Bring It!

12 Tips for making this Christmas Eve your biggest attendance day of 2023.

Remember the words of the angel announcing the very first Christmas, “I bring you good news of great joy for all the people.”

1. Give people tools to invite their friends and neighbors.

A lot of the guests at Christmas services will be there […]

Virtual Discipleship: Part 01

“So, what about online discipleship? How do you make that work?”

A quick perusal of churches on the internet reveals that the US church is all over the map in terms of virtual discipleship offerings. Many churches have virtually nothing at all (pun intended!). Some have opted to turn their Bible Studies and Sunday School […]

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 […]

Preaching Without Notes

Forum conversation

I have been preaching without a podium, pulpit, or manuscript for a year now. I essentially learn the flow of the message I have manuscripted earlier in the week, put a few post it notes in my Bible, depend occasionally on power point to jog my memory, and trust that something good will […]

501(c)(3) Status for Churches: A Guide to IRS Rules

As a church leader, your ministry’s focus is likely on reaching the unchurched in your community—not studying legal tax classifications. But tax exemption is an important status that can greatly benefit your church, so it’s worth understanding whether or not you should apply.

If you want to obtain 501(c)(3) status for your church, you’ve come […]

A A Lesson in How to Be Hospitable to Strangers

In one of the congregations I worked in last year I ran across a story that had become legendary in that congregation.  It seems as if the pastor had told the story many times so the detailed authenticity of the story is suspect. However, I have learned that some of the most profound truths […]

A Postmodern Resurrection Story

In one of the congregations I worked in last year, I ran across a story that had become legendary in that congregation. It seems as if the pastor had told the story many times, so the detailed authenticity of the story is suspect. However, I have learned that some of the most profound truths […]

Reproductive Movements

By BIll Easum

At the very time when many voices are pronouncing the end of the institutional church and the rise of the emergent church, we’re witnessing the birth of three major reproductive movements – church planting, multi-site, and raising up leaders- all of which have the potential to turn around the decline of Christianity […]

Most Small Groups Are a Waste of Time

Most small groups I see in churches are a waste of time because most of them are little more than data dumps. They are Bible studies that go nowhere other than gaining more knowledge of the Bible and in some cases fellowship. And those aren’t enough.

I’m convinced that in the  world we live in […]