What Will It Take For Mainline Denominations To Grow Again?

Nobody will argue that mainline denominations are in decline. It doesn’t matter if the decline is 80 percent or 65 percent as suggested by a recent Barna study, mainline denominations are seeing fewer and fewer people in the pews. This decline begs a question – “What will it take to turn this decline around?”

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Mostly For United Methodist Eyes – Bloom Where You’re Planted

Take an “imaginary” trip with me. The year is 2017, but things are different in some subtle ways. The U.S. military uses horses as its main mode of transportation because horses worked so well during the Civil War. Major companies conduct business through the phone party line because that is what worked for a […]

My Problem with Old People Even Though I Are One

Before you get mad, I am an old person. I’m 77, so I’m one of those old people I have a problem with (I Know, preposition in the wrong place. Get over it; it’s not 1950).

But here is my gripe with old people in church – they almost always come to church early and […]

Two Underlying Views of Christianity

Over the years of consulting I’ve noticed two basic views of Christianity.  One view understands Christianity to be a way of life that has eternal consequences. The other view understands it to be a way of life that has no eternal consequences. Obviously a huge gulf lies between these two views of Christianity.

I’ve often […]

Missional Small Groups

One of the key elements of most discipleship pipelines I’ve seen is what I call missional small groups. The problem is, when most people hear “small groups” they think of Bible studies, which is far from what is meant by missional small groups. So let’s look at the difference.

Most ineffective small groups are primarily […]

Paradigm Factors

A paradigm is a framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodologies that are commonly accepted and shared by members of any discipline or group.  As such paradigms determine how we interpret life. Here are some of the factors you will need to be aware of when you attempt any kind of […]

The Importance of Measuring Results

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12

I’ve long been a proponent of measuring results. I believe if you don’t measure the results of something the odds are you’re not going to be as successful as you would be if you kept stats on what your […]

Too Many Pastors Are Wasting Their Lives: Responses

My recent article “Too Many Pastors Are Wasting Their Lives” must have hit some raw nerves. We’ve had over 16,000 hits on the blog post. Most of them were supportive, but some were downright angry, and many of them missed the point of the article. It’s amazing to me how many people hear what they […]

Extreme Makeover

The TV show Extreme Makeover follows the stories of the lucky individuals who are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be given a truly Cinderella-like experience: a real-life fairy tale in which their wishes come true, not just by changing their looks, but their lives and destinies. This magic is conjured through the skills of an […]