Church Leadership

Church Leadership
Are We More Invested In Bringing People to Church? Or to Jesus?
Church attendance should be a tool to help people draw closer to Jesus. Not the other way around.
Are We More Invested In Bringing People to Church? Or to Jesus?
Image: R/DV/RS | Flickr

I have a confession to make.

As a pastor, I have too much invested in getting people to attend church.

My salary depends on it.

My reputation depends on it.

My sense of self-worth depends on it.

All to a much larger degree than I'm comfortable with.

And I'm not alone.

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Church Leadership
The 3-2-1 System for Better Annual Small Church Planning
Annual planning is harder in a small church, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. Or important.
The 3-2-1 System for Better Annual Small Church Planning
Image: Dafne Cholet| Flickr

Lack of planning is a big reason so many small church pastors feel worn out. And why so many healthy small churches feel stuck.

Some of the advantages of annual church planning include:

  • Better preparation for events
  • More time to think and pray about Sunday sermons
  • Better use of volunteer time
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Church Leadership
I Ran a Successful Business, Why Can't I Run a Successful Church? (6 Reasons)
Successful businesses and successful churches have some similarities. But they have far more differences.
I Ran a Successful Business, Why Can't I Run a Successful Church? (6 Reasons)
Image: Anka Albrecht | Flickr

Much of today's ministry training takes its lead from businesses.

Maybe businesses should be taking their lead from pastors.

Many successful businesspeople have flamed out trying to plant or pastor a church. Some left a successful business for full-time ministry, only to burn ...

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Church Leadership
5 Steps to a Great Last-Minute Christmas Sermon Idea
If you're scrambling to find a fresh idea from the Christmas story for Sunday and Christmas Eve, these steps might help.
5 Steps to a Great Last-Minute Christmas Sermon Idea
Image: Judit Klein | Flickr

39 verses. Less than 900 words.

That’s everything Matthew and Luke wrote about the birth of Jesus.

If you add Jesus’ genealogies and the birth of John the Baptist, you can more than triple its length. But if you go the other direction and remove the Magi who, as we ...

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Church Leadership
10 Ways to Deal with Chronic Complainers In the Church
Small churches can be a magnet for chronic complainers. Here's how to reduce their negative impact - and increase the positive.
10 Ways to Deal with Chronic Complainers In the Church
Image: Phil Whitehouse | Flickr

Some people love to complain. Many of them find their way into our churches. They especially like small churches.

In a big church, chronic complainers get lost in the crowd. The pastor may only be aware of them by email (but so many emails!).

In a small church their voice ...

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Church Leadership
Pray for Paris: What I Will and Will Not Say this Sunday
As the world mourns for Paris this weekend, church-goers will look to their pastors to set a tone. This is what I plan to do in church tomorrow.
Pray for Paris: What I Will and Will Not Say this Sunday
Image: Terrazzo | Flickr

My heart hurts for Paris and the nation of France.

When I stand in the pulpit on Sunday, the images of horror will be fresh in all of our hearts.

As pastors, many will look to us to set a tone for how to react to such evil acts.

In situations like this, the title of ...

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Church Leadership , Read These First – The Essentials
Four Steps to Becoming a Great Church – Of Any Size
Becoming a big church is hard. Becoming a great church is simple. Not easy, but simple.
Four Steps to Becoming a Great Church – Of Any Size
Image: Hernán Piñera | Flickr

We make church harder than it needs to be.

Why? I think a lot of it has to do with our size obsession.

We’ve convinced ourselves that it’s not possible to become a great church without becoming a big church. But the truth is, any church can become great. No ...

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Church Leadership
The Main Reason Pastors Count People Is Not as Noble (or Sinister) as You Think
Pastoral ministry has plenty of challenges with very few immediate rewards. But seeking affirmation through numbers is a dangerous game.
The Main Reason Pastors Count People Is Not as Noble (or Sinister) as You Think

It’s one of the mantras of the church growth movement. "We count people because people count."

It also happens to be true. Most of the time.

But that that’s not the only reason pastors count people.

As I wrote in The Grasshopper Myth, some pastors ...

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Church Leadership
So Many Wrong Reasons to Become a Pastor
Do you want to be a pastor? Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Because the bad reasons outweigh the good ones. By a lot.
So Many Wrong Reasons to Become a Pastor
Image: Bilal Kamoon | Flickr

People become pastors for so many wrong reasons.

They like the status. They like speaking in public. They like arguing theology. They come from a long line of ministers. The list goes on.

If you’re debating becoming a pastor, here's a list of wrong reasons to ...

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Church Leadership
Pastor, What Do You Do for Fun?
If you put so much time into ministry that you don't have time for fun, here's why you need to make time.
Pastor, What Do You Do for Fun?
Image: HISHAM BINSUWAIF | Flickr

"So, what do you do for fun outside of pastoring?"

Someone asked me that question many years ago and it stumped me.

I didn't know what to say, because the truth was, I didn't do anything for fun.

What I wanted to tell them was "what do you mean, ...

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