Eight Coaching Points for First-Year Church Planters
By Dr. Matt Kendrick
I wish I could have read this article one year ago! We began planting Redemption City Church in Fort Worth, Texas, one year ago, and I want to share a few things I learned in my…
Six Reasons Operation Christmas Child Should be a Part of the Strategy of the Church You Serve
By Dr. Jeremy Roberts
Recently, I walked through Hobby Lobby, and Christmas décor is already in some of their aisles. It is barely fall, but they’re getting ready for Christmas. All of us in local church ministry need to start …
Why the Church Should Be on the Frontlines of the Mental Health Crisis
By Dr. Jack Graham
We live in an incredibly anxious and depressed culture here in America, and the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest and divisive politics have further exacerbated this issue. According to a 2020 report from Mental Health America, more …
When All Seems Lost
By Keith Baldridge
I had just returned home to Denver after a long fundraising trip to a partner church in Dallas. As I walked through my front door – luggage still in hand – my phone rang insistently. I initially
A Message to Ministry Wives
By Tasha Calvert
It was wrong, and the Lord has since forgiven me, but I vowed from an early age not to marry a man in ministry. Almost every man I loved while growing up was in ministry – my …
Five Things Pastors Should Do after Easter
By Dr. Jeremy Roberts
After 13 years of being a senior pastor, I can relate to you when it comes to the post-Easter fog that lingers. Now is a good time to think about some intentional things to do as …
Do We Still Need a Shepherd in These Modern Times?
by Dr. Jack Graham
Sheep are funny creatures. They’re sociable, but they’re also liable to wander off. They remember things, but they also roll over on their backs and can’t get up without assistance.
That’s why they need a shepherd.…
Easter Sermons
By Dr. Jack Graham
Easter is almost here! God uses Easter Services every year to touch hearts of those who are not normally in church. With that fact in mind, we know that preparation for the Easter sermon is often …
Loving and Serving Volunteers
by Shawn Callander
As a church leader, you know, no doubt, how critical volunteers are to a church’s ministry. Let’s face it – no church could fulfill the mission to impact neighborhoods and cities with the Gospel without volunteers sacrificially
The Importance of Corporate Worship
by Kaleb Moore
Do you remember what life was like before a global shutdown? I know it wasn’t that long ago, but my memory is getting foggier and foggier. I have a tendency to romanticize the recent past and drift …
Two Keys to Withstanding Any Storm in 2021
By Dr. Jack Graham
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Whether you do or not, January is the perfect moment to pause and consider how to lay strong foundations for the year ahead … especially when it comes to
Engaging Young Families
by Tim Matthews
“How can our church reach more young families?” This is a very common question that almost every church in America is asking itself. Why are they asking this question? Because “young families” is a demographic that is …
Investing in the Future: Raising Up the Next Generation of Leaders
By Jack Raymond
I am passionate about God’s Church and the future of His Church. Now, I could start this article with countless statistics on how the next generation is more and more disengaged and uninvolved with Christianity and with …
JHigh Ministry
by Bryant Forshee
“God bless you” and “I could never do that” are the two standard responses I receive from people who hear that I have the privilege to serve as a junior high pastor. “JHigh” ministry can have many …
Prestonwood Sports Organization
by Jamie Wilder
In my experience, for a parent to wake, feed, dress and get the kids excited to arrive at church by 8:00 a.m. is an act that only the Holy Spirit can make happen. (You may just get …
Important Network Update and Announcement
By Prestonwood Network Staff
We have a very important announcement and video from Dr. Jack Graham and Dr. Jarrett Stephens. Please take two minutes to watch below.…
Parents and guardians: Online School and the Dangers of Media Consumption
By Dr. Jack Graham
Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), school systems and private schools throughout…
Pastoral Care 101
by Phil Sallee
Remember when God called you to be a pastor, and you said yes? From the first day you became a pastor, you learned that one of the duties that would occupy the largest share of your time …
Spotlight Interview: Brandon Bowers
Prestonwood Network: How did God call and lead you to plant Awaken Church?
Brandon Bowers: I grew up in South Carolina and went to the College of Charleston. There I met my future wife, who actually led me to the …
Identifying & Reaching Gen Z Preteens
by Matt Rucker
Ministry leaders, Psalm 48:13–14 instructs us to walk in the presence of God so that we may tell the next generation that God is their eternal guide. Whatever generation you may identify with, Generation Z (Gen Z) …
Evangelism
by Anthony Vargas
I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I had just left work, and as I pulled into my apartment complex, I noticed some teenagers playing basketball. I decided this would be a great way to …
Dr. Jack Graham on Election 2020
By Dr. Jack Graham
Election season is here, and Dr. Jack Graham wants to share with you his heart and his prayer for the 2020 election.…
Three Steps to Help You Battle Anxiety and Depression during COVID-19
by Dr. Jack Graham
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought fear, chaos, grief and isolation into our …
Training Teachers: The Ministry of “Change”
by Dr. Jason W. Snyder
American educator John Milton Gregory is quoted as saying, “Many teachers go to their work either partly prepared or wholly unprepared. They are like messengers without a message. They lack entirely the power and enthusiasm …
Loving Senior Adults from a Distance
By Alan Moore
Perhaps you are familiar with this quote from an unknown author: “If you think missing me is hard, you should try missing you.” This sounds like something the A.A. Milne character Eeyore would say, doesn’t it? One …
Our One True God
by Tasha Calvert
If we had been given even a 15-second glimpse last year of what we’re experiencing now – walking through a grocery store, boarding a flight, or even attending a church service – it’s hard to …
Ministering to Special Needs Families
By Nichole Huggins
When the pew meets the pavement, what does it look like for your church to engage in outreach, missions and the work of serving others well? Sadly, even with our best efforts to reach all people with …
Spotlight Interview: Matt Schoolfield
By Prestonwood Network Staff
Prestonwood Network: COVID-19 has changed so much regarding ministry and pastoring these past few months. What have been a few key lessons that you, as a pastor, have learned and applied these last several months?
