The Apostolic Movement: Introduction

The Apostolic Movement in the Emerging World
by Bill Easum
The word “Apostolic” or “Apostle” has been used many ways over the centuries. Some think it refers only to those few disciples who had been with Jesus plus Paul. Others see no reason to conclude that the role of Apostle came to an end with the […]

6 Essentials of Church Hospitality

My wife and I went on our first cruise.  It was a well oiled machine.  They were prepared for serving meals to 2800 people.  “Free” ice cream almost 24/7!  A staff member always in sight to make your experience great.  A highlight was the towel art on our bed each evening which was in […]

The Pastor’s Playbook for Boosting Church Giving

“We don’t have money problems anymore.” Imagine hearing that in your church. That’s exactly what one of my Catalytic Church Growth Pastors told me last week. It’s like a breath of fresh air, isn’t it? But let’s be real – even in churches where the offering plate seems always full, there’s never enough cash […]

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 […]

The DIY Consultation

From the beginning of 21st Century Strategies, a long, long time ago, we’ve had one driving value: help transform churches. We suspect that pretty much all our readers understand that one of the ways we do that is by offering professional consultation services, church leadership coaching, and congregational training. What many folks may not […]

Ramp Up Your Digital Media Presence

Over the last couple of years, we have seen a tremendous upsurge of churches going online. Even though thousands of churches were unprepared for the drop off in attendance due to a pandemic, many realized they had to begin implementing a plan to help bounce back.  I believe that by creating an effective digital […]

The Demise of Robert’s Rules of Order

Hi Bill,
I’ve heard you say that Robert’s Rules are dead.  What are some of the factors that has led to its demise?
Making disciples,
Bill

From Bill Easum
Roberts Rules were designed for people who don’t trust one another or who can’t relate to one another in an orderly, loving fashion.
If the church is seen as a corporation then […]

Mission Statements

Five good books for creating a Mission Statement:

The Path, by Laurie Beth Jones, New York, NY, Hyperion, 1996Managing By Values, by Ken Blanchard and Michael O’Connor, San Francisco, Berrett- Koehler Publishers, 1997****Building A Shared Vision, C. Patrick Lewis, Portland, OR,     Productivity Press, 1997Built to Last, James Collins, and Jerry Porras, Harper     Business, 1997Clarifying our […]

On Not Being Nice for the Sake of the Gospel

The following is one of our most asked-for blog posts.  It was written two decades ago, but it is still as relevant today as it was then.

Throughout all my consulting ministry, I have seen a disturbing pattern: most established churches are held hostage by one or two bullies. Either one individual or a small group […]