The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible (Zonderkidz, 2017) (@Zonderkidz), for ages 8–12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible (website) includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/perfect-for-visual-learners-the-niv-kids-visual-study-bible/">Perfect for Visual Learners: the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-kids-visual-study-bible-full-color-interior-explore-the-story-of-the-bible-people-places-and-history?variant=13751127179375&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bookpromo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img class="aligncenter" title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" alt="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/24164918/VisualStudyBibleBanner.jpg" width="90%"></a>
The <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-kids-visual-study-bible-full-color-interior-explore-the-story-of-the-bible-people-places-and-history?variant=13751127179375&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bookpromo" title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible</a> (Zonderkidz, 2017) (<a href="https://twitter.com/Zonderkidz" title="Zonderkidz Twitter stream" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@Zonderkidz</a>), for ages 8–12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible (<a href="https://www.zondervan.com/p/niv-kids-visual-study-bible/" title="Visit the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible website" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>) includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near the relevant verse. Intriguing facts; colorful, engaging maps; photographs; and illustrations make this a Bible they’ll want to explore.

[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2017/07/the-niv-kids-visual-study-bible-an-interview-with-sara-bierling/" title="Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible: An Interview with Sara Bierling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible: An Interview with Sara Bierling</a>]
<center><a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-kids-visual-study-bible-full-color-interior-explore-the-story-of-the-bible-people-places-and-history?variant=34351766601864&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bookpromo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" alt="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/24163441/KidsVisualStudyBible.jpg" width="20%"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-kids-visual-study-bible-full-color-interior-explore-the-story-of-the-bible-people-places-and-history?variant=34351498657928&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bookpromo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible, Imitation Leather, Bronze in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" alt="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible Imitation Leather, Bronze in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/24163456/KidsVisualStudyBibleBrown.jpg" width="20%"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-kids-visual-study-bible-full-color-interior-explore-the-story-of-the-bible-people-places-and-history?variant=13751127179375&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bookpromo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible Imitation Leather, Teal in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" alt="Buy your copy of NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible Imitation Leather, Teal in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/24163503/KidsVisualStudyBibleTeal.jpg" width="20%"></a></center>
Features of the <a href="https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=758600&amp;p=1172374&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=interview" title="Buy your copy of NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible</a>:
<ul>
<li> Over 700 four-color photographs, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout</li>
<li> Full-color design</li>
<li> Book introductions, including important facts and an image to orient the reader</li>
<li> One-column format with side bar study notes for ease of reading</li>
<li> Presentation page</li>
<li> The complete text of the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible</li>
<li> Beautiful cover featuring gloss</li>
<center><iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aH_5A6DBQB8?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center>
<center><iframe loading="lazy" class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/349882214/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-ph7qoNS9kPe6FeuMFvtq&amp;show_recommendations=true" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.6325385694249649" scrolling="no" id="doc_23170" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>
<center><iframe loading="lazy" class="scribd_iframe_embed" title="NIV Kids Visual Study Bible Infographic" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/517691319/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-CWDdJkoBrRIma5cZ8C8Z" tabindex="0" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>
<center><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105511/NIV_kids_visual_meme_1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" alt="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105511/NIV_kids_visual_meme_1.jpg" width="30%"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105529/NIV_kids_visual_meme_2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" alt="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105529/NIV_kids_visual_meme_2.jpg" width="30%"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105540/NIV_kids_visual_meme_3-1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img title="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" alt="Download and share this meme about the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/28105540/NIV_kids_visual_meme_3-1.jpg" width="30%"></a></center>
<blockquote>
<center>Become a member of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/plus/?utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bgplus" title="Try Bible Gateway Plus FREE for 30 days starting right now" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bible Gateway Plus</a> and help your children understand Scripture. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/plus/?utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bgplus" title="Try Bible Gateway Plus FREE for 30 days starting right now" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Try it right now!</a></center></blockquote>
</ul>
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/perfect-for-visual-learners-the-niv-kids-visual-study-bible/">Perfect for Visual Learners: the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible (Zonderkidz, 2017) (@Zonderkidz), for ages 8–12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible (website) includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near the relevant verse. Intriguing facts; colorful, engaging maps; photographs; and illustrations make this a Bible they’ll want to explore.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible: An Interview with Sara Bierling]
                        
Features of the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible:
 Over 700 four-color photographs, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout
 Full-color design
 Book introductions, including important facts and an image to orient the reader
 One-column format with side bar study notes for ease of reading
 Presentation page
 The complete text of the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible
 Beautiful cover featuring gloss



            
Become a member of Bible Gateway Plus and help your children understand Scripture. Try it right now!


The post Perfect for Visual Learners: the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible (Zonderkidz, 2017) (@Zonderkidz), for ages 8–12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible (website) includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near […]
The post Perfect for Visual Learners: the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

Perfect for Visual Learners: the NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible

By Karen Ehman The act of being nice has been asked of us since we were tots. Who of us doesn’t remember our parents telling us to “play nice” with our siblings or our kindergarten teacher correcting a misbehaving student, chiding them, “That’s not very nice!”? Being nice is expected of schoolyard kids, adult citizens [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/the-high-price-of-nice/">The High Price of Nice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-62945" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26155802/KarenEhman_Portrait2.png" alt="Karen Ehman" width="35%" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26155802/KarenEhman_Portrait2.png 280w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26155802/KarenEhman_Portrait2-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" />By Karen Ehman
The act of being nice has been asked of us since we were tots. Who of us doesn’t remember our parents telling us to “play nice” with our siblings or our kindergarten teacher correcting a misbehaving student, chiding them, “That’s not very nice!”? Being nice is expected of schoolyard kids, adult citizens (well, maybe not on social media!), and especially of Jesus-loving Christians. But is nice what we are commanded to be in Scripture?
A quick online search of the three translations I use most often when studying and teaching the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Read, hear, study, search, compare, share the Bible on Bible Gateway" target="_blank">Bible</a>—the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/English-Standard-Version-ESV-Bible/#booklist" title="Read the English Standard Version (ESV) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ESV</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Christian-Standard-Bible-CSB/#booklist" title="Read the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CSB</a>, and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/#booklist" title="Read the New International Version (NIV) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NIV</a> versions—yielded not one solitary result when searching for the word nice. You can find some related words such as <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?search=kind&amp;version=ESV&amp;searchtype=all&amp;resultspp=100" title="Search results for the word kind in the English Standard Version (ESV) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">kind</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?search=gentle&amp;version=CSB&amp;searchtype=all&amp;resultspp=100" title="Search results for the word gentle in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gentle</a>, or <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?search=loving&amp;version=NIV&amp;searchtype=all&amp;resultspp=100" title="Search results for the word loving in the New International Standard Version (NIV) on Bible Gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loving</a>. But nice, it appears, has left the church building.

Now this doesn’t mean that an aspect of being nice is not commendable. Of course, we don’t want to be rude. Insensitive. Downright nasty. Nice as it relates to being polite and tactful is certainly behavior we should exemplify. But when our nice goes off the rails, we adopt a persona that ushers in much grief.
Let’s just think about Jesus for a moment. Would he be characterized as a “nice guy”? Our perfect Savior—who was fully God and fully man—came to earth to show us the way to live. Did he, by his behavior, show us that the most crucial thing we should be known for is being nice?
Sharon Hodde Miller, author of the book <a href="https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=075247&amp;p=1172374&amp;utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=interview" title="Buy your copy of Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More in the Bible Gateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More</a>, put it this way:
Jesus was loving. He was gracious. He was forgiving. He was 
kind. But he was not nice. He was a man who would leave the 
99 sheep to rescue the one, but he was also totally unafraid 
of offending people. Jesus understood the difference between 
graciousness and personal compromise, between speaking 
truth and needlessly alienating people. Rather than wear a 
shiny veneer, he became the embodiment of rugged love. This, 
not niceness, is what we are called to.
<h2>The Nice Guy—or Girl</h2>
Our desire to be known as a nice guy—or rather a nice girl—urges us to keep the peace at all costs and to rarely let our true feelings show, because such behavior will please others. But is nice what we should be aiming for? And, when we achieve the status of “Nicest Person of the Year,” what is it doing to our relationships as well as to our own mental, spiritual, and even physical health?
Elevating the desire to be nice at all costs sparks some interesting happenings in our brains. There are studies that indicate that something unpleasant happens in our minds when we disagree with another person or fail to do what a superior is asking us to, whether it is an outright request or just a subtle suggestion we gather from their behavior.
In the 1950s, social psychologist Solomon Asch conducted an extensive research study as part of the Asch Conformity Experiments. These experiments had as their goal observing and documenting what happens to an individual when he or she either goes along with, or against, what their peers think.
Participants were placed in a brain scanner and then read a series of statements they were told were either from students who were their peers or educators who were their professors. It was anticipated that the experiment participants would be reluctant to disagree with a professor since they were in a position of authority. Surprisingly, it made no difference if the person who made the statement was a peer or a prof. The results showed that the participants experienced similar discomfort when disagreeing with a classmate.
Brain scans showed a network of brain regions were notably 
active during the rare moments “people pleasers” would 
disagree. The medial prefrontal cortex, which mediates 
decision-making, and the anterior insula, involved in the 
experience of social emotions, bodily sensations, among 
others, showed more activity than other regions. 
Previous studies have linked these regions to the experience 
of cognitive dissonance, or the uncomfortable feeling of 
holding two contradictory beliefs. In other words, those who 
dislike to disagree tend to experience worse cognitive 
dissonance when confronted with beliefs they don’t agree 
with compared to their peers. The researchers suspect this is 
accompanied by heightened mental stress and discomfort. This 
suggests sensitivity to mental stress is linked to an 
increased vulnerability to influence.
This research—and other similar experiments I found—concludes that often we go along to get along, being overly nice, simply to avoid mental stress. However, what we often don’t realize is that our being extremely nice—taking on too many responsibilities or voicing an untruth that might come back to haunt us later—may cause us greater mental stress in the future than it would in the present moment if we would just be honest with our thoughts and feelings.
Have you ever volunteered to stay late to clean up from an activity at your child’s school or at church, thinking it was the right and nice thing to do? However, the event was on a day when you had a crazy busy evening, with kids to get in bed, piles of laundry that had stacked up, and a big project at work the next morning for which you were still preparing. Your being nice by offering to be on the cleanup crew completely threw off your evening routine, causing you to stay up late to finish the laundry and prepare for your work project which mentally stressed you out. Regardless, you agreed to take on the task in order to avoid the mental conflict you would’ve experienced if you’d stayed silent while knowing there was a need and that others expected you to jump in and meet it.
What other nice responses have cost you peace of mind? Did you offer to keep your friend’s puppy for the weekend, even though you are not an animal lover and are slightly allergic to pet dander? However, you knew she was having difficulty finding someone and so you thought the nice thing to do was to offer. Now you will spend your weekend off stuck at home and sneezing. But you will retain your “super nice friend” status, which to you is more important than avoiding the mental stress and constant wheezing you’ll get by acting as a pet hotel.
My friend Meredith recently gave the keynote message at a virtual conference I attended. She echoed what researchers have found when in her talk she said, “Our brains are hardwired to protect ourselves from things that might hurt us and gravitate towards things that create positive feelings for us.” So, we make a blink response, choosing what at first feels pleasant and positive because it will maintain our status of being known as nice, not realizing the future mental tension that lies ahead.
Mental tension is not the only cost we incur by being known as a perpetually nice person. We forfeit our time, which is one of our most important commodities. All of our offers of help, our periods of pitching in and rolling up our sleeves to tackle the task, or our failure to be honest about our current availability when someone wants to talk—they all fill our precious time with actions that retain our reputation as nice but that prevent us from real work we should be doing or leisure time we might have enjoyed.
Craving the title of nice has other consequences relationally. We may think it elevates ourselves in the eyes of others. Perhaps it has, when it comes to people needing our assistance or wanting us to agree with them. But it can cost us relationally with our own families. I’ve seen firsthand how being too nice—almost becoming a doormat for friends, fellow church members, coworkers, and others—can do just that.
Our mental peace of mind. Our time. Maybe even our family relationships. Yes, the price of nice is costly. We suffer when we make it our ultimate goal. Sharon Hodde Miller put it perfectly when she wrote, “Niceness is like any good or neutral thing, which becomes a broken thing when it becomes an ultimate thing.”
Okay. I’m convinced now. Nice should not be our utmost aspiration. So, just what is a sweet, accommodating Jesus-loving girl supposed to do?
<h2>Putting Up Parameters</h2>
Letting others know by our actions that we’ve enacted clear and measurable boundaries is important in dealing with the disease to please. These barriers and guardrails alert others to exactly what type of behavior we will welcome, tolerate, or refuse to allow.
Remember, not everyone will be happy about the boundaries you put in place. However, it is done both for your mental and physical health and for their benefit as well. Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/boundaries-updated-and-expanded-edition-when-to-say-yes-how-to-say-no-to-take-control-of-your-life-1?variant=13758530093167" title="Buy your copy of Boundaries in the FaithGateway Store where you'll enjoy low prices every day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life</a>, describes it this way:
When we begin to set boundaries with people we love, a really 
hard thing happens: they hurt. They may feel a hole where you 
used to plug up their aloneness, their disorganization, or their 
financial irresponsibility. Whatever it is, they will feel a loss. 
If you love them, this will be difficult for you to watch. But, 
when you are dealing with someone who is hurting, remember 
that your boundaries are both necessary for you and helpful 
for them. If you have been enabling them to be irresponsible, 
your limit setting may nudge them toward responsibility.
Boundaries are actually a blessing. Put them in place and watch them work. Your relationships will be healthier in the long run. Of equal importance is having internal parameters in our own mind; restrictions we will adhere to that can prevent us from going overboard with the nice that is wreaking havoc on our peace of mind, our schedules, and our family’s lives.
<center><iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1095138319&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true"></iframe></center> 
________
<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/when-making-others-happy-is-making-you-miserable-how-to-break-the-pattern-of-people-pleasing-and-confidently-live-your-life?variant=34737818566792" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-62950" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26162912/WhenMakingOthersHappy_Cover2.jpg" alt="When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable" width="280" height="280" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26162912/WhenMakingOthersHappy_Cover2.jpg 280w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/26162912/WhenMakingOthersHappy_Cover2-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" /></a>Adapted from <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/when-making-others-happy-is-making-you-miserable-how-to-break-the-pattern-of-people-pleasing-and-confidently-live-your-life?variant=34737818566792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable: How to Break the Pattern of People Pleasing and Confidently Live Your Life</a> by Karen Ehman. <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/when-making-others-happy-is-making-you-miserable-how-to-break-the-pattern-of-people-pleasing-and-confidently-live-your-life?variant=34737818566792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here</a> to learn more about this book.
Bestselling author and recovering people pleaser Karen Ehman offers stories and helpful tools from her own life to equip you with practical and biblical advice on how to break free from the pleasing game and reclaim your peace and purpose.
Feeling overwhelmed, burned out, and pulled in too many directions by the needs of others? If you wish you had a little more freedom and margin in your daily schedule, this is the book for you.
Author and speaker Karen Ehman knows firsthand how people pleasing locks us in a prison, trapping us in unhealthy habits which distract us from our true selves and our God-given purpose. With honesty and practical wisdom, Ehman explores why we fall into people-pleasing behaviors and offers advice for how we can break out into the freedom God has called us to. Because the truth is we cannot fulfill our divine purpose if we&#8217;re too busy living everyone else&#8217;s.
With vulnerable and humorous stories, biblical insight, and encouragement from someone who&#8217;s been there, Ehman will help you:
<ul>
<li>Discover how to live out your priorities despite the opinions and expectations of others</li>
<li>Cultivate a strategy for knowing when to say yes and how to say no</li>
<li>Implement boundaries with the pushers, pouters, guilt bombers and others who try to call the shots in your life</li>
<li>Learn to navigate the tension between following God and loving the people around you</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/when-making-others-happy-is-making-you-miserable-how-to-break-the-pattern-of-people-pleasing-and-confidently-live-your-life?variant=34737818566792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable</a> is the key you need to quit the pleasing game, reclaim your life, and walk with God in peace and confidence.
Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, and a writer for Encouragement for Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million people daily. She has written seventeen books including <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/keep-it-shut-what-to-say-how-to-say-it-and-when-to-say-nothing-at-all?variant=13762845802607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keep It Shut</a>, <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/pressing-pause-100-quiet-moments-for-moms-to-meet-with-jesus?variant=13755506753647" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pressing Pause</a>, and <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/keep-showing-up-how-to-stay-crazy-in-love-when-your-love-drives-you-crazy?variant=13736054030447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keep Showing Up</a>. Her passion is to help women to live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, the mother of three, and mom-in-law of two, she enjoys antique hunting, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table for a taste of Mama Karen&#8217;s cooking. Connect with her at <a href="https://karenehman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">karenehman.com</a>.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/the-high-price-of-nice/">The High Price of Nice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

By Karen Ehman
The act of being nice has been asked of us since we were tots. Who of us doesn’t remember our parents telling us to “play nice” with our siblings or our kindergarten teacher correcting a misbehaving student, chiding them, “That’s not very nice!”? Being nice is expected of schoolyard kids, adult citizens (well, maybe not on social media!), and especially of Jesus-loving Christians. But is nice what we are commanded to be in Scripture?
A quick online search of the three translations I use most often when studying and teaching the Bible—the ESV, CSB, and NIV versions—yielded not one solitary result when searching for the word nice. You can find some related words such as kind, gentle, or loving. But nice, it appears, has left the church building.

