On The Road Again

It’s been a VERY long time since The Effective Church Group took to the road, but this month (October 2022) we’re about to put our toes back in the water.

WHY NOW?

Because pretty much no one wants to go to church any moreBecause your church STILL hasn’t recovered from your pandemic attendance lossesBecause your members […]

Changing Lanes

Change is a not only inevitable but, in most cases, necessary and ultimately good for us. Did you know the first automobiles built in the early 1900s didn’t have rear-view mirrors? Now on every windshield hangs what we have come to think of as an indispensable devise that we wouldn’t dream of driving without. […]

Turning Members into Ministers

At my final worship service from the church I planted, pastored and grew for over twenty years, two of the staff members I had discipled since they started attending, walked on to the platform each carrying a five foot tall, three feet wide cardboard poster of my head. From behind these giant facial facades, […]

Going … Where?

Jesus said to go make disciples. It’s the main thing for Jesus. Is it themain thing for you and your church?

There are so many people who are not connected to Jesus and hischurch in our country at this time. People are needlessly flounderingwithout the peace, joy, and love which can only be realized throughfaith […]

Life In The Parish

The other day, I was asked by a pastor on Facebook about my weekly schedule when I was in the parish. It took some time to put together, but here’s my “typical” schedule.

One note before you jump in … in the words of my first Regional Minister, “Ministry is Interruptions.” So, even though […]

Remember

I’m posting this blog on September 11th, the day Americans, if not most of the world, are remembering the lives lost because of the airplanes that were hijacked by Islamic terrorists and intentionally crashed into the world trade center, the pentagon, and the one that was ditched into a field in Pennsylvania.

I am also […]

How to Encourage Youth to Participate in Church

By Guest Writer Riley Jarman

One challenge facing the church today is a decrease in youth participation in church activities. A recent survey found that in Protestant worship alone, up to two-thirds of young people aged eighteen to twenty-two stopped going to church. Nearly all the respondents cited life changes like starting college or work […]

Why Churches Don’t Change

When a young man came to Jesus seeking eternal life, he was told what he needed to do to change. Remember how he reacted? He walked away sad. Jesus then responded to the crowd that had gathered, “And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye […]

Three Things I’ve Learned

I was speaking with a pastor in Iowa the other day and shared that I’d just completed forty years in parish ministry. He offered some generous congratulatory sentiments and thanked me for my service. But then he paused and asked me a really great question: “What has God been showing you during that time?”

I […]