The Ministry Growth Show

Many poverty ministries mean well but unintentionally deepen dependence and shame. There is a better way that restores dignity and agency through community. The post Elizabeth Ha from Five Talents | Sustainable Economic Empowerment appeared first on Reliant Creative .

Many churches want to share the gospel with their Jewish neighbors but feel unsure how. In a digital age filled with barriers and misinformation, equipping your congregation requires clarity, humility, and strategy. Here’s how to build a ministry approach that is faithful, relational, and ready. The post Mitch Forman from Chosen People Ministries | Combating Anti-Semitism in College Campuses appea...

Bible engagement is declining, but the hunger for God hasn’t disappeared. The problem is often the format—we keep offering Scripture in ways that assume a literacy-first culture, while the next generation is being shaped by visual, story-driven platforms. What if the church learned to meet people where attention actually lives, without compromising truth? The post Steve Cleary from Revelation Medi...

Ministry leaders rarely burn out because they don’t care — they burn out because they care deeply. Discover how obedience, healthy rhythms, and ethical storytelling can help leaders serve faithfully without sacrificing their souls. The post Hal Donaldson from Convoy of Hope | Feeding Millions: Inside Convoy of Hope with Hal Donaldson appeared first on Reliant Creative .

In parts of the world where faith can cost you your livelihood—or your life—discipleship can’t be a class you take and move on from. It has to be life-on-life formation: people learning Jesus together in basements, under trees, and in borrowed time after long workdays. This is what it looks like when believers don’t just survive hardship, but learn to flourish where God has planted them. The post...

Many ministry leaders feel stuck between a culture hungry for spiritual meaning and a church culture that feels allergic to questions. This guide shows how to build a curiosity-friendly discipleship environment, start respectful spiritual conversations, and use story to help spiritually open people move toward Jesus—without pressure, arguments, or gimmicks. The post Mark Matlock Author of Faith fo...

Prison ministry isn’t a “specialty outreach” for a few brave volunteers—it’s a discipleship opportunity hiding in plain sight. When the Church remembers those behind bars (Hebrews 13:3), Scripture comes alive, labels fall away, and real transformation begins—for incarcerated men and women and for the believers who step into the relationship The post Douglas Cupery from Crossroads Prison Ministries...

Jail ministry sits at the intersection of crisis, transition, and spiritual openness. People inside are asking urgent questions about their future, identity, and hope. This article explores how trauma-informed discipleship, storytelling, partnerships, and clear communication can strengthen jail ministry outreach and help ministries serve incarcerated individuals more effectively. The post Nathan D...

Many churches want to reach Muslim neighbors, but they’re unsure where to start—or how to stay faithful without being naïve. This guide offers a practical, biblically grounded approach: proclaim clearly, disciple relationally, equip the local church, and use digital storytelling as a bridge—not a replacement—for embodied community. The post Pierre Rashad Houssney from Horizons International | Empo...

Across the world, believers are choosing faithfulness to Jesus at a cost most of us have never faced. But the persecuted church isn’t asking to be rescued out of hardship—they’re asking to be strengthened through it. Here’s how ministry leaders can pray, communicate responsibly, and steward technology wisely as persecution grows and the gospel keeps advancing. The post Ryan Brown from Open Doors I...

Many pastors feel the pressure to “get better” while the need around them keeps growing. This article offers a practical, gospel-shaped approach to pastoral training that strengthens preaching, builds shared leadership, and mobilizes the whole church for faithful witness locally and globally. The post Dr. James Davis from Global Church Network | Pastoral Training and the Accomplishment of The Grea...

Mission work and ministry leadership both carry a hidden cost: when care becomes reactive, people burn out quietly. This guide shows how to build a missionary care program that is proactive, relational, and sustainable, including rhythms of rest, trauma-aware debriefing, and a culture where people can ask for help early. The post Candace Pickett from Avant Ministries | Longevity Care for Missionar...

