Leadership is an elusive characteristic. It takes many shapes but you always know a great leader when you see one in action. I’ve had the privilege of working with many of our nations best leaders, both secular and religious. And I hate to say it but I can divide them into two categories whether religious […]
November 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Leadership Lessons from the Movie Enders Game
I saw Enders Game on its opening day and fell in love with the movie. Not because I love sci-fi over all other movie genres (I do). Not because Harrison Ford is my favorite swashbuckling actor (he is). And not even because I thought it had a great plot, great writing, great acting, and great […]
November 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Changing a Congregation’s Ethos … Not an Overnight Job (But Doable)
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book 21st Century Strategies for Church Growth. Too many church members, indeed too many churches, carry an attitude of entitlement rather than commitment. They act as if they’ve paid their admission price and now the rest of the church has to coddle and cow-tow to their every whim. […]
November 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Classic Worship Leaders and Worship Bands
Music isn’t a part of worship for today’s generations – it is the primary act of worship. Whereas classic worship services break up songs with other worship tools, such as responsive readings, prayers, etc., successful alternative worship services produce music “sets,” similar to a concert with one song leading directly into another for a sustained […]
November 7, 2013 by 9 Comments
The Average Pastor’s Achilles Heel
I’ve coached and consulted with hundreds of pastors over the years and I’ve noticed a common thread in the ministry of those pastors who do not do well. The sad thing about this common thread is that it could be eliminated with one simple word. But before I tell you what that one word and […]
October 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It’s Nominations Time: Thou Shalt Not Settle
Here’s yet another excerpt from 21st Century Strategies for Church Growth. One of the missing ingredients in today’s church is accountability. As church leaders, we are often so grateful to have volunteers who serve that we’re willing to overlook poor attitudes, bad behavior, and even a lack of integrity. In other words, we settle for […]
September 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Avoiding Planning Paralysis
I caught an article in this month’s Entrepreneur magazine (Oct 2103) by Sam Hogg, professor at the Michigan Business School that got me to thinking. He said that students are always asking about entrepreneurism and he shared a couple of the most common questions. It was his first question that sent me into effective church […]
September 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A Quiet Mainline Rant
There are lots of things that frustrate church consultants. For me, at least lately, the biggest bang-my-head-against-a-wall issue is “denominational distractions.” Let me give you a real-world example. Last summer, my denomination (Disciples of Christ) took a historical vote on who’s welcome on which side of the Lord’s Table. We’re not the first mainline denomination […]
September 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Church Leader Mandate
This is a VERY brief excerpt from my upcoming book 21st Century Strategies for Church Growth. A Note to Church Leaders: Church leaders have a different mandate than the average church member. At large church members are charged with the care of one-another (other Christians and fellow church members in particular). Church leaders, however, are […]
September 18, 2013 by 5 Comments
Stop Inviting People to Church … and Grow Your Church Anyway
This weekend I’m working with a church that desperately wants to grow … well, the pastor wants it to grow. He asked his core leaders about their inviting experiences and to a one they all said shades of the same thing: “I’ve invited all my friends to church and they’re not interested.” Well, Duh!! Unless […]
