18 Years to Win Gold
Last night the Chinese couple Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won an Olympic gold medal in the pairs free program figure skating competition. That’s a major accomplishment. But when you realize they had been skating for the gold for 18 years and both were in their 30s, it’s close to miraculous. As I listened to the announcer, […]
The Key to Everything
Every study shows that the most effective outreach/evangelism/advertising is friends inviting friends and networks. In fact, 85% of people who come to church do so because a friend asked them. Getting your people to invite their networks is the key to everything. The primary reason new church plants grow is because the pastor and key […]
Mobilization Mindshift
There is a shift of mindset – a mindshift, if you will – going on today when it comes to how pastors view their role and their congregations. In the past most pastors looked for volunteers who they could convince to fill some committee or ministry slot in the church. The result is that 80% of the people did […]
They Come to See Me Burn
I’m preparing to speak to the Presbyterian Church of Canada in a couple of months. They chose as the subject “The Emmaus Project.” It consists of selected churches from all over Canada. As I was preparing, I got stuck on the tiny phrase the two pilgrims who walked with Jesus said once he had left […]
The Importance of Coaching
Over the years I’ve watched pastors do all kinds of work trying to grow their church. Many of them have brought in a consultant, myself included, had a thorough examination of their church, and received a clear directive for the future, only to flounder after the consultant left. It has become clear to me that […]
MLK Day
I just heard some reports that attendance at most of this year’s MLK rallies and marches was way down. While in the restroom at the hospital this week I heard a man say to another man, “I don’t understand what this Martin Luther King Day is all about. Why do we have it?” King started […]