Many churches feel stuck between two tensions: the urgency to reach people who do not know Jesus and the slow, faithful work of forming disciples who obey him. This article offers a practical framework for holding evangelism and discipleship together, training local leaders, and building churches that can grow without burning out. The post Steven Loots from Harvesters Ministries | Church Planting...

Trauma shows up in more ministries than we like to admit. Not just in war zones, but in foster care, addiction recovery, prison ministry, global missions, and everyday pastoral care. This guide offers a practical, Scripture-shaped approach to trauma-informed ministry, using storytelling and trusted community to move people from isolation toward healing. The post Brian Kleager from Cadence Internat...

Many ministries are trying to reach people shaped by screens, short attention spans, and deep spiritual hunger. The good news is that visual storytelling can still serve the Church without turning the gospel into entertainment. This guide shows ministry leaders how to use gospel films and immersive media as tools for discipleship, evangelism, and mission, while staying faithful to Scripture and wi...

A pastoral transition leaves a mark on the whole community, especially when it's sudden or poorly communicated. Building a ministry transition plan that holds truth and care together is not just an HR task. It's a discipleship issue. The post Matt Davis from Ministry Transitions | How to Navigate Ministry Leadership Change with Grace appeared first on Reliant Creative .

Many Christian leaders don’t stop praying altogether. They just quietly shift from dependence to competence. Over time, the calendar fills, the responsibilities grow, and prayer becomes a support activity instead of the work itself. This article explores why that drift happens, how it shapes ministry health, and what leaders can do to rebuild a culture of prayer—personally and corporately—without...

Many ministry leaders wrestle with how to measure evangelism impact without reducing discipleship to numbers. This guide offers a biblical and practical framework for tracking ministry outcomes while keeping formation, faithfulness, and the Great Commission at the center. Ministry leaders feel the tension. On one side, you are called to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. On the other, donors,...

Most ministry leaders don't fear retirement. They fear what succession might do to the people they love and the trust they've spent decades building. Church succession planning is how healthy organizations prepare before urgency forces the conversation. The post Steve Woodworth from Masterworks and Author of Lost in Transition | Lessons from the most Disastrous and most Successful Ministry Success...

Sustainable missions do not grow from bigger trips. They grow from deeper partnership, clearer boundaries, and local ownership. This guide shows ministry leaders how to move from short-term help to long-term fruit, without creating dependency, losing focus, or confusing supporters about what you do. The post Dr. Joseph Pecoraro from Hearts Afire | The 4 Pillars of Ministry appeared first on Relian...

Ministry leaders are facing a quiet crisis: the discipleship “hours” of the week are no longer happening primarily in church buildings. Most children spend far more time on screens than they do in formal faith environments. That doesn’t mean the Church should surrender the space. It means we need to disciple with clarity, beauty, and wisdom—meeting families where they actually live, while still ca...

Many ministries care deeply about vulnerable children and families, but feel unsure how to lead well when trauma shows up. This guide offers a clear, gospel-shaped approach to trauma informed ministry: build trust, shape safer systems, and tell stories that heal rather than harm. The post Hollen Frazier from All God’s Children International | Storytelling and Trauma Informed Care appeared fi...

Summary This week on The Ministry Growth Show, we’re joined by Dr. Jim Kirchner, Founder and President of Global Assist. Dr. Kirchner is approaching ministry from one of the more innovative approaches we’ve seen on the show to date. He’s asking a few key questions that not a lot of ministries are asking. How do […] The post Dr. Jim Kirchner from Global Assist | Developing S...

Many church leaders can name the Great Commission, but far fewer know how to build a discipleship culture that shapes people’s hearts over time. This article explores how storytelling, safe community, and simple practices can help ministries move beyond information transfer toward formation. The post Brian Fisher from Soil & Roots | The Importance of Storytelling in Discipleship appeared first...

Ministry leaders live in the tension between vision and spreadsheets, people and plans, faith and funding. This guide offers a practical strategic planning rhythm, healthier team dynamics, and an ethical approach to fundraising that keeps Jesus at the center. The post Matthew Baehr from Homes for HOPE | The Seasons of Vocational Ministry appeared first on Reliant Creative .