Getting Ready for Sunday
As the pastor, the reminder “Sunday’s coming” may bring feelings of elation or dread. To be fair, most pastors live week-to-week and much of their waking time is spent with an eye toward worship. It might be an overstatement to say we’re obsessed by the weekend, but for most of us, it’s not much of […]
First Week of the New Year
No matter what, most resolutions are broken before the second week of January rolls around. Good intentions pave the road to yesterday’s results. If you’re committed to changing things in your church, now’s the time to begin. And it all begins with you, pastor. Here are five-and-a-half practices that guarantee that the end of this […]
Christmas Eve on Sunday
Christmas Eve, the most important time of the year to reach the unchurched (yes, it’s more important than Easter these days), is fast approaching and far too many pastors will be enticed by their church leaders to make one of the most fatal mistakes possible. And this year that enticement will be even more likely […]
The 7 Front Lines of Your Effective Hospitality Ministry
At my church, the first person a guest likely has conversation with is “Tom.” Tom has Asperger Syndrome. He’s the perfect front line for hospitality. His life situation keeps him focused on the mission at hand. He’s not distracted by people he knows who are tempted to chat with each other. His job is to […]
The Long Game
One of the most frustrating realities about a turnaround is that it takes more time to get ready for a successful turnaround than it does to grow a church. Let me explain. There are Several Ways to Grow a Church Give me a big enough budget and I can fill your church I don’t care […]
Where I Am In Life and the Most Important Lesson I’ve Learned
Several friends have emailed me recently about my station in life and what my plans are for the future. Those who know me well know my health is fair for a 78 year old and that I’m finding it hard to sit on planes for very long (I’ve only been on a plane three times […]