Helping Churches Thrive

A Ministry of Church Health Consulting

Can The Government Destroy The Church?

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“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.  Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church.  Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in […]

The Church In Motion

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The following is a sermon which I’ve preached in many churches.  I turned it into this article for the Spring, 2021 edition of Revitalizer magazine. Like most couples who’ve been married for a long time, Donna and I are very much alike in some ways and yet still very different in other ways.  On our […]

Seven Positive Things Pastors Can Do Right Now

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These are difficult days for my pastor friends!  I keep hearing about anger and division over: COVID prevention strategies, President Biden’s election, charges of voter fraud, threats to civil liberties, local church political involvement, etc.  Pastors are taking it on the chin like never before. While there’s little a pastor can do about any of […]

Surviving or Thriving: Options for the Declining Church

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Here’s the bad news…   65-90% of American Protestant churches are plateaued or declining in attendance. 1% of America’s Protestant congregations close their doors each year. The average congregation of about 75 in Sunday attendance wins less than one adult unbeliever to Christ per year. Most churches believe that they can keep doing the same […]

Sample Elder Covenant

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NOTE: I’ve been a part of writing several elder board covenants. This one is my favorite.   As elders (Acts 20:28-10; I Peter 5:1-4) we pledge ourselves to: Watch our relationships with God carefully, knowing that we are only as useful to each other and our church as we are close to God. Acts 20:28 Make […]

The Seven Steps Of The Complete Church Assessment

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  1. Prayer and informing of the congregation by the pastor and board 2. The self-study materials are prepared by the church and sent to the Church Health Consultant 3. A demographic survey (Know Your Community) is purchased by the church and a church health survey is completed by church members (I recommend the Ministry […]

Comprehensive Church Health Assessments

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  Overview The Comprehensive Church Health Assessment is an opportunity for an evangelical congregation of any size to get a fresh, outsider’s look at its ministries, for a minimal cost. All assessment results are kept strictly confidential. Assessment results will be shared with the senior pastor first and then with the church board. While the […]

Church Health Assessments

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The Value of a Fresh Perspective   We’ve all had the experience: We’ve walked into a store, a restaurant or a church and were very quickly frustrated. We couldn’t find the Hispanic foods section, or the men’s socks or the rest rooms.  Everything seemed to be designed for the people who are already there.  You weren’t […]

A Little More Detail On Brian’s Consulting Work

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Help for SOLO and SENIOR PASTORS: Monthly, leadership-oriented coaching sessions via phone or Zoom “Listening ear” coaching/counseling sessions Revitalization leadership training, by way of Becoming Effective Leaders (BEL) groups of 3-8 pastors. BEL group participants meet monthly for nine months and gain leadership and church revitalization skills in the context of personal coaching and great […]

QUICK GUIDE – Is My Church A Healthy Church?

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A Worksheet For Individual Or Group Use 1. What is a healthy church? Why do we have differing opinions on this? Because it’s a theological (ecclesiological) question.  Your theology of the church determines your definition of a healthy church. Common views from a couple of decades ago: “A healthy church is a church that’s getting […]

QUICK GUIDE – Getting To Sticky (Effective Pastor/Board Relationships)

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The term and the concept of “Sticky” pastor/board relationships has been borrowed from Pastor Larry Osborne’s iconic book, Sticky Teams. Describing Sticky – Here’s what we mean by a Sticky church leadership team: 1.The senior (or solo) pastor is a godly and loving man who truly cares about each member of the church board and […]

QUICK GUIDE – Structure For Success

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  When it comes to church structure (constitutions, by-laws, policies, flow-charts, etc.): What works? What kind of structure is conducive to disciple-making effectiveness? The following are 30 “bullet point” sized suggestions. 1. Mission and vision driven – (or purpose driven) – What is your church for? Who is it for?  What is it supposed to […]

QUICK GUIDE – Discipleship Pathways – Strategies For Discipling

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  Increasing numbers of evangelical church leaders believe in “intentional disciple-making.”  This means having a plan, a system, a process for bringing new believers to maturity in Christ.  We encourage every church to decide on a discipleship pathway for their own congregation.  It may be very imperfect, but an imperfect discipleship pathway is far better than none […]

Testimonials

Brian A. Thorstad

Call: 651-319-1953

Email: churchwhisperer@gmail.com

1931 Cook Avenue
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

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