Learning to be an effective listener

There are two sides of the communication coin. Asking good questions is on one side of the coin, on the other is being a good listener. Effective listening will earn the trust of those you engage and will convey your respect for the other who is speaking. Everyone wants to be heard, and we […]

Grow Your Church on Mothers Day

I saw a post on Facebook this week that reminded me of a very practical church growth principle. The image said, ’The best gift you can give your Mother for Mother’s Day is to sit with her in church.”

Behind only Christmas and Easter, Mother’s Day is the third highest church attendance day each year. […]

Grow Your Church Easter Sunday to Summer

The time between Easter and the beginning of Summer is a critical time in the life of your church.

Whether Easter is early or late in the calendar, the time between what will probably be your best attended Sunday and the beginning of a time when church service attendance traditionally slumps is short. This year […]

Six Steps to an Effective Easter Follow Up

Easter is probably still your church’s most attended service. Here are six steps to effectively follow up with Easter guests.

*Acknowledge your guest’s presence. Be sure to take time during the service to publicly acknowledge your guests in the service. Do not point them out personally, but let them know that you appreciate their presence. […]

Start a New Message Series on Easter

For most churches, Easter is the best-attended Sunday of the year and many of those in attendance will be those who only attend on Christmas and Easter. Each year at this time I would ask myself what kind of series should I begin on Easter Sunday that would hopefully make everyone present make spiritual […]

Easter Checklist to Grow Your Church

Easter is one of the most attended Sundays of the year. How do we make it an awesome experience for everyone walking through the door, especially for your guests who may be visiting for the first time? Here are some suggestions I have effectively used for attracting, connecting and retaining those who visit.

* Offer […]

Strengthening Your Church’s Structure

So many of the commercials I see on T.V. are for prescription medicines or vitamin and mineral supplements directed at me for the wellbeing of my body. It seems to me that I am in the target market of the 55 + million Americans who suffer from stiff and achy joints. These advertisements warn […]

Celebrate Forty Days of March Madness

From Ash Wednesday until Easter most churches do some kind of spiritual preparation campaign. In our sports dominated culture, I suggest you use men’s interest in college basketball to attract new visitors to your church.

During college basketball’s championship tourney commonly called March Madness or as CBS television has dubbed it, “The Road to the […]

Be a Mentor and Be Mentored

The word “mentor” is defined as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.” Throughout my over 30 years of pastoral ministry, I have had many trusted teachers who have counseled me, encouraged me, corrected me and redirected when I had made some poor decisions. In similar fashion I have made it a point […]