2016

Church & Culture
Why Millennials Won't Build the Kinds of Churches their Parents Built
We can't treat Millennials as a homogeneous group. We have to minister to them as individuals, instead.
Why Millennials Won't Build the Kinds of Churches their Parents Built
Image: Todd Huffman | Flickr

Millennials defy categorization. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to categorize them, anyway.

Especially for Baby Boomers like me. We love categorizing people. It makes ministry easier. Simpler. Safer.

You know, boring.

As I wrote in Why Church Leaders Will Never Understand ...

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Christian Unity
No, Our Church Doesn't Sing New Music to Appeal to Nonbelievers
Our church's song list is not an evangelism tool. It's meant to glorify God and involve the saints in worship.
No, Our Church Doesn't Sing New Music to Appeal to Nonbelievers
Image: frankieleon | Flickr

Oh, the worship wars.

Just when you think they’re gone for good, they pop up again.

The debate is no longer raging, but it's not over. Probably never will be.

  • Old music v new
  • Hymns v choruses
  • Choirs v worship teams
  • Organs and pianos v guitars and drums

The subject came up ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Looking Ahead
Small churches are a vital component of the most powerful force for goodness the world has ever seen.
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Looking Ahead
Image: David DeHetre | Flickr

Imagine how different the world would look, if

  • over billion people
  • transformed by the gospel of Jesus
  • strategically placed by the hand of God
  • in groups averaging 30 or so
  • tucked into every corner of the world

decided to really say “yes” to God.

Small churches are a vital ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Three Reasons We’ve Missed This
The stubborn, historical persistence of small churches is something God has done without our noticing it, and in spite of the fact that many of us have fought against it.
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Three Reasons We’ve Missed This
Image: Paul Kitchener | Flickr

How can one billion people be doing something without the world standing up to take notice?

More specifically, how can one billion people be doing something within a very narrowly defined niche, and the leaders in that niche not value it?

But that’s what has happened in ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Fan the Flame
Let’s encourage, connect and equip innovative small church leaders as each one plays their part.
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Fan the Flame
Image: Emilio Kuffer | Flickr

How can we activate the astonishing power of small churches?

As we’ve already seen in the previous two posts in this series (here and here), over one billion people worship Jesus in small churches tucked into every corner of the globe. What could we possibly do to light ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Strategic Placement
Small churches may be the most overlooked, under-appreciated and underutilized asset on earth. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Strategic Placement
Image: apasciuto | Flickr

Over one billion people choose to worship Jesus in small churches.

But the astonishing power of small churches is not just about the numbers. It’s about strategic placement.

This is where our small size becomes our advantage.

Small churches have found their way into every ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Over One Billion Served
This is the first in a five-part series that will dramatically alter the way we see small churches and their kingdom potential.
The Astonishing Power of Small Churches: Over One Billion Served
Image: ▓▒░ TORLEY ░▒▓ | Flickr

More than one billion people choose to worship Jesus in small churches.

Yes, you read that right. One billion plus.

This has massive implications for the church, the world and how small churches see their role in the kingdom of God.

So many implications, that I’ll be writing ...

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Innovative Ministry
The World Needs a Better Ironing Board (Yes, This Is About the Church)
We need to introduce people to Jesus. And we need to get rid of anything that makes that task harder than it ought to be.
The World Needs a Better Ironing Board (Yes, This Is About the Church)
Image: greg | Flickr

What models and methods are we clinging to that make the basic functions of the church harder than they should be?

Serving Jesus isn’t supposed to be easy. Christ told us we had to take up our cross daily. But Jesus made the gospel as accessible as possible. Too easy, according ...

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Small Church Ministry
Why Don’t Small Churches Grow? (Actually, They Do)
The presumption that small churches don’t grow is false. Some grow numerically. Most grow spiritually. Many grow in both ways.
Why Don’t Small Churches Grow? (Actually, They Do)
Image: Jean | Flickr

Why don’t small churches grow?

When you run a website, as I do with NewSmallChurch.com, you get to see the search terms people use to find it.

That question is one that pops up all the time. So today I’m going to take a stab at answering it. But before I offer my answer, ...

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Church Leadership
Overcome Ministry Burnout By Learning to Say ‘No’
Saying ‘no’ isn’t a lack of faith. Sometimes it’s a necessary first step in narrowing our focus and strengthening our faith.
Overcome Ministry Burnout By Learning to Say ‘No’
Image: caesararum | Flickr

I can’t do it all.

Neither can you.

Even though I love saying ‘yes’.

Yes to God. Yes to people. Yes to crazy ideas that might turn out to be great ideas in disguise.

But I’ve learned that saying ‘yes’ means more when it’s balanced by the ...

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Why Successful Churches Aren’t Turning the World Upside-Down – But the Outcasts Might
Where are the Christian innovators who will put a dangerous passion for Jesus ahead of personal ministry success?
Why Successful Churches Aren’t Turning the World Upside-Down – But the Outcasts Might
Image: ricardo | Flickr

Jesus was the most culture-challenging, paradigm-shifting, tradition-breaking, change agent who ever lived.

How did his followers become so boring?

Want cutting-edge, society-shifting change? Church is the last place people expect to find it.

Want dry, stuffy, moldy, old traditions ...

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Church Leadership
Epidemic: Another Pastor Burned Out and Quit Last Sunday
The pain of one pastor is intensified under the unforgiving glare of the spotlight, while the pain of another is ignored. Both hurt equally.
Epidemic: Another Pastor Burned Out and Quit Last Sunday
Image: Caden Crawford Follow | Flickr

It never gets easier. No matter how many times you hear about it.

And we're hearing about it a lot more lately. In epidemic numbers.

Another pastor announced to his stunned congregation that he couldn't do it anymore. He loved them. He was proud of the kingdom work they'd ...

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Church Leadership
Finding God's Will for Your Life Is Easier than You Think
Many Christians overplay the importance of God's specific will, while underestimating the value of God's universal will.
Finding God's Will for Your Life Is Easier than You Think
Image: Sarah | Flickr

Finding God’s will for your life is not as difficult as we make it out to be.

In fact, 90 percent of God's will for my life is the same as 90 percent of God's will for your life. (Actual results may vary.)

If it was portrayed in a Venn diagram, the two circles would ...

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Church Leadership
5 Lies Pastors are Tempted to Tell – And How to Resist Them
No one wants bad news. So we're tempted to downplay the negatives, up-sell the positives and call it faith.
5 Lies Pastors are Tempted to Tell – And How to Resist Them
Image: Julian Carvajal | Flickr

In over 35 years of pastoral ministry, I've known and worked alongside hundreds of pastors. I've met thousands.

I can count the dishonest ones – the wolves in sheep's clothing – on one hand. With fingers left over.

But there are some lies that even the ...

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Small Church Ministry
Yes, There are Conferences for Small Church Pastors!
Having a small church pastor teach at pastoral conferences is such a new idea that some people don’t know what to make of it.
Yes, There are Conferences for Small Church Pastors!
Image: Josh Janssen | Flickr

Talking and writing about healthy small churches is a revolutionary idea. It shouldn’t be, but it is. And it probably will be for a while.

But dents are being made. Let me tell you about some that are happening now.

This fall, I’ve been invited to teach about small ...

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