Responding to First-Time Visitors
There is an old myth that says it is best if lay people make the first call to first-time visitors. Well, that’s just what it is – a myth. Up until a church reaches 500 or 600 in worship, it should be the pastor. Many effective pastors like Adam Hamilton and yours truly made sure to […]
Why the Pastor Should Know What People Give
Recently I have been asked by a couple of people why a pastor should know what everyone gives. As one person said, “Doesn’t that cause you to play favorites?” It just so happened that the next day I was asked to read the galleys of J. Clif Christopher’s new book, titled Whose Offering Plate is It? This is […]
Heads Up about The Nines
This is a heads-up about a great event coming up on September 9 called The Nines. This is its second year. The only change is that every video will be under 6 minutes and they will be from some of the best church leaders in the country – and yes, I am one of the speakers. […]
Leadership Multiplication
I’m constantly asked what it takes to raise up more leaders or, to put it biblically, to make more mature disciples. And that’s good because leadership and discipleship multiplication are some of the most important ministries church leaders can undertake. So I’m going to brush stroke the basics of a leadership culture. If you want to […]
Ministry in the Age of the Unthinkable
Ever since my book, Dancing With Dinosaurs (1993), where I wrote about the “Crack in history” I’ve been warning people that we are living in a time of radical change. But I was wrong. We’re really living in a time of unthinkable change. Who would have ever imagined 9/11 could happen; or who in their […]
Seismic Shifts
I’ve lived through a number of seismic shifts the last twenty years. These shifts have changed the way I think and consult and I’m watching how they have affected effective pastors. Those who haven’t assimilated these shifts lead declining churches and those who have assimilated them are leading growing churches. So I want to share […]