Category Archives: Blog

Church-wide discipleship rhythms have a compounding effect. While many things in life get weaker or worse the longer they go on, corporate discipleship grows stronger and sweeter. For example, I love Mega Stuf Oreos. Sometimes it's a problem....

As church leaders, we tend to be tentative about starting new groups when the weather is warm. We're not proud of it, but it's true. We think... School is out... Our people are at the (beach, mountains, grandparents' house)... No one will make...

Unlike business leaders who are responsible to define the mission of their organizations, church leaders don’t have that freedom or carry that burden. We have already received our mission. Jesus’ words to His disciples, often called the Great...

Doubting Thomas. That’s an unfortunate way to be remembered. But have you ever noticed that even though he struggled to believe what the others said they had experienced—the resurrected Christ—Thomas remained connected to this small group...

Do you remember being a student as summer approached? Teachers jokingly refer to "senioritis," since seniors often have the hardest time staying motivated in the last weeks of spring. This happens in churches too—but with the leadership. Are you...

[caption id="attachment_35662" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. "The Risen Lord meets Mary Magdalene" from the Ely Stained Glass Museum.[/caption] The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our Christian faith. As...

Here are ten observations from my church resourcing days that I think most church leaders would agree with about church programming—the number of programs, events, and activities a local church offers: 1. More activity does not mean more...

We arrived early, wanting to make a good first impression. Everyone else was dressed impeccably, in nice dresses and suits. I was wearing slacks, Jim a Hawaiian shirt, and my two daughters jeans. Several kindhearted strangers walked over and...

You’ve heard (and maybe said) things like “following Jesus isn’t just a Sunday morning event—it’s a year-round commitment.” But I’ve been challenged to consider what our ministry year subtly communicates to people. For example, is...

For one hot weekend, “The World’s Longest Yard Sale” stretches 690 miles through 6 states every summer. Currently, I live near the border of 3 of those states—Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. The route continues up into Kentucky, Ohio,...