I have been amazed in each of these 30-day periods how the doors to evangelism have opened widely. It’s basic. God is answering my prayers.
We can identify some of the causes of the pastoral whiplash syndrome. But we need to do a much better job of helping pastors deal with this harsh reality. Here are five of most common reasons for the new reality of pastoral whiplash syndrome.
On the one hand, I am surprised at the decline of evangelism in most churches. But that is not the biggest surprise. The issue that perplexes and surprises me the most is that very few church leaders and members are even acknowledging the death of evangelism in their congregations and denominations.
I recently asked pastors how church members hurt them the most. It was amazing to hear these five responses repeatedly.
The question was straightforward: What are some of the most difficult things you have done in ministry?These 20 difficult challenges are listed by the frequency of the responses.
While we don’t have sufficient data to declare a definitive trend, we see reasons to urge church leaders to exercise caution before planning major budget increases in the months ahead. Here are five of those reasons.
“What is the future of work at church?” As church leaders ask that question, the answer becomes clearer and more relevant. We are watching closely the future of work beyond churches. Based on what we see at this point, we can offer 10 realities for church leaders and members.
Pastors are not alone in having stressful jobs. I don’t want to imply that their work is more difficult than other jobs. But pastors are unique in the cumulative number of microstresses in their lives. And, left alone without care, these microstresses can lead to a total collapse.
Before you cancel your church membership, would you look at the following seven considerations?
As we look back over this regathering phase, we admit that several developments caught us by surprise. Some are good. Some are not.
We're being intentional about providing resources for smaller churches. That is our stake in the ground.
Here are 10 of the most common developments we’ve discerned. They will likely become trends in 2023.
Churches with fewer than 250 in average worship attendance account for 92 percent of all churches in the United States.
One of the bigger struggles I’ve had with my prayer is perfunctory prayer.
As we consult with churches, we often find that the first step is defining those four terms for the church leadership.
The pandemic is not the reason pastor search committees are struggling.
The "more is better” rule does not always hold.
We see more pastors who return from sabbaticals to a church in a mess.
Several sentences spoken about churches today seem to be affirming on the surface, but they have a negative connotation.
It’s painful enough to lose any church members, but it is particularly painful when the church member was highly committed.
