Archive for Transition

Decision Making Process: Part 4 – The Decision-Making ‘Exit Ramp’

by Tim Woodroof –  On a freeway, most exit ramps look the same. A sign gives you warning an exit is available in one mile. A right-hand lane allows you to slow as you turn onto the exit ramp. The ramp banks gently away from the freeway and towards an intersection with some lesser road. You […]

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Decision Making Process: Part 3 – The Decision-Making ‘Freeway’

by Tim Woodroof –  Nothing beats an interstate freeway for moving quickly and efficiently from Point A to Point B. But there are obvious challenges involved with freeway travel. You have to build the infrastructure—a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. You should establish some “rules of the road”: how fast (or slow) drivers should go … which […]

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Decision Making Process: Part 2 – The Decision-Making ‘On Ramp’

by Tim Woodroof – The decision-making model used by church leaders can be vague or clear, unrestricted or structured, informal or fixed. To borrow the metaphor from the previous blog, leaders can move towards a decision by taking the “scenic route” or using the “freeway.” Each has its strengths and weaknesses. But the larger a leadership […]

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The Graying of our Churches (part 2)

by Tim Woodroof [Interim Ministry Partners (IMP) has the privilege of working intensively with churches across the country—more than seventy-five congregations in the last few years. As a result of our work, IMP is strategically (perhaps uniquely) positioned to observe churches in a wide variety of circumstances and draw out some common themes. This blog […]

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Observations on Churches of Christ – The Graying of our Churches

by Tim Woodroof –   Interim Ministry Partners (IMP) has the privilege of working intensively with churches across the country—more than seventy-five congregations in the last few years. As a result of our work, IMP is strategically (perhaps uniquely) positioned to observe churches in a wide variety of circumstances and draw out some common themes. […]

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Ancient Wisdom, Today’s Grace: Singing the Jesus Song

by Phil Ware     Critical Moments Fragile. Vulnerable. And, threatened! The precious young church in Philippi was fragile, vulnerable and threatened. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, had been essential in evangelizing and leading many of their new believers to Jesus. Now, however, they were at odds. The stain and strain of their disagreement was permeating […]

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Hearing God’s Call for Your Church (part 1) – The General Call

By Tim Woodroof –  Do you believe God still “calls” people and congregations to accomplish his kingdom business? Like he called Moses and Israel to find the Promised Land? Like Jesus called Peter and the other Apostles to follow him? Like Paul and the Antioch Church was called to reach the Gentiles? The whole idea […]

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A User Friendly Church (part 4) – The Stranger

by Tim Woodroof –  Life was precarious in ancient times. Violence, famine, and plague lurked around every corner. Failed crops and marauding armies threatened ruin for all but the wealthiest few. A careless word, a simple lack of attention, could spell disaster. This was especially true for the “stranger.” A long way from the safety of […]

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What Time Is It At Your Church? (part 3) – Time To Re-Prime?

by Phil Ware – I was recently asked, “Why do so few churches regain their former glory once they realize they are past their prime?” The answer to that question is as simple as it is harsh: nostalgia. Many people seem to believe that the only way for a church to regain its former glory is […]

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What Time is it at Your Church? (part 2) – Bill Knapp’s Keeps Me Up at Night

by Mark Frost  – Author’s Note: As part of our series on the seasons of a church’s life, I’d like to offer the following piece that I wrote in 2007, when I was preaching for the Church of Christ in Trenton, Michigan. It describes the dilemma a church faces when it wakes up to realize […]

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