Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a wide variety of churches. Having led Guest Services in the past, I always enjoy getting to experience a church from the “other side.” While nearly every church goes out of its way to be welcoming, several also have gaps of which they seem to be unaware. […]
Changing Ministry Seasons Without Leaving Your Team In The Cold
Where I live in Northeast Ohio, it feels like winter has started about three different times. We saw snow as early as October yet it was 64 degrees the week of Christmas. With frequently changing conditions, I never know what to expect. Each day, I leave the house asking, “Do I need a jacket? Will I […]
5 Proven Strategies to Keep Your 2016 Resolutions
It is impossible to lead a church with strategy if you are not leading yourself the same way. To improve self-leadership, many church leaders begin each year with resolutions to better themselves over the next 12 months. Yet many of those resolution are forgotten or fail over time. I am certainly no exception. Nearly every resolution […]
4 Words That May Push Millennials From Your Church
Each time church leadership transitions from one generation to the next, outdated terms are exchanged for fresh language. New leaders find new words to present the same message to a new generation. Many churches no longer have “fellowship” though they still build strong relationships. What once was a “sermon” is now often referred to as a […]
Why Most Christmas Eve Services Are Setup To Fail
Your church is probably investing a significant amount of time and money in a Christmas Eve service. Staff members have been planning it for weeks, maybe months. You’ve emphatically asked your congregation to invite friends and families. Print ads and billboards may even be spreading the word. Yet despite all this effort in your church […]
How to Move Your Team from “Playing Nice” to “Winning Together”
If you’re like most church leaders, you probably wouldn’t describe your team as dysfunctional. After all, it’s been a while since someone yelled in a meeting or started a fistfight. But dysfunction and disagreement are not nearly the same thing. Most ministry teams “play nice” but they don’t “win together.” A winning team is able to withstand […]
Why You Can’t Blame Culture for Ruining Christmas
Over the past few weeks, I’ve quietly watched fellow Christians complain about the secularization of Christmas. From “Happy Holidays” to Starbucks red cups, it doesn’t take much to spark an outraged tweet or post. Just the other day, I passed a church handing out literature from the middle of the street. The title? “Down with Santa. […]
5 Ways to Help Your Small Groups Be Successful
Today, my friend Chris Surratt is releasing his latest book, Small Groups For The Rest Of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes. Knowing Chris’ experience leading in some of the most notable churches in America, I’m excited to see his insights have impact across the church at large. Chris was kind enough […]
When Your Plan Is The Problem
Last week, I shared on Tony Morgan Live how to respond, When Opportunity Disrupts The Plan. It can be both exciting and frustrating for a team when a “can’t miss” opportunity throws the plan off course. (Learn three steps to lead through those moments here.) That being said, opportunity-disruption is the best kind there is! […]
8 Excuses Church Leaders Must Eliminate
Originally written for TonyMorganLive.com There is no question many churches are stuck. Just last month, the Pew Research Center projected about 106 million Christians will leave the faith over 40 years. (That’s over 7,000 people a day!) These findings only add to the volumes of research describing the Church in decline. Everyone knows we have a problem. […]