The Fallacy of Outward-Focused Ministry
Whether we call it “Social Justice,” Social Action,” or “Mission-oriented” ministry, too many congregations are wearing themselves out and, worse, missioning themselves out of existence. What we need to do is find how we can start focusing our outward-focused ministries inside. I know, I know: we talk all the time about the dangers of navel-gazing […]
Creative and Effective Sermon Titles
I think I’ve convinced myself that the most difficult sermon preparation task (and one of the most important) is coming up with great sermon titles (and sermon series titles). Your sermon’s title is of critical importance if you’re depending on word of mouth marketing, using your outdoor church announcement sign, or planning to run any sort of […]
The Three Most Important Rooms in a Church
I tell churches all the time that the three most important rooms in a church building are the worship center, restrooms, and nursery. Most churches don’t understand the importance of these rooms. How do I know this? By simply looking at the way most churches take care of these three rooms. In far too many […]
The “Why Your Church Isn’t Growing” Checklist
I’ve written posts and articles on how to grow your church… here’s a quick checklist you can use to find out why your church isn’t growing – complete with links to articles and resources to help. Unresolved conflict Limited or poor marketing (no one has heard of you) No emphasis on growth programming Congregational low self-esteem (no […]
Have a “To Be” List
Everyone has a “to do” list. Some folks are slaves to it, while others make one up and then quickly abandon it. And some are paranoid if they aren’t able to mark off every item by the end of the day. That’s all well and good, but in the end, it may not have any […]
An Effective Bar Ministry
I got a note the other day asking about what a bar ministry might look like. There are a couple ways that churches are doing successful bar ministries. Here are the two dominant models: A church buys a bar and operates it as one of its outreach ministries. These bars are far from preachy and […]