A few years ago a friend was telling me his weight loss strategy. He had all of the stats on eliminating carbs and eating lean protein. There was just one problem: He was eating a Big Mac while he was telling me this (and the dude as close to 100 pounds overweight). Whenever I hear about another “church growth consultant” who has the latest theory about growing a church, I think of my McDonald’s-loving buddy. I hear the consultant’s strategy for how he’s going to help the church grow and I think, “He’s just like the fat guy who giving … Read More
Sunday stuff (Palm Sunday Edition)
I haven’t done one of these in a while, but here goes… – Great day at Calvary today. – We finished the book of Ruth in a series called, “Second Chances” – Once in a while, you teach a series that really hits home. This was one of those times. – Everyone has made poor choices. Everyone lives with some level of regret. Dealing with that is powerful for any congregation. – I have to say… leading a church, running Church Ninja, and building a building has pushed me to the limit on more than one occasion. Any of these … Read More
One Thing I Learned From a Soldier…
I have a friend who was in the military. When I say he was in the military, he wasn’t just an average soldier. He was an Army Ranger. He was also part of a Special Forces unit. One day, he and I were driving to lunch, and I asked him, “What possessed you to join the Army and be part of this special unit?” Without missing a beat, he said, “Because they offered me a chance to be the best. They challenged me to either be the best or go home.” It was at that moment that I realized when … Read More
Don’t Make This Outreach Mistake
I recently had a flyer on my door that said: “Are you sick of being told a feel good message? Do you want to hear about being washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you want to know about being justified in the Spirit? Do you want to feel the power of the Holy Ghost? If so, then come to ________ Church where all visitors are welcome.” Forgive me for sounding critical, but no one without a theology degree is going to be able to decipher that message, much less an unchurched person on my block. Too many times, … Read More
Two Of My Greatest Decisions…
Two decisions, like no others, have affected my life as a follower of Jesus. The first was when I decided to honor God with my finances. I heard a pastor speak boldly from God’s Word in regards to tithing, and I decided to take God at His Word and try it. Years have past, and all I can say is that God has been so faithful to me. The second decision was the choice to roll up my sleeves to get involved in the church that I called home. I know this might not be the end all in regards … Read More
What’s Wrong With The “Average” Church…
Something I learned a long time ago: No one gets excited over mediocrity. You’ve never hurried to call your friend to tell her that you just had the most “OK” BLT ever. In fact, “OK” is, to quote Simon Cowell, “It’s not terrible. It’s just forgettable.” Mediocre isn’t going to cut it if you want to reach people with the Gospel. The word Gospel doesn’t mean “Decent News, OK News, or Bad News!” It means Good News! That’s the message that we are communicating every Sunday. Think about the power of Sunday. Where else can you have the undivided attention of a group of people for an … Read More
A Pastor’s Frustration
Of all the frustrations in this life, the ones that often hurt the most are where we are at fault or fall short of what we aspire. It’s that feeling of not having the right tool for the job—or rather not being the right tool for the job. This is where I believe goal setting comes in. It is how we become the person God is calling us to be. The purpose of goal setting isn’t simply to attain the goals you set… The primary purpose of goals is to make us the type of person who can reach these goals. This … Read More
One Key to Being a Productive Pastor
A study was conducted with students in the 1979 Harvard MBA program. The students were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” Of all the students, only 3 percent had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and a whopping 84 percent had no specific set goals. Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings were amazing! The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who … Read More
The Mistake That Stunts Church Growth
The mistake that many senior pastors don’t think about because it doesn’t immediately call for their attention is a neglect for their own self-development. The old saying is true: “Leaders are readers.” To that point, check out this picture of Pastor Rick Warren’s own personal library: Wow. Now, you may not be able to fit that many books in your office and neither can I but reading books is a fundamental way we can continue to grow as a leaders. The truth is: I’ve met very few successful leaders who don’t give significant time to reading. The formula for growth is that the rate … Read More
5 Keys To Making Easter HUGE
Easter is only 33 days away. If you haven’t started gearing up for this big day, time is running out. So let me get right to the point. Here are some keys to making sure you leverage the biggest day on the church calendar: #1. Mobilizing the congregation is the top priority this Easter That means we need to arm them with invites and opportunities to serve the community if we want to reach more people than ever this Easter. #2. Do Multiple Services Easter is a family day, so we need to make sure we have multiple options for … Read More