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Showing posts from August, 2023

The Way of the Towel: Greatness, Redefined by Jesus

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by Bart Denny Central text: John 13:12–17 (NIV) Over the years, in church settings, I’ve done a lot of dishes. I’ve raked a lot of leaves. I’ve painted plenty of church walls. I’ve plunged more than a few clogged toilets. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. But if I’m honest, at this age, with this many years in church, there’s a part of me that wants to say, “I’ve done my time.” I don’t usually say it out loud. I dress it up. I call it wisdom. Focus. Stewarding my time well. But the feeling sneaks up on me. It shows up when another need pops up. When the same few people carry the same load. When I feel tired. It shows up when I think, “Shouldn’t somebody else take a turn now?” And I’ll confess something else: I don’t mind serving. I just want to choose the terms. And if I’m not careful, I start thinking and acting like the low places belong to somebody else. Now let me be even more honest: I don’t struggle with getting my hands dirty. I struggle to keep my ego in check....
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Faithfulness Over Fruitfulness: Rethinking Ministry Success

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by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M. I’ve often heard it said—sometimes harped on—that Christian ministry is about more than faithfulness; it’s about fruitfulness. But I’m not so sure. At least, not in the way it’s often meant. Yes, there are times when ministries remain barren despite having every resource to yield a bountiful harvest. But that kind of fruitlessness is often the result of unfaithfulness—not a lack of results, but a failure to labor faithfully, wisely, and prayerfully. What Is Faithfulness, Really? Every Christian is called to ministry. But I write here especially to those in ministry leadership. For us, faithfulness includes the courage to honestly assess our work, let go of ineffective strategies, and adopt biblically informed, context-appropriate approaches. It means seeking mentorship, inviting accountability, and doing the hard work of loving people, preaching truth, and building community. That’s faithfulness. We shouldn’t expect kingdom growth if we hav...
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Why I Am Hopeful for the Neighborhood Church in America

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 by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M. If you’ve read much of my blog, you might think my outlook on the Church (capital “C”) in America is pretty negative. Not so! I hope you’ll see in my writings that, in my view, the Church must face some stark realities. I think I can. Further, in light of the world as it is and not as we would like it, we must step up to the plate to meet these challenges, or we will see more decline and further decay. We will reach fewer of our fellow Americans with the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ. But for now, I will focus on the many reasons to hope for a bright future for the American Church—especially for small, neighborhood, and rural congregations. Reason #1: Most people are open to spiritual conversations. Americans may be dropping out of organized religion, but that doesn’t mean they’ve all become atheists. According to research that the Christian publisher LifeWay conducted in 2022, two-thirds of Americans are open to conversations about fa...
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