Make a Decision – or Not
I just spent a weekend with a church that is facing one of the most difficult decisions a church will ever have to face. To be or not to be: That is their question. This church has just lost their interim pastor and only has six months of financial resources left. It sounds pretty hopeless, […]
Turning Guests into Committed Members [Connections Pt. 2]
In the first part of this article series we dealt with the most common problem churches have – getting visitors to return. In fact, churches are so troubled by this issue that the national average appears to be that significantly less than 15 percent of first-time visitors return for a second helping. However, when a […]
Turning First-Time Visitors into Returning Guests [Connections Part 1]
According to our research, it appears that in North America less than 15 percent of first time church visitors return for a second visit. I’m sure it doesn’t follow denominational lines exactly, but it appears that in mainline denominations that number actually hovers nearer to 11 percent. That means that if 100 visitors graced your church’s […]
A Not-so-Random Thought on Epiphany
We’ve all heard the tired adage bounced around each year that “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” It almost seems like a good sermon title. Almost. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not that’s a valid statement in these post-modern, post-Christendom days. Are wise men and women still seeking the Jesus of […]
Connecting With the Digital Generation in Worship
The pastor had committed a faux pas… that much was clear. The Board met immediately following the service and after a few brief minutes they made their pronouncement. “The pastor may no longer refer to Twitter or texting during worship.” True story. And unless something seriously changes in that church I can draw the timeline […]
A Christmas Eve Church Fantasy… or Not
Several years ago, I wrote the following Christmas Eve fantasy account. It was a compilation of some of the Christmas Eve hospitality practices that I’ve experienced in churches I’ve led as well as some things that I’ve seen in other churches. Since it was published, I’ve heard of several churches who have taken on bits and […]