November 2017

Christian Unity
Want To Pastor A Church You Love? Love The Church You’re Pastoring
What if every pastor saw their church, not as a stepping-stone to something bigger, but as an investment to make with all their heart and soul?

Have you ever had a chat with someone who was constantly looking over your shoulder to see if there’s someone better to talk to?

A lot of us may be doing that to the church we’re pastoring.

One of the main reasons many churches stay unhealthy is that too many pastors ...

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Church Leadership
Effective Church Leaders Do Not Treat Everyone Equally
If you don't decide whose opinions carry the greatest weight, the loudest voices will win and your ministry will be reactive, not proactive.

Effective leaders always seek wise advice and counsel.

If you, like me, are a small church pastor, you know there’s a huge expectation for us to treat everyone’s advice as though they all have equal value.

We’re often told that getting everyone’s input ...

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Small Church Ministry
Only In a Small Church: Face Time With the Pastor
The disadvantages of a small church are regularly outweighed by the privilege we have of discipling people on a more personal level.

I had another one of those “only in a small church” moments last Sunday.

The positive kind.

As I was shaking hands at the door after the service, I chatted with a man who’s been attending for a few weeks. He told me he was thinking about making us his permanent ...

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Innovative Ministry
28 Non-Numerical Signs Of A Healthy Church
Numbers are not the only way to determine church health. In many situations, they’re not even the best way.

If numbers aren’t the only way to tell if a church is healthy, what else is there?

I get that question a lot. Mostly from other pastors.

And no, they’re not being facetious when they ask it. They truly don’t know the answer.

Isn’t that … I don’t ...

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Church & Culture
Sorry Christians, We Can’t Blame the Media Any More
More than ever before, we have an obligation to act in a Christ-like manner. Not just in church, but everywhere.

Christians love playing the “blame the media” game.

Not long ago, we might have had a legitimate claim that our reputation was bad because the media was against us. That’s not the case anymore.

Oh sure, the media in general may still think negatively about Christians, ...

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Christian Unity
Finally, A Definitive List Of Every Essential Element For An Effective Church
We can't let our guard down in the relentless battle to keep the non-essentials from crowding out the essentials.

Too many church leaders spend unnecessary time on a stack of things that aren’t essential for an effective church.

But what are the essentials?

Good news. I’ve found the definitive list and today I’m going to share it with you.

But first, a few things that aren’t ...

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Christian Unity
I Don’t Like the Way You Do Church
...but our unity in Christ is much stronger than our differences in style or method.

I don’t like the way you do church.

  • The music is too loud or too soft
  • The clothes are too casual or too formal
  • The preaching is too emotional or too academic
  • The pastor is too unavailable or too hands-on
  • The building is too ornate or too bland
  • The liturgy is too old or too new
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Small Church Ministry
Signs Of Life: 7 Ways To Find A Great Small Church To Attend And Serve
Look for a church that does small church things well, instead of trying to do big church things on a smaller scale.

A lot of people would like to worship in a small church if they could find a good one.

That’s what I keep hearing, anyway.

So, with all the small churches around, why do so many people seem to have a hard time finding a good one? It’s not because they don’t exist. ...

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Church Leadership
A Leadership Reminder: Your To-Do List Is Not A Plan
To-do lists can keep us on track, but they never create a new track. Only an intentional plan does that.

I love keeping to-do lists. They help me stay on task, keep track of my progress, determine who should be doing what, and so much more.

But I have to constantly remind myself that a to-do list is not a plan.

Starting a to-do list isn’t the creation of a plan, and crossing ...

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Church & Culture
4 Ways Your Church Can Help People Simplify Christmas
If we want people to slow down, simplify and learn the joy of giving, our church needs to be a place they can do that.

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas is also the busiest.

A few years ago, our small church decided we weren’t going to compete with all the shopping, school plays, office parties and visits to Santa that were filling people’s calendars. We ...

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