Rick Warren's Online Community for Pastors and Church Leaders
History of Oak Ridge Baptist Church from Oak Ridge on Vimeo.
Oak Ridge Baptist Church (ORBC) began as a community outreach on South Division Street in 1962. The church experienced some initial success but lost its way. After 25 years of plateau and decline, the church went through a near-death experience in 1998. In late 1999 the …
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By Jimmie Davidson
“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT)
As a new member of the Saddleback staff, I know I’m here because of the principle of stewardship. Saddleback …
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There are 10 million in Mexico, 100,000 (officially) in China, 700,000 in Russia, and 7 million in Nigeria. Children. Without Moms and Dads. And each one is incredibly, immensely valuable to the heart of God.
It’s quite easy to assume that this is someone else’s problem, but because I’m a Christian, it’s MY problem. If …
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One of the keys to a church’s missional success is how its members are deployed. There are two approaches—one facilitates the church’s mission; the other often frustrates it. Few in the church ever clarify this choice, but every church makes it, and every church lives with the consequences of its …
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Many Christians know that it's important to engage those in the culture around them with the message of the cross, but they often don't know how to start. It seems a little intimidating to hang out with those who aren't followers of Jesus. It's much more comfortable to do things together with Christian friends.
To start engaging those …
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By Tobin Perry
Murders had become too frequent in the south St. Louis neighborhood where August Gate church meets.
Neighbors were fed up -- including a few August Gate members who were leading a small group in the church's Tower Grove East neighborhood. When they called to ask the three-year-old Southern Baptist church plant for …
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They are the future … that is what you might expect me to say about the importance of the children and youth of your church. The reality is, they are not the future.
They are the present and they can be instrumental in encouraging your church to raise the bar and step into new ministries with excitement and energy. They have the …
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When was the last time you visited a place that billed itself as “the unfriendliest church in town?”
Me either. I don’t think I’ve ever been to one. But they’re out there in spirit if not in name. Tim Dolan reports that one of his lay ministry students found one.
As an assignment, I encouraged my students to put on their …
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I remember the first time I went to a mall. Raised in a small town in the southeastern section of Alabama, I was amazed when I went to the “big city” mall in Montgomery. All the stores were under one roof. They were new and shiny. The venture became an adventure for me.
But that was fifty years ago. Things have changed. Things have …
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This is a great reminder for pastors and church leaders, so I brought this post back from the archives. A few years ago, my friend, Broadway actor Fred Applegate, sent me these sure-fire tips for REVERSE church growth after traveling around the country and visiting quite a few houses of worship:
– Be patiently condescending to …
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