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The Missing Link in Church Revitalization: Leadership Development

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by Bart L. Denny If you’ve spent any time in church leadership, you’ve likely felt the heartbreak of decline. Empty pews. Aging buildings. Once-thriving ministries now little more than calendar placeholders. Churches across America—especially in small towns and aging neighborhoods—are closing their doors at an alarming rate. And even those that remain open are often mere shells of what they once were. But here’s the good news: Jesus hasn’t given up on His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Still, that doesn’t mean local churches won’t die—because they do. And far too often. That breaks my heart, and I believe it should break yours, too! Why Churches Are Dying Some blame culture. And yes, the data is troubling. Fewer people identify as Christian. Fewer attend worship. And many younger adults have simply walked away from the church altogether (some recent data suggests that is changing, especially with young men). But culture isn’t the whole s...
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The Missing Link in Church Revitalization: Leadership Development

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by Bart L. Denny If you’ve spent any time in church leadership, you’ve likely felt the heartbreak of decline. Empty pews. Aging buildings. Once-thriving ministries now little more than calendar placeholders. Churches across America—especially in small towns and aging neighborhoods—are closing their doors at an alarming rate. And even those that remain open are often mere shells of what they once were. But here’s the good news: Jesus hasn’t given up on His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Still, that doesn’t mean local churches won’t die—because they do. And far too often. That breaks my heart, and I believe it should break yours, too! Why Churches Are Dying Some blame culture. And yes, the data is troubling. Fewer people identify as Christian. Fewer attend worship. And many younger adults have simply walked away from the church altogether (some recent data suggests that is changing, especially with young men). But culture isn’t the whole s...
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When Good Things Get in the Way of the Right Things

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by Bart Denny Not long ago, I heard someone describe their life as being like a hummingbird—constantly in motion, wings beating a hundred miles an hour, darting from one flower to the next. “I’m busy doing so much good stuff ,” they said, “but I feel like I’m going nowhere.” That stuck with me—because I think most of us have felt that way at one point or another. Maybe you have. You're doing Bible studies, volunteering at church, keeping up with ministry obligations, helping friends, maybe even serving on three different committees. And yet, instead of feeling energized and joyful, you feel exhausted and strangely unfocused. Like you’re moving fast… but not necessarily forward. That conversation came back to me recently during a discussion in a graduate-level course I teach on Christian leadership. A student posed a thoughtful question about how to discern what truly matters in ministry. That opened the floodgates—leaders began sharing about their overloaded calendars, the f...
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Revitalizing America’s Shipyards: A National Imperative

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by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D. America’s shipyards are in crisis. The U.S. Navy can't build or repair ships fast enough to meet today’s threats—thanks in part to the shortsighted closure of major public shipyards in the 1990s. Submarines like USS Boise have waited years for drydock space. China builds 50% of the world’s ships; we build just 1%. It’s time to invest in new public shipyards, expand public-private partnerships, and—if necessary—temporarily lean on our allies' shipyards. Revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding is no longer optional—it’s a matter of national security. Below is an executive summary of a monograph I recently wrote concerning U.S. shipbuilding and repair. While my experience shapes my views and conclusions, the information I used to write this monograph is publicly available. The full monograph is available here . The former Long Beach Naval Shipyard closed in the 1990s, costing the Navy repair capability it sorely needs today. Executive Summary The United States f...
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How Can a Church Grow? (Part 2)

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Five Spiritual Practices That Fuel a Thriving Church by Bart Denny In a previous post , we asked a critical question: How can a church grow? It’s a timely question—because while many churches are in decline, growth is still possible. Not through gimmicks or polished programs, but by cultivating the same spiritual conditions that fueled the church in Acts 2. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the early church exploded. In one day, 3,000 people came to faith. And Acts 2:47 tells us, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” So what were they doing that made their growth so vibrant, sustainable, and Spirit-filled? It wasn’t a silver bullet—it was spiritual soil. Here are three more growth-producing practices from Acts 2:37–47. We Grow When We Love Each Other Deeply The believers in Acts didn’t just gather—they bonded. Acts 2:44–45 says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common… they gave to anyone who had need.” This was...
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The Day Evil Was Overthrown

