“Your wife will either double your ministry or cut it in half.” That observation came from one of my mentors. Over a forty-plus year ministry, he’d watched pastors thrive or fail. His point is well-taken. A godly, supportive spouse will enhance your gifts, talents, and ability to minister. A selfish, unsupportive spouse will inhibit your ministry significantly. Let me offer … Read More
Save Your Spot: Bring a Mission Team to NYC Next Summer & Change the World!
I’m inviting you to bring a Mission Team to NYC next summer and invest a week sharing the love of Jesus with thousands of New Yorkers. NYC is the largest city in our country. The world is at our doorstep. When I look at the faces of the people that we have reached and the 2,700+ we have baptized, it … Read More
2 Key Questions to Measure the Health of your Small Group System
To pinpoint the ratio between your small group sign-ups and small group show-ups, all you really need is an attendance average once a semester. The best approach is to ask all group leaders to answer two questions near the middle of the semester. These questions will help you gauge the health of your small group system and plan for your … Read More
From Your Churchgoer’s Perspective: Giving as Accountability
When you decide to step out of financial stress and get on the ladder toward peace, make sure you give your initial gift in a way that is identifiable and by which you can be held accountable. That means, first of all, that when you give your gift to your local church, do it through whatever offering system the church … Read More
The Power of Serving: Encouraging Your Flock to Invite their Friends to Church
Serving others is good for your spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Though helping others may not get you featured in a magazine, doing so in ways both big and small will have a significant effect on the quality of your life and your overall health. When churchgoers invite their friends who don’t know Jesus to church, it’s a great … Read More
Leaders Take Care of Their Families
“For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” — 1 Timothy 3:5 (NLT)
Lyle Schaller on Fostering Creativity to Create Change
“One of the most important dimensions of a change agent’s job may be to foster creativity by asking questions rather than by suggesting answers.” — Lyle Schaller (April 19, 1923 – March 18, 2015), the Dean of Church Consultants, began his career as an urban planner for the city of Madison, Wisconsin. He left that life to pursue his calling as … Read More
8 Ways to Impact Your Community By Blessing Local Schools, by Facts & Trends
There are many ways for a church to have a lasting impact on its local community. Perhaps one of the most profound ways is through local schools. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I live, the local school system has nearly 25,000 students and 3,200 employees. When you factor in parents and grandparents of students, local schools connect with more … Read More
A Closer Look at the 3-Step Process of Biblical Forgiveness
Once you understand what forgiveness is not, forgiving becomes easier. But how exactly do you go about it? You can begin by working through the three-step process of biblical forgiveness: Remember How Much You Have Been Forgiven Release the Person Who Hurt You Reestablish the Relationship, as Much as Possible Let’s take a closer look at each of the three … Read More
How to Break Activities You Should Avoid
There are many benefits to taking some break time for yourself. Unfortunately, it is really easy to fall into some bad habits during those breaks. The problems with the activities we are about to talk about is not so much that they are time-wasters (which they certainly are). The problem is that they are counterproductive. You will come back from … Read More