Top Six Tacticle Mistakes a Church Makes

Almost twenty years of consulting with more than 30 denominations has allowed me to see some common tactical mistakes made by church leaders. Although I have seen many mistakes, six stand out as the most common tactical mistakes made by church leaders (I have ranked them according to the damage they can do to […]

Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come

Frost and HirschThe Shaping of Things To Come

This is a book that should be read by every Christian who knows something is wrong with today’s version of Christianity but can’t put their finger on what it is. The authors challenge every facet of Christianity today from ordination to the traditional creeds and offer a […]

The Biggest Lesson I Ever Learned

One of the best things about getting older is the lessons learned along the way.  Let me share the biggest lesson I learned.  It’s so simple but it’s what makes life exciting and productive.  Here it is: “The more you risk, the greater the possible return.”

I’m convinced that the main reason so many churches are […]

The National Park Theory

The last twenty years our culture (US) has been moving from what I call a National Park world to a world that can only be described as a Jungle.

Consider The following comparisons:

National Park

•         Are neatly laid out

•         Predictable and slow to change

•         Warn you about dangers animals

•         Provide adequate shelter

•         National parks change very […]

Thoughts on Innovation

The following is a personal story that sheds light on innovation.

Way back in 1982 (I know, ancient history) a member of my church staff decided to bring a dozen Apple 2e’s into the Sunday School and start writing curriculum for Bible studies. I was impressed by how quickly the kids took to the new […]

The Basic Law of Congregational Life

Over the past twenty-five years I’ve worked with almost seven hundred churches of all sizes and locations. Most in the U.S. but some in Canada, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Ghana. And one overarching truth has emerged from my experiences in these churches – I call this truth  The Basic Law of Congregational Life. […]

Making Disciples in Our Culture

Have you heard?  The world is ending September 23.  Nibiru, or infamous Planet X, is coming.  All humanity shall perish.  Okay, Nibiru was also supposed to come in 1995, 2003, and 2012.  But…

I like to say that Jesus is coming tomorrow.  One of these days I’m going to be right!

We just experienced an eclipse. […]

The Future is Here

Recently, on Bloomberg TV, The Titans featured Bill Gates and Mike Bloomberg. Bloomberg said something that all churches should ponder for a week. He said, “Technology will advance more in the next couple of years than it has since the discovery of the light bulb.”  Now give that some thought.  What does it mean to […]

Vision Threats

Casting a vision that produces an effective culture is one of the most important things a pastor can do because culture trumps everything. An unhealthy culture results in an unhealthy church. So I want to think a moment about the threats that keep vision from creating a healthy culture.

Lets start with the current reality. […]