One of the more concerning trends in North American churches is the increasing length of time it takes churches to call a pastor. Thom and Sam give both cultural and demographic realities for this trend.
1. Few churches are setting goals to find a pastor within a year (and reverse engineering the process).
2. The culture of many churches in the pastor search process is antiquated and inefficient.
3. Demographic challenges are real: the “supply” of candidates is decreasing.
4. Many churches think they can compensate full-time pastors when they can’t.
5. Expectations of churches are often unrealistic.
Resources
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The Parent’s Guides to Finding True Identity bundle is for parents wondering what influences their teens today and how to guide them to be the best versions of themselves using biblical wisdom and engaging discussion questions. Each of these five booklets focuses on a different area of identity formation:
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- A Parent’s Guide to Teen Identity digs deep into the lies our culture tells Gen Z about their identities and worth, offers steps to uncover false beliefs, and gives practical tips to guide teens toward their true selves.
- A Parent’s Guide to LGBTQ+ and Your Teen gives parents the vocabulary to discuss this hot-button topic with compassion and provides biblical wisdom concerning sexuality.
- A Parent’s Guide to Body Positivity gives valuable insight into the body positivity movement—how it began, its pros and cons, and why it deeply influences teen mental health.
- A Parent’s Guide to Eating Disorders gives a solid overview of the types of eating disorders, what causes them, how and when to seek professional help, and strategies to discuss them with compassion.
- A Parent’s Guide to Fear and Worry offers reasons why today’s teens are so overwhelmed by fear and worry, offers tips to console them, and gives encouraging Bible verses to find peace.
