I have worked with leaders for over three decades. Most of them were volunteers serving in some capacity in the church and others were staff people that I worked with or supervised. Many of my best friendships occurred because of those relationships. One of the things I observed is that…
After spending all his funds in attempting to begin a video production career, the young man of twenty-two years of age had to decide where to go to escape the bill collectors. He decided to go to Hollywood where his brother was convalescing from a serious illness. So he spent…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Something is happening across the cultural landscape in our country and these six changes should wake us up. Barna analyzed insights drawn from more than 5,000 non-proprietary interviews conducted over 11 months. 1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate. 2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.…
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 looked at the first change in my last blog, “The Christian Church is becoming less theologically…
In my previous blog, I listed 10 so let’s look at the first two. 1. Healthy Churches preach and share the Gospel in their community. They are driven by the Great Commission and believe in the power of the Gospel to transform lives and communities. They utilize a variety of…
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.
In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.