Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog
The vast majority of dying churches I know get their priorities mixed up. Every church has a primary priority and secondary priorities. The primary priority of any church should be effectively growing the Kingdom, and it can’t be doing that if it totally dies. Secondary priorities can be any kind of mission they choose. However, many […]
Turning a Church Around
I will never forget that day. It was my first Sunday at a church that only five years earlier ran 249 in worship. But as I stood to teach I was greeted by only 37 people. You read that correctly. In five years the church declined from 249 to 37 people. I later found out […]
The Biggest Lesson I Ever Learned
One of the best things about getting older is the lessons learned along the way. Let me share the biggest lesson I learned. It’s so simple but it’s what makes life exciting and productive. Here it is: “The more you risk, the greater the possible return.” I’m convinced that the main reason so many churches are […]
Why Are so Many Churches Mean-Spirited?
A pastor I’m coaching asked me “Why are there so many dysfunctional, mean-spirited people in the church?” His question is well founded. There are more dysfunctional churches in the U.S. than there are healthy churches. I would guess the percentage of unhealthy churches approaches 60% of all churches. And the smaller the church is, the […]
Charleston: Another Reason to Believe in Christ
On Sunday, we witnessed a glowing example of what faith in Christ can do to a person, family, and city. Following the killing of nine people in the Mother Emmanuel AME Church, including the pastor, Chuck Todd of “Meet the Press” did an interview with the family of the slain Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. The […]
Team Model for Hiring
A Team Concept for Hiring One of the most crucial responsibilities of a senior pastor of a church with one hundred and fifty people or more in worship is the discovery, recruitment, coaching, and empowerment of a diverse, talented staff who are all pursuing the same goal. As a church grows larger, this responsibility becomes more […]