Three Obstacles That Hinder Church Revitalization

As president of the Society for Church Consulting, I drive our vision to advance and revitalize churches by training leaders and certifying consultants.

Some church leaders don’t pursue certification but simply want to help their churches get better. Other pastors seek help in revitalizing their churches. Regardless of the current health of your church, it’s good to examine church revitalization. Here are three obstacles that hinder health and are important to remember when pursuing church revitalization. Continue reading

21 Unforgettable Quotes from the 2017 Leadership Summit

Every year, the two days I spend attending the Willow Creek Association’s Global Leadership Summit with my fellow staff members is the highlight of my year. The Summit is two amazing days filled with refreshment, recharging, learning and inspiration from top-notch leaders from the realms of business, church, activism, media and government.

I hear so many brilliant and inspiring thoughts each year, I try to tweet them all. But, because I can’t keep up, last year I wrote a blog on the 21 most unforgettable quotes from the Summit. This year is no different. Here are 21 unforgettable quotes from the 2017 Leadership Summit.

“Your organization’s culture will only be as healthy as the top leader wants it to be.” – Bill Hybels

“Leadership development is both the individual and organization’s responsibility.” – Sheryl Sandberg       

“Listen to outsiders. Outsiders aren’t bound by our assumptions.” – Andy Stanley

“Talent x effort = skill. Skill x effort = human achievement. Talent counts, but effort counts twice.” – Angela Duckworth

 “Leadership begins with a dream. Fear silences dreams.” – Gary Haugen

“Sometimes, where you are used to being is not where you belong.” – Sam Adeyemi Continue reading

Book Review: Sticky Leaders

Reviewing Sticky Leaders, by Pastor Larry Osborne was a joy because the insights in this book are inspiring, important, and easy to understand. As a church consultant, I’ve read many wonderful books on church leadership, and Sticky Leaders does not disappoint. I highly recommend you read it. Here are four areas Osborne emphasizes that are worth considering.

Innovation
Osborne introduces the concept of “serial innovators” – leaders who try new things, think outside the box, and take careful, calculated risks. He says, “Healthy organizations…can’t just focus on the past. They must also think about creating the future…” This calls for flexibility and innovation.

He says a genuine innovation must work and be widely accepted. The author gives the example of the Segway – the personal, two-wheeled motorized vehicle. Segway’s work. But they never became widely accepted,…except if you’re a mall cop. He states that if a “better” solution isn’t widely adopted, it’s an invention, but not an innovation. Continue reading

One Word That Will Help Focus Your Ministry

As church leaders, we often hear many good ideas to further the mission of the church. And most of them probably are good ideas. The trick is determining which ideas are the best.

In the church, opinions and options seem endless. Everyone has a brilliant plan or groundbreaking idea that should be implemented right away. However, author Chris McChesney said, “There will always be more good ideas than there is capacity to execute them.”

It’s easy to say yes. But how do you decide when to say no?

Author Larry Osborne gives us a clue. In Sticky Leaders he says, “If something doesn’t take us toward our mission, it takes us away from our mission, even if it’s a great idea.” If we say yes to too many good ideas, we quickly lose focus. Too many options overwhelm people, divide attention, and dilute impact.

Saying no can be the most difficult, yet most critically important part of ministry.

So why don’t more churches say no? Why is saying no so difficult? Below are two reasons church leaders find it difficult to say no.

They don’t want to be the bad guy

Christian leaders are supposed to be nice, right? Yet it somehow seems “unchristian” to deny a person’s sincere request or good idea.

Leaders need to decide if they’re called to be nice and fulfill everyone’s wants, or called to be focused and direct people to what they need. An alcoholic wants a drink. But a drink isn’t what he needs. He needs rehab and should be directed there.

It’s easy to misunderstand the difference between needs and wants, and many churches confuse the two. Continue reading

How Measuring Results Enhances Ministry Effectiveness

Written in pencil on the wall of the closet in my home office are dates and lines that measure the growth rate of my youngest son. You see, my office used to be his bedroom, and from October, 2004 – December, 2008, he periodically measured and recorded his height on that closet wall. When asked why he did it, he replied, “How else would I know if I’m growing?” To him, it seemed like a natural thing to do.

