Why People Leave the Church … and the Faith
Some time ago, Martin Marty was quoted in Tom Clegg’s Lost in America that about 3000 people per day in the West (outside of the Bible Belt in the US South) leave the Christian faith – not the church, the faith. There really wasn’t much evidence outside of his work to support the contention … […]
The Toughest Ministry of All … Singles
Over the years, it’s become clear to me that the single most difficult ministry in a local church is just that … singles. Those “College and Career” groups are literally just killer. Of course, one of my “answers” is always to focus on life-transforming small groups and then let the good times roll from that. […]
Bullies and Terrorists and Controllers, O My!
The other day, Heidi responded to my post on Expected Behaviors. She noticed I used the terms “Bully” and “Terrorist” and asked what the difference was … and what to do about them if they’re in your church. Over the years, I’ve come to know four different kinds of people in the church. Disciples of […]
Threat Level Orange …
The other day, Heidi responded to my post on Expected Behaviors. She noticed I used the terms “Bully” and “Terrorist” and asked what the difference was … and what to do about them if they’re in your church. Over the years, I’ve come to know four different kinds of people in the church. Disciples of […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 5: Strategic Planning
Smaller churches tend do strategic planning retreats in August because they think of the program year from September through May; larger churches tend to do these retreats in November because they think of the program year from January through December. (Southern hemispheres folks reverse the seasons). If you want to start “thinking big”, you should […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 4: Personal Mission
Personal mission is the intersection of your spiritual gifts and heartbursts for strangers. Wise leaders invest their extra leisure time to revisit and focus their personal mission IN LIFE (not just their leadership vision for the church). Summer is actually not the best time to refine and explore your “heartbursts” for strangers because […]