Now this doesn’t mean that an aspect of being nice is not commendable. Of course, we don’t want to be rude. Insensitive. Downright nasty. Nice as it relates to being polite and tactful is certainly behavior we should exemplify. But when our nice goes off the rails, we adopt a persona that ushers in much grief.
Let’s just think about Jesus for a moment. Would he be characterized as a “nice guy”? Our perfect Savior—who was fully God and fully man—came to earth to show us the way to live. Did he, by his behavior, show us that the most crucial thing we should be known for is being nice?
Sharon Hodde Miller, author of the book Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More, put it this way:
Jesus was loving. He was gracious. He was forgiving. He was
kind. But he was not nice. He was a man who would leave the
99 sheep to rescue the one, but he was also totally unafraid
of offending people. Jesus understood the difference between
graciousness and personal compromise, between speaking
truth and needlessly alienating people. Rather than wear a
shiny veneer, he became the embodiment of rugged love. This,
not niceness, is what we are called to.
The Nice Guy—or Girl
Our desire to be known as a nice guy—or rather a nice girl—urges us to keep the peace at all costs and to rarely let our true feelings show, because such behavior will please others. But is nice what we should be aiming for? And, when we achieve the status of “Nicest Person of the Year,” what is it doing to our relationships as well as to our own mental, spiritual, and even physical health?
Elevating the desire to be nice at all costs sparks some interesting happenings in our brains. There are studies that indicate that something unpleasant happens in our minds when we disagree with another person or fail to do what a superior is asking us to, whether it is an outright request or just a subtle suggestion we gather from their behavior.
In the 1950s, social psychologist Solomon Asch conducted an extensive research study as part of the Asch Conformity Experiments. These experiments had as their goal observing and documenting what happens to an individual when he or she either goes along with, or against, what their peers think.
Participants were placed in a brain scanner and then read a series of statements they were told were either from students who were their peers or educators who were their professors. It was anticipated that the experiment participants would be reluctant to disagree with a professor since they were in a position of authority. Surprisingly, it made no difference if the person who made the statement was a peer or a prof. The results showed that the participants experienced similar discomfort when disagreeing with a classmate.
Brain scans showed a network of brain regions were notably
active during the rare moments “people pleasers” would
disagree. The medial prefrontal cortex, which mediates
decision-making, and the anterior insula, involved in the
experience of social emotions, bodily sensations, among
others, showed more activity than other regions.
Previous studies have linked these regions to the experience
of cognitive dissonance, or the uncomfortable feeling of
holding two contradictory beliefs. In other words, those who
dislike to disagree tend to experience worse cognitive
dissonance when confronted with beliefs they don’t agree
with compared to their peers. The researchers suspect this is
accompanied by heightened mental stress and discomfort. This
suggests sensitivity to mental stress is linked to an
increased vulnerability to influence.
This research—and other similar experiments I found—concludes that often we go along to get along, being overly nice, simply to avoid mental stress. However, what we often don’t realize is that our being extremely nice—taking on too many responsibilities or voicing an untruth that might come back to haunt us later—may cause us greater mental stress in the future than it would in the present moment if we would just be honest with our thoughts and feelings.
Have you ever volunteered to stay late to clean up from an activity at your child’s school or at church, thinking it was the right and nice thing to do? However, the event was on a day when you had a crazy busy evening, with kids to get in bed, piles of laundry that had stacked up, and a big project at work the next morning for which you were still preparing. Your being nice by offering to be on the cleanup crew completely threw off your evening routine, causing you to stay up late to finish the laundry and prepare for your work project which mentally stressed you out. Regardless, you agreed to take on the task in order to avoid the mental conflict you would’ve experienced if you’d stayed silent while knowing there was a need and that others expected you to jump in and meet it.
What other nice responses have cost you peace of mind? Did you offer to keep your friend’s puppy for the weekend, even though you are not an animal lover and are slightly allergic to pet dander? However, you knew she was having difficulty finding someone and so you thought the nice thing to do was to offer. Now you will spend your weekend off stuck at home and sneezing. But you will retain your “super nice friend” status, which to you is more important than avoiding the mental stress and constant wheezing you’ll get by acting as a pet hotel.
My friend Meredith recently gave the keynote message at a virtual conference I attended. She echoed what researchers have found when in her talk she said, “Our brains are hardwired to protect ourselves from things that might hurt us and gravitate towards things that create positive feelings for us.” So, we make a blink response, choosing what at first feels pleasant and positive because it will maintain our status of being known as nice, not realizing the future mental tension that lies ahead.
Mental tension is not the only cost we incur by being known as a perpetually nice person. We forfeit our time, which is one of our most important commodities. All of our offers of help, our periods of pitching in and rolling up our sleeves to tackle the task, or our failure to be honest about our current availability when someone wants to talk—they all fill our precious time with actions that retain our reputation as nice but that prevent us from real work we should be doing or leisure time we might have enjoyed.
Craving the title of nice has other consequences relationally. We may think it elevates ourselves in the eyes of others. Perhaps it has, when it comes to people needing our assistance or wanting us to agree with them. But it can cost us relationally with our own families. I’ve seen firsthand how being too nice—almost becoming a doormat for friends, fellow church members, coworkers, and others—can do just that.
Our mental peace of mind. Our time. Maybe even our family relationships. Yes, the price of nice is costly. We suffer when we make it our ultimate goal. Sharon Hodde Miller put it perfectly when she wrote, “Niceness is like any good or neutral thing, which becomes a broken thing when it becomes an ultimate thing.”
Okay. I’m convinced now. Nice should not be our utmost aspiration. So, just what is a sweet, accommodating Jesus-loving girl supposed to do?
Putting Up Parameters
Letting others know by our actions that we’ve enacted clear and measurable boundaries is important in dealing with the disease to please. These barriers and guardrails alert others to exactly what type of behavior we will welcome, tolerate, or refuse to allow.
Remember, not everyone will be happy about the boundaries you put in place. However, it is done both for your mental and physical health and for their benefit as well. Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life, describes it this way:
When we begin to set boundaries with people we love, a really
hard thing happens: they hurt. They may feel a hole where you
used to plug up their aloneness, their disorganization, or their
financial irresponsibility. Whatever it is, they will feel a loss.
If you love them, this will be difficult for you to watch. But,
when you are dealing with someone who is hurting, remember
that your boundaries are both necessary for you and helpful
for them. If you have been enabling them to be irresponsible,
your limit setting may nudge them toward responsibility.
Boundaries are actually a blessing. Put them in place and watch them work. Your relationships will be healthier in the long run. Of equal importance is having internal parameters in our own mind; restrictions we will adhere to that can prevent us from going overboard with the nice that is wreaking havoc on our peace of mind, our schedules, and our family’s lives.

Adapted from When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable: How to Break the Pattern of People Pleasing and Confidently Live Your Life by Karen Ehman. Click here to learn more about this book.
Bestselling author and recovering people pleaser Karen Ehman offers stories and helpful tools from her own life to equip you with practical and biblical advice on how to break free from the pleasing game and reclaim your peace and purpose.
Feeling overwhelmed, burned out, and pulled in too many directions by the needs of others? If you wish you had a little more freedom and margin in your daily schedule, this is the book for you.
Author and speaker Karen Ehman knows firsthand how people pleasing locks us in a prison, trapping us in unhealthy habits which distract us from our true selves and our God-given purpose. With honesty and practical wisdom, Ehman explores why we fall into people-pleasing behaviors and offers advice for how we can break out into the freedom God has called us to. Because the truth is we cannot fulfill our divine purpose if we’re too busy living everyone else’s.
With vulnerable and humorous stories, biblical insight, and encouragement from someone who’s been there, Ehman will help you:
Discover how to live out your priorities despite the opinions and expectations of others
Cultivate a strategy for knowing when to say yes and how to say no
Implement boundaries with the pushers, pouters, guilt bombers and others who try to call the shots in your life
Learn to navigate the tension between following God and loving the people around you
When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable is the key you need to quit the pleasing game, reclaim your life, and walk with God in peace and confidence.
Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, and a writer for Encouragement for Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million people daily. She has written seventeen books including Keep It Shut, Pressing Pause, and Keep Showing Up. Her passion is to help women to live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, the mother of three, and mom-in-law of two, she enjoys antique hunting, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table for a taste of Mama Karen’s cooking. Connect with her at karenehman.com.
The post The High Price of Nice appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

By Karen Ehman The act of being nice has been asked of us since we were tots. Who of us doesn’t remember our parents telling us to “play nice” with our siblings or our kindergarten teacher correcting a misbehaving student, chiding them, “That’s not very nice!”? Being nice is expected of schoolyard kids, adult citizens […]
The post The High Price of Nice appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

The High Price of Nice

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Bible News Roundup – Week of July 25, 2021

This is the one-hundred-sixty-sixth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz&#8217; How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. “You give a tenth of [&#8230;]
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This is the one-hundred-sixty-sixth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. “You give a tenth of […]
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How to Live the Bible — The High Standard of Justice

By Jim Burns During a difficult season in my life, I asked a mentor of mine if we could have lunch. He had always given me such great advice and perspective. This time he listened, didn’t say much, and then wrote a few Bible verses on a napkin and handed it to me before we [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/how-to-cultivate-joy/">How to Cultivate Joy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-62690" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133805/JimBurns_Portrait2.jpg" alt="Jim Burns" width="28%" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133805/JimBurns_Portrait2.jpg 280w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133805/JimBurns_Portrait2-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" />By Jim Burns
During a difficult season in my life, I asked a mentor of mine if we could have lunch. He had always given me such great advice and perspective. This time he listened, didn’t say much, and then wrote a few <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/plus/?utm_source=bg&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bgplus" title="Try Bible Gateway Plus FREE for 30 days starting right now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bible</a> verses on a napkin and handed it to me before we left the restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I love the wisdom of the Bible, but to be honest, I was looking for more.
I stuffed the napkin in my pocket, and that night my wife asked about our lunch. I told her I was a tad bit disappointed by his lack of advice. I told her that he had simply written a couple of Bible verses on a napkin. She asked what they were, and I had to admit I hadn’t bothered to look at them. So I pulled the napkin out of my pocket and read what he wrote: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5%3A16-18&amp;version=NIV&amp;resource_entry=dictionary-of-bible-themes/8283-joy&amp;tab=study" rel="noopener" target="_blank">1 Thess. 5:16–18</a>).
Those verses ended up becoming part of a major life message for me and helped me through times of struggle and conflict and my cancer scare. I’m not exaggerating when I say they changed my life, because they helped change my attitude. Let me explain.

[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2019/07/four-guidelines-to-help-you-keep-a-strong-relationship-with-your-adult-children/" title="Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Four Guidelines to Help You Keep a Strong Relationship with Your Adult Children" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Four Guidelines to Help You Keep a Strong Relationship with Your Adult Children</a>]
As I investigated the Scripture passage my friend John wrote on the napkin and how it relates to my attitude, I wrote at the top of a page in my journal the word joy. Then I wrote, “My goal is joy!”
“<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5%3A16&amp;version=NIV&amp;resource_entry=dictionary-of-bible-themes/8283-joy&amp;tab=study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rejoice always</a>.” Another more modern translation of that verse reads, “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5%3A16&amp;version=ERV&amp;resource_entry=dictionary-of-bible-themes/8283-joy&amp;tab=study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Be full of joy.</a>” I then circled the word joy. I knew from past study that when a person has deep-rooted joy, it is something much more than happiness after eating a great meal or watching a wonderful movie. Joy comes from the inside, and it’s connected to the well-being of the soul. Part of my journey toward deeper joy is knowing it’s a choice and not usually based on circumstance or chance.
About that time, I was having dinner with my friend Henry Cloud. Over the years, Henry has been one of the leading voices on the subject of creating healthy relational boundaries and finding joy in the midst of difficult circumstances. At dinner that night, he gave me a great illustration about developing joy.
He said, “Yes, you can make joy a goal and choice for your life, but you can’t just will to have joy. You have to choose the practices and activities that enrich your life with joy, just like you would cultivate a garden.” Hmm, a lot like deciding to have serious fun and then implementing a plan to do so.
Here is another insight I learned around that time: circumstances are not as important to our joy as most of us would think. Two people can have a similar negative circumstance, and one of those people can rise above it and still have joy, while the other doesn’t. It’s more a matter of mindset than circumstance. I saw a poster recently in a hospital waiting room that read, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass &#8230; it’s about learning to dance in the rain” (Vivian Greene).
Many years ago, a scientific researcher named Sonja Lyubomirsky wrote a book called The How of Happiness. In this book, she developed a simple “Pie Chart of Happiness.” The chart shows that 50% of happiness depends on genetics, 40% on intentional activities, and only 10% on life circumstances.
Whether or not this is accurate in your life, the pie chart reminds us that there are at least three major influences to develop deeper joy: genetics, circumstances, and activities. The research also reveals that our circumstances have the least to do with it. If only 10% of our joy or happiness comes from circumstances, and there is not much we can do about our genetics or biological set point (50%), then our focus needs to be on activities and choices we make that increase our happiness.
While there’s still the matter of deciding whether a brisk walk or another TwinkieTM will garner the results we seek, when you think about it, having such control over our attitudes is good news. Back to what Henry Cloud told me at dinner that night, that our joy mainly comes from our activities and life practices: this translates to our attitude.
<center><iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1079084656&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true"></iframe></center> 
________
<a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/have-serious-fun-and-12-other-principles-to-make-each-day-count?variant=34727241482376" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-62689" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133357/HaveSeriousFun_Cover2.jpg" alt="Have Serious Fun" width="280" height="280" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133357/HaveSeriousFun_Cover2.jpg 280w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/bg3-blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14133357/HaveSeriousFun_Cover2-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" /></a>Adapted from <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/have-serious-fun-and-12-other-principles-to-make-each-day-count?variant=34727241482376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Have Serious Fun: And 12 Other Principles to Make Each Day Count</a> by Jim Burns. <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/have-serious-fun-and-12-other-principles-to-make-each-day-count?variant=34727241482376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here</a> to learn more about this book.
After hearing the words no one wants to hear—“you have cancer”—Jim Burns set out to articulate the most important principles for a life well lived and now shares them with you as a collection of essential truths for a healthy, balanced, and successful life.
What&#8217;s truly important for leading a life well lived? After being diagnosed with cancer and facing his mortality, prolific author and family-life expert Jim Burns learned what it really means to live a meaningful life from the perspective and practical wisdom only gained from facing death. Now cancer free, those same life-changing lessons continue to guide and enrich Jim&#8217;s faith, work, and relationships in immeasurable ways. With his conversational style and heartwarming and entertaining stories, Jim brilliantly distills that hard-earned wisdom into 13 simple yet powerful life principles you can put into practice today.
Jim will help you learn how to:
<ul>
<li>Break the cycle of being overcommitted and underconnected once and for all</li>
<li>Make family the priority you want it to be with an action plan that will nurture your closest relationships</li>
<li>Embrace the discomfort of discipline and avoid the pain of regret</li>
<li>Incorporate the vital element of fun in your life for connection and relief in even the toughest times</li>
<li>Train your mind in reflexive gratitude to rise above negative circumstances.</li>
</ul>
Don&#8217;t wait any longer. Let these principles guide you into deeper joy, more purpose, and better connection—and start truly living today.
“Jim faced mortality with his cancer and was reminded that only a few things are important to make a life worthy. He has shared them here, and they are a gift.” 
—Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist; New York Times bestselling author of <a href="https://www.boundariesbooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boundaries</a>
“Jim Burns helps show us how to live fully and right now, in a way that will bring joy and meaning, even in the midst of challenges. Highly recommended.” 
—John Townsend, PhD, author, New York Times bestselling <a href="https://www.boundariesbooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boundaries</a>; founder, Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling
Jim Burns is the president of HomeWord, speaks to thousands of people around the world each year, and has more than two million resources in print in twenty languages. He is the author of Confident Parenting, Creating an Intimate Marriage, and <a href="https://store.faithgateway.com/products/doing-life-with-your-adult-children-keep-your-mouth-shut-and-the-welcome-mat-out?variant=14816672284783" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doing Life with Your Adult Children</a>. Jim and his wife, Cathy, live in Southern California and have three grown daughters, Christy, Rebecca, and Heidi; two sons-in-law, Steve and Matt; and three grandchildren, James, Charlotte, and Huxley. Learn more at <a href="https://homeword.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HomeWord.com</a>.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/how-to-cultivate-joy/">How to Cultivate Joy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

By Jim Burns
During a difficult season in my life, I asked a mentor of mine if we could have lunch. He had always given me such great advice and perspective. This time he listened, didn’t say much, and then wrote a few Bible verses on a napkin and handed it to me before we left the restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I love the wisdom of the Bible, but to be honest, I was looking for more.
I stuffed the napkin in my pocket, and that night my wife asked about our lunch. I told her I was a tad bit disappointed by his lack of advice. I told her that he had simply written a couple of Bible verses on a napkin. She asked what they were, and I had to admit I hadn’t bothered to look at them. So I pulled the napkin out of my pocket and read what he wrote: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16–18).
Those verses ended up becoming part of a major life message for me and helped me through times of struggle and conflict and my cancer scare. I’m not exaggerating when I say they changed my life, because they helped change my attitude. Let me explain.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Four Guidelines to Help You Keep a Strong Relationship with Your Adult Children]
As I investigated the Scripture passage my friend John wrote on the napkin and how it relates to my attitude, I wrote at the top of a page in my journal the word joy. Then I wrote, “My goal is joy!”
“Rejoice always.” Another more modern translation of that verse reads, “Be full of joy.” I then circled the word joy. I knew from past study that when a person has deep-rooted joy, it is something much more than happiness after eating a great meal or watching a wonderful movie. Joy comes from the inside, and it’s connected to the well-being of the soul. Part of my journey toward deeper joy is knowing it’s a choice and not usually based on circumstance or chance.
About that time, I was having dinner with my friend Henry Cloud. Over the years, Henry has been one of the leading voices on the subject of creating healthy relational boundaries and finding joy in the midst of difficult circumstances. At dinner that night, he gave me a great illustration about developing joy.
He said, “Yes, you can make joy a goal and choice for your life, but you can’t just will to have joy. You have to choose the practices and activities that enrich your life with joy, just like you would cultivate a garden.” Hmm, a lot like deciding to have serious fun and then implementing a plan to do so.
Here is another insight I learned around that time: circumstances are not as important to our joy as most of us would think. Two people can have a similar negative circumstance, and one of those people can rise above it and still have joy, while the other doesn’t. It’s more a matter of mindset than circumstance. I saw a poster recently in a hospital waiting room that read, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass … it’s about learning to dance in the rain” (Vivian Greene).
Many years ago, a scientific researcher named Sonja Lyubomirsky wrote a book called The How of Happiness. In this book, she developed a simple “Pie Chart of Happiness.” The chart shows that 50% of happiness depends on genetics, 40% on intentional activities, and only 10% on life circumstances.
Whether or not this is accurate in your life, the pie chart reminds us that there are at least three major influences to develop deeper joy: genetics, circumstances, and activities. The research also reveals that our circumstances have the least to do with it. If only 10% of our joy or happiness comes from circumstances, and there is not much we can do about our genetics or biological set point (50%), then our focus needs to be on activities and choices we make that increase our happiness.
While there’s still the matter of deciding whether a brisk walk or another TwinkieTM will garner the results we seek, when you think about it, having such control over our attitudes is good news. Back to what Henry Cloud told me at dinner that night, that our joy mainly comes from our activities and life practices: this translates to our attitude.

