Power and Authority

From our Advanced Leadership Forum

While studying sociology years ago, I remember studying the difference between power and authority. My shorthand distinction between the two would be that power is about having the ability to make others conform to you will even against their will. Authority emerges when one so consistently demonstrates they have the […]

Connecting With the Digital Generation in Worship

The pastor had committed a faux pas… that much was clear. The Board met immediately following the service and after a few brief minutes they made their pronouncement.

“The pastor may no longer refer to Twitter or texting during worship.”

True story. And unless something seriously changes in that church I can draw the timeline to […]

The Great Worship Juggling Act: Keeping Millennials, Gen X, and Grandma in Harmony

In an era where the tapestry of our congregations is as diverse as ever, the concept of targeted worship has emerged as a pivotal strategy in church growth and community outreach. Gone are the days when a one-size-fits-all approach to worship could meet the spiritual needs of every attendee. Today’s churches are a melting […]

From Popcorn to Post-Mortem: Anatomy of Ministry Failure

In the heart of a bustling suburban neighborhood, a local church, brimming with enthusiasm and good intentions, embarked on a mission to attract young families. Their plan? A Saturday night family movie event, featuring a beloved classic Disney film. The team behind this initiative was confident they had all the right ingredients for success: […]

Water Jar Behind: Community Reach Ahead

“Then the women left her water jar behind and went back to the city.”  As the woman at the well encountered Jesus, her life was transformed, and then she headed out in mission to her home town.  (See John 4: 7-42)  This story gives us concrete clues as to what it takes to reach […]

Flip Your Church Step 4: Become Missionary to the Community

(Deu 10:19)  You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
I heard a great sermon the other day that spoke about our strangeness. God reminds the Hebrews that they’re to love the stranger because they were once strangers.

As members of the church, we often forget who the “strangers” […]

What Small Groups Can Learn from the House Church Movement

If nominations were solicited for a single word that best described the North American house church and home fellowship movement, “potential” might be the one in the sealed envelope. David Garrison who has studied global church planting movements suggests that house church planting is one of the key factors for the growth of global […]

Church Planning for 2024: Connecting with the Unchurched in the New Year

As we stand at the cusp of a new year, it’s time to face a hard truth: what used to work in church growth and engagement simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Whether it’s a ripple effect of the post-COVID era or a broader shift in cultural tides, the old playbook of church invitations is […]

Resolutions or Commitments?

Friends, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 3:13-15

New Years is a time when […]