Church in the post-Covid era is similar to church before Covid (in more ways that you expect)… yet drastically different (in more ways than you know). For pastors, this is a critical time, with weighty decisions to make about attendance, safety, programs, online church, staffing, and much more. The question is: How do you navigate these unprecedented times? What if I … Read More
Let’s make the next year, your best year (an invitation)
Let me introduce you to two true but seemingly contradictory statements: • Church now, on the other side of Covid, is far more like Pre-Covid church than you expect. • Church now, on the other side of Covid, is far more different from Pre-Covid than you expect. That’s something of a head-scratcher, right? It’s a complicated and critical time for … Read More
Donald McGavran on the Ground to Be Gained
“Let us analyze causes for growth and non-growth. Let us remember that the task is indeed great and complex and ours is only one part of the whole. Let us ask God to forgive our sins – and push resolutely forward as if we had not sinned. There is much ground to be gained and there are many adversaries to … Read More
Donald McGavran on Christian Mission
“Christian mission is bringing people to repent of their sins, accept Jesus Christ as Savior, belong to His Body the Church, do as He commands, go out and spread the Good News, and multiply churches.” – Donald McGavran, father of the Church Growth Movement, missionary to India and China, one of the premier missiologists of the twentieth century December 15, 1897 … Read More
My secrets to reading more – online this Thursday
Full confession: I wasn’t always the voracious reader that I am today, averaging 5-7 books a week. I certainly didn’t grow up with a love for reading. In fact, I never even completed a book from start to finish prior to age 17! I do like to say that “God gave me a passion to read” and while that’s true, … Read More
Q&A: Welcoming and following up with first-time guests
Today we’re revisiting one of the foundational church systems, Assimilation, and answering a few of the most common questions. Improving this system is the fastest way for your church to grow — especially coming out of a pandemic — so any time you invest here will reap great rewards later. Q: WHERE DO YOU START WHEN THERE IS NOTHING IN … Read More
Maximize Your Church by Maximizing Your Systems
We all use systems to help us accomplish our objectives every day. Think about the system you have for getting dressed in the morning. You don’t put on your deodorant until you get out of the shower. You drink your coffee before you brush your teeth. Right? There’s a system to the way you prepare yourself for the day that … Read More
Assimilation = Life Transformation
Did you have any first-time guests at your church this past Easter weekend? How many guests have you had in the last month? Over the last year? Each of those guests was a gift to you from God. Did your response show your appreciation? Did you have a plan in place to integrate them into the life of your church? … Read More
Is your church family prepared for new guests this Easter?
As the old saying goes: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. With Easter approaching — one of our biggest days of the year — I’d like to spin that a little and say: If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Preparation is key to success in any endeavor. To leave your house in the morning, … Read More
Maximizing Easter Online Training This Week – Your Special Code
You are invited to join me over Zoom this week for a 90-min Maximizing Easter Online Training. Don’t let this be an average Easter — at this online training, I will show you easy, practical ways to Maximize Easter. You will discover the easy-to-implement (and proven!) ideas you can use to overcome your current challenges and still GROW your Easter attendance. Collected, developed and honed at The Journey Church … Read More