I Won the Lottery!
I won the United Kingdom National Lottery the other day, at least that’s what the email said, and suddenly realized I don’t have to work anymore. I won £891,934 pounds sterling. I can do anything with my life that I want to do. Fishing with Bill Easum in Guatemala, skiing in Aspen, or be a […]
Defusing the Conflict Time-Bombs
One of the little-known facts about me is that once upon a time in the Air Force I was in munitions’ maintenance and transportation – in other words, I played with bombs. I was trained to work with conventional and non-conventional munitions (bombs, bullets, rockets, and missiles) and I had a pretty good understanding of […]
The ABC Holiday Checklist
Christmas has begun. Oh, Advent is still a month away, but every big box store has rolled out the holiday decorations and even mom and pop stores are getting into the act little by little. We don’t have to like it, but as the church we’d better stop digging our heels in against it. For […]
In Growing Churches, Plan B is Plan A
The countdown ticked down the seconds on the screens as they waited for the opening chords of the worship band. The worship center was typically semi-crowded as the early birds and the on timers drifted in, glancing at the countdown … weighing up if they had time to go grab a coffee. They waited and […]
What Does Your Newsletter Really Say?
I get to see a lot of church newsletters pretty regularly. Some come by email, some with a stamp, but what they all have in common is that I get them. Since I’m not a member of most of these churches, I have to surmise that I’m not the only non-member who’s getting their news. […]
Guest Friendly Worship Services
Many churches across the country seem to be caught in what may be described best as a web of inhospitality, especially when it comes to their worship services. They’re not trying to be unfriendly and they often have years of tradition to defend their practices. And yet, after years of conversations with the unconnected, there […]