Adapted from Have Serious Fun: And 12 Other Principles to Make Each Day Count by Jim Burns. Click here to learn more about this book.
After hearing the words no one wants to hear—“you have cancer”—Jim Burns set out to articulate the most important principles for a life well lived and now shares them with you as a collection of essential truths for a healthy, balanced, and successful life.
What’s truly important for leading a life well lived? After being diagnosed with cancer and facing his mortality, prolific author and family-life expert Jim Burns learned what it really means to live a meaningful life from the perspective and practical wisdom only gained from facing death. Now cancer free, those same life-changing lessons continue to guide and enrich Jim’s faith, work, and relationships in immeasurable ways. With his conversational style and heartwarming and entertaining stories, Jim brilliantly distills that hard-earned wisdom into 13 simple yet powerful life principles you can put into practice today.
Jim will help you learn how to:
Break the cycle of being overcommitted and underconnected once and for all
Make family the priority you want it to be with an action plan that will nurture your closest relationships
Embrace the discomfort of discipline and avoid the pain of regret
Incorporate the vital element of fun in your life for connection and relief in even the toughest times
Train your mind in reflexive gratitude to rise above negative circumstances.
Don’t wait any longer. Let these principles guide you into deeper joy, more purpose, and better connection—and start truly living today.
“Jim faced mortality with his cancer and was reminded that only a few things are important to make a life worthy. He has shared them here, and they are a gift.”
New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries
“Jim Burns helps show us how to live fully and right now, in a way that will bring joy and meaning, even in the midst of challenges. Highly recommended.”
New York Times bestselling Boundaries; founder, Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling
Jim Burns is the president of HomeWord, speaks to thousands of people around the world each year, and has more than two million resources in print in twenty languages. He is the author of Confident Parenting, Creating an Intimate Marriage, and Doing Life with Your Adult Children. Jim and his wife, Cathy, live in Southern California and have three grown daughters, Christy, Rebecca, and Heidi; two sons-in-law, Steve and Matt; and three grandchildren, James, Charlotte, and Huxley. Learn more at HomeWord.com.
The post How to Cultivate Joy appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

By Jim Burns During a difficult season in my life, I asked a mentor of mine if we could have lunch. He had always given me such great advice and perspective. This time he listened, didn’t say much, and then wrote a few Bible verses on a napkin and handed it to me before we […]
The post How to Cultivate Joy appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

How to Cultivate Joy

Bible Gateway offers free online access to the Bible in more than 60 English versions. One of them is the New Catholic Bible (NCB), which uses the literal or formal equivalence translation method of rendering English text word-for-word from the original Hebrew and Greek biblical languages as much as possible. Its extensive explanatory notes reflect [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/the-new-catholic-bible-on-bible-gateway-an-interview-with-emilie-cerar/">The New Catholic Bible on Bible Gateway: An Interview with Emilie Cerar</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

Bible Gateway offers free online access to the Bible in more than 60 English versions. One of them is the New Catholic Bible (NCB), which uses the literal or formal equivalence translation method of rendering English text word-for-word from the original Hebrew and Greek biblical languages as much as possible. Its extensive explanatory notes reflect […]
The post The New Catholic Bible on Bible Gateway: An Interview with Emilie Cerar appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

The New Catholic Bible on Bible Gateway: An Interview with Emilie Cerar

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The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/bible-news-roundup-week-of-july-18-2021/">Bible News Roundup – Week of July 18, 2021</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

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India Urged to Intervene as Hindu Attacks on Christians Increase 
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Bible News Roundup – Week of July 18, 2021

This is the one-hundred-sixty-fifth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz&#8217; How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. “Here is my servant whom [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/how-to-live-the-bible-proclaim-justice-to-the-nations/">How to Live the Bible — Proclaim Justice to the Nations</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

This is the one-hundred-sixty-fifth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. “Here is my servant whom […]
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How to Live the Bible — Proclaim Justice to the Nations

By Kristin and Danny Adams Editor’s Note: Kristin and Danny worked for years in the entertainment industry in various roles. In 2016, a lip-sync video they posted on YouTube went viral, and now has over 300 million views. This story, taken from their book The Road to Love and Laughter, looks at one important chapter [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/the-kind-of-faith-that-makes-you-move/">The Kind of Faith That Makes You Move</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

By Kristin and Danny Adams
Editor’s Note: Kristin and Danny worked for years in the entertainment industry in various roles. In 2016, a lip-sync video they posted on YouTube went viral, and now has over 300 million views. This story, taken from their book The Road to Love and Laughter, looks at one important chapter in their lives that literally made them move.
Kristin
Early on in our marriage, Danny began a tradition of getting away to the mountains for a couple of days every January to fast and pray, specifically for our family, business, and ministry. He prays more than once a year of course (haha), but this annual prayer and fasting getaway is of marked importance and has had a profound impact on our family throughout the years.
I call it his “Old Testament” getaway. He goes away to pray, to hear from God, and to gain vision and direction for the upcoming year. Then he comes down the mountain and tells the people (me and the kids) what he learned. We listen and obey for a few days, then, much like the Israelites, we rebel for the rest of the year, and then he has to go back to the mountain the following January to do it all over again.

Personally, I love when Danny goes away. Yeah, it’s cool that he’s “hearing from God” and everything, but y’all, I’m at home, getting things done. I don’t know if it’s because there is one less mouth to feed or what, but I always end up having oodles of extra time to myself, which I’ve learned that all married couples need in order to stay sane. Also, I’m an extremely competitive person who thrives on deadlines, so when Danny leaves for any set amount of time, it’s like I’m suddenly in a competition with myself and the clock to bang out as many things as possible before he gets back. I’m painting something. Cleaning out drawers. Plucking my eyebrows. Taking long showers. Rearranging rooms. Watching a rom-com. Calling girlfriends to catch up. And, my favorite, sleeping in the middle of the bed!
Oh, and I also pray for Danny while he’s away. Sheesh, I do have a soul. I’m not completely self-indulgent. The point is, his time away in the mountains is a blessed time for both of us. It gives me such peace and confidence as a wife to know that my husband, the spiritual head of our household, is choosing to make God a priority. And it frees up time in my schedule to tackle my to-do list, which is incredibly rewarding for my type A personality. It is truly a win-win.
Danny
One of my mentors inspired me to start the tradition of fasting and praying. Simply stated, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Daily devotions are essential as well, but getting away from our normal routines to fast and pray often takes our relationship with the Lord to the next level. In Psalm 42 we see King David cry out to God during his time of prayer and fasting, longing to know and experience God in a more intimate and powerful way. If we want a deeper connection with the Lord, or in any of our relationships, quality time spent together is crucial for the overall health of the relationship. We make time for the things we care about. Jesus was intentional about getting away and spending time with his Father. If Jesus himself chose to do it, how much more do we need it? Longer stretches of being saturated in God’s presence, day and night, allows time for your flesh to become quiet so that the Holy Spirit can be heard.
The first year I started this tradition was January 2010. I took a list of things I was hoping to take to the Lord in prayer during my time away. I fully expected answers to everything on my list. Most of them were work related or personal things I was dealing with. But I quickly realized that this time alone with God wasn’t about my agenda. It was about aligning myself with his agenda, being still, and hearing his voice. He sees our end from our beginning. He’s all about the big picture. Yes, he cares about the details, but always with the end in mind. Once he reveals the vision, then he establishes his priorities in your heart. So I got to the mountain, set my list aside, and then left the mountain with a new list. Everything on God’s list pertained to faith and marriage. I didn’t know at the time that he was preparing my heart for what Kristin and I are doing in ministry now. The two subsequent years when I went to the mountain, he repeated the importance of our faith and unity in our marriage. That’s how important faith and unity are to God. They bear repeating. God didn’t allow me to move on to “my” list or anything else until I was faithful to commit to the directives he originally gave me.
Kristin
Back in 2013 Danny headed out for his yearly trip per usual. He had his overnight bag, Bible, journal, and an assortment of juices and soups. There is little to no cell service at the spot he stays, so it is a time for him to truly unplug and turn off the ambient noise so that God’s voice can be amplified and heard clearly. In spite of my accomplishing a lot of menial tasks while he’s away, I eagerly await for him to return from these trips because he always has something incredible to share.
That year in particular, I remember wondering what our “word of the year” would be. Peace? Joy? Shalom? Hopefully something feel-good and inspiring that I could have etched into a piece of wood to hang over the fireplace. At least, that’s what I was hoping for.
After he walked through the door, rocking the handsome scruff from not shaving for a couple of days and smelling of a man-in-the-woods type cologne, I eagerly asked, “How was your time away? Did God speak anything to your heart?”

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“I have so much to share with you,” Danny said. “But the big news is that I feel like he’s telling me that we should move to Indiana.”
To which I replied, “Uh, are you sure he’s telling you to take me with you?”
He carried on about some other spiritual downloads that had supposedly occurred, but I don’t remember anything he said after he dropped the we’re-moving-across-the-country bomb on me. Move to Indiana? Has the man done lost his mind? Not once in the almost 15 years that I knew Danny up to this point had we talked about moving to Indiana. This was not happening.
But, being the good Christian wife that I am, I politely said, “Well. Let me go pray and see if the Lord shall confirmeth these things that which you have saideth.”
As I walked to the bedroom to pray, I began to tell the Lord what he should do. Basically, I was like, “God, you need to give me something super-spiritual sounding to confirm to Danny that this is not what we are supposed to do.”
So I grabbed my journal and pen, sat on the bed, and waited for God to give me something. I couldn’t believe the words that flowed: “Go, go, go. What’s going to look like the end to a lot of people is going to be just the beginning of what I have in store for you and Danny.”
Well, that’s obviously not what I wanted to hear. But God doesn’t always give us what we want. He gives us what we need, and this mandate was spot-on, whether I liked it or not. As some of my favorite Bible teachers say, “Let’s unpack this passage.”
First off, “Go, go, go” is crystal clear. God knows me so well. I need things to be made plain, so he gave it to me straight.
Secondly, “What’s going to look like the end to a lot of people . . .” referenced that both of us would be leaving almost 15 years of career experience and relationships in Los Angeles. For people who have careers in the entertainment industry, leaving the entertainment capital of the world for the corn capital of the world seems like a career-ending move.
Finally, “is going to be just the beginning of what I have in store for you and Danny” is the part of the mandate that requires faith, because it’s filled with both so much promise and yet so many unknowns at the same time. For years, Danny saw us working in ministry together in some capacity. At one time, early in our dating relationship, the very word ministry made me feel sick to my stomach. I had a narrow mindset of what ministry meant and thought that particular profession was a call reserved for a handful of select people. You know, like Billy Graham and … okay, just Billy Graham. I thought that if Danny and I went down the ministry road, we would be pastoring a church or going door-to-door with salvation tracts, and both those options made me queasy. So I came out of the bedroom and told Danny that he was right: God wants us to relocate to Indiana. We were excited for a few days, feeling like we had this new God-given direction and vision. We began making plans.
But then two years went by and we still hadn’t packed one box.
You read that right. Two whole years. It took us two years to obey what God had clearly told us to do. Well, correction. It took me two years. Danny would’ve left California to start our new lives in Indiana the next day. Remember, he’s the high-faith guy, and even if we were called to door-to-door ministry, that wouldn’t frighten him. It would actually excite him. For me, because of the many unknowns and dots that still needed to be connected, I thought, “Hey, wisdom says to wait so God has more time to connect the dots. Let’s do God a favor and postpone our move so that he can have more time to line things up perfectly before we go.”
Also, every day, I would go outside and it would be 85 degrees and sunny, again. Getting smacked in the face with perfect weather every time you leave your house will have you quickly forgetting you ever heard from God. Why would God place those beautiful mountains and that magnificent ocean right there if he didn’t want us to stay and enjoy his creation? That would seem like a blatant waste of his divine handiwork. What’s the rush to move to Indiana? Let’s just stay one more winter in California, and then we’ll go. Also, why would God tell us to go somewhere without giving us a clear plan for jobs or without providing the specifics of how this was all going to work? That’s so unlike him, right?
Wait a minute . . .
Kristin and Danny.

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The promise doesn’t always come with provision at the start. Often provision comes as you go.
So after waiting two years to give God time to connect more dots, we knew less than if we had just gone when he told us to go in the first place. My television work in LA began to dry up, along with our finances. This was a self-inflicted wilderness we were experiencing. We weren’t deliberately disobeying, but delayed obedience is still disobedience. It’s like we tell our own kids: “Do what we asked right away, all the way.” God told us to go, go, go, and instead, we stayed, stayed, stayed.
We needed the kind of obedience that Jesus spoke of when he said, “If you love me, you will obey” (John 14:15 GW). Ultimately, my hesitation to obey the Lord was rooted in a fear of failure and of what other people might think. If we moved because “God told us to” and then ended up failing, what would that say about God? What would it say about our faith?
The verse “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26) became uncomfortably real. We had the faith but lacked the action. Sincere faith should make you move . . . pun intended.
But here’s how good and merciful God is. In the midst of our delayed obedience, he still continued to find ways to bless us. We may have not been in his perfect will at the time, yet he chose to love, teach, encourage, and strengthen us anyway. The lessons we learned during this time ended up being instrumental for our overall spiritual growth and fortitude. One blessing that stands out the most is when a couple at our home church, whom we didn’t know well, came up to us after service one Sunday, handed us a check for $1,000, and told us specifically that they wanted to “sow into our ministry.” You know—the “ministry” we didn’t even have at the time? The word that used to make me queasy? Yeah, they were sowing into that.
This couple had no idea that God had told us to move to Indiana and that we had been dragging our feet for two years. And none of us had any idea that in just one year’s time, we would be running a full-fledged ministry both online and in person through live events. But God knew, and in the midst of my hesitation to follow God’s lead, he graciously used the faith and obedience of another couple to bless and encourage us. That’s when I learned firsthand that obeying God isn’t just about getting blessed. God always has someone else in mind on the other side of our obedience. In the kingdom of God, obedience is often about someone else. The ripple effect of obedience is eternal, and that’s why he cares so much about it.
After this experience, we’re convinced that most of the time, it’s not that we need more faith. Jesus said that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed. That’s not very much. So, no, it’s not that we need more faith. We need more obedience. We need to put our faith into action and do the thing that we already know to be true in our heart.

Taken from The Road to Love and Laughter: Navigating the Twists and Turns of Life Together by by Kristin and Danny Adams. Click here to learn more about this book.
What’s the secret to keeping love alive and full of laughter? Kristin and Danny Adams, the couple behind numerous hilarious viral lip sync videos, draw from their own experience in marriage and entertainment to encourage you to live loudly, love radically, and laugh uncontrollably.
Every relationship needs plenty of love and laughter. But how do you keep the fun going when the road gets hard? Viral video creators Kristin and Danny Adams’s journey has involved more “heated fellowship” than their hilarious lip sync videos might lead you to think. Kristin and Danny invite you to:
Turn roadblocks into opportunities for growth, wisdom, and even laughter
Have faith in God to sustain you in difficult times and bring back your joy
Let go of the fear of change and find courage to face all of life together
Face the “laugh blockers” that get in the way of the joy of connection
Rediscover the joy of your unique connection for a deeper and more fulfilling marriage journey.
“You will come away changed. . . . This is a must-read!” — Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke
“With humor and so much wisdom, this story will leave you inspired and feeling like you’re not alone.” — Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
Kristin Adams is part of the husband-and-wife duo whose February 2016 lip-sync YouTube video went mega-viral and kinda, sorta completely changed their lives. To date, it’s been viewed over 300 million times and has grown their online community to one million people. Before they started making videos, Kristin worked in the entertainment industry as a television host and correspondent. Now, they work together full-time to produce online family-friendly content where God is always welcome. And when they aren’t making videos, they homeschool their two children (Harper and Holt), travel across the country hosting and emceeing live events, speak at marriage conferences, and perform their “Laughter Is the Best Medicine” program.
Danny Adams is part of the husband-and-wife duo whose February 2016 lip-sync YouTube video went mega-viral and kinda, sorta completely changed their lives. To date, it’s been viewed over 300 million times and has grown their online community to one million people. Before they started making videos, Danny worked in the entertainment industry as an actor, comedian, and stunt man for sports commercials. Now, they work together full-time to produce online family-friendly content where God is always welcome. And when they aren’t making videos, they homeschool their two children (Harper and Holt), travel across the country hosting and emceeing live events, speak at marriage conferences, and perform their “Laughter Is the Best Medicine” program.
The post The Kind of Faith That Makes You Move appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

By Kristin and Danny Adams Editor’s Note: Kristin and Danny worked for years in the entertainment industry in various roles. In 2016, a lip-sync video they posted on YouTube went viral, and now has over 300 million views. This story, taken from their book The Road to Love and Laughter, looks at one important chapter […]
The post The Kind of Faith That Makes You Move appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

The Kind of Faith That Makes You Move

Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel Provides Enlightening Ancient Insights Starting July 12 Television personality and The New York Times bestselling author, Kathie Lee Gifford, joins with messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel in teaching unexpected Bible lessons on location in Israel by video using the rabbinical way of stitching together Scripture’s often overlooked deep symbolism and tradition. “If [&#8230;]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2021/07/join-kathie-lee-gifford-in-israel-to-learn-bible-stories-in-a-new-way-in-the-rock-the-road-and-the-rabbi-online-bible-study-hosted-by-biblegateway-com/">Join Kathie Lee Gifford in Israel to Learn Bible Stories in a New Way in &lt;em&gt;The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi&lt;/em&gt; Online Bible Study Hosted by BibleGateway.com</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog">Bible Gateway Blog</a>.

Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel Provides Enlightening Ancient Insights Starting July 12 Television personality and The New York Times bestselling author, Kathie Lee Gifford, joins with messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel in teaching unexpected Bible lessons on location in Israel by video using the rabbinical way of stitching together Scripture’s often overlooked deep symbolism and tradition. “If […]
The post Join Kathie Lee Gifford in Israel to Learn Bible Stories in a New Way in The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi Online Bible Study Hosted by BibleGateway.com appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.

Join Kathie Lee Gifford in Israel to Learn Bible Stories in a New Way in The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi Online Bible Study Hosted by BibleGateway.com

<img width="1200" height="631" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes.jpeg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes.jpeg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-300x158.jpeg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-1024x538.jpeg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-768x404.jpeg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-716x376.jpeg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-820x431.jpeg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Last week, I wrote about the most important factors to consider when choosing a study Bible, and I explained how the Faithlife Study Bible performs in each of them. This is a powerful resource that has something to offer no matter where you are in your faith journey. But you may want to augment your [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="631" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes.jpeg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes.jpeg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-300x158.jpeg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-1024x538.jpeg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-768x404.jpeg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-716x376.jpeg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Faithlife-Today-Man-Notes-820x431.jpeg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Last week, I wrote about the most important factors to consider when <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/choosing-a-study-bible/">choosing a study Bible</a>, and I explained how the <a href="https://faithlife.com/products/faithlife-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4">Faithlife Study Bible</a> performs in each of them. This is a powerful resource that has something to offer no matter where you are in your faith journey. But you may want to augment your FSB with an additional set of study notes, and there are number of <a href="https://www.logos.com/products/search?Resource+Type=Study+Bibles?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4">other exceptional study Bibles</a> available for purchase on Logos.com.
Here&#8217;s a quick rundown of some of them.
<h2>ESV Study Bible</h2>
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/5253/esv-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7best&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One of the most highly regarded study Bibles ever produced</a>, the ESV was the first Bible to be named Christian Book of the Year. J. I. Packer, who chaired the ESV translation team, served as the theological editor for the study Bible. This study tool commands the respect of church leaders from virtually every denomination.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/5253/esv-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7best&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" data-wplink-edit="true">See more.</a>
<h2>Nelson Study Bible</h2>
I&#8217;ll admit to a little bias here because I carried Nelson through high school and much of college, but ask anyone who has used it, and they&#8217;ll tell you that the <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1203/nelson-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nelson Study Bible</a> is one of the most theologically balanced study Bibles available today. It&#8217;s more pastoral than some of the other study Bibles on the list. Its scholarship is delivered in plain English with an emphasis on life application.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1203/nelson-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4">See more.</a>
<h2>Believer&#8217;s Study Bible</h2>
In many ways, Believer&#8217;s is the predecessor of the Nelson Study Bible. Edited by W. A. Criswell, the <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1203/nelson-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Believer&#8217;s Study Bible</a> reflects the fundamental Baptist tradition that undergirds much of the American church.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1187/believers-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4">See more.</a>
<h2>Apologetics Study Bible</h2>
Rather than offering an exegetical overview and historical background like most study Bibles, the <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/7276/apologetics-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apologetics Study Bible</a> articulates a compelling reason to believe at every turn. Many of the church&#8217;s leading apologists and thinkers—such as Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, and Al Mohler—contributed to this great resource. Inside you&#8217;ll find expansive notes—more like essays—that address important questions like, &#8220;Is the Bible reliable and true?&#8221;
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/7276/apologetics-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/free-book-of-the-month?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-28597 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0.jpg" alt="Ad reading &quot;A Free Book for You. Get it this month from Faithlife Ebooks.&quot;" width="1024" height="256" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-300x75.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-768x192.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-716x179.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-820x205.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<h2>The MacArthur Study Bible</h2>
John MacArthur has plenty of critics, but few scholars have studied the Word as extensively as he has. MacArthur famously set aside 30 hours each week for <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1298/the-macarthur-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purposed Bible study</a> throughout his 30-year ministry. That amounts to more than 46,000 hours of deliberate Bible study. I think it&#8217;s safe to say that we all have something to learn from him.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1298/the-macarthur-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
<h2>Women&#8217;s Study Bible</h2>
In addition to a rich exegetical commentary written by women for women, the <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1229/womans-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women&#8217;s Study Bible</a> also includes portraits of more than 100 women of the Bible. This is a valuable resource for both women and men of faith.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/1229/womans-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
<h2>The Scofield Reference Bible</h2>
The Geneva Bible is widely regarded as the first-ever study Bible. But the <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/27529/the-scofield-reference-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scofield Reference Bible</a> was the first study Bible published in the modern era. It was groundbreaking in several ways. In a practical sense, it was one of the first Bibles to be printed alongside supplemental notes. In a theological sense, it brought dispensationalism into the mainstream. Now more than 100 years old, the Scofield is undoubtedly a classic Bible study tool.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/27529/the-scofield-reference-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
<h2>NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible</h2>
The <a href="https://www.logos.com/niv-grace-and-truth-study-bible-notes?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NIV Grace and Truth Bible</a> was compiled by a group of scholars and pastors who have taken great care to present the gospel to all believers, whether they are new to the Christian faith or have been following Christ for most of their lives. The study and observational notes will compel you to read further, merging the earnestness in evangelizing the unbeliever and the compassion to warm the heart of a weary believer who has been battered by the struggles of life.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/niv-grace-and-truth-study-bible-notes?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
<h2>CSB Spurgeon Study Bible Notes</h2>
The <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/145365/csb-spurgeon-study-bible-notes?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSB Spurgeon Study Bible</a> features thousands of excerpts from Spurgeon’s sermons, chosen and edited by Alistair Begg to bring the richness of the Prince of Preachers’ insights into your daily study of God’s Word. Features include an introductory biography of Charles Spurgeon, study notes crafted from Spurgeon’s sermons, extracted sermon illustrations, sermon notes and outlines in Spurgeon’s own handwriting, “Spurgeon Quotables,” book introductions with book overviews in Spurgeon’s own words, maps, and more.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/145365/csb-spurgeon-study-bible-notes?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See more.</a>
***
Get one or more of these <a href="https://www.logos.com/products/search?Resource+Type=Study+Bibles?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4">study Bibles on logos.com</a>, then enjoy it right away on the <a href="https://faithlife.com/products/faithlife-study-bible?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faithlife Study Bible app</a> or <a href="https://www.logos.com/basic?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Logos Bible Software</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.logos.com/basic?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=the7beststudy&amp;utm_campaign=fsb2013q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-30437 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2.jpg" alt="Free Bible Software. Priceless Insights. clickable image" width="1280" height="336" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2.jpg 1280w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-300x79.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-1024x269.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-768x202.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-716x188.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-820x215.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></a>



<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/gtiksv_vX6A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Last week, I wrote about the most important factors to consider when choosing a study Bible, and I explained how the Faithlife Study Bible performs in each of them. This is a powerful resource that has something to offer no matter where you are in your faith journey. But you may want to augment your FSB with an additional set of study notes, and there are number of other exceptional study Bibles available for purchase on Logos.com.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of them.
ESV Study Bible
One of the most highly regarded study Bibles ever produced, the ESV was the first Bible to be named Christian Book of the Year. J. I. Packer, who chaired the ESV translation team, served as the theological editor for the study Bible. This study tool commands the respect of church leaders from virtually every denomination.
See more.
Nelson Study Bible
I’ll admit to a little bias here because I carried Nelson through high school and much of college, but ask anyone who has used it, and they’ll tell you that the Nelson Study Bible is one of the most theologically balanced study Bibles available today. It’s more pastoral than some of the other study Bibles on the list. Its scholarship is delivered in plain English with an emphasis on life application.
See more.
Believer’s Study Bible
In many ways, Believer’s is the predecessor of the Nelson Study Bible. Edited by W. A. Criswell, the Believer’s Study Bible reflects the fundamental Baptist tradition that undergirds much of the American church.
See more.
Apologetics Study Bible
Rather than offering an exegetical overview and historical background like most study Bibles, the Apologetics Study Bible articulates a compelling reason to believe at every turn. Many of the church’s leading apologists and thinkers—such as Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, and Al Mohler—contributed to this great resource. Inside you’ll find expansive notes—more like essays—that address important questions like, “Is the Bible reliable and true?”
See more.

The MacArthur Study Bible
John MacArthur has plenty of critics, but few scholars have studied the Word as extensively as he has. MacArthur famously set aside 30 hours each week for purposed Bible study throughout his 30-year ministry. That amounts to more than 46,000 hours of deliberate Bible study. I think it’s safe to say that we all have something to learn from him.
See more.
Women’s Study Bible
In addition to a rich exegetical commentary written by women for women, the Women’s Study Bible also includes portraits of more than 100 women of the Bible. This is a valuable resource for both women and men of faith.
See more.
The Scofield Reference Bible
The Geneva Bible is widely regarded as the first-ever study Bible. But the Scofield Reference Bible was the first study Bible published in the modern era. It was groundbreaking in several ways. In a practical sense, it was one of the first Bibles to be printed alongside supplemental notes. In a theological sense, it brought dispensationalism into the mainstream. Now more than 100 years old, the Scofield is undoubtedly a classic Bible study tool.
See more.
NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible
The NIV Grace and Truth Bible was compiled by a group of scholars and pastors who have taken great care to present the gospel to all believers, whether they are new to the Christian faith or have been following Christ for most of their lives. The study and observational notes will compel you to read further, merging the earnestness in evangelizing the unbeliever and the compassion to warm the heart of a weary believer who has been battered by the struggles of life.
See more.
CSB Spurgeon Study Bible Notes
The CSB Spurgeon Study Bible features thousands of excerpts from Spurgeon’s sermons, chosen and edited by Alistair Begg to bring the richness of the Prince of Preachers’ insights into your daily study of God’s Word. Features include an introductory biography of Charles Spurgeon, study notes crafted from Spurgeon’s sermons, extracted sermon illustrations, sermon notes and outlines in Spurgeon’s own handwriting, “Spurgeon Quotables,” book introductions with book overviews in Spurgeon’s own words, maps, and more.
See more.
***
Get one or more of these study Bibles on logos.com, then enjoy it right away on the Faithlife Study Bible app or Logos Bible Software.

Last week, I wrote about the most important factors to consider when choosing a study Bible, and I explained how the Faithlife Study Bible performs in each of them. This is a powerful resource that has something to offer no matter where you are in your faith journey. But you may want to augment your […]

The 9 Best Study Bibles on Logos

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals.  *** When Poets Pray Award-winning author Marilyn McEntyre compiled 24 poems from writers as diverse as John Donne and Lucille Clifton to draw readers to a renewed appreciation [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-1-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or <a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/search?sortBy=Savings&amp;limit=15&amp;page=1&amp;filters=status-live_Status%2Bstorefront-vy_Available%20At&amp;ownership=unowned&amp;geographicAvailability=availableToMe&amp;utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=mainCTA-faithlifeebooksweeklydeals&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">view all of this week’s deals</a>. 
***
<h2>When Poets Pray</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/177405/when-poets-pray?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://cmrc1.logoscdn.com/www.logos.com/images/products/177405.jpg?440873164288" alt="" width="165" height="247" /></a>Award-winning author Marilyn McEntyre compiled 24 poems from writers as diverse as John Donne and Lucille Clifton to draw readers to a renewed appreciation for prayer. Each poem is followed by beautifully written reflections meant more as invitation than instruction.  
<del>$19.99</del>  $7.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/177405/when-poets-pray?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>Wounded Visions: Unity, Justice, and Peace in the World Church after 1968</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171114/wounded-visions-unity-justice-and-peace-in-the-world-church-after-1968?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://cmrc1.logoscdn.com/www.logos.com/images/products/171114.jpg?440733164288" alt="" width="165" height="248" /></a>In Wounded Visions, Jonas Jonson offers an insider’s perspective on ever-changing global Christianity. He reviews developments in ecumenism, discusses important topics like unity in diversity, and presents the “Fourth Church.”
<del>$24.00</del>  $1.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171114/wounded-visions-unity-justice-and-peace-in-the-world-church-after-1968?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171113/woman-man-and-god-in-modern-islam?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://cmrc1.logoscdn.com/www.logos.com/images/products/171113.jpg?440793164288" alt="" width="161" height="237" /></a>Award-winning historian Theodore Friend set out alone across Asia and the Middle East on a quest to understand firsthand what it’s like for women there. Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam recounts Friend’s remarkable journey and the encounters with people he met along the way.
<del>$39.00</del>  $2.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171113/woman-man-and-god-in-modern-islam?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>Unfading Light: Contemplations and Speculations</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171307/unfading-light-contemplations-and-speculations?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://cmrc1.logoscdn.com/www.logos.com/images/products/171307.jpg?440773164288" alt="" width="160" height="240" /></a>Unfading Light documents what a life in Orthodoxy came to mean for Sergius Bulgakov on the tumultuous eve of the 1917 October Revolution. Readers may be reminded of St. Augustine&#8217;s Confessions and City of God as they follow Bulgakov through the challenges and opportunities presented to Orthodoxy by modernity.
<del>$48.00</del>  $5.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171307/unfading-light-contemplations-and-speculations?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals727&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
***
Come back each Tuesday for a fresh batch of massively discounted books that explore God’s Word and the Christian life. For even more savings, <a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/search?sortBy=Savings&amp;limit=15&amp;page=1&amp;filters=status-live_Status%2Bstorefront-vy_Available%20At&amp;ownership=unowned&amp;geographicAvailability=availableToMe&amp;utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=mainCTA-faithlifeebooksweeklydeals&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out our other books on sale</a>! 
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/w0sNgjOgTXY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals. 
***
When Poets Pray
Award-winning author Marilyn McEntyre compiled 24 poems from writers as diverse as John Donne and Lucille Clifton to draw readers to a renewed appreciation for prayer. Each poem is followed by beautifully written reflections meant more as invitation than instruction.  
$19.99  $7.99
Read more
Wounded Visions: Unity, Justice, and Peace in the World Church after 1968
In Wounded Visions, Jonas Jonson offers an insider’s perspective on ever-changing global Christianity. He reviews developments in ecumenism, discusses important topics like unity in diversity, and presents the “Fourth Church.”
$24.00  $1.99
Read more
Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam
Award-winning historian Theodore Friend set out alone across Asia and the Middle East on a quest to understand firsthand what it’s like for women there. Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam recounts Friend’s remarkable journey and the encounters with people he met along the way.
$39.00  $2.99
Read more
Unfading Light: Contemplations and Speculations
Unfading Light documents what a life in Orthodoxy came to mean for Sergius Bulgakov on the tumultuous eve of the 1917 October Revolution. Readers may be reminded of St. Augustine’s Confessions and City of God as they follow Bulgakov through the challenges and opportunities presented to Orthodoxy by modernity.
$48.00  $5.99
Read more
***
Come back each Tuesday for a fresh batch of massively discounted books that explore God’s Word and the Christian life. For even more savings, check out our other books on sale!

These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals.  *** When Poets Pray Award-winning author Marilyn McEntyre compiled 24 poems from writers as diverse as John Donne and Lucille Clifton to draw readers to a renewed appreciation […]

Faithlife Ebooks Weekly Deals: July 27–30, 2021

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="potter molding clay, illustration of a living sacrifice" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />By Curtis Zackery The Bible calls us to be a living sacrifice. But what does that mean? Curtis Zackery explains in Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional. *** As followers of Jesus, the best thing we can celebrate together is the beauty of the great love and grace that Christ [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="potter molding clay, illustration of a living sacrifice" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Potter-and-clay-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />By Curtis Zackery
The Bible calls us to be a living sacrifice. But what does that mean? Curtis Zackery explains in <a href="https://lexhampress.com/product/192961/finding-soul-rest-40-days-of-connecting-with-christ-a-devotional?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional</a>.
***
As followers of Jesus, the best thing we can celebrate together is the beauty of the great love and grace that Christ has shown us. Because of his great mercies, our proper response is to be what Paul calls a “living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1.
The words “living sacrifice” together don’t make much sense at first. It’s actually an oxymoron. But reading Paul’s words in Romans just before this verse, we understand that this isn’t the case. We are alive in Christ because we begin to live solely led by his desires and purposes for us. We are also an offering to God because we have chosen to sacrifice our way and plans for the better ones God has for us. 
Of course, we realize that, because of our flesh, this is a highly tricky prospect. 
Thankfully, the verse continues to reveal how this can happen: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/free-book-of-the-month?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-28597 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0.jpg" alt="Ad reading &quot;A Free Book for You. Get it this month from Faithlife Ebooks.&quot;" width="1024" height="256" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-300x75.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-768x192.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-716x179.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pasted-image-0-820x205.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Imagine yourself holding a lump of clay. 
Let’s pretend that you were asked to conform that lump of clay—say, to the shape of a ball. You would begin to roll the clay around in your hands until it started to make a spherical shape, thus becoming your best representation of a ball. 
Now, imagine that you were asked to transform this clay into an actual baseball. We might be able to manipulate the clay to mimic what a baseball looks like, but to turn it into something that is made from cowhide and thread would be a completely different task. To “conform” the clay would be to make it take the shape of something. To “transform” the clay would be to turn the clay itself into a completely different substance altogether.
We have the power to conform. Only God can transform.
Our goal isn’t to take the shape of the world that we see around us but to allow the Lord to redeem and make us new in it. That God has the power to do this is fantastic news. In our humanity, we can attempt to change our behaviors, but this type of effort cannot be sustained. God, on the other hand, graciously restores us from the inside out. He does this by transforming and renewing the very way we think and comprehend reality. The verse goes on to say that when we are transformed, it helps us to discern, or figure out, what the Lord desires for us.
What does it look like for you or your family to exist as “living sacrifices”?
***
This post is adapted from <a href="https://lexhampress.com/product/192961/finding-soul-rest-40-days-of-connecting-with-christ-a-devotional?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional</a>, now available from Lexham Press. Also from Curtis Zackery is Soul Rest: Reclaim Your Life. Return to Sabbath, available in <a href="https://lexhampress.com/product/148328/soul-rest-reclaim-your-life-return-to-sabbath?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ebook</a> and <a href="https://lexhampress.com/product/166298/soul-rest-reclaim-your-life-return-to-sabbath?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audio</a>. <a href="https://lexhampress.com/product/148328/soul-rest-reclaim-your-life-return-to-sabbath?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=livingsacrifice&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/11035288/assets/2261337/content.jpg?signature=c7lOTGr_jzHrAy2jG3jvKMgI2J0" alt="Reclaim Your Life. Return to Sabbath. Learn more." width="936" height="120" /></a>



<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/erD9pspRYj8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

By Curtis Zackery
The Bible calls us to be a living sacrifice. But what does that mean? Curtis Zackery explains in Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional.
***
As followers of Jesus, the best thing we can celebrate together is the beauty of the great love and grace that Christ has shown us. Because of his great mercies, our proper response is to be what Paul calls a “living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1.
The words “living sacrifice” together don’t make much sense at first. It’s actually an oxymoron. But reading Paul’s words in Romans just before this verse, we understand that this isn’t the case. We are alive in Christ because we begin to live solely led by his desires and purposes for us. We are also an offering to God because we have chosen to sacrifice our way and plans for the better ones God has for us. 
Of course, we realize that, because of our flesh, this is a highly tricky prospect. 
Thankfully, the verse continues to reveal how this can happen: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

Imagine yourself holding a lump of clay. 
Let’s pretend that you were asked to conform that lump of clay—say, to the shape of a ball. You would begin to roll the clay around in your hands until it started to make a spherical shape, thus becoming your best representation of a ball. 
Now, imagine that you were asked to transform this clay into an actual baseball. We might be able to manipulate the clay to mimic what a baseball looks like, but to turn it into something that is made from cowhide and thread would be a completely different task. To “conform” the clay would be to make it take the shape of something. To “transform” the clay would be to turn the clay itself into a completely different substance altogether.
We have the power to conform. Only God can transform.
Our goal isn’t to take the shape of the world that we see around us but to allow the Lord to redeem and make us new in it. That God has the power to do this is fantastic news. In our humanity, we can attempt to change our behaviors, but this type of effort cannot be sustained. God, on the other hand, graciously restores us from the inside out. He does this by transforming and renewing the very way we think and comprehend reality. The verse goes on to say that when we are transformed, it helps us to discern, or figure out, what the Lord desires for us.
What does it look like for you or your family to exist as “living sacrifices”?
***
This post is adapted from Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional, now available from Lexham Press. Also from Curtis Zackery is Soul Rest: Reclaim Your Life. Return to Sabbath, available in ebook and audio.

