Planting Priorities

The other day I got a Twitter question from Phil Longmire, a church planter in Richmond, TX. We were talking about church planting priorities and I was saying how important it is for planters to be out of the office, away from the computer, and out in the public’s eye. So he Tweeted me […]

Turning Guests into Committed Members [Connections Pt. 2]

In the first part of this article series we dealt with the most common problem churches have – getting visitors to return. In fact, churches are so troubled by this issue that the national average appears to be that significantly less than 15 percent of first-time visitors return for a second helping.

However, when a […]

5 Components To Look For In Kids’ Ministry Curriculum

As a church leader, you know that children are the future of your congregation, but they are also the church of today. Every church’s children’s program is responsible for raising up the next generation of believers and teaching them Scriptural truths.

So, whether you’re looking to bring children into your church or foster a positive […]

Easter Checklist to Grow Your Church

Easter is one of the most attended Sundays of the year. How do we make it an awesome experience for everyone walking through the door, especially for your guests who may be visiting for the first time? Here are some suggestions I have effectively used for attracting, connecting and retaining those who visit.

* Offer […]

A Declaration of Freedom from Decline

The United States of America is 242 years old.  That’s a long time for a nation to remain free. But, when you look at our history in the context of world history, America is just a child among the nations. Egypt, China, Japan and Greece all make America’s history seem so short. 242 years […]

Traveling the Evangelism Highway

How did you learn how to “do” evangelism? In today’s churches that might be a loaded question, because for the last decade or so there’s been a dearth of evangelism training in the church. In some churches there has been a lot of talk about evangelism and our need to “do” it, but very […]

Life In The Parish

The other day, I was asked by a pastor on Facebook about my weekly schedule when I was in the parish. It took some time to put together, but here’s my “typical” schedule.

One note before you jump in … in the words of my first Regional Minister, “Ministry is Interruptions.” So, even though […]

Children in Adult-Targeted Worship – A Response

I hate writing this kind of blog post. Refuting someone else’s well-thought out opinions isn’t in my DNA. But the article “Sunday Schooling Our Kids out of Church” has been gaining some traction in mainline circles and I’m compelled to counter because if the conclusions it offers are taken seriously, the current declines in church […]

Staff Disharmony: The Giant Killer

In the world of church, there are many different kinds of giants. Some are the kind we need to get our slings out to slay. But there are other giants who have earned our respect. For instance, there are giants of the faith: women and men who have already died to self and live […]