Time to Organize Your Church – Once And For All!

In the ever-evolving landscape of church leadership and management, one of the most pressing challenges faced by pastors and church leaders is navigating the complexities of organizing the church. At the heart of this challenge lies a critical question: How can a church’s structure facilitate effective decision-making, foster growth, and align with its mission […]

Pastor, You’re NOT the Secretary

It happened again. I was speaking with a pastor of a small church at a training event and they admitted that they created the bulletin every week. I asked if anyone else could do it and the pastor said, “No one will step up. I’ve tried.”

That’s not acceptable. Ever. There’s no way a pastor […]

Why Kid’s Sunday School is Losing

We wring our hands and bemoan the rise of kid sports and the losses in our Sunday schools. Sunday is no longer sacrosanct and reserved for “Church Use Only.” Today’s families have choices to make and to be fair, they take their choice-making pretty seriously.

It turns out, parents have their kids participating in […]

Suggestions for Christmas

Bill Easum

The Christmas season is just around the corner and it’s one of the best times of the year to reach unchurched people. I even think Christmas Eve is more important than Easter when it comes to reaching unchurched people.  People attend worship on Easter because it’s the thing to do- or it used […]

Jesus Small Group Leader

A careful study of Jesus life and ministry reveals that Jesus core ministry was that of small group leader. He taught the masses; he helped and healed the many; he concentrated on the few. There seemed to be a kind of gravitational pull toward the small group. He often tried to get away from […]

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 […]

Are You Making These Five Hospitality Mistakes?

They had a problem. A BIG problem.

More than nine out of ten first-time visitors who walked through the door never returned. It was like their visitors walked in, took a quick look around, and maybe even kicked the tires and hung out for worship, but once they left the building, their sentiments were, “Cross that church […]

Four Key Strategies That Will Grow Your Church

Growing a church isn’t about finding a magic bullet or the latest trendy program. It’s about focusing on what truly matters. After decades of working with churches across the nation, I’ve found that sustainable church growth boils down to four core processes: Invite, Connect, Disciple, and Send. Bill Easum and I wrote about these […]

“What, me worry?”

I remember reading an article about Alexander the Great
whose troops looked like they were about to be defeated. His soldiers had taken
so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted
down and were losing their effectiveness in combat.

Alexander commanded that all the spoils of war that had been
accumulated be thrown into a […]