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What Esther 9 Reveals About God’s Justice, Our Calling, and the Rest Found in Christ by Bart Denny There’s a moment in every great story where it looks like evil is going to win. The enemy is closing in. The hero seems cornered. Hope is slipping. But then—something shifts. And what felt like the end turns out to be the beginning of victory. That’s what we find in Esther chapter 9. As we continue our Hidden Hope series through the Book of Esther, we now arrive at the pivotal chapter where everything turns. God’s name still isn’t mentioned—but His fingerprints are everywhere. This isn’t just a story of ancient deliverance—it’s a preview of the final justice of God, the defeat of evil, and the ultimate rest found in Christ. Here are three powerful truths from Esther 9 that still speak into our stories today. Trust God to Defeat What You Can’t (Esther 9:1–5) Haman had selected the 13th day of the 12th month as the day the Jews would be legally attacked across the Persian...
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Hope Remembered, Hope Lived: A Legacy of Deliverance from the Book of Esther

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by Bart Denny In the town of Enterprise, Alabama, there stands a monument not to a war hero or a statesman—but to a bug. That’s right, the town built a statue to the boll weevil. Why? Because in 1915, this little pest devastated cotton crops and threatened the local economy. But out of that disaster came innovation and resilience. The community turned to peanut farming and ended up more prosperous than ever before. They didn’t just survive—they flourished. And they remembered. That’s exactly what we see at the end of the Book of Esther. What began as a death sentence turned into a deliverance story. What started in silence ends in celebration. And the legacy wasn’t just about survival—it was about hope worth remembering and passing on. The Old Testament book of Esther helps us to explore what it means to live out a legacy of deliverance. Celebrate God’s Faithfulness with Purpose (Esther 9:20–28) When Mordecai and Queen Esther established the festival of Purim, they weren’t ...
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The Power of a Plea

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  When death was decreed, intercession made a way. Esther 8:1–17 In a Texas courtroom in 2019, a young man named Brandt Jean made headlines—not for anger, but for grace. Standing face-to-face with the woman who had killed his brother, Brandt offered forgiveness. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I forgive you. I love you.” Then he asked the judge, “Can I hug her?” That kind of mercy doesn’t undo tragedy. But it changes everything. In Esther 8, we see another moment like that—where a courageous plea changed the course of history. Living Under a Death Sentence Esther 8 opens with celebration: the villain Haman is dead, Mordecai is honored, and Esther is secure in the palace. But the danger hasn’t disappeared. The Persian decree—sealed by the king’s ring—still stands: the Jewish people are to be annihilated. And in Persian law, a royal edict couldn’t simply be revoked. It was permanent. But Esther doesn’t settle for her own safety. She steps back into the throne room, weeping a...
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Embracing the Seasons of Life

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Trusting God’s Timing in a Changing World by Bart Denny Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 Life comes at us in seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—not only in weather, but in our experiences. Some seasons are full of joy and new beginnings. Others bring loss, waiting, or change we didn’t ask for. But every one of them has meaning. Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 reminds us that for everything , there is a season—and that every one of them is appointed by God. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV) You and I don’t get to pick our seasons. But we do get to choose how we walk through them. Here are three ways we can embrace every season of life with faith and wisdom: 1. Recognize That God Orchestrates Every Season Solomon reminds us that life isn’t random. Every moment—whether joyful or painful—has been woven into a divine timeline. From birth to death, from planting to harvest, there is an appointed time. And God—not chance or fat...
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Don’t Despair Over Evil Agendas—Trust in God’s Hidden Plan

