If there is one recurring theme to the conversations I have regularly with clergy, lay leaders and denominational employees, it is viability. In a myriad of ways, people are asking viability questions about ministry, congregational life, finances, staff models, facilities,…
VITAL SIGNS: Can we have a healthier search process?
An increasing part of my life is spent advising and coaching pastor search committees. A healthy search process requires great patience, spiritual maturity and hard work. Done well, it can lead to a season of hope and health for a…
VITAL SIGNS: Confession from a consultant
Time for a confession. Let me tell you a consultant’s dirty little secret: congregational strategic planning is frequently a waste of time and can be counterproductive. There, it’s out. Now, it’s time to explain. Many congregations, for a variety of…
VITAL SIGNS: The tired arms of ministers
A friend recently shared with me a daily devotion that pointed out the story in Exodus 17 regarding Moses’ arms. Remember? As long as Moses held his staff with his arms aloft, the Israelites prevailed in their battle with the…
VITAL SIGNS: The J word
I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church life. It is the word just. As in, “I’m just a layperson.” Actually, that…
VITAL SIGNS: When you pastor the Titanic
What if you knew that your congregation was on a collision course with its demise? What would you do? Who would you tell? How would it change the way you lead? Would it affect your sense of urgency? Would it…
VITAL SIGNS: Are you ill?
My grandmother often used a word to describe herself or other people. It was the word “ill.” She did not use it to describe someone who was sick with a cold or the flu. She used it to describe an…
VITAL SIGNS: Recalculating
It comes in a variety of accents. It can be a man’s voice or a woman’s (my favorite is the female Australian). It can break your heart or serve as a warning. It will mock you. It will scold you….
VITAL SIGNS: Intervention
The award-winning reality show Intervention is about addiction and the extraordinary lengths it can take to face one’s unhealthy compulsions. Each episode chronicles the attempts by family members and friends to bring health to someone who is destroying their life….