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

22 Tweetable Quotes from the 2022 Global Leadership Summit

I’ve been a big fan of the Global Leadership Summit for years. It’s always good to gain new insights, refocus your vision, and recharge your passion. Over the years I’ve heard from the world’s best and most influential politicians, business executives, pro athletes and coaches, film directors, scientists, economists, motivators, and faith leaders. Every time I leave feeling extra motivated and believe I’ve gained wisdom and insights to become a better leader and person.

This year was no exception.

I also find myself tweeting way more than usual at the GLS! There’s so much good stuff. And while this is certainly not meant to be a full representation of all that was said, here are 22 tweetable quotes from the 2022 Global Leadership Summit.

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Blurred Lines And How To Avoid Them

Clarity in the church

I obsess over clarity. Why? Because I’ve been in several situations, mostly in churches where a lack of a clear purpose, clear directions and clearly stated goals led to confusion, frustration and wasted time.

I heard someone once say, “what’s pretty clear in the pulpit is muddy in the pews.” That’s probably true. I often wonder how much more effective the church would be if we were clearer about what’s really important.

The need for clarity, however, goes beyond what we preach and communicate on Sundays. It also applies to how leaders run the organizational side of the church.

Lines create boundaries and boundaries create clarity. But sometimes, when lines get blurred, the boundary becomes unclear which leads to confusion. Sometimes, church Human Resources leaders set up position descriptions for their staff that lead to blurred lines. Let me explain.

Blurred lines

Working in a church is weird. If you haven’t worked in a one, just ask someone who has. Here’s why. Because most of the time, your pastor is your boss. That’s weird. It’s a blurred line. Is the Pastor your pastor, or are they your boss?

Similarly, you may have heard it said, “never work with a family member.” Why do people say that? Same reason. It’s a blurred line. Is that person your coworker or is he your brother-in-law?

You can see where it can get interesting…or weird. In the coworker / family member scenario, work issues bleed into family issues. In the coworker / pastor example above, employment issues become spiritual matters. Continue reading

Three Key Elements of Effective Story Telling

A while ago, I wrote a blog about Three Preaching Essential to Reach Today’s Culture. In it I wrote about the Word, Story and Humor. Today I want to dive deeper into one key element of communication: story.

Stories have always been powerful communication tools. Some people possess a vocal tonality that naturally lends itself to storytelling. Think about James Earl Jones, Garrison Keillor or Morgan Freeman. You feel compelled to listen to their stories because their voice sound so good.

Successful movie producers have mastered the art of storytelling on film. Prominent authors have skillfully used stories to capture the imagination of their readers.

Of course, Jesus of Nazareth was the most influential storyteller in history. He told stories of fathers, farmers, and fishermen. He told parables of hidden treasures on earth and lasting treasures in Heaven. He captivated his audiences with tales of shrewd money managers, persistent widows, proud Pharisees, and hated tax collectors. He made heroes out of outcasts and stars out of sinners.

Great communicators throughout history have skillfully used stories to draw in their audience. Pastors of today use stories to reinforce the point they are making. Motivational speakers use stories to compel their audience to act. They make it look easy. But it’s not.

Preparing and delivering an effective story takes work and practice. But storytelling remains one of the most effective methods of engaging communication. With that said, here are three key elements of effective storytelling.

Tension
Build some tension into your stories. Use excitement, fear, anxiety, joy or any other emotion that people can relate to. Tension helps draw people into the story and entices them to listen. Simply put, people will pay attention if there’s tension.

Jesus masterfully built tension in the story of a wayward son. He once told of a young man who left home with his inheritance and ruined his life making unwise choices. Many people, then and now, can relate to the tension in this situation. Jesus went on to tell of how the son came to his senses and planned to return home. His audience surely wondered, if that were my son, how would I respond?

That’s exactly why the use of tension is an effective tool to help draw your audience in. Skillful communicators will raise the tension in the story and then use the main point of their message to bring the tension to a satisfactory conclusion. Continue reading

Ten Steps To Continuous Improvement

Have you ever walked into a local business and seen something that lacks professionalism? Then did you ask yourself, I wonder why they don’t improve that? Ever shown up at work, noticed an established process and thought, why do we do it this way?

If so, you may have a maximizer strength like me. I’m always seeing things that could be better. Some call it the spiritual gift of criticism so I always try to put a positive spin on it.

My church has a staff value of “Make It Better.” They are continually in the process of dreaming, creating, implementing, observing, and making improvements.

If you’re always evaluating present realities, envisioning improvements and coming up with ideas on how to make it better, consider incorporating these ten steps of the continuous improvement cycle.

Idea
Everything ever invented, designed or created began with an idea. Ideas usually originate from a problem. Someone notices a problem and they say, wouldn’t it be great if… An idea is the first step in the continuous improvement cycle.