Matt …
Leading Through Crisis
By Dr. Jack Graham
Leadership is a privilege. It can be challenging, especially in these times of crisis. But it is when we are in the crucible that true leadership is revealed.
Crises can take different forms. …
The Pastor and Spiritual Formation
By Dr. Jason Snyder
Recently I’ve noticed a common thread permeating the newly released titles in Christian publishing, popular pastor podcasts, conference-speaker keynotes, and the like … the topic of “burnout in ministry.” And why? What might be missing from …
Spotlight Interview: Logan Dagley
By Prestonwood Network Staff
Prestonwood Network: How did God call and lead you to pastor Park Slope Community Church?
Logan Dagley: I was born in the Northeast, but gave my life to Christ in North Carolina as a teenager. Since …
7 Ways to Improve Your Online Campus Ministry
By Jack Raymond
These are truly historic times. Sports events are shut down. Schools are closed. Travel is severely limited. And for us as church leaders, church now looks completely different than normal.…
Why We Worship
By Tyler Gilliland
Anytime I think back to my childhood, my thoughts always include a church. I’m sure this would happen for most PKs (pastor’s kids) because I think we can all agree that we lived in the church halls. …
Know Your Why
By Lance Millsaps
Prior to my call to ministry, I was a teacher and a basketball coach. I absolutely love basketball, especially coaching it. The strategy of the game, X’s and O’s, and the pressure moments within the game are …
Career Transitions Ministry
by Ron Kelley
It’s inevitable that you will have church members finding themselves in the midst of career transition. Studies show that throughout the past 20 years, more than 280 million workers have changed jobs, and more than 40 million …
Ministering to the Divorced
by Jonathan Adkins
Alex enters through the front doors of the church across from her neighborhood. She and her 4-year-old son are visiting for the first time, and she is nervous about how she will be received by the ministerial …
Why Girls’ Ministry Matters
by Steph Williford
Is working with teenage girls as scary as you think it is? No … it’s scarier. This current generation of teenage girls faces more pressures in one day than we can even begin to imagine. They are …
How to Serve a Community When They Don’t Look Like You
by Jonathan Fechner
There’s an old proverb that says “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” While this statement is true, it presumes …
Communicating God’s Vision
By Dr. Jack Graham
There are countless leadership books being written and published every day, but the greatest leadership book is the Bible. After all, as Christians, we model our leadership and our lives after Jesus and His leadership.…
10 Principles to Lead Right Where You Are
By Jarrett Stephens
I love the Prestonwood Network, and I am always grateful to contribute to it in any way that I can. What I want to share with you today is not rocket science. For many of you, these …
Building Teams that Serve
By Bryan Bailey
Every church seems to have the same problem: No matter what size the church, the needs always feel as though they outweigh the resources. People and money – we never have enough. Yet, somehow, we still have …
Spotlight Interview: Jonah Easley
By Prestonwood Network Staff
Prestonwood Network: Can you share with us how God called you and your family to plant and pastor in the Seattle area?
Jonah Easley: After living in the Pacific Northwest for two and half years, we …
The “Secrets” to 20 Years of Marriage
By Roscoe Lilly
Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary! How in the world can that be? In some ways, it feels as if it were yesterday that we said, “I do,” and in other ways, …
Why Preaching Still Matters in a Digital World
By Phil Cooke
When I started working in television, preachers and preaching were about the only thing on Christian TV. My first boss in the business, Oral Roberts, was a pioneer because we were producing primetime TV specials with major …
Three Lessons in Stewardship
By Dr. Jack Graham
Now, I am not a certified accountant or a professional investment adviser, but what if I could introduce you to a man who was known as the wisest and wealthiest man of his era – perhaps …
Developing Young Leaders
By Jason Mick
Early in the Spring of 2007 – as a 23-year-old just one year removed from college and working as an IT specialist with IBM – I recall getting my first opportunity to work in a church. I …
Importance of Biblical Worldview
By Dan Panetti
You’re familiar with the term “worldview” – the lens through which you see and understand the world around you. Like bellybuttons, everyone has a worldview … but most people really don’t know what their worldview consists of …
Questions to Consider Before Launching a Spanish Ministry
By Jorge Fraige
The Hispanic population in the United States is growing. As a result, the demographics of communities are changing. If a church is going to be effective in making disciples, then it is vital that the congregation reflects …
Five Blessings That are Formed and Found in Adversity
By Dr. Jack Graham
In 2009, when I was battling cancer, a friend said to me, “Jack, I’m praying for you that you will learn everything you need to learn in the midst of this trial in your life.”…
Prestonwood Pregnancy Center: Saving Lives and Saving Souls
By Leanne Jamieson
It’s a typical day at the Pregnancy Center. The first shift has already arrived; the doors are unlocked, and the rooms have been prepped when a young woman enters the center. Fear covers her like a thick …