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Got a Tough Job You Want Done Right? Call a Small Church Pastor
Over the past two weekends my wife and I spent time with two groups of Small Church pastors who are doing work that few people would volunteer to do – and even fewer could do if they were asked. These two groups of pastors and the situations they face could not be more different from each other.
8 Arguments Against Social Media – And Why Your Church Needs to Use It Anyway
If you’re not using social media, you’re not pastoring your church as well as you could. Whenever I say that in a minister’s conference I make some pastors mad. And I’m OK with that. Because I also get looks of relief and whispers of “thank you” from staff members and volunteers. They’ve exhausted themselves trying to
Why I Don’t Trust Sermon Notes that Rhyme – And What I Do Instead
If I was only allowed to give one piece of advice to pastors about how to make their Sunday messages more appealing to a younger audience, it would be this. Stop making your sermon notes rhyme. For generations, rhymes and alliterations were expected from public speakers. It made them seem credible, authoritative and prepared. And
Bungee Cord Leadership: Using Tension to Guide Your Church Through Change
“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
Forget Being Culturally Relevant – Let’s Get Contextually Real
“How do I get my church to grow?” That is the #1 question asked by pastors today. I used to ask that question a lot. I take an entire chapter of The Grasshopper Myth to tell how pursuing the answer to it nearly killed me and my church. I don’t ask that question any more.
What’s Better? 5,000 In a Megachurch? Or 5,000 In 50 Small Churches?
They’re the same. So what do you think? Author Karl Vaters View all posts
How to Delegate When There’s No One Around: Six Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
“Delegate pastor, delegate.” I’ve heard that wise advice hundreds of times – literally. Ron Cook was the chair of the pulpit committee that brought me to the church I’ve pastored for over 20 years now. In the first few years here, whenever he’d catch me doing something myself instead of training someone else to do
Why Hasn’t Church Growth Elevated Our Communities? (A Sincere Question Seeking Honest Feedback)
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
Hanging Out Is Holy – And Healthy Small Churches Take It Seriously
I love hanging out with innovative, passionate Small Church pastors. They have such great stories and they can’t wait to tell them. The more I listen, the more I learn. We all know the value of hanging out with people who share our heart, don’t we? If we’re honest, most of us who attend ministerial
