Church Growth and Church Transformation
One of the most disconcerting practices I find in the church is the near obsession we have with our faults and our weaknesses. I’m not sure who to blame for what amounts to bad theology, but it seems that Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and Wesley may all share some it. Or perhaps it’s the whole therapeutic [...]
Over the years, when I’ve sat in interviews (on both sides of the table) I’ve heard the apparently ever-popular question “What would you say are your main strengths and what are your weaknesses?” I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that most readers will have had to answer that question sometime in [...]
I’ve yet to enter a congregation where their biggest complaint was that they had too many leaders and not enough ministry for their leaders to do. Obviously, the opposite is the rule. However, over the years I’ve discovered that, except in churches embroiled in conflict or in some other downward spiral, churches generally have all [...]
When I went to seminary, many moons ago, the study of leadership was one of three glaring omissions in seminary curriculum (the other two were conflict resolution and financial management). About the only leadership advice I got was an analogy that “Today’s pastor must be like a modern-day rancher who uses a helicopter to fly [...]
When it comes to working with church leaders, I’ve found that the word “NICE” is one of the most problematic four-letter-words. In terms of damage done to the church, I rank it as way more dangerous than any f-bomb someone might drop. I’ve tried, but I can’t trace the origins of when “nice” became a [...]
Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m a bit of a Trekie … not a fanatic by any means (I started watching when Kirk started his career and quit when Picard retired). You know, you can learn a lot about leadership watching that series, both how to lead effectively and how not to lead. [...]
It seems that the leading cause of flagging small group ministries is the consistent lack of available small group leaders. Depending on the size of the church, we always recommend starting a new small group (or Sunday school class) between semi-annually and every month. These new groups are necessary to accommodate new people who would [...]
I’m in the final throes of writing a recommendation report for a congregation I did a consultation with. While making a recommendation for the church to better define their values, I got distracted in discussing the difference between one’s beliefs and one’s values. I’ve long said that beliefs drive values and values drive beliefs, but [...]
One of my most common “ongoing battles” with congregational leaders I work with is the effective use of emails/Facebook messages, etc. The age of less-is-more, microwaves, and140 character communication hasn’t just arrived, it’s made itself at home in the church. And though it might be rather convenient, I’m seeing an alarming rise in misunderstandings and [...]
Take the next couple of minutes and peruse your investment portfolio. How are things going? Is your stock going up, down, or is it stagnant? In your whole portfolio, which is the most important investment you’re making. Oh … wait. I’ll be you’re thinking I’m talking about Dow Jones and the S&P 500. Nope. I’m [...]
