Hope or Hype?

There’s been a lot of talk across the channels about the Public Religion Research Institute’s release of the 2020 Survey of American Religion (PPRI 2020 America Religion Survey Results). The study is primarily concerned with faith adherents by faith affiliation, political affiliation, age, ethnicity, education, and location (by county). The study is statistically significant […]

How to Get First-Time Visitor Contact Information

If you don’t follow-up on your first-time visitors within a few hours of their visit, you shouldn’t be surprised if your church isn’t growing.

Every single study shows that follow-up is critical, and yet I still hear pastors handing out their … pardon me … lame excuses for why they don’t do it.

If your […]

Staffing the Church

Like everything else in today’s world, the way spiritual redwood churches are staffing themselves is rapidly changing. Church leaders in declining churches are finding these changes extremely hard to comprehend, much less attempt. This inability to comprehend and make the necessary changes is a critical flaw in most declining churches. I think it is […]

Creating Missional Communities

IntroductionHi! Welcome to Our Seminar- Creating Missional Communities: Implications of Re-Hearing the Church’s Story. I am your host, Todd Hunter. Thank you for participating, and thanks also to Easum, Bandy & Associates for linking us together for this online coaching seminar. I look forward to our conversation and pray that the Holy Spirit will […]

Build a Christmas Eve Your Neighbors Won’t Forget

As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, our thoughts inevitably drift towards the festive season. Christmas, a time of joy, reflection, and community, holds a unique place in our hearts and calendars. For churches, this season presents a golden opportunity to connect with the community, both the faithful and those on the […]

Mission Successes Requires Effective Invitation

You Are Formally Invited

Imagine. The day you’ve dreamt of since your daughter’s birth is finally here. It’s her wedding day! You have spent months preparing, taking your “Father/Mother of the Bride” role to superhero proportions. Now, the church is decorated and the caterer is setting up a gourmet feast in the reception hall. You’ve […]

Relevant Bible Study

By Bill Tenny-Brittian

Over the past couple of decades there’s been a lot of talk about being relevant in our churches, especially in our worship. There’s been a move toward contemporary music, modern instruments, high-end technology, and even talk about what it means to deliver a relevant sermon.

But we don’t hear much about being relevant […]

The First Memorial Day

Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our Armed Services who have made the supreme sacrifice giving their lives for their country.

Today I am reminded of the film “Saving Private Ryan” in which James Ryan, now in his seventies, has returned with his family to a military cemetery in Normandy […]

Measuring Church Transformation

In August, I wrote a blog entry on why so many church consultations fail to net positive, long-term results. As I wrote that article, in the back of my mind was the ongoing question that I often get about how to measure a church’s transformation. There’s always a lot of pushback from church leaders […]