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Twitter & Mobilization
"Twitter's most powerful feature is the ability to mobilize people to give, serve and share." Since 2007, I've been finding new ways to leverage the power of Twitter. From reaching large groups of …- Anthony Coppedge -
Having Fun Is Not a Waste of Time for Church Leaders
For Lent this year I engaged in the practice of doing something fun every day. After starting the year with both kinds of flu and about six weeks of not feeling great, giving something up was the …- Margaret Marcuson -
Five Primary Sources of Distraction in Ministry
A previous post on "opportunity creep" introduced a common problem for pastors. It's easy for opportunity after opportunity to press in and vie for the precious little time God has given you. The …- Will Mancini -
Preaching that leaves people wanting more
The beer companies have it made! In most industries, efficiency is in. Yet for years Anheuser-Busch has proudly proclaimed that they have concocted innovative ways for customers to consume more, yet …- Phil Wood -
A day in the life of a pastor
Every pastor can recognize the truth of the following anecdote. The story is true; only the names have changed. Yet I wonder: How many of your church members are aware of the pressures the typical …1 comment- Thom Rainer -
How to Enjoy Holy Week and Easter Sunday Services
Let's face it. This is a busy week. Yet it can be less stressful, if we think about the week and the many services a bit differently. Here are seven ideas: Give thanks for everyone involved in making …- Margaret Marcuson -
2 huge reasons staff are thrown off or under the bus
We all want to believe that we can stay in our jobs as long as we choose. It doesn't always work that way and, based on my observations, the number of "necessary exits" (as one pastor describes it …3 comments- Doug Lawrence -
Closing the back door: Keeping visitors visiting
Name five people from your high school—who graduated the year after you. Now name five students who graduated with you. Chances are, you were much closer to the people in your own grade, even …- Phil Wood -
The Difference Between a Consultant and a Pastor
On Easter Sunday, I celebrate my two year anniversary as the Campus Pastor at Forest Park Carthage (a multisite church based out of Joplin, MO). For the two years before that, I served as a full-time …1 comment- Greg Atkinson -
Have You Heard of "Opportunity Creep?" It May Be Your Greatest Ministry Challenge
The term "scope creep" is a term consultants use when their clients expect more than what the project originally outlined. The idea is that the scope of the project is slowing getting bigger, usually …- Will Mancini -
Nine Indicators of a Healthy Congregation
What is congregational health? It has little if anything to do with the size of the congregation. Churches of any size can be vibrant communities. Long ago, I worshipped several times in a tiny …- Margaret Marcuson -
Leadership Axioms from Bill Hybels
Since I highlighted half of Hybels' excellent book, Leadership Axioms, I had to include one more list of selected nuggets. I hope you'll find them as valuable as I did. Motivate people by setting …- Tom Harper -
Sunday school revival
One of my earliest memories is standing in the packed foyer of the Reilly Junior High School in Northlake, Illinois. I was knee-high to my pop, and that was about all I could see as we tried to make …- Phil Wood -
3 “sagging soul” Easter remedies
Yes, this is about your sagging soul...you know the one. You are a Christian professional. You love your work. You feel called to it, but there's nothing left to give sometimes. Can Easter help you …- Doug Lawrence -
Simple Leadership
Nearly seven years ago, Eric Geiger and I released Simple Church, whose updated edition made its debut in 2011. We were both surprised at the response to this book. It became one of the bestselling …1 comment- Thom Rainer -
How can the church reclaim the children of a neglected generation?
Commissioned by Moody Church in Chicago, an amicus brief intended to protect traditional marriage built its argument on the premise that marriage's purpose is to raise up the next generation …- Phil Wood -
Three Things to Remember about Making Decisions at Church (and at Home)
Do you have a decision you need to make – at church or in your personal life? Here are three things to consider: First, there may not be one "right" decision. When I was growing up, there was a …1 comment- Margaret Marcuson -
How Bill Hybels confronts his staff
In Leadership Axioms - a must-read collection of leadership principles - Bill Hybels provides a roadmap for employing constructive confrontation as a leadership tool. They trick, of course, is …2 comments- Tom Harper -
5 frequently hidden signs of potential worship entropy
My former pastor, John Ortberg, once used the word entropy in a sermon title and I, not having really used the term in context before, had to scramble to find out what it really meant. Because our …4 comments- Doug Lawrence -
Epic Quotes on Discipleship & Influence from Prof Howard Hendricks (1924-2013)
Professor Howard Hendricks died last week but his ministry continues to expand through the lives of over 13,000 students that were impacted over his 60 years of teaching at Dallas Theological …1 comment- Will Mancini
| A fired-up new vision for the church | |
 | "It will not be stylish worship services. It will not be innovative programs." Jerry Taylor brings it home in this fiery climax to his message! (courtesy of NACC 2012) |
| The dynamics of church patriarchs and matriarchs | |
| In just about every church, someone other than the pastor holds the keys to change. (From church consultant training taught by Aubrey Malphurs - www.churchconsultation.org) |
| Are you letting fear derail your ministry? | |
| "How do you know when fear is motivating you?" asks Rick Warren. "You have an intense desire to run." (Courtesy of NACC 2012) |
| What is missional discipleship? | |
| We've confused evangelism with discipleship, says Alan Hirsch. "Every disciple is an agent of the king and ought to be released as such." (From NACC 2012) |
| Ignite your church with fresh thinking at Turnaround 20/20 | |
| Last year's inaugural 20/20 conference exceeded all our expectations, both in number of attendees (more than 200) and the quality of the speakers. The format is the same this year - 20 speakers, 20 minutes each, giving their best advice on how … |
| Save your sanity (and your ministry) by saying no | |
| "If you try to care about everything," says Pastor Todd Clark, "you'll soon find out you don't have the bandwidth to care about anything." (Courtesy of NACC) |
| Miles McPherson - How your church can thrive | |
| If you just do normal church, it will die. That's what kills churches every day. (From NACC 2011) |
| How Aubrey Malphurs sets up a church consultation | |
| Before the consulting process begins, a church has some work to do. Use these guidelines to get any church ready for change. (From the Society for Church Consulting's Level 1 training - www.churchconsultation.org) |
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