By Curtis Zackery The Bible calls us to be a living sacrifice. But what does that mean? Curtis Zackery explains in Finding Soul Rest: 40 Days of Connecting with Christ: A Devotional. *** As followers of Jesus, the best thing we can celebrate together is the beauty of the great love and grace that Christ […]

A ‘Living Sacrifice’? Paul’s Play on Words & What It Means

<img width="1024" height="576" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1.png" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1.png 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-300x169.png 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-768x432.png 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-524x295.png 524w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-716x403.png 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-820x461.png 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Church newsletters are a great way to keep people in the loop about what&#8217;s going on with your ministry. If people are supporting you with their finances, their prayers, or their time, a good newsletter can be encouraging, and even challenging, if necessary. It&#8217;s an opportunity to remind people why they support you, how they can [&#8230;]

<img width="1024" height="576" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1.png" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1.png 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-300x169.png 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-768x432.png 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-524x295.png 524w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-716x403.png 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-10.51.10-AM-1024x576-1-820x461.png 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Church newsletters are a great way to <a href="/keep-your-group-in-the-loop-with-faithlife-newsletters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keep people in the loop</a> about what&#8217;s going on with your ministry. If people are supporting you with their finances, their prayers, or their time, a good newsletter can be encouraging, and even challenging, if necessary.
It&#8217;s an opportunity to remind people why they support you, how they can support you, and why you still need their <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/ask-confidently-a-word-to-churches-about-giving-tuesday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued support</a>.
Communicating poorly can place your newsletter in the trash (virtual or physical) instead of the hands of the people who should read it.
Here are seven steps you can take to create consistently better newsletters.
<h2>1. Have a purpose</h2>
There are a lot of reasons why you could be writing a church newsletter. Are you just providing a regular update about the state of affairs? Did something big or unexpected happen that you need to tell everyone about? Are you asking for more support?
Before you even start writing your newsletter, you should know the bottom line. What do you want people to walk away with?
If your goal isn&#8217;t clear to you from the beginning, it might not be clear to your audience in the end.
You don&#8217;t have to communicate your goal in the first paragraph, but you should always be aware of where you&#8217;re going.
For some people, it helps to write your final paragraph or last sentence first, so you can make sure that everything else fits with your final message.
Or, you might create an outline with three or four main points that build into your call to action or overall goal.
If something you want to say doesn&#8217;t connect to your goal somehow, think about what purpose it serves in your newsletter. You might not need to cut it, but maybe it needs to take the backseat.
The purpose of your newsletter depends on who you&#8217;re writing to.
<a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/equip/guide/digital-discipleship-guide?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=churchnewsletters&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-28409 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc.png" alt="From Strangers to Visitors to Evangelists. Learn how to build a biblically based discipleship journey that actually works." width="700" height="171" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc.png 700w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc-300x73.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
<h2>2. Know your audience</h2>
If you&#8217;re writing a newsletter to your supporters, it&#8217;s going to look very different than a letter to your staff, or a more general audience (like your church).
<h3>Supporters</h3>
Your supporters don&#8217;t necessarily need or want to know everything that&#8217;s happening with your ministry team or staff.
If someone really wants to know about all of that, your ministry&#8217;s newsletter still isn&#8217;t the appropriate place to share about everyone&#8217;s personal lives. (A coffee shop meeting, phone call, or a more personal letter would be better.)
A newsletter is for providing the biggest updates since your last major communication.
A good newsletter will show your supporters, at a glance, what God has done through their support and why their continued support matters.
Show them how prayers have been answered. How lives have been affected by the work you&#8217;re doing. What was the latest major project your team did together? Share a story about someone who was positively impacted by your ministry.
People aren&#8217;t numbers—you know that, and so do your supporters. But numbers are still tangible facts for supporters to connect with.
The number of people who attend a conference or a camp isn&#8217;t what matters most to your ministry or church. But providing numbers (even rough estimates) is a great way for people to understand how many people are being exposed to the work you&#8217;re doing.
How many bowls of chili did the street ministry go through last week? 
How many kids accepted Jesus?
How many active small groups are there?
These numbers aren&#8217;t why you do what you do—but like the story, they provide a tangible way for people to see that you are, in fact, doing something.
Sharing numbers like these with your supporters is also a way for them to help hold you accountable. They&#8217;re your supporters, not your adversaries.
If things aren&#8217;t going well (people aren&#8217;t coming, we&#8217;re not serving as much as we used to, people aren&#8217;t responding to our message), admitting that to the people who support you invites them to pray alongside you, and perhaps to examine if there is a reason why things aren&#8217;t going as well as you&#8217;d all hoped. It takes humility to heal.
This could also be an appropriate place to share about new volunteers or staff. Your supporters don&#8217;t always have the opportunity to meet everyone involved in your ministry, but as supporters, growth is something they are invested in.
<h3>Staff</h3>
A newsletter to your staff is going to look very different. They&#8217;re on your side of the curtain. They were at the street ministry. The youth camp. The meeting for small group leaders.
Encourage your staff about how their roles are helping people. You may still want to share a story with your staff, but try to highlight different people and different roles every time. Showing off the same people or ministry roles can make other people feel unappreciated.
Share about goals. Are they being reached? Are you creating new ones? Your answers to these questions could determine whether your team should feel encouraged or challenged by your newsletter. A good newsletter to your staff should be a healthy mix of both.
<h2>3. Be concise</h2>
If you have a purpose and you know your audience, stay within that framework. Extra information isn&#8217;t useless, but it could get in the way of what you really want to say to people.
Using big words may make you feel more intelligent or confident, but if there is a simpler way to say what you want to say, choose simple.
Simple is clear. You aren&#8217;t trying to win an argument, you&#8217;re trying to clearly communicate what&#8217;s going on. The more complex language you use, the harder it is to follow along.
<h2>4. Keep it &#8220;newsy&#8221;</h2>
People read a newsletter to learn about something they&#8217;re interested in. &#8220;What&#8217;s going on with the ministry?&#8221;
From the beginning, your readers should know exactly what they&#8217;re getting into. How far do they have to read before they know this is an update from your ministry?
Depending on your ministry, there could be lots of reasons why you would be sending someone a letter. You don&#8217;t need a headline or title, but adding one that clearly identifies your letter as a ministry update certainly can&#8217;t hurt. If you <a href="/keep-your-group-in-the-loop-with-faithlife-newsletters/">create your newsletter in your church&#8217;s group on Faithlife</a>, you can even add a banner image to your headline.
<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://support.faithlife.com/hc/article_attachments/360038804012/image17.png" alt="creating a church newsletter with header image in a group on Faithlife" width="822" height="375" />
A newspaper gives you the who, what, where, when, why, and how of each story, and any background information is 1. vital and 2. brief. This makes it easy to glance through an article and pick out the key information.
If someone can&#8217;t glance through your newsletter and find the key information, they might not read it at all. Again, if you have a purpose and know your audience, you should be able to identify the key information.
Your newsletter probably isn&#8217;t the place to explain the philosophy or theology behind your ministry (unless, maybe, it&#8217;s the very first newsletter your ministry has produced). If you can reduce that theology or philosophy to one sentence or less, that can always work its way into your closing thoughts or signature.
<a href="https://faithlife.com/products/equip/staff/communications-director?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=churchnewsletters&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/50593402/assets/11846334/content.png?signature=4lGct0mua-L9eBXNCEWzxB5p9uw" alt="Church Communications Made Simple. Faithlife Equip." width="1240" height="300" /></a>
<h2>5. Make it digestible</h2>
Small fonts are hard to read. A wall of text is hard to read. If none of the text physically stands out, then you&#8217;re asking your reader to work for key information.
Choosing a slightly larger font can make your letter easier to read at a glance. Breaking up the text into smaller paragraphs works similarly.
It&#8217;s easy to get carried away with using bold text or italics. Just remember, less is more. The less bold you use, the more noticeable it is when you use it. Conversely, <a href="/4-ways-to-fight-font-clutter/">if everything is bold, nothing is bold</a>.
Bold text is a great way to highlight key information.
Part of making your newsletter digestible and concise is keeping it under one page. If your newsletter is more than one page, and all of your information is important, it may be time to start sending them more frequently.
It&#8217;s a lot easier to ask for five minutes of someone&#8217;s attention than it is to ask for twice that.
<h2>6. Use media (pictures, video, etc.)</h2>
Using media is a great way to break up your newsletter and make it less intimidating to your reader. It&#8217;s also another way you can show off what your ministry has been up to.
If your newsletter is telling a story about a particular interaction, include a photo of the people involved. Or the place that you do ministry. Or your team. In a newsletter, you should show and tell.
Creating a newsletter in your group on Faithlife lets you incorporate all kinds of media to break of the text and create professional looking newsletters. You can add prayer requests directly from your group&#8217;s <a href="/4-reasons-why-you-should-use-prayer-lists/">prayer lists</a>, upcoming events from your <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/can-your-church-event-calendar-do-this/">calendar</a>, even Faithlife&#8217;s beautiful <a href="/get-the-verse-of-the-day-on-all-your-screens/">Verse of the Day images</a>—the perfect way to use any space at the bottom of your letter.
<h2>7. Send them regularly</h2>
Imagine if you didn&#8217;t know when you were going to get the newspaper. Or when the news was going to be on TV. It just happened sporadically, when someone decided it was time.
Consistency creates a sense of trust and reliability. If you send your newsletter every Friday, or at the beginning or end of every month, every three months, etc., it lets your readers get comfortable with the pattern. They don&#8217;t have to wonder if they missed something, or if the ministry fell apart because it&#8217;s been a while since they heard from you.
Patterns create comfort. And you want your supporters and your team to be comfortable.
<h2>Church newsletters made easy</h2>
Groups on Faithife have an incredible <a href="https://support.faithlife.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007373991-Faithlife-Newsletters">newsletter feature</a>. It&#8217;s a free tool that lets you decide how you want your newsletter to look: classic, elegant, minimal, or modern.
You can add a banner image to clearly communicate where the newsletter is from and make it official.
You can highlight specific members of your ministry team with a link to their profile, so you can introduce new members or highlight someone awesome each time.
You can include news from your group&#8217;s activity feed, notes from your Bibles, prayer requests, events, and more.
<a href="https://faithlife.com/?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=7steps_better_newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=promo-faithlifegroups2014q4">Create a Faithlife group</a> for free today to start creating and sharing professional-looking newsletters in minutes. 
<a href="https://faithlife.com/products/equip/staff/church-operations?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=churchnewsletters&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/50593393/assets/11846331/content.png?signature=UHdJnI5-UFODzMd9UIY8OeLhUjM" alt="All Your Ministry Apps, One Bundle. Faithlife Equip" width="1240" height="300" /></a>

<h2>Related articles</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/5-underrated-ways-to-bless-connect-with-people-in-your-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 Underrated Ways to Bless &amp; Connect with People in Your Church</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/8-lesser-known-tips-to-building-healthy-online-church-community/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 Lesser-Known Tips to Building Healthy Online Church Community</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/keep-everyone-in-the-know-with-these-church-communications-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keep Everyone ‘in-the-Know’ with These Church Communications Tools</a></li>
</ul>



<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/SGUZgwxAQ08" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

Church newsletters are a great way to keep people in the loop about what’s going on with your ministry. If people are supporting you with their finances, their prayers, or their time, a good newsletter can be encouraging, and even challenging, if necessary.
It’s an opportunity to remind people why they support you, how they can support you, and why you still need their continued support.
Communicating poorly can place your newsletter in the trash (virtual or physical) instead of the hands of the people who should read it.
Here are seven steps you can take to create consistently better newsletters.
1. Have a purpose
There are a lot of reasons why you could be writing a church newsletter. Are you just providing a regular update about the state of affairs? Did something big or unexpected happen that you need to tell everyone about? Are you asking for more support?
Before you even start writing your newsletter, you should know the bottom line. What do you want people to walk away with?
If your goal isn’t clear to you from the beginning, it might not be clear to your audience in the end.
You don’t have to communicate your goal in the first paragraph, but you should always be aware of where you’re going.
For some people, it helps to write your final paragraph or last sentence first, so you can make sure that everything else fits with your final message.
Or, you might create an outline with three or four main points that build into your call to action or overall goal.
If something you want to say doesn’t connect to your goal somehow, think about what purpose it serves in your newsletter. You might not need to cut it, but maybe it needs to take the backseat.
The purpose of your newsletter depends on who you’re writing to.

2. Know your audience
If you’re writing a newsletter to your supporters, it’s going to look very different than a letter to your staff, or a more general audience (like your church).
Supporters
Your supporters don’t necessarily need or want to know everything that’s happening with your ministry team or staff.
If someone really wants to know about all of that, your ministry’s newsletter still isn’t the appropriate place to share about everyone’s personal lives. (A coffee shop meeting, phone call, or a more personal letter would be better.)
A newsletter is for providing the biggest updates since your last major communication.
A good newsletter will show your supporters, at a glance, what God has done through their support and why their continued support matters.
Show them how prayers have been answered. How lives have been affected by the work you’re doing. What was the latest major project your team did together? Share a story about someone who was positively impacted by your ministry.
People aren’t numbers—you know that, and so do your supporters. But numbers are still tangible facts for supporters to connect with.
The number of people who attend a conference or a camp isn’t what matters most to your ministry or church. But providing numbers (even rough estimates) is a great way for people to understand how many people are being exposed to the work you’re doing.
How many bowls of chili did the street ministry go through last week? 
How many kids accepted Jesus?
How many active small groups are there?
These numbers aren’t why you do what you do—but like the story, they provide a tangible way for people to see that you are, in fact, doing something.
Sharing numbers like these with your supporters is also a way for them to help hold you accountable. They’re your supporters, not your adversaries.
If things aren’t going well (people aren’t coming, we’re not serving as much as we used to, people aren’t responding to our message), admitting that to the people who support you invites them to pray alongside you, and perhaps to examine if there is a reason why things aren’t going as well as you’d all hoped. It takes humility to heal.
This could also be an appropriate place to share about new volunteers or staff. Your supporters don’t always have the opportunity to meet everyone involved in your ministry, but as supporters, growth is something they are invested in.
Staff
A newsletter to your staff is going to look very different. They’re on your side of the curtain. They were at the street ministry. The youth camp. The meeting for small group leaders.
Encourage your staff about how their roles are helping people. You may still want to share a story with your staff, but try to highlight different people and different roles every time. Showing off the same people or ministry roles can make other people feel unappreciated.
Share about goals. Are they being reached? Are you creating new ones? Your answers to these questions could determine whether your team should feel encouraged or challenged by your newsletter. A good newsletter to your staff should be a healthy mix of both.
3. Be concise
If you have a purpose and you know your audience, stay within that framework. Extra information isn’t useless, but it could get in the way of what you really want to say to people.
Using big words may make you feel more intelligent or confident, but if there is a simpler way to say what you want to say, choose simple.
Simple is clear. You aren’t trying to win an argument, you’re trying to clearly communicate what’s going on. The more complex language you use, the harder it is to follow along.
4. Keep it “newsy”
People read a newsletter to learn about something they’re interested in. “What’s going on with the ministry?”
From the beginning, your readers should know exactly what they’re getting into. How far do they have to read before they know this is an update from your ministry?
Depending on your ministry, there could be lots of reasons why you would be sending someone a letter. You don’t need a headline or title, but adding one that clearly identifies your letter as a ministry update certainly can’t hurt. If you create your newsletter in your church’s group on Faithlife, you can even add a banner image to your headline.

A newspaper gives you the who, what, where, when, why, and how of each story, and any background information is 1. vital and 2. brief. This makes it easy to glance through an article and pick out the key information.
If someone can’t glance through your newsletter and find the key information, they might not read it at all. Again, if you have a purpose and know your audience, you should be able to identify the key information.
Your newsletter probably isn’t the place to explain the philosophy or theology behind your ministry (unless, maybe, it’s the very first newsletter your ministry has produced). If you can reduce that theology or philosophy to one sentence or less, that can always work its way into your closing thoughts or signature.

