The Discipleship Mandate: Bring Mentoring Back
Small churches have a serious advantage when it comes to discipleship. If we’ll use the right tools.
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Pastoring
The Three Undeniable Realities Of Pastoral Ministry
Since every pastor will lead a small church for at least some time in their ministry, shouldn’t we learn how to do it well?
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Why We Need To Be Careful About Adopting Business Models In Our Churches
It’s becoming very popular to teach church growth and leadership principles using ideas from successful businesses. Despite the best intentions of these writers, I’m becoming more and more convinced that trying to bring renewal to our churches by adapting business ideas is at best ineffective, and at worst, potentially damaging to our souls, spirits and
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Church Health And Growth: Are Pastors Responsible For Outcomes?
Who is responsible for the health and growth of a local church? Obviously, the ultimate growth of the church is in Jesus’ hands, but Jesus has given church leaders certain responsibilities for our local congregation. So, while we should never take on a burden that isn’t ours, we also need to be careful not act
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What To Do When Your Ministry Passion Doesn’t Match Your Ministry Skill Set
Some ministers seem to be ideally suited for what they do. But what about the rest of us? What do you when you feel divided? When your passion goes in one direction, but your skills are in another?
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Is Your Church Evangelizing Or Just Advertising? 4 Reasons It Matters
There are two ways for a local church to reach more people. Advertising or evangelism. At best, advertising can support evangelism. But evangelism, not advertising, must be at the core of every church’s strategy for reaching new people.
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Why You Can’t Predict Church Growth, But You Can Predict Church Failure (And, Thankfully, Church Health)
Here’s the reality behind church growth. You can predict church failure. Do enough of the wrong things (or not enough of the right things) and almost anyone can predict that a church body is doomed. But you can’t predict church growth.
A Question Of Character: Getting Unstuck Is Not The Church’s Biggest Problem
There is a crisis in the church. People are leaving. Increasingly, it’s a question of character. The church’s character issues need to be addressed first. Not as a means to reverse our loss of numbers. But because it’s the right thing to do, no matter what our numbers are.
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8 Benefits Of Investing A Lifetime Of Ministry Into One Congregation
Pastors seem to be staying in their churches longer now than they did in previous generations. Certainly there are challenges to staying so long in the same place. Keeping fresh, not settling in too comfortably, and not repeating the same ideas over and over are constant battles to fight against. (We’ll address those in my
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Understanding The New Apathy About Church Attendance
People aren’t deciding not to go to church on Sunday any more than they’re deciding not to drink a bowl of ketchup for breakfast. Sure, they could do it, but why would they? They haven’t rejected the idea of going to church. It simply isn’t on their list of options. They’re not lazy, they’re apathetic. Until
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