Recruiting and keeping givers and volunteers is harder than it used to be. If I was ever tempted to tell Small Church pastors to quit whining about something, this would be it. It used to be fairly easy to get church members to commit to consistent giving and/or volunteering. Ask for a missions pledge, and […]
Grasshopper Myth: People Aren’t as Committed as They Used to Be 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 »
“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 »
I wanted to be DC Talk’s chaplain. In the 1990s, DC Talk hired a pastor to travel with them when they went on tour. He led a daily bible study for the band and crew, held them spiritually and morally accountable, and was available for pastoral counseling when needed. I congratulate any band or sports
What Will People Think? The Truth About Numbers, Status and What Really Matters Read More »
“The reason your church stays small is because you’re making Small Church choices.” That quote has been repeated many times as an undisputed Church Growth Movement truism. But it’s inside-out. My church isn’t small because I make Small Church choices. I make Small Church choices because my church is small. And I plan to keep
Small Church Choices – Make More of Them Read More »
Pastoral ministry is hazardous work. Study after study shows the burnout rate for people in full-time ministry is high and growing. Tim Peters tackled this issue with a very helpful post, 10 Real Reasons Pastors Quit Too Soon. As I read it, I noticed something missing from his list. And it may be the most
The 11th Reason Pastors Quit Too Soon Read More »
We don’t measure the things that matter. We measure the things we manage. That’s the essence of a comment I made this week in response to a short blogpost written by Artie Davis, entitled Disciples? If You Mean It, Measure It! UPDATE: Check out the gracious response to this post from Artie, below. Artie’s blogpost
How Do We Measure the Things That Matter? Read More »
All my life I’ve heard preachers talk about a coming worldwide revival. But it’s never happened. There have been pockets of excitement, from the Jesus Movement of the 1970s, to the church growth movement of the 1980s. The 1990s brought local spiritual outbreaks in places like Toronto and Florida, along with controversy over their genuineness
Is the Era of the Megachurch Over? Read More »
Impact. It’s what every pastor wants from their Sunday sermons (or talks, messages, homilies – take your pick). We want to have impact. We want the message, as Larry Osborne might put it, to be sticky. We want the words we speak, not just to make people feel good when they’re in church on Sunday, but to
3 Words That Can Make Your Sermons Sticky Read More »
