I hear it in breathless conversations with ministers in multiple settings: “I’m exhausted. How can I be this tired when most of what I do is talk on the phone or to a screen?” “I’m running out of ideas about…
Church building for sale but congregation’s mission continues
It’s a story all-too familiar these days: Historic church building for sale. This time, it’s Calvary Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va., which has listed its 55,000-square-foot building, which sits on 1.68 acres in downtown Roanoke, at $1.95 million. The historic…
Let’s be honest about spiritual discernment in churches
For many years, I have been a fierce proponent of churches using spiritual discernment as they navigate their futures. In hundreds of settings, across multiple denominations (and no denominations), in city/urban/suburban/rural locations, across all aspects of the theological spectrum, I…
More Boomers are retiring, and churches need to be prepared
The rate of Baby Boomer retirements escalated in the last 12 months, a trend that could provide a boost to some American churches and a challenge to others. “As Boomers retire, many of them are going to go from working…
Seek to become a ‘trauma-informed congregation’ in November forward
In recent years, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has become a highly visible part of our culture, and generalized trauma has emerged as a consistent issue for clergy and churches. The majority of Americans have experienced a significant trauma in their…
Church leaders, please don’t waste your transition crisis
What would you say is the best gift a transitional pastor can give a congregation? Most traditional interim training programs land heavily on the idea that the primary task of a church in transition is dealing with grief. Thus, much…
The train of conflict is coming to a church near you
As a child, my neighborhood friends and I loved to play on a train track near our house. Foolish, I know, but quite fun and exhilarating. We learned to tell when a train was coming long before it actually appeared….
Your church after COVID: Restart, refresh or relaunch?
Our current virus pandemic has forced all of us to face some harsh realities. One of the benefits of experiencing a seismic shift in our world is the ensuing time of introspection and the questioning of our assumptions. Most churches…
Why live streaming, electronic giving may not save some churches | #intimeslikethese
“My fear is that while we’re worried about broadcasting services, the real issue is the number of churches who cannot survive an eight-week or three-month hiatus from gathering together.”