Comparing a church of 100 to a church of 10,000 makes no sense. But comparing 10,000 people in one church to 10,000 people in 100 Small Churches just might.
Apples to Apples: Comparing 10,000 In One Megachurch to 10,000 In 100 Small Churches Read More »
“You knew your audience.” That was one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received in ministry. It happened after speaking at a Prayer Breakfast at a US Army base in Germany. One of the military chaplains pulled me aside. “Thank you for that talk,” he said. “You knew your audience. It’s unusual for a civilian
Know Your Audience: 8 Principles for Speaking Effectively in Almost Any Situation Read More »
“How do you stay fresh and open to innovation after more than 20 years leading the same small church?” I get asked that a lot. There are a variety of factors of course, but today I want to tell you about one that has functioned almost subconsciously for me. When leading, especially when leading for
Bungee Cord Leadership: Using Tension to Guide Your Church Through Change Read More »
Today’s post is filled with questions I don’t have answers for. That’s where you come in. Warm up your typing fingers to add feedback in the comment section. But first, a little background. For the past 20 years I’ve pastored a Small Church in Orange County, California. In the past 50-plus years this county has given birth
What does a healthy Small Church look like? It looks like a healthy big church – in all the ways that matter, anyway. No, a healthy Small Church is not just a miniaturized version of a healthy big church. Pastors who try to do that are usually concentrating on the externals. And it never works
The Elements of a Healthy Small Church – And the Hidden Agenda that Can Kill It Read More »
“If it’s OK for a church to be small, how do you suggest we measure a church’s success?” Since starting the ministry of New Small Church, I’ve been asked that question more than any other. Maybe more than all other questions combined. At first I didn’t know how to answer it. Now I answer that
“How Will We Measure Our Success?” – The Question the Disciples Forgot to Ask Jesus Read More »
We learn more through our failures than our successes. I don’t want that to be true. But it is. Today’s post was written by a long-time friend who, like me, has had his share of frustrations in ministry. Lee Fruh (pronounced Free) has the rare gift of taking those frustrations, hurts and downright failures and,
Three Self-Evident Principles of Christian Leadership (A Guest Post) Read More »
Most Small Church pastors are shepherds. It’s not our choice, it’s our calling. There are good reasons for pastors of large churches to move from the shepherding/pastoring model to the ranching/management model. But most pastors aren’t called to be ranchers or to manage systems. Most of us are called to pastor people. In the first
How to Shepherd a 100+ Member Church Without Losing Your Sanity Read More »
What makes a great pastor? The bad news is, it’s not easy. The good news is, you’re probably doing it already. Great coaches and great pastors some from the same place. And no, you don’t have to be a sports fan to get something from this analogy. Have you ever wondered where all the superstar
It’s Not Magic: Great Pastors Come from Great Struggles Read More »
Being a pastor is the fourth hardest job in America. That’s been the common wisdom floating around the internet for a couple years now. It may be true. But it shouldn’t be true. It certainly doesn’t need to be true. I think it’s time to stop making it true. There are two reasons people believe that statement to be
Pastoring Shouldn’t Be This Hard (And 4 Ways to Make It Easier) Read More »