5. Make it digestible
Small fonts are hard to read. A wall of text is hard to read. If none of the text physically stands out, then you’re asking your reader to work for key information.
Choosing a slightly larger font can make your letter easier to read at a glance. Breaking up the text into smaller paragraphs works similarly.
It’s easy to get carried away with using bold text or italics. Just remember, less is more. The less bold you use, the more noticeable it is when you use it. Conversely, if everything is bold, nothing is bold.
Bold text is a great way to highlight key information.
Part of making your newsletter digestible and concise is keeping it under one page. If your newsletter is more than one page, and all of your information is important, it may be time to start sending them more frequently.
It’s a lot easier to ask for five minutes of someone’s attention than it is to ask for twice that.
6. Use media (pictures, video, etc.)
Using media is a great way to break up your newsletter and make it less intimidating to your reader. It’s also another way you can show off what your ministry has been up to.
If your newsletter is telling a story about a particular interaction, include a photo of the people involved. Or the place that you do ministry. Or your team. In a newsletter, you should show and tell.
Creating a newsletter in your group on Faithlife lets you incorporate all kinds of media to break of the text and create professional looking newsletters. You can add prayer requests directly from your group’s prayer lists, upcoming events from your calendar, even Faithlife’s beautiful Verse of the Day images—the perfect way to use any space at the bottom of your letter.
7. Send them regularly
Imagine if you didn’t know when you were going to get the newspaper. Or when the news was going to be on TV. It just happened sporadically, when someone decided it was time.
Consistency creates a sense of trust and reliability. If you send your newsletter every Friday, or at the beginning or end of every month, every three months, etc., it lets your readers get comfortable with the pattern. They don’t have to wonder if they missed something, or if the ministry fell apart because it’s been a while since they heard from you.
Patterns create comfort. And you want your supporters and your team to be comfortable.
Church newsletters made easy
Groups on Faithife have an incredible newsletter feature. It’s a free tool that lets you decide how you want your newsletter to look: classic, elegant, minimal, or modern.
You can add a banner image to clearly communicate where the newsletter is from and make it official.
You can highlight specific members of your ministry team with a link to their profile, so you can introduce new members or highlight someone awesome each time.
You can include news from your group’s activity feed, notes from your Bibles, prayer requests, events, and more.
Create a Faithlife group for free today to start creating and sharing professional-looking newsletters in minutes. 

Related articles
5 Underrated Ways to Bless & Connect with People in Your Church
8 Lesser-Known Tips to Building Healthy Online Church Community
Keep Everyone ‘in-the-Know’ with These Church Communications Tools

Church newsletters are a great way to keep people in the loop about what’s going on with your ministry. If people are supporting you with their finances, their prayers, or their time, a good newsletter can be encouraging, and even challenging, if necessary. It’s an opportunity to remind people why they support you, how they can […]

7 Steps to Better Church Newsletters

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />By Deborah Ike Summer months provide an excellent opportunity to refresh and clean up the church. Decent weather makes it easier to handle outdoor projects. No school may mean some students are willing and able to volunteer a few hours to help. As you take inventory of what projects to tackle, here are several ideas [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Church-volunteers-painting-on-clean-up-day-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />By Deborah Ike
Summer months provide an excellent opportunity to refresh and clean up the church. Decent weather makes it easier to handle outdoor projects. No school may mean some students are willing and able to volunteer a few hours to help. As you take inventory of what projects to tackle, here are several ideas to consider.
<h2>1. Facilities</h2>
Harsh weather can wreak havoc on the church parking lot, sidewalks, roofing, and gutters. Take a walk around your church campus and note any potholes, cracks, clogged or damaged gutters, and potential roof damage. Next, go inside and take a deliberate look at each room. Note any cracked tiles, stained or torn carpet, scuffs on the walls, burned-out light bulbs, and more. From here, organize a church beautification day with volunteers. Create a list of repairs, purchase the supplies needed, and recruit volunteers to knock out the list. Make sure you provide food and water for your hard workers.
<h2>2. Volunteers</h2>
Speaking of volunteers, you might have experienced many people dropping out during the pandemic. As life starts to return to normal, try to reengage with volunteers who haven’t returned to serving yet. Make a list of people who used to serve regularly but dropped off over the last year. <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/some-church-members-will-ignore-your-call-but-they-love-this/">Reach out</a> with a phone call and ask how they’re doing. If they’re back to attending church in person, invite them to rejoin a volunteer team. Mention what areas need help and discuss where they might want to serve. (This assumes you’ve stayed in touch over the last several months. If you haven’t, don’t ask for them to volunteer with your first call. Find out how they’re doing first, then after a week or so try asking them to serve.)
<h2>3. Church website</h2>
While the church campus should make a good first impression with in-person guests, your church’s website is key to getting them to come at all. Take a detailed look at each page of the church website. Is the information on each page accurate?
<ul>
<li>Do you have information regarding your current COVID-19 mitigations (cleaning, etc.)?</li>
<li> Is it easy to find where to give to the church?</li>
<li>Do you have a statement of beliefs and FAQs on the site? Go through each page and make changes as needed. Perhaps consult other church websites, too, to get ideas for what yours could include.</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-25402 alignnone" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1.png" alt="" width="1240" height="300" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1.png 1240w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1-300x73.png 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1-1024x248.png 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1-768x186.png 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1-716x173.png 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Church-Websites_Blog-Banner_620x150-1-820x198.png 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1240px) 100vw, 1240px" />
<h2>4. Church visitor follow-up</h2>
As you update the church website, you might also want to think through your guest follow-up process. Many people may have found your church and watched several services online without ever attending in person. As people start to feel more comfortable attending, you may see more guests.
With your team, talk through the current process for guest follow-up. Make sure you have a process for contacting in-person and online guests.
<ul>
<li>How do you ask people to provide their contact information (both in-person and online)?</li>
<li>What information or messages do you send to guests?</li>
<li>Do you give first–time visitors a welcome gift?</li>
</ul>
<h2>5. Ministry calendar</h2>
Hopefully, you have a central calendar that includes all church events for the year. If not, now is a great time to build one. Even if you already have this calendar, midyear is a good time to review what’s coming up for the remainder of the year. Make sure all planned events are listed, and remove any canceled items.
From there, evaluate the schedule and workload for the rest of this year. Do you have too many events in a short period (drastically increasing the workload for those weeks)? Is there an outreach you’ve always wanted to do that might fit in nicely?
The last twelve to eighteen months have been quite unpredictable due to COVID-19. As in-person gatherings continue to be a more viable option, you might want to revisit plans for the rest of this year and make a few adjustments.
As you organize these summer spring-cleaning activities, leverage any group workdays to reconnect with people you haven’t seen much this last year. Have fun while repainting the nursery. Dream a bit with your team as you evaluate the calendar for the next few months. It’s been a rough season, so use these moments to reconnect and recharge as a church family.
***
Deborah Ike is the founder of The Church Operations Toolkit, a resource for those who serve behind-the-scenes in their churches. In addition to serving in ministry, Deborah worked for an international consulting firm and a Fortune 500 company as a consultant, project manager, and risk management analyst. Deborah is certified as a Project Management Professional.
This article is adapted from its original appearance in the June 2021 issue of <a href="https://faithlife.com/products/ministry-team-magazine?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=offeringsscripture&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays">Ministry Team magazine</a>.
<h2>Related articles</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/can-your-church-event-calendar-do-this/">Can Your Church Event Calendar Do This?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/nobody-through-the-cracks-using-faithlife-for-online-church-visitor-follow-up/">Nobody through the Cracks: Using Faithlife for Online Church Visitor Follow-Up</a></li>
<li><a href="https://faithlife.com/integrated-ministry-platform/chms-church-management?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=offeringsscripture&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays">Church Management: The Ultimate Guide (w/ Tips + Tricks)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/5-best-practices-for-church-websites/">5 Best Practices for Church Websites</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/3-ways-to-train-church-volunteers-who-stay/">3 Ways to Train Church Volunteers Who Stay</a><a href="https://faithlife.com/products/equip/staff/church-operations?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=offeringsscripture&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/50593395/assets/11846332/content.png?signature=0CWB41nJ-eavBx-I0f7FdsYC9Lc" alt="Blast through Church Operations Barriers" width="1240" height="300" /></a></li>
</ul>
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/ZSa-mDo7LGQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

By Deborah Ike
Summer months provide an excellent opportunity to refresh and clean up the church. Decent weather makes it easier to handle outdoor projects. No school may mean some students are willing and able to volunteer a few hours to help. As you take inventory of what projects to tackle, here are several ideas to consider.
1. Facilities
Harsh weather can wreak havoc on the church parking lot, sidewalks, roofing, and gutters. Take a walk around your church campus and note any potholes, cracks, clogged or damaged gutters, and potential roof damage. Next, go inside and take a deliberate look at each room. Note any cracked tiles, stained or torn carpet, scuffs on the walls, burned-out light bulbs, and more. From here, organize a church beautification day with volunteers. Create a list of repairs, purchase the supplies needed, and recruit volunteers to knock out the list. Make sure you provide food and water for your hard workers.
2. Volunteers
Speaking of volunteers, you might have experienced many people dropping out during the pandemic. As life starts to return to normal, try to reengage with volunteers who haven’t returned to serving yet. Make a list of people who used to serve regularly but dropped off over the last year. Reach out with a phone call and ask how they’re doing. If they’re back to attending church in person, invite them to rejoin a volunteer team. Mention what areas need help and discuss where they might want to serve. (This assumes you’ve stayed in touch over the last several months. If you haven’t, don’t ask for them to volunteer with your first call. Find out how they’re doing first, then after a week or so try asking them to serve.)
3. Church website
While the church campus should make a good first impression with in-person guests, your church’s website is key to getting them to come at all. Take a detailed look at each page of the church website. Is the information on each page accurate?
Do you have information regarding your current COVID-19 mitigations (cleaning, etc.)?
 Is it easy to find where to give to the church?
Do you have a statement of beliefs and FAQs on the site? Go through each page and make changes as needed. Perhaps consult other church websites, too, to get ideas for what yours could include.

4. Church visitor follow-up
As you update the church website, you might also want to think through your guest follow-up process. Many people may have found your church and watched several services online without ever attending in person. As people start to feel more comfortable attending, you may see more guests.
With your team, talk through the current process for guest follow-up. Make sure you have a process for contacting in-person and online guests.
How do you ask people to provide their contact information (both in-person and online)?
What information or messages do you send to guests?
Do you give first–time visitors a welcome gift?
5. Ministry calendar
Hopefully, you have a central calendar that includes all church events for the year. If not, now is a great time to build one. Even if you already have this calendar, midyear is a good time to review what’s coming up for the remainder of the year. Make sure all planned events are listed, and remove any canceled items.
From there, evaluate the schedule and workload for the rest of this year. Do you have too many events in a short period (drastically increasing the workload for those weeks)? Is there an outreach you’ve always wanted to do that might fit in nicely?
The last twelve to eighteen months have been quite unpredictable due to COVID-19. As in-person gatherings continue to be a more viable option, you might want to revisit plans for the rest of this year and make a few adjustments.
As you organize these summer spring-cleaning activities, leverage any group workdays to reconnect with people you haven’t seen much this last year. Have fun while repainting the nursery. Dream a bit with your team as you evaluate the calendar for the next few months. It’s been a rough season, so use these moments to reconnect and recharge as a church family.
***
Deborah Ike is the founder of The Church Operations Toolkit, a resource for those who serve behind-the-scenes in their churches. In addition to serving in ministry, Deborah worked for an international consulting firm and a Fortune 500 company as a consultant, project manager, and risk management analyst. Deborah is certified as a Project Management Professional.
This article is adapted from its original appearance in the June 2021 issue of Ministry Team magazine.
Related articles
Can Your Church Event Calendar Do This?
Nobody through the Cracks: Using Faithlife for Online Church Visitor Follow-Up
Church Management: The Ultimate Guide (w/ Tips + Tricks)
5 Best Practices for Church Websites
3 Ways to Train Church Volunteers Who Stay

By Deborah Ike Summer months provide an excellent opportunity to refresh and clean up the church. Decent weather makes it easier to handle outdoor projects. No school may mean some students are willing and able to volunteer a few hours to help. As you take inventory of what projects to tackle, here are several ideas […]

Church Cleanup Checklist: 5 Areas to Refresh This Summer

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals. *** Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families It&#8217;s hard enough to train kids to behave, but good behavior isn&#8217;t what Jesus calls for. He wants hearts and [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ebooks-Weekly-Deals-Header-5-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or <a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/17442/spiritual-parenting-an-awakening-for-todays-families?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">view all of this week’s deals</a>.
***
<h2>Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/17442/spiritual-parenting-an-awakening-for-todays-families?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/assets/1337076/optimized?w=250" alt="" width="132" height="220" /></a>It&#8217;s hard enough to train kids to behave, but good behavior isn&#8217;t what Jesus calls for. He wants hearts and souls shaped in vibrant faith and love toward God and others. How can parents cultivate this? In Spiritual Parenting, Dr. Michelle Anthony shares practical examples and biblical insight. 
<del>$17.99</del>  $1.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/17442/spiritual-parenting-an-awakening-for-todays-families?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>Calming Angry Kids: Help and Hope for Parents in the Whirlwind</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/153583/calming-angry-kids-help-and-hope-for-parents-in-the-whirlwind?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/assets/2164119/optimized?w=250" alt="" width="138" height="213" /></a>Slammed doors. Hurting hearts. Tricia Goyer knows what it’s like to parent children with chronic anger. In Calming Angry Kids, Goyer draws on her experience to help readers understand what’s going on in a child’s brain and more. Using reflection questions and action steps, she shows weary parents how peace in their home is within reach. 
<del>$17.99</del>  $0.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/153583/calming-angry-kids-help-and-hope-for-parents-in-the-whirlwind?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/18579/the-jesus-life-eight-ways-to-recover-authentic-christianity?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/assets/1337889/optimized?w=250" alt="" width="142" height="338" /></a>With today’s competing priorities and rival demands, we&#8217;re more confused than ever about how to live the full life Jesus offers. The Jesus Life shares eight compelling ways to help us rediscover what it really means to follow him in the 21st century. 
<del>$14.99</del>  $0.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/18579/the-jesus-life-eight-ways-to-recover-authentic-christianity?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
<h2>We Can Make the World Economy a Sustainable Global Home</h2>
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171115/we-can-make-the-world-economy-a-sustainable-global-home?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft" src="https://cmrc1.logoscdn.com/www.logos.com/images/products/171115.jpg?711804792064" alt="" width="146" height="266" /></a>How can we counter the causes and lasting effects of 2007’s worldwide recession? Theologian-ethicist Lewis Mudge presents an answer through fresh philosophical and theological concepts, economic and political insights, and practical financial proposals. 
<del>$18.00</del>  $4.99 
<a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/171115/we-can-make-the-world-economy-a-sustainable-global-home?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=ebooksweeklydeals720&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more</a>
***
Come back each Tuesday for a fresh batch of massively discounted books that explore God’s Word and the Christian life. For even more savings, <a href="https://ebooks.faithlife.com/search?sortBy=Savings&amp;limit=15&amp;page=1&amp;filters=status-live_Status%2Bstorefront-vy_Available%20At&amp;ownership=unowned&amp;geographicAvailability=availableToMe&amp;utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=mainCTA-faithlifeebooksweeklydeals&amp;utm_campaign=promo-ebooksQ3pubdeals2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out our other books on sale</a>!
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/bGx_5nuOk-s" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals.
***
Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families
It’s hard enough to train kids to behave, but good behavior isn’t what Jesus calls for. He wants hearts and souls shaped in vibrant faith and love toward God and others. How can parents cultivate this? In Spiritual Parenting, Dr. Michelle Anthony shares practical examples and biblical insight.
$17.99  $1.99
Read more
Calming Angry Kids: Help and Hope for Parents in the Whirlwind
Slammed doors. Hurting hearts. Tricia Goyer knows what it’s like to parent children with chronic anger. In Calming Angry Kids, Goyer draws on her experience to help readers understand what’s going on in a child’s brain and more. Using reflection questions and action steps, she shows weary parents how peace in their home is within reach.
$17.99  $0.99
Read more
The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity
With today’s competing priorities and rival demands, we’re more confused than ever about how to live the full life Jesus offers. The Jesus Life shares eight compelling ways to help us rediscover what it really means to follow him in the 21st century.
$14.99  $0.99
Read more
We Can Make the World Economy a Sustainable Global Home
How can we counter the causes and lasting effects of 2007’s worldwide recession? Theologian-ethicist Lewis Mudge presents an answer through fresh philosophical and theological concepts, economic and political insights, and practical financial proposals.
$18.00  $4.99
Read more
***
Come back each Tuesday for a fresh batch of massively discounted books that explore God’s Word and the Christian life. For even more savings, check out our other books on sale!

