Ten practical guidelines for churches when it comes to paying and hosting guest speakers and musicians, emphasizing generosity, transparency, and professionalism.
Pastors prioritizing their families as their first ministry is important. There is deep pain and neglect experienced by some pastor's spouses. Pastors must balance family and church responsibilities to effectively care for both.
They are the second largest generation in America’s history. At 74 million persons, they are only surpassed in size by the Boomer generation. Born between 1980 and 1997, they are shaping our businesses, our government, and our culture. And they are shaping our churches.
A pastor shares his experience leading a deeply divided church, facing resistance, personal attacks, and ultimately resigning.
Now, four decades later, I reflect on what I’ve learned in ministry. Some lessons came rather naturally; others were very painful.
There seems to be a convergence of issues that could have a profound effect on churches in 2025.
Are any of you old enough to remember “perfect attendance awards”?
A sincere pastor asked me this question: If I only had to measure and follow five church metrics, what would be my top five choices?
I have worked with countless pastors who shared their stories with me. These phases are common in many of them.
While we are entering a new era for churches in the United States and beyond, I see it as a new era of opportunity rather than problems.
Satan does not want people to become followers of Christ. He blinds them to the gospel until the Holy Spirit removes the scales from their eyes, often through our personal evangelism.
The multisite strategy is ingrained in the American church culture. While the majority of churches will never use a multisite strategy, they are no longer perceived as aberrations and outliers.
I’ve often lamented my failure to talk with my dad more frequently. You know how it is. You always think you have more time.
Have I become a legalistic and grumpy old man? Maybe. But hear me out.
I spent many years in a church tradition that viewed Sunday school as the only legitimate group model.
I pray, though, that I will avoid the temptation to see the various aspects of my church as a place where I can determine whether it meets my needs and gets my “like” affirmation.
I remember my surprise at the response to a book I wrote in 2001, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched. The fact that I remember something that took place almost a quarter of a century ago is a testament to its indelible mark on my memory.
Transfer growth is elusive these days. If churches are not growing by conversion or evangelistic growth, they probably are not growing at all.
In the midst of all the gloom and doom about the state of churches, I remain an obnoxious optimist.
"We can't find a pastor." It is a challenge to find a pastor, but it's also a new opportunity to look at how we "do church."