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by Bart Denny Have you ever watched someone cheat the system—and win? Maybe it was a board game where the deck was stacked. Or a sports game where the ref clearly played favorites. It’s frustrating when people manipulate the rules for their own gain. But it’s more than frustrating when that happens in real life—when injustice goes unpunished and evil people abuse power without consequence. In those moments, you may wonder, “Where is God in all of this?” If you’ve ever asked that question, you’re not alone. And you’re in the right book. When Evil Seems to Win In Esther 3 , we meet a man named Haman—a power-hungry official in the Persian Empire who hatches a genocidal plan to wipe out the Jews. It’s a chapter steeped in injustice, silence from heaven, and a rising sense that evil is gaining the upper hand. But beneath the surface, God’s hand is still at work. Though His name is never mentioned in Esther, His fingerprints are everywhere. 1. When Evil Targets God’s People, ...
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How Can a Church Grow? Part One: Start with the Soil

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Acts 2:37–47 by Bart Denny A few years ago, a friend moved to a new house and tried to plant tomatoes in his backyard garden. He had all the right tools—good seed, fencing, fertilizer—but nothing grew. Not even a decent sprout. After two failed seasons, a neighbor finally said, “Get your soil tested.” Sure enough, the soil lacked the nutrients tomatoes need to grow. It wasn’t a problem of effort. It was the condition of the ground. The same is often true for churches. We pour our energy into ministries, programs, events, and even aesthetics. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, nothing seems to grow. And we’re left wondering: What are we doing wrong? In those moments, the real question might be: How’s the soil? In Acts 2, we see the early church explode in growth—not because they stumbled on a new strategy, but because the spiritual soil was ready. God moved because hearts were open, the Gospel was boldly proclaimed, and worship was central to life. So what made the...
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How Prayer and Encouragement Can Transform Relationships

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  by Bart Denny Have you ever had someone in your life who just knows how to push your buttons? (Tell me I'm not the only one!) Maybe it’s a coworker who’s always one-upping you. Or a family member who corrects everything you say. Or maybe—even more uncomfortably—it’s someone in your church pew on Sunday. Here’s the thing: we all have difficult people in our lives. And, if we’re honest, sometimes we’re that difficult person for someone else. I once heard about a man whose brother-in-law made every family gathering an exhausting competition—job, car, vacations, you name it. After one too many venting sessions, his wife gave him a piece of advice that changed everything: “Why don’t you just pray for him?” His first prayer was less than gracious—something like, “Lord, help him be less annoying.” But over time, that changed. His prayers softened, and so did his heart. Eventually, though the brother-in-law hadn’t changed a bit, this man discovered something profound: peace. That’s ...
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Here's why to strive for last place!

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  What Jesus Taught About True Greatness By Bart Denny We live in a world obsessed with greatness. Turn on your TV or scroll through your feed, and you’ll find no shortage of “top 10” lists, success stories, and headlines about who’s first, fastest, richest, or most followed. From athletes and actors to business moguls and influencers, we elevate the people at the top. Even in churches, the temptation is real. We celebrate big numbers, fast growth, best-selling books, and booming ministries. “Bigger is better,” or so we’re told. But in Mark 9:33–37, Jesus offers a radically different view: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” —Mark 9:35 (NIV) In other words, if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, strive for last place. Wait—what? The Disciples Had the Same Struggle We Do In this passage, Jesus and His disciples have arrived in Capernaum, and He asks them what they were arguing about on the road. Cue awkward silence. ...
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When Church Feels Like Family…Until It Doesn’t

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  Finding Peace and Unity in a World of Conflict (Philemon 1-7) By Bart Denny Imagine walking into church for the first time. You’re new to faith. A friend kept talking about Jesus, and eventually, the message pierced your heart. You realized your need for forgiveness, and for the first time, you felt right with God. That same friend invites you to church, and you nervously show up—unsure of what to expect. But then—you’re greeted with warmth, someone offers you coffee, people smile, shake your hand, invite you to sit with them. The sermon speaks to your heart. You think, “I never knew church could feel like this. This feels like home.” That’s a beautiful moment. But somewhere in the back row, an old-timer mutters under their breath, “Just wait. Give it a year. Two. You’ll see.” Because here’s the hard truth: churches are full of people—and people, even forgiven ones, are still very much in progress. What Happens When Church Hurts? Eventually, the shine wears off. Someone ...
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