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 […]

Mack, Michael, The Pocket Guide to Burn-Out Free Small Group Leadership

Michael Mack is the founder of www.smallgroups.com and  has been a long term player in the small group game.
Michal Mack has given us one of the most helpful and practical books on how to organize a small group ministry so your leaders won’t burn out. In this book he demonstrates how to team shepherd rather than lead […]

Dealing With Conflict in the Church: A Mission-Centric Approach

Conflict within a church, irrespective of its size, is an inevitable part of its life cycle. How the church navigates through these waters—whether through healthy disagreements that foster growth or unhealthy conflicts that threaten unity—can significantly influence its mission and community presence. This article focuses on a structured, biblical approach to managing conflicts, drawing […]

A Pastor’s Wish List

Ministry in today’s culture is more difficult than perhaps at any other time in history. Sure, we’re in no danger of being fed to the lions, but today’s culture is more resistant to religion … any religion … than ever before. After speaking with pastors and staff, I heard some consistent wishes.
1. I wish […]

Explode the Myths: An Idea for a Learning Center

This idea is borrowed from an old, now unidentified source. It still works well as a learning center.

Create a “stick of dynamite for each myth (a toilet paper tube or rolled up piece
of poster board works well when decorated in red or orange paper and given a pipe cleaner
“fuse”). Tape or glue the “Myth” to […]

Adoption: The Congregational Mission

I was visiting a mainline church recently that had been experiencing ongoing and significant decline. The church wasn’t exactly a small church, but it wasn’t huge either. Over 200 people attended worship there every week. The odd thing was that, although this church was in decline in terms of attendance and participation, it was […]

Celebrate Fathers Day

Father’s Day will probably never achieve the popularity or social significance of Mother’s Day, but as church we can celebrate the men who are called to be the Spiritual leaders of their homes.

Use this holiday to remind fathers of their crucial roles in creating and sustaining a spiritually healthy environment for their children. Here […]

Bruce Tulgan, The Managers Pocket Guide to Generation X

Tulgan, BruceThe Manager’s Pocket Guide to Generation X

(HRD Press, 1997) 102 pages, paperback, $7.95. Obtain from HRD Press, 22 Amherst Road, Amherst, MA 01002, 1-800-822-2801, http://www.hrdpress.com

Written by, for, and about the elusive Gen X Generation. This book has value two ways. For church leaders it is a definitive, short work on this generation. For […]

Why Don’t People Invite Their Friends?

In these COVID times (and honestly, pre-COVID times), it’s become very clear that church members aren’t inviting their friends (or anyone else) to join them for worship. A recent poll by the Barna Group revealed that 60 percent of people will not invite people to attend worship with them online (or Share or Like […]