These deals are so good, they won’t stay around long! Add new favorites to your library before the bargains disappear, or view all of this week’s deals. *** Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families It’s hard enough to train kids to behave, but good behavior isn’t what Jesus calls for. He wants hearts and […]

Faithlife Ebooks Weekly Deals: July 20–23, 2021

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="mini pumpkins at a church&#039;s fall festival" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival—and put a fresh start to your outreach for a new season. Here are five ideas to help you as you [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="mini pumpkins at a church&#039;s fall festival" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pumpkins-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival—and put a fresh start to your outreach for a new season.
Here are five ideas to help you as you plan your church’s upcoming fall festival, plus a <a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/proclaim/kit/free-church-media-fall?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=fallfestival&amp;utm_campaign=tofu-freechurchmediafall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free bundle of fall media for churches</a>.
<h2>Fall cookie contest</h2>
It is a truth universally acknowledged that people love cookies, so featuring all kinds of delicious types at your festival is a smart (and delicious) move.
Ask your members to bake a number of cookies appropriate for how many guests you think will attend your fall festival. Make sure to announce this ahead of time, add it to your church’s <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/can-your-church-event-calendar-do-this/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event calendar</a>, and make <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/display-church-announcements-with-digital-signage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reminder announcements</a> so people don’t forget. 
At your festival:
• Clearly label each cookie with a cookie name and number.   • Keep voting objective by leaving out the baker’s name.   • Have voting slips, pens, and a bucket or bowl for people to turn in their voting forms.   • On your voting forms, include a one-to-five scale for taste, decoration, and either originality or overall impression.  • Optional: Include a sign saying when the winner will be announced.  
<a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/proclaim/kit/free-church-media-fall?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=fallfestival&amp;utm_campaign=tofu-freechurchmediafall" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/37655893/assets/9109251/content.png?signature=FC2I_rsL-hdWapHtuNOjL9BIa4E" alt="Just Add Pumpkin Spice: Fall's Free Church Media" width="728" height="90" /></a>
<h2>Mini pumpkin decorating</h2>
Mini pumpkins don’t cost much, and decorating them is fun for people young and old. Plus, you could make a contest out of this, too!
Provide stickers, glitter glue, markers, paint, and whatever else you’d like. Disposable plastic aprons might also be a good idea. If you’re turning it into a contest, add a decoration time limit and break up competition categories into age groups.
<h2>Fall photo booth</h2>
Ask a creative church volunteer or two to help you create a fun fall photo booth people want to get their photos in. Hay bales, a scarecrow, pumpkins, fall leaves, and an autumn-colored background make for a good start. If you’re adventurous, you could even include paper props like corn on the cob, pumpkin pie, and caramel apples.
Include your church’s name somewhere visible but not overbearing in the photo booth so when people share their cute snaps on social media, your church name will be seen.
<h2>Ring toss</h2>
Keep this really simple with classic glass bottles and rings made out of jute rope and electrical tape. Or make it even more fun and fall themed by using full-sized pumpkins and hula hoops instead. 
<h2>Gift-making stations</h2>
Give your guests the opportunity to make gifts for the needy. It’s both memorable and meaningful.
For example, gather all the supplies you’ll need to assemble Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. People can pitch in to decorate the boxes, fill them with gifts, and add labels. Another idea is to make cards to give to shut-ins (especially if you’re delivering Thanksgiving meals). 
***
Get ready for your church’s fall events—from fall festivals to Pastor Appreciation Month and more—with a <a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/proclaim/kit/free-church-media-fall?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=fallfestival&amp;utm_campaign=tofu-freechurchmediafall">free bundle of fall media</a>.
<a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/proclaim/kit/free-church-media-fall?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=fallfestival&amp;utm_campaign=tofu-freechurchmediafall" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="https://files.logoscdn.com/v1/files/37655893/assets/9109251/content.png?signature=FC2I_rsL-hdWapHtuNOjL9BIa4E" alt="Just Add Pumpkin Spice: Fall's Free Church Media" width="728" height="90" /></a>



<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FaithlifeBlog/~4/kwF2QFx3BjA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival—and put a fresh start to your outreach for a new season.
Here are five ideas to help you as you plan your church’s upcoming fall festival, plus a free bundle of fall media for churches.
Fall cookie contest
It is a truth universally acknowledged that people love cookies, so featuring all kinds of delicious types at your festival is a smart (and delicious) move.
Ask your members to bake a number of cookies appropriate for how many guests you think will attend your fall festival. Make sure to announce this ahead of time, add it to your church’s event calendar, and make reminder announcements so people don’t forget. 
At your festival:
• Clearly label each cookie with a cookie name and number.  
• Keep voting objective by leaving out the baker’s name.  
• Have voting slips, pens, and a bucket or bowl for people to turn in their voting forms.  
• On your voting forms, include a one-to-five scale for taste, decoration, and either originality or overall impression. 
• Optional: Include a sign saying when the winner will be announced.  

Mini pumpkin decorating
Mini pumpkins don’t cost much, and decorating them is fun for people young and old. Plus, you could make a contest out of this, too!
Provide stickers, glitter glue, markers, paint, and whatever else you’d like. Disposable plastic aprons might also be a good idea. If you’re turning it into a contest, add a decoration time limit and break up competition categories into age groups.
Fall photo booth
Ask a creative church volunteer or two to help you create a fun fall photo booth people want to get their photos in. Hay bales, a scarecrow, pumpkins, fall leaves, and an autumn-colored background make for a good start. If you’re adventurous, you could even include paper props like corn on the cob, pumpkin pie, and caramel apples.
Include your church’s name somewhere visible but not overbearing in the photo booth so when people share their cute snaps on social media, your church name will be seen.
Ring toss
Keep this really simple with classic glass bottles and rings made out of jute rope and electrical tape. Or make it even more fun and fall themed by using full-sized pumpkins and hula hoops instead. 
Gift-making stations
Give your guests the opportunity to make gifts for the needy. It’s both memorable and meaningful.
For example, gather all the supplies you’ll need to assemble Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. People can pitch in to decorate the boxes, fill them with gifts, and add labels. Another idea is to make cards to give to shut-ins (especially if you’re delivering Thanksgiving meals). 
***
Get ready for your church’s fall events—from fall festivals to Pastor Appreciation Month and more—with a free bundle of fall media.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival—and put a fresh start to your outreach for a new season. Here are five ideas to help you as you […]

5 Church Fall Festival Ideas (+ FREE Fall Media Bundle)

<img width="620" height="324" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ipad-620x324-3-1.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ipad-620x324-3-1.jpg 620w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ipad-620x324-3-1-300x157.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />You can have the perfect website, but if no one sees it, it’s all for naught. That’s why creating a church website SEO (search engine optimization) strategy that will help your website show up in Google (and other) search engines is absolutely, positively, worth-near-memorizing-this-post essential. Fortunately, it isn’t a guessing game. There are clear, simple [&#8230;]

You can have the perfect website, but if no one sees it, it’s all for naught. That’s why creating a church website SEO (search engine optimization) strategy that will help your website show up in Google (and other) search engines is absolutely, positively, worth-near-memorizing-this-post essential.

I’ve organized this list of 9 church website SEO tips by what is simple yet critical. The further something is toward the top, the simpler and more important it is you do it. That said, you should do all of these as you have time.
1. Register with Google
For practical purposes, you should register your church with Google. It makes your church:
Available for reviews by Google users
Show up on Google Maps
Appear in searches alongside important information like your phone number, website, and service times
It also establishes credibility. If you don’t show up on Google Maps—or your entry shows up with all your information blank—you appear disreputable.
2. Choose smart keywords
Now that the internet knows you exist, it’s time to tell Google what you’re about—by using the right keywords.
Keywords are the main words people are likely to use when searching Google for your church (even if they don’t know about your church).
For example, a potential visitor might not go searching for “First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon.” But they will search for “Baptist churches in Mount Vernon” or “small churches near me.” And if you use the right keywords, your website will shoot to the top of the results.
When someone hits “Search,” Google takes their keywords and scans billions of sites to find what seems most relevant. You want Google to think that’s you.
Fortunately, there are only so many ways people search for churches. Here are the main four:
“churches near me” — Your Google Business listing will help you rank for this, so you’re good to go if you list your address in Google.
“[denomination] churches in [city]”
“churches in [city] with [specific attribute, like children’s ministries, evening service, etc.]”
The actual name of your church (likely because they heard about it word-of-mouth) — This, too, is pretty well covered by your Google listing.
With that in mind, here are three easy steps to arrive at a good keyword strategy:
Step one: Jot down 5–10 ways you might search Google for your church if you were a fairly new attender (that is, use general terms to describe your church).
Step two: Take another look at the four main ways people search for churches and see which of your search ideas from step one seem to hit most of the four. For example, “Family-oriented PCA churches in Bellingham” covers searches 1–3 and could be a good target keyword phrase.
Step three: Choose words that supplement your target keyword phrase, and use them when writing your content. For example, if your target keyword phrase is “ice cream sundae,” supplemental keywords would be “banana,” “whipped cream,” “sprinkles,” “chocolate syrup,” and so on. For your church, those words could be “gospel,” “city,” “Jesus,” “faith,” “disciple,” or whatever words are organic to the life and mission of your church.
3. Include your primary keyword strategically on your page
Now that you have your target keyword and supplementary keywords, it’s time to place them strategically in your website. If possible, it’s also important to include them in your church website domain name.
Rule of thumb: headlines. The most prominent parts of your site, like headings, titles, and copy high on the page, are the most important to your church website SEO strategy, so these are the main places you should use your target keyword. The more prominently the words appear on your site, the more important it is for those words to contain your keyword(s).
Example: Christ Church Bellingham
By way of example, if your target keyword is “PCA Church in Bellingham,” you want those words to appear often and prominently on your homepage.
One church that does this fairly well is Christ Church Bellingham. Their main headline has the word “Bellingham” in it, which helps. It could be stronger if it had the word “Church,” too, but then that could mess with the phrasing of their value statement, so they may have chosen to forego it.
However, if you search the page for “Church” and “Bellingham,” you’ll see each word appears 10 and 7 times, respectively, which is pretty good. They might rank even better if they included a subhead under their “the joy of God in all of life for all of Bellingham” phrase that said, “Welcome to Christ Church Bellingham, a PCA church in the heart of Whatcom County.” That way their target keywords appear in two prominent places, near words people may use to search (like “churches in Whatcom County”).

A few nuts-and-bolts comments
There are technical terms for these headers:
H1: the highest-level headline on a page (e.g., “the joy of God in all of life for all of Bellingham”). It is strongly recommended your target keyword phrase appears here.
H2: the second-level headline (e.g., “Welcome to Christ Church Bellingham, a PCA church in the heart of Whatcom County”). If your target keyword isn’t in your H1, it should at least be here, along with supplementary keywords.
Generally speaking, H1 is the biggest text, H2 is the next biggest. That said, you can adjust both. If the big message you want to stand out isn’t necessarily keyword-friendly, make it your H2 and enlarge the font. Then put your keywords in your H1, but stack it under your H2 and shrink the font. For example:
H2 (bigger than H3): “the joy of God in all of life for all of Bellingham”
H3 (smaller than H2): “Welcome to Christ Church Bellingham, a PCA church in the heart of Whatcom County”
Your body copy (everything that’s not an H1 or H2) is important, too. That’s where you want to sprinkle your supplementary keywords alongside your target keywords.
If this feels over your head, don’t worry. Simply identifying your target keywords is 60 percent of the work. The remaining 40 percent is sprinkling them into your website intentionally and strategically.
4. Drive traffic
Now that we’ve done the legwork to help Google know what your site is about, we have to convince Google you’re legit. (And you are, they just don’t know it yet.)
The big way to do this is to get people to go to your site.
There are many ways to do this, but these are the two big ones to add to your church website SEO checklist:
Put content on your site that people are looking for.
This is great news for your church, because you’re a content machine—you just might not know it yet.
Blogs: Make sure your church website has a blog. You can use this to post virtually any kind of content: excerpts from sermons (text or audio), answers to questions you hear often in the life of your church (like “Why does evil exist in the world?” or “How can we trust the Bible?”), links for recommended reading, you name it. (Pro tip: You get a blog page automatically with Faithlife Sites.)
Photos and videos: Did your church recently go on a retreat? Post pictures and videos on your website, then let everyone know at church or through social media that the photos and videos are up. Then people can go view them, and they may even share them on social media. Traffic on traffic on traffic. (Pro tip: You get tons of video and storage space automatically with Faithlife Sites.)
Sermons: You create valuable content every week. Put your sermons on your website, and you create yet another inroad to your church website. Roads mean traffic. (Two pro tips: (1) Post or link your entire sermon transcript. All of those words are smack dab in the middle of what Google looks for to determine that you are a church or religious group. (2) Faithlife Sites will automatically upload your sermons and transcripts when you use tools like Faithlife Proclaim and Faithlife Sermons.)
If this sounds like a lot of work just for traffic, keep in mind that traffic is really the side benefit. The true benefit here is that you are cultivating community and equipping your own church.
Link to your church’s website on social media.
This one is simple. Do you have a church event coming up, and the details are on your website?
5. Get reviews of your church
This is a highly critical step to your church website SEO strategy.
Ask your church members to review your church. They probably have good things to say about your church. No need to ask them to leave a certain kind of review, just to review it as sincerely as they would any other establishment.
Respond to reviews. If it’s a warm review, write back telling that person how glad you are that they’re part of the community. If it’s a bad review, respond with a note of apology they had a poor experience, and encourage them to reach out or come by for another visit. People read reviews, and one of the most telling details about an organization is how they respond to critics.
Delegate someone to oversee reviews. If it’s not one person’s job, it can easily fall through the cracks. Perhaps the person heading up your church’s welcome team is the best person to monitor reviews.
6. Get linked to other sites
Google is like your friend who knows the whole town and how everyone is connected.
For example, The Gospel Coalition is a legitimate website. Thousands of people visit their site every day, and there is no illicit content.
TGC also has a church directory on their website that lists all churches that align theologically with them. If your church website is linked to that list, Google will register your association with The Gospel Coalition’s website and raise you in the rankings. (In other words, it will see as you as more relevant and trustworthy.)
The Faithlife Church Directory is another easy way to get quality inbound links to your church website. It also helps potential visitors conveniently find your church.
Application: if your church is part of a network, association, or denomination, or otherwise partners with a credible institution, see about creating a two-way road between your sites. Somewhere on your site, link to theirs, and request that they somehow link to yours. The great part about this church website SEO tip is that it helps both parties.
7. Update your church website regularly
We’ve covered this fairly well by now, but it bears repeating: current is credible.
8. Write “behind the wall”
There are words that people see when they view your site, and there are words they don’t.
There are three pieces of metadata every church website SEO strategy must include: title tags, descriptions, and alt tags.
I’ll use a Google listing to explain the first two, title tags and descriptions:
Title tag: Faithlife Giving: Online Giving Solution for Churches
Description: “Make giving easy for your church . . .”
These tell you at a glance what the site is about, in the form of a headline (title tag) and then in a sentence or two (description). Titles must be under 60 characters, and descriptions 300.
Title tag: Christ Church Bellingham: Finding Joy in God
Description: “Christ Church Bellingham is a PCA church located in the heart of Whatcom County. Our church of 300 is casual yet committed to the gospel . . .”
The third pieces of metadata you should focus on are called alt tags. An alt tag is simply a way of describing an image verbally—think of it like an invisible caption. In fact, sometimes you can hover your mouse over an image and see a small line of text. That’s an alt tag.
The reason this is important is Google can’t “read” an image, so it needs you to translate. For example, if you have an image on your website of people gathered at a potluck, you might write the alt tag, “A potluck at [church name] in [church town].” Those keywords will make Google’s ears perk up and register you as a church website.
So where do I write this metadata? Most church website builders, like Faithlife Sites, will make that clear in their templates. If they don’t, email the support team and ask. (And if they don’t have a good answer, you may want to look elsewhere for a website builder.)
9. Get creative
Anything beyond the eight points goes beyond what is standard and is up to you to pursue.
Google Ad Grant is essentially free advertising money—up to $10,000/mo.—to help you spread the word about your church.
The downside? You have to apply to qualify, and it takes quite a bit of work to maintain your qualifications—which most churches don’t have the resources for.
The good news? Organizations like CV Outreach can help you bridge the gap. They are totally free and they shoulder the grunt work of maintaining a strong online presence for your church.
CV Outreach. (Or if you’re really ambitious, pursue a Google Ad Grant.)
There you have it—9 church website SEO tips to getting found on Google.
The good news is you don’t have to do all nine of these church website SEO tips at once, and some of these steps should include work your church is already doing, like creating content or responding to reviews.
A lot of work goes into making a great church website. Make it count by taking these steps to help your site show up in search results.
Faithlife Sites is a church website builder designed to help you rank in Google. Get started with a free website today.

You can have the perfect website, but if no one sees it, it’s all for naught. That’s why creating a church website SEO (search engine optimization) strategy that will help your website show up in Google (and other) search engines is absolutely, positively, worth-near-memorizing-this-post essential. Fortunately, it isn’t a guessing game. There are clear, simple […]

