Helpful tips on connecting newcomers and new members to the life of the church.
The Super Bowl is not in the books yet but it has generated lots of excitement and hopefully it will be a great game to watch. Many of you are acquainted with football great Jerry Rice but here is an interesting side note to his story. Jerry Rice was the…
I read an interesting article last week by Bob Allen called, “Can Sunday School be saved?” The title of the article caught my attention for two reasons. One, I have been greatly impacted by Godly Sunday School teachers who loved me and made a huge difference in my life and two, if…
OK…what is a Chris-ter? Well, it is those folks who attend our worship on Christmas and Easter only, hence Christmas and Easter equals…Chris-ters. When I pastored we always had an increase in worship on those two Sundays because the Chris-ters really came out and boosted our attendance. So what should…
I recently met with a church that was having consistent baptisms but not experiencing net growth. They asked me to help them plan some strategies that would keep those they reached. About the same time I read Tom Rainer’s blog on “closing the back door.” How does a church keep…
Proverbs 22:1 says, A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. This verse relates to our personal reputations and character but also to our churches. Every church has a reputation in the community. Does your church have a good name?…
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…
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…
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,…
In a previous blog, I listed 10 so let’s continue to examine two more with number three and four. 3. Healthy Churches have an effective assimilation process. They not only reach people but they move people to places of service. They do this very quickly and intentionally. It is expected…
Many new guests will walk through your church’s front door in December, maybe even some members who have been absent for a long time. During these special days, make sure you are ready to make everyone who enters your church feel welcomed and at home. Hospitality is biblical. Romans 12:13…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.