Embrace Entertainment
A recent comment about a local big box church (that’s successfully reaching, baptizing, and discipling young adults): “They’ve given in to entertainment evangelism.” … as if entertainment was a four-letter, distasteful, disgusting word. If you’re going to reach young adults I’ve got three words for you: Get over it! Jesus specialized in entertainment evangelism. He […]
Make This Father’s Day Service Special
Let’s face it, Father’s Day is the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays. It’s the, “I get-no-respect” little brother to Mother’s Day. Interestingly, the American version of Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by a grateful daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, a Civil War veteran, singlehandedly raised six children after his wife died in childbirth. […]
When Do You Cancel Church?
Everyone’s talking about the weather in the Mid-West. “Worst winter in decades,” they say. Which isn’t quite true. Worst winter in terms of accumulated snow and ice over the last couple of years, but long-timers will tell you that this winter looks a lot more like what it used to look like almost every winter. […]
On Not Being Nice for the Sake of the Gospel
The following is one of our most asked-for blog posts. It was written two decades ago, but it is still as relevant today as it was then. Throughout all my consulting ministry, I have seen a disturbing pattern: most established churches are held hostage by one or two bullies. Either one individual or a small group […]
Three Kinds of Church Members
A family left the church recently because they didn’t like one of the changes in worship. The pastor had been confronted by the board chair who demanded the pastor “Go after them and bring them back.” The pastor kept his cool and gently sidestepped the confrontation, but gave me (his coach) a call the next […]
Stop Losing Staff
“I’m tired of training staff only to see them leave to work in another church.” I heard pastors say this a lot when I was consulting. I always wondered what would happen if they didn’t train them and they stayed long term. “My staff is so competent that I’m afraid some church will steal them […]