How to Get Your Church Website to Show Up on Google

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="people doing good works serving in a soup kitchen" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” But what are good works? Professor R. Michael Allen explains in the course Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics. *** Defining Good Works: The Heidelberg Catechism As we [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="people doing good works serving in a soup kitchen" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen.jpg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-300x158.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-1024x538.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-768x403.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-716x376.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-working-in-soup-kitchen-820x431.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” But what are good works?
Professor R. Michael Allen explains in the course <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/53623/mobile-ed-et101-law-and-gospel-the-basis-of-christian-ethics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics</a>.
***
<h2>Defining Good Works: The Heidelberg Catechism</h2>
As we seek to think about evangelical ethics—to have our approach to good works and the good life shaped by not only the Bible in general, but more specifically the gospel work and gospel promise of Jesus Christ—we do well to ask the question, what are good works?
The Heidelberg Catechism—that great Reformation-era teaching tool—asks in question 91, “What are good works?” It answers, “Only those which proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God, and to his glory; not such as are founded on our imaginations, or the institutions of men.”
Notice three things in that definition—three things, each of which is necessary, none of which by itself is sufficient to make something a good work.
<h3>Good works proceed from a true <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/sermon-illustrations-on-faith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faith</a></h3>
First of all, good works are those which proceed from a true faith. Not only do they sit alongside or rest beside true faith (it’s not simply that you have faith and good works), but they proceed from or come through faith—faith which leads or works itself out in good works.
<h3>Good works follow God’s law</h3>
Second, notice that good works are performed according to the law of God. In fact, the next clause speaks of how they’re not such as are founded on our imaginations or the institutions of men. Social mores, personal proclivities, cultural approaches to life are not the guidance and the discipline that are to lead us to live according to God’s pleasure. No, our good works—if they’re to be truly good works—must be performed according to God’s law. God disciplines our thoughts about what is to be valued, what’s to be pursued, and how we’re to live.
<h3>Good works bring glory to God</h3>
Third and finally, we note here in Heidelberg 91 that good works are to God’s glory. They not only come from true faith and are disciplined by God’s law, but they’re unto God’s name and his glory being magnified rather than our name being exalted or our glory being extended.
<a href="https://www.logos.com/basic?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=goodworksanswer&amp;utm_campaign=promo-2021miscdays" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-30437 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2.jpg" alt="Free Bible Software. Priceless Insights. clickable image" width="1280" height="336" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2.jpg 1280w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-300x79.jpg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-1024x269.jpg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-768x202.jpg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-716x188.jpg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Footer-Ad-L9-Basic-640x168-1-2-820x215.jpg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></a>
<h2>Examining Motivations: The Scots Confession</h2>
<h3>Motivated by faith</h3>
We see a similar approach to good works in the Scots Confession of 1560, chapter 14, where we read, “We affirm good works to be those alone which are done in faith and at the command of God who, in his law, has set forth the things that please him.” As we think, then, about good works, as we think about what it means to honor God, to please God with our lives, to act in ways that are truly good, we want to honor this threefold principle: that our works are meant to flow from an appropriate subjective stance or posture of faith; that works are not mere external realities or mere objective performances; but they are marked by the motivation that brings them about, and the Bible signals faith to be that primary motivation.
<h3>Motivated by knowledge</h3>
Secondly, good works are not reducible to their subjective motivation. It’s not enough to be well intentioned. It’s not enough to trust God. It’s not enough simply to want to do the good, to do a good work. No, there is an objective expectation described by the law of God, or the command of God. God regulates how we respond to him.
You may remember the story of Leviticus 10, where we read of Nadab and Abihu. In a moment of zeal before the Lord, they want to offer worship, and so they offer fire before the Lord. God responds by killing them. They are immediately struck dead on the spot, in miraculous fashion. The lesson there, of course, is that zeal apart from knowledge is not enough. Subjective authenticity and desire to please God is not enough.
As Paul speaks of so many Jews of his own day—his kindred who have not responded to his Messiah in faith—he describes them as possessing zeal without knowledge. That condemns them. It’s not enough to have our action flow from faith, or from an appropriate authentic, subjective posture. It must also be disciplined by God’s law and command. It must match God’s objective standards.
<h3>Motivated to glorify God (Westminster Shorter Catechism)</h3>
Our actions not only flow from the right subjective posture, according to the appropriate objective standard, but they must also be directed to the right telic purpose: God’s glory, not our own. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins by asking, “What is our chief end?” That is, what is the primary goal of human life (primary goal—not our only goal, but the goal that will stand behind and beyond everything else)? Thus, whatever our subordinate goals and objectives may be in different endeavors or actions, they must always be unto the end of glorifying God, as that answer responds. We are called to live by faith, according to the law, unto God’s glory.
Our faith shows dependence on God. More importantly, our faith shows God’s dependability.
Our trust demonstrates or manifests his trustworthiness. Our dependence on his law shows his wisdom, not our self-awareness or our ability to intuit on our own, or due to cultural resources, the way forward.
<h3>Good works defined by the gospel</h3>
In every sense, then, the ethical act, the good work, points away from us. The good work points away from our capacities and from our own know-how, and it points unto the God in whom we trust, unto the God whose law we follow, unto the God whose glory we seek to magnify.
That’s what it means to have good works defined by the Bible most broadly, and by <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/why-the-gospel-threatened-the-ephesians-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the gospel</a> more specifically.
***
This article is adapted from <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/53623/mobile-ed-et101-law-and-gospel-the-basis-of-christian-ethics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics</a>, available now from <a href="https://www.logos.com/mobile-ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Logos Mobile Education</a>.
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Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” But what are good works?
Professor R. Michael Allen explains in the course Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics.
***
Defining Good Works: The Heidelberg Catechism
As we seek to think about evangelical ethics—to have our approach to good works and the good life shaped by not only the Bible in general, but more specifically the gospel work and gospel promise of Jesus Christ—we do well to ask the question, what are good works?
The Heidelberg Catechism—that great Reformation-era teaching tool—asks in question 91, “What are good works?” It answers, “Only those which proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God, and to his glory; not such as are founded on our imaginations, or the institutions of men.”
Notice three things in that definition—three things, each of which is necessary, none of which by itself is sufficient to make something a good work.
Good works proceed from a true faith
First of all, good works are those which proceed from a true faith. Not only do they sit alongside or rest beside true faith (it’s not simply that you have faith and good works), but they proceed from or come through faith—faith which leads or works itself out in good works.
Good works follow God’s law
Second, notice that good works are performed according to the law of God. In fact, the next clause speaks of how they’re not such as are founded on our imaginations or the institutions of men. Social mores, personal proclivities, cultural approaches to life are not the guidance and the discipline that are to lead us to live according to God’s pleasure. No, our good works—if they’re to be truly good works—must be performed according to God’s law. God disciplines our thoughts about what is to be valued, what’s to be pursued, and how we’re to live.
Good works bring glory to God
Third and finally, we note here in Heidelberg 91 that good works are to God’s glory. They not only come from true faith and are disciplined by God’s law, but they’re unto God’s name and his glory being magnified rather than our name being exalted or our glory being extended.

Examining Motivations: The Scots Confession
Motivated by faith
We see a similar approach to good works in the Scots Confession of 1560, chapter 14, where we read, “We affirm good works to be those alone which are done in faith and at the command of God who, in his law, has set forth the things that please him.” As we think, then, about good works, as we think about what it means to honor God, to please God with our lives, to act in ways that are truly good, we want to honor this threefold principle: that our works are meant to flow from an appropriate subjective stance or posture of faith; that works are not mere external realities or mere objective performances; but they are marked by the motivation that brings them about, and the Bible signals faith to be that primary motivation.
Motivated by knowledge
Secondly, good works are not reducible to their subjective motivation. It’s not enough to be well intentioned. It’s not enough to trust God. It’s not enough simply to want to do the good, to do a good work. No, there is an objective expectation described by the law of God, or the command of God. God regulates how we respond to him.
You may remember the story of Leviticus 10, where we read of Nadab and Abihu. In a moment of zeal before the Lord, they want to offer worship, and so they offer fire before the Lord. God responds by killing them. They are immediately struck dead on the spot, in miraculous fashion. The lesson there, of course, is that zeal apart from knowledge is not enough. Subjective authenticity and desire to please God is not enough.
As Paul speaks of so many Jews of his own day—his kindred who have not responded to his Messiah in faith—he describes them as possessing zeal without knowledge. That condemns them. It’s not enough to have our action flow from faith, or from an appropriate authentic, subjective posture. It must also be disciplined by God’s law and command. It must match God’s objective standards.
Motivated to glorify God (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
Our actions not only flow from the right subjective posture, according to the appropriate objective standard, but they must also be directed to the right telic purpose: God’s glory, not our own. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins by asking, “What is our chief end?” That is, what is the primary goal of human life (primary goal—not our only goal, but the goal that will stand behind and beyond everything else)? Thus, whatever our subordinate goals and objectives may be in different endeavors or actions, they must always be unto the end of glorifying God, as that answer responds. We are called to live by faith, according to the law, unto God’s glory.
Our faith shows dependence on God. More importantly, our faith shows God’s dependability.
Our trust demonstrates or manifests his trustworthiness. Our dependence on his law shows his wisdom, not our self-awareness or our ability to intuit on our own, or due to cultural resources, the way forward.
Good works defined by the gospel
In every sense, then, the ethical act, the good work, points away from us. The good work points away from our capacities and from our own know-how, and it points unto the God in whom we trust, unto the God whose law we follow, unto the God whose glory we seek to magnify.
That’s what it means to have good works defined by the Bible most broadly, and by the gospel more specifically.
***
This article is adapted from Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics, available now from Logos Mobile Education.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” But what are good works? Professor R. Michael Allen explains in the course Law and Gospel: The Basics of Christian Ethics. *** Defining Good Works: The Heidelberg Catechism As we […]

What Are Good Works? A Bible Professor Answers

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies.jpeg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="Church attendees avoiding miscommunication" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies.jpeg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-300x158.jpeg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-1024x538.jpeg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-768x403.jpeg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-716x376.jpeg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-820x431.jpeg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Church growth and church visitors go together. After all, how does your church grow if not by adding new people? Most churches follow one of these two approaches—but which is better in the long run? Approach #1: Full speed ahead Suppose, hypothetically, there are 1,000 people in your community that might be open to going [&#8230;]

<img width="1200" height="630" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies.jpeg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="Church attendees avoiding miscommunication" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies.jpeg 1200w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-300x158.jpeg 300w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-1024x538.jpeg 1024w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-768x403.jpeg 768w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-716x376.jpeg 716w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Church-growth-strategies-820x431.jpeg 820w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Church growth and church visitors go together. After all, how does your church grow if not by adding new people? Most churches follow one of these two approaches—but which is better in the long run?
<h2>Approach #1: Full speed ahead</h2>
Suppose, hypothetically, there are 1,000 people in your community that might be open to going to your church. And every weekend, 10 of them step through your door.
You pull out all the stops. You do whatever it takes to make those 10 people come back. You tell them about every conceivable way they could get involved with your church. You make a point of identifying them so your members can make them feel welcome. After the service, a staff person or a volunteer shows up at their house with a free gift and an encouragement to come again next week. You throw the metaphorical kitchen sink at them.
At the end of the weekend you convince four of those 10 people to come back next week. Three of them are undecided and could go either way, depending on how good your visitor follow-up plan is. And three of them are totally turned off by how uncomfortable they were. They’re not open to any more of <a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/2016/11/05/christmas-visitors-follow-up-plan/">your follow-up efforts</a>, and the suggestion of going to your church years later recalls the bad taste the service left in their mouth.
You still got four new people to come back. There are still three people for you to follow up with. Maybe you’ll get one. Or two—even three now and then. And every week your members do such a great job evangelizing their local community that 10 brand-new people come to your church. It’s not so bad, really, right?
But there are only 1,000 potential new members in your community. You’re going to keep seeing church growth for quite a while (100 weeks, to be exact). But eventually, you’ll have worn out your pool of potential new members, and completely turned off 300 of them.
<h2>Approach #2: slow and steady</h2>
Now, on the other hand, suppose you use less aggressive tactics, and out of the same 10 new people you only wind up with one who can’t wait to come running back inside next week, and one person who was totally uninterested in ever attending your church again. But there are still eight people you can follow up with every single week.
During the service you directed them to the info booth to receive a free gift, and it comes with a letter from your pastor thanking them for coming, sharing what you hope they experienced, and your desire to get to know them.
<a href="https://faithlife.com/integrated-ministry-platform/church-growth-strategies?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=churchgrowthstrategy&amp;utm_campaign=promo-visitors"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28331 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Blog-Footer-Thrive.jpg" alt="Who Would Notice If Your Church Disappeared?" width="700" height="204" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Blog-Footer-Thrive.jpg 700w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Blog-Footer-Thrive-300x87.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
They gave you their email, so you start a series of emails that speak to them like a new person—instead of lumping them into your weekly newsletter that&#8217;s written for members. Over the next few weeks you share your church&#8217;s origin story, examples of ways your church is impacting the community they live in, the personal testimony of a staff member, ways for them to meet other new people or connect with members, and an invitation to meet with someone on staff—if they want to.
They get to know your church without being there, and hopefully, eventually, they develop a natural relationship with someone who attends your church.
Over the same 100 weeks, you only wind up with 100 new members as a direct result of the way you treat new people during the service, 100 people who will never come back again for whatever reason, and 800 potential new members in your community that you can continue interacting with.
<h2>Why slow and steady church growth comes out ahead</h2>
Obviously, these numbers aren’t an accurate reflection of your community, or how visitors respond to your service (this is back-of-the-napkin math at its finest). And yes, this completely oversimplifies the actual progression from visitor to member. This hypothetical situation is only intended to highlight a philosophical difference in church growth strategies.
While it’s easy to envision your church within the global body of Christ and perhaps even imagine the day when Christianity has reached everyone in the world, your church exists within one particular corner of the world—and there’s a limited pool of people in your corner of the world.
If someone has a terrible time at your church, it doesn’t guarantee that they won’t eventually come back. Your follow-up plan could be great. Your congregation could be highly involved in the community and change someone’s mind. And God is constantly working on people’s hearts. But if you take the short-term approach to church growth, you’re fighting an uphill battle with more and more of your potential new members every week.
Think of someone&#8217;s first visit to your church like a first date. It&#8217;s not a commitment to anything more yet. You&#8217;re just seeing how things go. And then the date goes perfectly.
So you propose.
Maybe, just maybe, someone will say yes to a first date proposal. But to everyone else, that&#8217;s crazy. You don&#8217;t even know each other yet. People aren&#8217;t used to a relationship progressing so quickly. Marriage is a big commitment, and you asked&nbsp;them to make that commitment way too soon.
That&#8217;s not too far from how some people feel when their first time at your church ends with an inappropriate next step—like an unsolicited in-house visit from church members or staff who they don&#8217;t know.
But it&#8217;s not only about that next step. How you treat new people during the service matters. How you continue to pursue the relationship after the service matters. How your church affects your community matters.
So as your church navigates the nuances of church-visitor follow-up, start with your philosophy: are you looking at church growth in the long run, or the short run? What&#8217;s the ratio of people who come back next week to people who never want to come back again? How many are in between?
Are you asking someone out on a second date, or proposing on the first?
* * *
<h3>Related articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://churchmarketinguniversity.com/church-growth-strategies-marketing-breakthrough-series/">Church Growth Strategies: Your Church Marketing Breakthrough Video Series</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/want-healthy-church-growth-you-need-this-kind-of-community/">Want Healthy Church Growth? You Need This Kind of Community</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/heres-how-to-keep-church-visitors-coming-back/">Here&#8217;s How to Keep Church Visitors Coming Back</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blog.faithlife.com/nobody-through-the-cracks-using-faithlife-for-online-church-visitor-follow-up/">Nobody through the Cracks: Using Faithlife for Online Church Visitor Follow-Up</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://faithlife.com/ministry-resources/equip/guide/digital-discipleship-guide?utm_source=blog.faithlife.com&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_content=churchgrowthstrategy&amp;utm_campaign=promo-visitors"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28409 size-full" src="https://blog.faithlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc.png" alt="From Strangers to Visitors to Evangelists. Learn how to build a biblically based discipleship journey that actually works." width="700" height="171" srcset="http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc.png 700w, http://3755m57z6oq15b6iq3xq9f8h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/disc-300x73.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
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Church growth and church visitors go together. After all, how does your church grow if not by adding new people? Most churches follow one of these two approaches—but which is better in the long run?
Approach #1: Full speed ahead
Suppose, hypothetically, there are 1,000 people in your community that might be open to going to your church. And every weekend, 10 of them step through your door.
You pull out all the stops. You do whatever it takes to make those 10 people come back. You tell them about every conceivable way they could get involved with your church. You make a point of identifying them so your members can make them feel welcome. After the service, a staff person or a volunteer shows up at their house with a free gift and an encouragement to come again next week. You throw the metaphorical kitchen sink at them.
At the end of the weekend you convince four of those 10 people to come back next week. Three of them are undecided and could go either way, depending on how good your visitor follow-up plan is. And three of them are totally turned off by how uncomfortable they were. They’re not open to any more of your follow-up efforts, and the suggestion of going to your church years later recalls the bad taste the service left in their mouth.
You still got four new people to come back. There are still three people for you to follow up with. Maybe you’ll get one. Or two—even three now and then. And every week your members do such a great job evangelizing their local community that 10 brand-new people come to your church. It’s not so bad, really, right?
But there are only 1,000 potential new members in your community. You’re going to keep seeing church growth for quite a while (100 weeks, to be exact). But eventually, you’ll have worn out your pool of potential new members, and completely turned off 300 of them.
Approach #2: slow and steady
Now, on the other hand, suppose you use less aggressive tactics, and out of the same 10 new people you only wind up with one who can’t wait to come running back inside next week, and one person who was totally uninterested in ever attending your church again. But there are still eight people you can follow up with every single week.
During the service you directed them to the info booth to receive a free gift, and it comes with a letter from your pastor thanking them for coming, sharing what you hope they experienced, and your desire to get to know them.

They gave you their email, so you start a series of emails that speak to them like a new person—instead of lumping them into your weekly newsletter that’s written for members. Over the next few weeks you share your church’s origin story, examples of ways your church is impacting the community they live in, the personal testimony of a staff member, ways for them to meet other new people or connect with members, and an invitation to meet with someone on staff—if they want to.
They get to know your church without being there, and hopefully, eventually, they develop a natural relationship with someone who attends your church.
Over the same 100 weeks, you only wind up with 100 new members as a direct result of the way you treat new people during the service, 100 people who will never come back again for whatever reason, and 800 potential new members in your community that you can continue interacting with.
Why slow and steady church growth comes out ahead
Obviously, these numbers aren’t an accurate reflection of your community, or how visitors respond to your service (this is back-of-the-napkin math at its finest). And yes, this completely oversimplifies the actual progression from visitor to member. This hypothetical situation is only intended to highlight a philosophical difference in church growth strategies.
While it’s easy to envision your church within the global body of Christ and perhaps even imagine the day when Christianity has reached everyone in the world, your church exists within one particular corner of the world—and there’s a limited pool of people in your corner of the world.
If someone has a terrible time at your church, it doesn’t guarantee that they won’t eventually come back. Your follow-up plan could be great. Your congregation could be highly involved in the community and change someone’s mind. And God is constantly working on people’s hearts. But if you take the short-term approach to church growth, you’re fighting an uphill battle with more and more of your potential new members every week.
Think of someone’s first visit to your church like a first date. It’s not a commitment to anything more yet. You’re just seeing how things go. And then the date goes perfectly.
So you propose.
Maybe, just maybe, someone will say yes to a first date proposal. But to everyone else, that’s crazy. You don’t even know each other yet. People aren’t used to a relationship progressing so quickly. Marriage is a big commitment, and you asked them to make that commitment way too soon.
That’s not too far from how some people feel when their first time at your church ends with an inappropriate next step—like an unsolicited in-house visit from church members or staff who they don’t know.
But it’s not only about that next step. How you treat new people during the service matters. How you continue to pursue the relationship after the service matters. How your church affects your community matters.
So as your church navigates the nuances of church-visitor follow-up, start with your philosophy: are you looking at church growth in the long run, or the short run? What’s the ratio of people who come back next week to people who never want to come back again? How many are in between?
Are you asking someone out on a second date, or proposing on the first?
* * *
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Unit 1: People Can Show Love to God Session 1: Barnabas Helped (9/05/2021) Social Media Session 2: Paul and Silas Praised God (9/12/2021) Social Media Session 3: The Bereans Learned from Paul (9/19/2021) Social Media Session 4: Paul Wrote to a Church (9/26/2021) Social Media Unit 2: No One Else Is Like God Session 1: […]
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Preschool Fall 2021 Extras

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List: Kids Leader Pack and Printables by Session Fall 2021

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The post Kids Fall 2021 Christ Connection Statements appeared first on Bible Studies for Life.

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