How to Start Conversations – Even If You Live in New York

How to Have a Conversation

When I’m coaching or consulting and make the recommendation that pastors need to spend significant time hanging out wherever it is their targets are hanging out, it tends to raise a host of questions. Where should I hang out? When? What do I need to stop doing so that I have time? All those are […]

Don’t Be so Wordy…

Secrets to Getting Volunteers to Perform

I imagine that it’s no surprise that many (dare I say most) seminary trained pastors – and even business trained pastors – lean toward the verbose and the grandiloquent. In some writings, I suppose, that’s acceptable. However, when it comes to defining a church’s mission, vision, and values, our over-learnedness often gets in the way. In fact, I […]

Does Your Church’s Culture Honor God?

Does Your Church's Culture Honor God?

I was the pastor of a good church but, honestly, it didn’t honor God like it should when it came to new people.  We were very friendly to each other, however, guests didn’t seem to find us hospitable. Sadly, the vast majority of churches are like that.  What about yours?  What is the friendliness status […]

Do You Have the Courage to Lead?

Do You Have the Courage to Lead?

As a pastor, I wasn’t taught or mentored in how to be a leader.  So I have had to dig deep inside to prayerfully find and develop an inner leader or suffer the consequences. Perhaps you have been on that same journey.  You would understandably assume that being a pastor is about being pastoral.  But […]

Does Your Hospitality Have Integrity?

Does Your Hospitality Have Integrity?

The threat with church hospitality at present is that it can become just another program to get people to church. Hospitality had better be grounded in a true sense of loving God’s people. People often refrain from church these days because of what they determine to be hypocrisy.  You could say that that means there […]

The Times They Are A-Changing

Throughout history, especially the last 200 years, everything has constantly and consistently changed. No one would deny that. However, today, it’s not just that things are changing; it’s that nothing is the same as it was just a few years ago. We aren’t just living in changing times; we are living in a time of […]