibility for world outreach begins here, with an obligation to win the lost to Christ and to minister to each member of the community.

Dave A. Goetz of Leadership magazine lists multigenerational emphasis as one of the top 10 trends in the church world. He quotes Lyle Schaller, who said of this trend, "The only agreement among generations in the church can be captured in the statement, ’I want to leave more hopeful than I came.’ Worship styles, theology, technology—all divide. Churches that do well unite around a common cause. Too often, though, to try to make everyone happy, many churches unite around, ’Let’s take care of each other.’"

A question haunts many conscientious leaders. Although many people make commitments to Christ, few seem to remain. Their new birth often proves to be more of a stillbirth. How can we reduce the number of stillbirths and lead newborn Christians into meaningful relationships with the Lord and the church? Scripture is clear that we are to make disciples, not just decisions.

Admiral Perry planted the American flag at the North Pole. To accomplish this feat, he employed a dog sled, three Eskimos, and an African-American named Matthew Henson. Years later Congress awarded Henson a medal for being part of the expedition. The medal’s inscription expressed Admiral Perry’s reason for selecting Henson to be part of the team: "I can’t get along without him."

The church and the Sunday school are vital to reaching and keeping people. The pastor’s class for newcomers is one strategy we cannot get along without if we want to reach and keep people.

by Billie Davis

A sad dark face seemed to accuse me as I opened my morning paper. "Tears rolled from the eyes of the African-American teen," the front-page story began. She had found ugly racial words scrawled on her art-class project. The article called black/white relations in the school a "racial divide," and asked, "What can we do to bridge it?"

Some know him as the legal counsel for the Assemblies of God. Others, as a graduate of Harvard Law School. Some know him as an expert on tax law or the author of 40 books. In Springfield, Missouri, a group of fourth-grade boys know him as their Sunday School teacher. Richard has made a long-term (read 17-year) commitment to discipling boys so they will know and live by God's Word. Each week via e-mail, Richard updates parents about their sons' Bible lesson. Enjoy this sample.

a quick guide to becoming a good storyteller

by Leroy R. Bartel

(PDF) by Dr. Debbie Gill

Jesus’ New Kind of Teaching—with Authority that amazed the people, penetrates ones character and spreads like a contagion; this New Kind of Teaching—with Authority not only may be reproduced, but must be reproduced, over and over again; This New Kind of Teaching—with Authority is called discipleship.

by Dr. Debbie Gill.

(Download includes PowerPoint, Teaching Notes, Student Notes, and Answer Key)

(Download includes PowerPoint and Teaching Notes), and watch video by Dr. Debbie Gill

by Dr. Debbie Gill

by Stephen Lim

Flawed ministry paradigms sabotage the church’s efforts at disciple making. Consider this approach that is sure to improve the quality of disciple making in your church.

by Greg Ogden

Here is a simple, reproducible way to grow disciples that will forever change your practice of ministry and leave your church with self-initiating, reproducing disciples of Christ.

by Pablo Polischuck

Here are six concrete guidelines that form the ingredients of an integrated, caring, and loving congregation.

by Michael J. Wilkins

Consider these essential features of biblical discipleship that must characterize our attempts to develop a disciple-making ministry.

A program for introducing the basics of Christianity to those interested.

Recently, my family and I moved to a country in which Christians are a minority. After a dozen years as a pastor and a church planter, I now find myself in the position of being a prospect for people of other faiths. Friends and strangers regularly try to convert me to the major religion of our community. Being on the receiving end of their efforts has given me a new perspective. Here are a few things I wish I could communicate to those who have evangelized me—and some questions I've begun to ask myself as a result.

by Charles Arn

Nearly every pastor can testify that not all decisions result in disciples and responsible church members.

by Wes Bartel

What should an effective discipleship ministry look like in the 21st century? There are at least four necessary ingredients needed to create an effective Sunday School or Christian education ministry.

Interview with Henry Blackaby

Read what the author of Experiencing God has to say about how walking in an intimate relationship with God impacts the pastor’s life and ministry.

by Becky Brodin

Asking questions is often the best way to connect with a non-Christian.

by Earl G. Creps

Three shifts to reunderstand the challenge of discipling those who are navigating the postmodern turn.

by Brett Eastman

Principles that have unlocked amazing growth and community outreach for church after church can happen in your church too.

by L. Alton Garrison

Misconceptions hamper the future of missions in America. But there are ways church leaders can overcome them and stand together for national revival.

by Lynn Hallimore

How a small group of Christians built bridges on their block.

by Bob Jacks

All you need to reach the people around you with the Good News is a living room, a few paperback Bibles, and faith.

By Beth J. Lueders

Four evangelistic small groups that are fruitful and fun

by Dennis McCallum

How to build bridges to people who believe that truth is different for everyone.

By Major Denise McGarvey

by Steve Mills

by Dary Northrop

The principle of Christ’s love transformed this church’s entire approach to ministry.

by Steve Pike

While church planting in Utah, Steve Pike, the Director of Church Planting for the Assemblies of God U. S. Missions, used these stages for discipling the unchurched and pre-converts of his community. Also available is a portion of BootCamp training material, How Will We Do It? , which Steve provides to introduce the concept of the discipleship pathway. If you would like more information about this concept please contact Steve at spike@ag.org

by Dr. Thomas S. Rainer

Their seven most common responses about the churched.

By Dr. Thomas Rainer

Understanding their hearts and mind

by Randy D. Raysbrook

Evangelism can be as natural as conversation.

by Stephen W. Sorenson

Here are some easy, practical ways to get to know the people who live around you.

by Charles Gallaudet Trumbull

This article offers us timeless help in answering these questions: What should I be thinking about when I am trying to help a nonChristian become a believer? How can I develop tact in speaking about Christ? What do I say about sinful habits in a nonChristian’s lifestyle? How can I help him be interested in my message?