What is Leadership?

What is the one thing a leader needs the most to succeed? If we have the answer to that question, everything else falls into place. So here goes. The thing most needed for someone to succeed as a leader is a deep conviction that what they are attempting is God’s plan for them at […]

First Week of the New Year

No matter what, most resolutions are broken before the second week of January rolls around.

Good intentions pave the road to yesterday’s results.

If you’re committed to changing things in your church, now’s the time to begin.

And it all begins with you, pastor.

Here are five-and-a-half practices that guarantee that the end of this year won’t look […]

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 […]

An Inside Look at What’s Killing the Average Church

I just finished watching an episode of the new TV show Public Morals. The show is about the gangster world of the 1960’s in New York and how all the cops were on the take. Before saying any more, I want to quickly add that I don’t recommend this show to anyone. But I […]

Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog

The vast majority of dying churches I know get their priorities mixed up. Every church has a primary priority and secondary priorities. The primary priority of any church should be effectively growing the Kingdom, and it can’t be doing that if it totally dies. Secondary priorities can be any kind of mission they choose. […]

Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog

The vast majority of dying churches I know get their priorities mixed up. Every church has a primary priority and secondary priorities. The primary priority of any church should be effectively growing the Kingdom, and it can’t be doing that if it totally dies. Secondary priorities can be any kind of mission they choose. […]

Why You Shouldn’t Show Individual Staff Salaries

I’m often asked if the church budget should show individual staff salaries and without hesitation I always say, “NO, not on your life!” Here’s why.

First showing all the salaries encourages mediocrity. Why? Because the same mindset that publishes individual salaries also wants to give across the board raises, which is always a horrible thing […]

Hiring and Firing Staff

Today, I had a conversation with one of the church planters I’m coaching. During the coaching call he asked me, “What are some ways to help staff be more productive?” I made several suggestions and then I told him that his question is not the most important question on this subject. The more important […]

Rethink Your Budget Priorities

I was reading an article by Amy Butler on the ABP News site recently on the season of church budgets. She was responding to a writer who was comparing church budgets with budgets of other nonprofit organizations. Basically, the writer was complaining that the church spent too much money on staff and buildings and […]