iPad, Steve Jobs, and Leadership

There have been many articles written about Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who died on October 5, 2011. He was a very intentional leader. His biographer, Walter Isaacson, said, “Some leaders push innovations by being good at the big picture. Others do so by mastering details. Jobs did both,…

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Why Churches Don’t Grow, Part 2

Like most of you reading this, I love to see churches grow and reach people for Jesus Christ. I have benefited from the writings and research of Charles Arn on this subject. Recently he wrote an article called, “Why Churches Don’t Grow” for Building Church Leaders network. He lists five…

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Why Churches Don’t Grow, Part 1

I am a student of church growth and church health and have benefited from the writings and research of Charles Arn. Recently he wrote an article called, “Why Churches Don’t Grow” for Building Church Leaders network. This short article is right on target. In this two-part series, we will look…

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Make Disciples Who Make Disciples…

Jim Putman is pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. His books, Church is a Team Sport and Real-Life Discipleship are excellent resources for those who lead discipleship in their churches. His church is serious about making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. It is in their…

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Like A Good Neighbor

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?…

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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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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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Six Mega Shifts, Part 5

You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. We’ve looked at four now the fifth one. 5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over…

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Six Mega Trends, Part 4

You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. We’ve looked at three trends now the fourth. 4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action…

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The Leadership Factor

We’ve all heard the quote, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” We know that it is the Spirit of the Lord in us that provides the energy and guidance to lead, but the fact is… God is still using people to accomplish His purposes. He uses godly leaders. Churches that…

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