Why Pastors Need to Preach on Marriage

Bob FranquizLeadership, Teaching

Marriage is one of my favorite topics to preach on. More that 50% of my congregation is married and the balance of the church wants to tie the knot. That means, whenever we announce a series of teachings on marriage, everyone is excited. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few challenges associated with teaching on marriage. Some singles get frustrated about talks on marriage. It’s somewhat difficult to teach in a new and fresh way. However, the benefits outweigh the challenges. So I thought I’d share 5 reasons for you to keep a marriage series on the preaching calendar every … Read More

Why Churches Stay Small (and Never Break 200)

Bob FranquizChurch, Leadership

This year Calvary, the church I pastor, was named the 5th fastest growing church in the United States by Outreach Magazine. There was lots of clapping by our congregation, congratulations by ministry colleagues, and even a cake from my staff. However, I remember when Calvary was a struggling church of 50 trying to reach people and get into triple digits. Over the last year I’ve been many times to explain how Calvary went from a church that reached new few people to a vibrant congregation. However, that’s not the real question people are asking. They want to know how their … Read More

Pastors and Diet Advice

Bob FranquizChurch, General, Leadership

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

One Thing I Learned From a Soldier…

Bob FranquizLeadership

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

4 Keys to Maximizing the Summer

Bob FranquizLeadership

Summer is here in Miami. That means temperatures that reach “surface of the sun” levels and daily rain at 3PM. That also means a season where we focus on deepening and training our congregation. Lots of churches batten down the hatches and hunker down, praying for Fall to arrive. We take a different approach. Not only in our strategic outreach, but in our investment into our church and each other. So here’s 4 things you can do this Summer that will bring depth and health to your church:  #1 – Theology Classes – every summer we host what we call … Read More

When Leaders Fail You, Who Do You Follow?

Bob FranquizChurch, General, Leadership

I heard about another pastor who fell into sexual sin this week. My heart hurts for the congregations and families involved. This recent news brings up some feelings in me as I’ve watched a friend and mentor fall into sin in recent weeks. As I’ve processed and walked through this situation with friends and some in my congregation, certain feelings people have expressed have made total sense to me. Feeling of… …Sadness …Anger …Betrayal …Loss …Fear But there’s another emotion/ attitude that I’m a bit surprised by. It’s the attitude that says, “We don’t follow a man; we follow Jesus”. … Read More

Measure Everything

Bob FranquizLeadership

My kids were walking around the house the other day with a tape measure. They were measuring the lamps, the walls, and each other. They were curious about how big things were and how they measured up compared to the other things they measured. In the same way, I am a firm believer that church leaders should measure everything. Not for the sake of pride or comparison with other churches. Instead, it’s nearly impossible to evaluate and improve without measuring key areas of ministry. Here’s what I mean:  How do you know if your outreach dollars are well spend? You … Read More

Where Does the Pastor Go?

Bob FranquizGeneral, Leadership

This story begins in late 2004. There were some great things were happening in my life at this time… …The Red Sox finally won the World Series after 86 long years …The Patriots won another Superbowl … I had lost 70 pounds and gotten to the lowest weight I had been since High School But there were some other things going on that were keeping me up at night. …things at my 3 year old church plant weren’t going so well …My mother-in-law had gone to be with the Lord unexpectedly …After 8 years of marriage, my wife and I … Read More

The #1 Quality a Leader Must Possess

Bob FranquizLeadership

Often, churches are stuck because the leader doesn’t feel the need to learn new skills, which is the height of arrogance. We must be learning new skills continually because we live in an ever-changing world. Rick Warren is famous for saying, “The day we stop growing, we’re dead in the water.” There are myriad places for us to gain new skills, but it begins with a decision to stop “doing what we’re doing” and get serious about our growth. Think about these statistics from the American Booksellers Association: 80 percent of all Americans did not read a book this year. … Read More

The “I’m not an Evangelist” Excuse

Bob FranquizLeadership, Teaching

I am amazed God has allowed Calvary Fellowship to be such an evangelistic church. Seriously. We see unchurched people coming to know Jesus every single week. The reason I’m so amazed is because I’m not an evangelist. I’m a Bible teacher. That’s my sweet spot. Teaching through books of the Bible and feeding God’s people is where I’m most comfortable. While teaching is my primary gifting, my passion is to see lost people found. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see a lost person give their life to Jesus and start growing in their faith. I know a lot … Read More