Three Common Contagious Church Viruses: Part 3

“The Church Doctor will see you now.”

“Tell me,” the doctor said, “What seems to be ailing you?”

The church shared her symptoms. Lethargy. Uncontrollable membership loss. And an unmistakeable rumbly in her tumbly.

“It’s most likely one of three common contagious church viruses.”

Self-Interitis

Self-Interitis affects virtually all declining churches.

Symptoms: Inability to make changes that […]

Three Common Contagious Church Viruses: Part 2

“The Church Doctor will see you now.”

“Tell me,” the doctor said, “What seems to be ailing you?”

The church shared her symptoms. Lethargy. Uncontrollable membership loss. And an unmistakeable rumbly in her tumbly.

“It’s most likely one of three common contagious church viruses.”

Capitulation Infection

Capitulation Infection is one of the most contagious and rapidly spreading […]

Three Common Contagious Church Viruses: Part 1

“The Church Doctor will see you now.” The church had a bit of grimace on her face, but she shuffled in and hopped up onto the paper-covered examination table.

“Tell me,” the doctor said. “What seems to be ailing you?”

The church shared her symptoms. Lethargy. Uncontrollable membership loss. And an unmistakeable rumbly in her […]

Know the Competition

In my community, there are a couple of new church starts kicking off. One’s in my denomination and another is in a denomination not too dissimilar to mine.

I’ve met both pastors. They’re younger than I am. They have more energy than I have (barely!). And they both have denominational funding behind them.

But […]

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 […]

Change is Hard … Even for Me

I’ve been working in the church planting and church turnaround business since I was twenty-six years old. Let’s just say that was awhile ago [my wife just whispered “A LONG while ago.”]. One might think that I’m immune from the allergy to change. But, sadly, I’m not.

It was Grandparent Church Camp. Three days, two […]

No Pain, No Gain

ure, it’s a cliché. No doubt about it. But it doesn’t make it any less true.

Although the pastor had been there for a couple years, he was just one in a long line of bullied leaders. No one had any idea what to do about her, but she’d been known to brag about the […]

The Demise of Cash and Checks

The other day I said something online about writing a check and I received guffaws from some of my colleagues. I didn’t understand the intensity of their response to my comment, so I investigated why they responded so negatively to my comment about writing a check. Here’s what I found. U.S. consumers and businesses […]

The Most Important Day of the Year

The most important day of the year for churches is just around the corner. Christmas Eve, not Easter, is the most important day of the year to reach unchurched people. This fact has been true for decades but it is becoming more true today. So what does this mean for your church? 

One, if you […]