It’s been said you can’t manage what you don’t measure. And while it seems natural to track results, many church leaders don’t measure effectiveness for fear of finding the answers. Cold, hard facts can reveal painful realities which force us to make difficult decisions. We can either courageously lead our churches through transition, or we can keep the status quo, thinking we’re making progress but actually having little impact.

Every number tells a story
Biblical writers counted people. Someone counted 5,000 fed, 3,000 saved, and 9 out of 10 lepers who didn’t say ‘thank you.” Fortunately, today more and more church leaders recognize the importance of counting and measuring ministry effectiveness. If you’re looking to enhance your church’s ministry by beginning to measure progress, here are five things to consider.

Define your purpose
In The Numbers Game, Chris Mavity and Steve Caton, say, “Many churches plan events…(but) they never consider what the outcome should be.” They say that events and programs need to work in tandem with the vision and mission of the church. If the two don’t sync up, the event should be scratched. And pastor and author Andy Stanley, in 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, encourages church leaders to clarify the win, and ask “What’s most important?” Church leaders need to define the purpose of any program or event to be able to determine if the endeavor was successful. Without a clearly stated
goal, any attempt at evaluation will be hazy, yielding unclear conclusions. Continue reading

Top 5 Ministry Blog Posts of 2016

My passion is to bring clarity and focus to ministry and mission. I accomplish this by doing church consulting at Interactive Church Consulting, and by blogging. Here are my top 5 blog posts of 2016 that help churches and ministries both honor God and inspire people.

3 Layers of Ministry
Contemplating the importance of three critical aspects of ministry.

Clarifying Church Growth Terminology
What exactly are we talking about when we talk about church growth?

Categories of Beliefs, and Why Separating Them is Important
Which beliefs will you discuss, defend, and die for?

3 Kinds of Church Staff Members
Maximizing the effectiveness of the experts, managers, and leaders on your ministry staff.

Got Clarity? (Part 2)
How creating clarity in systems increases ministry efficiency.

Clarifying Church Growth Terminology

During the past twenty-five years many books have been written, sermons preached, and seminars given about the mission, vision and values of the church. I’ve read, listened to, and attended many of them. And I’ve received practical advice, useful tools and helpful tips that serve to define the mission of the church. The only problem is that no one seems to define things the same way.

Some experts even use the same definition to describe different words, creating confusion rather than clarity. The paragraphs that follow will define several important words that will bring clarity in your efforts to lead your church. Here are seven definitions of critical terms for you to consider.

Foundational Beliefs
Someone once said, “A belief is what you hold. A conviction is what holds you.” Foundational beliefs are stronger than regular beliefs. They are convictions. Some churches have different levels of beliefs. They separate them into discuss, defend, and die for beliefs. Your foundational beliefs are essential to your church paradigm. They define what you believe, and what you’ll die for.
Continue reading

Maximizing Outreach By Examining The Church’s Three Doors

Every church has three doors. A front door, a side door, and a back door. And every week, people travel through these doors. Typically, they enter through the front door, or through a side door, and they leave through the back door. Simply put, pastors want, and expect, lots of people to come in through the front door. They’re happy, and maybe a bit surprised, when folks come through the side door. And they’re sad to see them leave through the back door.

001 Three-Doors-small_jpg_pagespeed_ce_IQrytsB-xsOf course, I’m speaking figuratively, but you know what I mean. Pastors often use the “three doors” analogy to talk about how people come and go from their congregations. Since our churches are all about people, let’s take a closer look at the church’s three doors.

 

Front Door

The worship services are the front door in virtually all American churches. You’ll draw your largest crowds through your worship services. Whether you have one or more Sunday services, do additional Saturday services, or use video in a multi-site setting, your services are your biggest draw. People come to hear the word of God being preached, engage in inspiring worship experiences, and celebrate God’s presence in a corporate environment. There’s power in gathering together as a faith community. Continue reading