Plan
Someone said an idea without a plan is just a daydream. Ideas need plans before they can progress and become something more. Plans are extremely important. They can take time. But a well thought out plan is crucial for continuous improvement.

Prepare
Once the plan has been completed, you may be tempted to move right into implementation. But before that, you need to prepare. Preparation is a key step in the process. Prepare yourself. Prepare your audience. Prepare those this plan will affect. Preparation will help the execution go smoothly. Continue reading

Small Group Axioms

In the 1970’s and 80’s small groups began becoming popular in churches. Today, it’s hard to find a church without some sort of small group ministry. In some cases, small groups have replaced Sunday School as the main approach to Christian education and fellowship. In other cases, small groups compliment Sunday School by offering a different environment for teaching and connection.

I’ve spent many years as a Small Groups Pastor. The value of community in the context of a small group is one of my highest priorities. And over years of leading small group ministries, I’ve come across some helpful axioms that help define the purpose of small groups and remind us what small groups are really all about.

Axioms are basically a memorable saying that contain truth. Much like a proverb. Here are three axioms for small groups. Continue reading

What Hedgehogs Teach Us About Ministry

In Jim Collin’s classic book, Good to Great, he introduces readers to the idea of a Hedgehog Concept. Collins says the idea came from a famous essay by Isaiah Berlin called “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” It’s based on the ancient Greek parable: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” The fox uses multiple ideas and numerous strategies in its battles with the hedgehog. But, says Collins, the hedgehog always wins by using one simple, surefire approach – curling up into a ball. When the hedgehog employs this defensive position, it exposes his sharp spikes to deter attacks from predators. Despite the many and varied tactics the fox uses, the hedgehog always emerges victorious by using his one, focused strategy.

Collins goes on to say that the idea of a Hedgehog Concept has helped successful companies define who they are, focus their energies and become more successful. They do this by answering three critical questions. 1. What are you best at? 2. What are you most passionate about? 3. What drives your economic engine?

Developing a Hedgehog Concept for churches can be extremely valuable. As churches grow, they naturally drift towards complexity. So the need to define and embrace a Hedgehog Concept will help define vision and mission, give a framework around resource allocation and give clarity to critical decision making.

I was part of a church that used the Hedgehog Concept. The senior leaders asked the three questions. After much time, thought and prayer, their answers were incorporated into the culture of the church and helped the church in a major season of growth.

As church leaders who want to bring increased levels of organizational health to your churches, encourage your leaders to wrestle with these three questions.   Continue reading

How To Fail Forward

For years I’ve pondered an interesting question. If I wrote a book called How to Fail, and it became a best-seller, would that be a good thing?

In today’s world, there seems to be a subconscious, relentless drive toward being successful. There are countless conferences, books and podcasts on the topic of attaining success in our work, family and social life. But there aren’t a lot of resources on failure. Who wants to be a failure, right?

No one wants to be a failure. But failure is a reality that most people will face at one point in their lives. The truth is, even though I strive for success in all I do, I’ve met just as much failure, if not more. I’ve struggled with the “f” word (failure) in my work, ministry, and relationships. And since labeling oneself a failure can have damaging emotional effects, I want to give some hope and shed some light on the topic. Below are three thoughts to keep in mind about failure.

Failure is an event, not a person

When failure happens, it’s easy to take the blame. I was raised to own up to my responsibilities and take ownership regardless of the results. But when we do that, we can often label ourselves as a failure. We need to remember that failure is an event, not a person.

Being firmly rooted in your identity in Christ is crucial as you work through failure. Your mind can easily tell you, “You’re a loser. You don’t deserve to succeed. You’re a failure.” But contrast those thoughts with the truth of scripture that says you are chosen by God. You are dearly loved. You’re a redeemed child of God (1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 2:1-5). Continue reading

Three Unanswerable Questions to Ponder When You’re Being Fired

Fired. Separation. Forced resignation. Regardless of how you say it, it means the same thing. You once worked at a church. Now, suddenly, you don’t.

If you find yourself in your supervisor’s office and the HR director unexpectedly joins you, your heart will start to pound, you’ll feel flushed, and you’ll soon realize your time at the church has come to an end.

Typically, reasons are given. You’ll probably disagree with most of them. Other times the much more ambiguous “no longer a good fit” explanation is offered. That’s just confusing.

Being let go from a church is probably one of the most traumatic and painful things a Pastor can go through. If you find yourself in this situation, you’ll undoubtedly wrestle with the financial strain of losing your job. You’ll physically feel the added stress on your marriage. You’ll undoubtedly question your role as a Pastor and your call to ministry.

These things probably will happen. I’ve wrestled with them all. More than I want to admit. Countless hours of therapy and seasons of self-reflection have helped, but by no means are a quick answer. It’s a long process. Real long. And it’s painful. Real painful.

Typically, there are no easy answers. I hope you never have to go through it, but if you do, here are three questions you may need to contemplate, but will not likely find answers for. 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