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 the […]
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 […]
Five Steps to Revitalization
For the life of me I don’t understand why anyone would try to revitalize a church. But I did and I’m glad I did. Still, when I consider that the vast majority of pastors who try either fail or lose their job, I have to wonder why they would try, or why I tried? I […]
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 […]
Church Planting Isn’t the Goal: Interview with Wayne Cordeiro
Wayne Cordeiro is known for effectively planting hundreds of churches over a long period of years, but in a recent interview with me he said, “I’m learning that Church planting isn’t the goal; discipleship is! Church planting is actually a byproduct of biblical discipleship.” Everyone needs to let that statement soak in. Cordeiro has shifted […]
Bad Information for a Young Pastor
Jim was right out of seminary and into his third year as pastor of his first church. He had worked hard all three years, but the church didn’t grow. In fact, if anything, it was smaller than when he arrived. His frustration level was high. I ran into Jim at a seminar I was doing […]