80-20 Rule is Killing Us

A recent survey shows that the 80/20 principle is a fact of church life in most congregations — only 20 percent are heavily involved, while 80 percent are minimally involved and attend infrequently at best. They act more like spectators than members. Think of that for a moment. Four out…

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Patriotism or Gospel?

We’ve just finished July 4 celebrations across the country.  People in our neighborhood are still shooting fireworks.  Pastors and church leaders walk a thin line when it comes to how much time and emphasis we give to celebrating and incorporating patriotic music or symbols into worship services. Churches must maintain…

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Crash Bars or Highway Bars?

If you are reading this you probably know a little bit about motorcycles. I love to ride my C-50 Suzuki. OK it’s not a Harley Davidson but it runs great and is paid for! On most afternoons I ride the country roads of Shelby County. On weekends I sometimes ride…

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Could It Be?

Could it be that churches (we as leaders) are chasing after the next fad, and attempting to stay on the cutting edge to such a degree that we are failing to do the basics well? Could it be that we are so busy attending conferences and reading the latest “how…

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The Stats Are In

The stats are in. We can choose to ignore them, bury our heads in the sand, or see reality and move forward. The 2010 Annual Church Profile showed dips in baptisms, total church membership, worship attendance and participation in Sunday school and other Christian education programs. Declines were also reported…

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The Power of Conversations

Charles Arn is the president of Church Growth Inc. and has done extensive research to discover why people come back to a church after visiting. He says that the number one reason people return for a second time is because the church was friendly. Most of us would assume that…

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Flash! The World is Coming to an End!

You have probably heard on the national news that there are billboards proclaiming the end of the world.  They read “Judgment Day May 21” and then reads, “The Bible Guarantees It.”  There are 1,200 such billboards in the US and 2,000 in other countries.  I also understand this group has…

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Rainer’s Ten Warning Signs

In a recent blog Dr. Thom Rainer listed 10 warning signs for churches from his years of consulting.    If a church had four or more of these signs present, he would let the leadership know that remedial efforts were in order. If six or more signs were present, then he became…

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Four Disciple-Making Steps

Step 1. Refine Your Vision/Dream/Goal Every church needs a clear vision for disciple-making. Your vision needs to be articulated and shared. What’s your vision/dream/goal for making disciples in your church? God gives us His vision as we spend time with Him and His Word. Wise leaders plan times to be…

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Post Easter Follow Up

I know most of us are wiped out from Easter Sunday. Many churches did an extra worship in order to reach more people. In all of my pastorates we added one or two worship times and saw the highest attendance of the year. With all the special preparation for sermons,…

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