As difficult as it is for congregations to RightSize staff, it is nothing compared to trying to blow up a building. I have helped congregations and other Christian ministry organizations RightSize their staff, or to deal with what happens after…
Want millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church ‘cool.’
Rachel Held Evans is a blogger and the author of “Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church.” Bass reverberates through the auditorium floor as a heavily bearded worship leader pauses to invite the congregation, bathed in the light…
Leadership is overrated
Leadership is overrated. There, I’ve said it… Recently in a meeting of church and educational professionals I voiced this bias and received a less than enthusiastic response. Most of the persons attending the meeting had some investment in the leadership…
Can a renewal movement be renewed? A review
Lament over the current “ecumenical winter” and analysis of the factors that have contributed to it have become commonplace in recent ecumenical literature. As he considers the future of ecumenism in Can a Renewal Movement Be Renewed?
The essential three s’s for your next church building
Stop! Before you build that new Structure or do major retrofitting of existing space, be sure you have answers to the first two of the three S’s for your next church building. Structure is the third S and should not…
A growing church is a dying church
Whenever a congregation goes looking for a new pastor, the first question on their minds when the committee interviews a new candidate is: Will this pastor grow our church? I’m going to go ahead and answer that question right now:…
What is the direction and diversity of collaboration among Christian Ministries?
Building on the foundation of two earlier articles, let’s now address the direction and diversity of collaboration. The first article was Compete or Collaborate: The Dilemmas for Christian Ministries, and the second was Critical Understanding About Collaboration for Christian Ministries….
Is your church a window-seat or aisle-seat church?
I had my choice between the window seat and the aisle seat. Sitting by the window offers a great view, but it makes me feel cramped, if not trapped. There are benefits to the aisle seat. You have greater freedom…
Decisions determine destiny
Moving Through Prayer & Dialogue to Decisions in Church Far too many churches are stuck these days by an inability to make decisions about matters that can move them forward in faith and function. I see at least Five Practices…
Top 10 reasons people cite for not attending church services
Bill Wilson The photo below is of a perfect attendance pin for Sunday school. Many of you have never seen one. There was a day when it was a regular feature in churches all across America. If a person attended…
The growing issue of frequency of attendance
The photo above is of a perfect attendance pin for Sunday School. Many of you have never seen one. There was a day when it was a regular feature in churches all across America.
Feeling or flinging in basketball and an authentic Christian lifestyle
A personal game-within-a-game I play when watching basketball games is to guess in the split second between the time when a player shoots a jump shot and it comes down in or near the basket whether or not they felt…