Just when you think you’re ahead of the curve, the curve moves. My parents gave me a Smith Corona typewriter when I went off to college in 1978. It was electric and portable. I was ahead of the curve. Then one day, I saw a crowd gathering outside a classroom. They were staring in amazement […]
Coasting is Compromise: Becoming a Proactive Small Church Read More »
Why do so many pastors not practice what we preach? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a cynic. And I’m definitely not a pastor-basher. I have a great admiration for pastors and what they (we) do. Pastors may be the hardest-working, most undervalued members of our society. And that goes double for Small Church pastors.
Redefining Success Without Lowering Your Standards Read More »
Small Churches receive a lot from our megachurch friends. We read their books, sing their songs, use their curriculum and attend their seminars. And we’re grateful. But the benefits don’t have to flow only one way. There are some very important, though less obvious things that megachurches can learn from Small Churches. Not necessarily books
5 Principles Megachurches Can Learn From Small Churches Read More »
What kind of culture does your church have? Are you a Willow Creek, or North Point church? Is your worship style more Hillsong, or Holy Trinity Brompton? Do you have an artsy, Mosaic vibe, a soulful, Brooklyn Tabernacle feel, or a structured, Saddleback system? For many years, people knew what to expect when they walked into
The Importance of Finding Your Church’s Unique Voice Read More »
Does your Small Church have a discipleship system in place? Most don’t. Mine doesn’t. We used to. But we quit doing it years ago. It didn’t work for us. We were using a well-known discipleship curriculum from a megachurch, that we adapted to our Small Church. We did it because everybody – and I mean everybody!
How to Quit Using a Discipleship System and Start Making Disciples Read More »
Small Churches are not scaled-down versions of megachurches. We’re different, not just in size, but in methodology. A lot of what works in big churches just won’t work in smaller ones. And vice versa. But there are some overlapping principles. Starting with the scriptural fundamentals, of course. Over the years, I’ve noticed some principles that
5 Principles Small Churches Can Learn From Megachurches Read More »
“I left my Small Church because the quality of worship, programs and preaching wasn’t great. Then I came back to my Small Church because the quality of worship, programs and preaching in the megachurch was so high, it made me passive. “The big church didn’t need me. My Small Church does. And I need to be
Could Excellence Be Killing the Church? Read More »
Welcome to the New Small Church Nametag Wall. That is, welcome to where the wall is going to be very soon. The plan is to have it up and running by Tuesday, January 14, 2013. (Since writing this, the Nametag Wall is now up! Click here to check it out.) Here’s the idea. As a way to
Be First In Line for the New Small Church Nametag Wall Read More »
More evidence has just come in. Small Churches are the next big thing. I wasn’t planning to revisit this idea for a while, but a couple days ago I read a post by Thom Rainer, with the curious title “The Death of the Mall and the Future of Church Buildings.” In it, Thom made some
Small Churches REALLY ARE the Next Big Thing Read More »
Let’s put this myth to rest right now. Churches can handle change. But there’s one fatal mistake too many pastors make, that will kill any chance for change, no matter how badly it may be needed. What churches, and church leaders especially, can’t handle, is this: They can’t handle surprise. And they shouldn’t have to.
Grasshopper Myth: My Church Can’t Handle Change Read More »
