Brian Thorstad, Author at Helping Churches Thrive

The Ill-Fitting Staff Member: Four Possible Solutions

“It was he [the risen Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers…” Ephesians 4:11 “…speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” …

The Ill-Fitting Staff Member: How Does This Happen?

Like an ill-fitting pair of shoes, ill-fitting staff members make for painful experiences for both the staff members themselves as well as the churches they serve. It’s not easy to address these situations, but it’s important that we face the facts and get these individuals re-trained or re-deployed. Today’s post will be the first of…

Full Disclosure Vs. No Disclosure: Part Two

Last week I wrote about the conundrum of what to tell a congregation when a staff member has resigned or been dismissed under less-than-ideal conditions. We explored the options of: Full disclosure – Telling a congregation the gory details of the departed staff member’s failures, or No disclosure – Saying nothing publicly about the departure,…

Full Disclosure Vs. No Disclosure: How Much Should We Tell?

Here’s the scenario: Your church’s youth director has just resigned. He was well-liked and seemed to be effective. Most of the church has no idea what went on behind the scenes. Only a few leaders know that there were character issues, accountability issues, communication issues, philosophy-of-ministry issues and eventually, personal issues between the senior pastor…

The Myth Of The Young Pastor

I’m not picking on young pastors. Not by any means. Young pastors (and their families) are wonderful. Nor am I picking on churches which like young pastors. Good for them. In fact, I want to commend every church on the planet which is aging but interested in younger pastors because they’re concerned about reaching the…

What We Can Learn From “New Pastor Revivals,” Conclusion

Last week I wrote about “new pastor revivals,” those wonderful seasons of new enthusiasm and excitement that follow the installation of a new parson in an old parsonage. I mentioned that while it’s not usually a “revival” in the historic sense of a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit among a group of Christians, it’s…

What We Can Learn From “New Pastor Revivals”

Many years ago, my wife and I observed that churches with new pastors frequently experience new excitement, new enthusiasm and new growth. At some point we coined the term, “new pastor revival.” Of course, it’s not usually “revival” in the historic sense of a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit among a group of Christians…

Four Ways To Reform Your Killer Committees

Criminal justice experts debate whether those guilty of homicide can be reformed. Conservatives tend to say “no,” liberals tend to say “yes,” and Christians often say that since regeneration transforms the worst of us into new individuals, that fact should at least be taken into consideration by parole boards. But that’s not my area of…

Your Kommittees Could Be Killing Your Church

I’m not an anti-committee iconoclast. I only know one committee joke: Q – “What’s a camel?” A – “A horse put together by a committee.” That’s it, and now I have that out of my system. Committees can actually be wonderful: I’ve seen pastoral search committees that served God well by helping their congregations locate…

Brian’s “Peace Verses”

Psalm 3:5,6 “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” (NIV) Psalm 4:7,8 “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep…

Surviving Those No-Win Pastoral Situations, Part Two

“I am greatly encouraged. In all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds.” …

Surviving Those “No-Win” Pastoral Situations

I imagine that people in other professions also experience “no-win” situations. It just so happens that, having been a pastor for many years, and working with many of them now in coaching and consulting relationships, I’m tuned in to the dilemmas in which the leaders of churches sometimes find themselves. Such as: A beloved staff…

Why Pastors Go Away Mad

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest – I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:7,8 Last week I wrote about the sad phenomenon of…

“Our Pastor Just Went Away Mad”

I’m sorry to say that I have heard these very words from the leaders of more than one congregation, sometimes followed by the question: “Now what?” This should almost never happen of course. Pastors, of all people, should know how to – as the old saying has it – “just go away,” instead of going…

Seven Ways Board Members Can Make A Big Difference

Board members get picked on a lot: Q – “What’s the definition of a board? A – “Dead wood.” “A camel is a horse put together by a board (or a committee).” “A board is a group of highly competent people who get together once a month and act like complete idiots.” But in truth,…

Five Things Every Christian Should Know About Karma

It seems like everybody’s talking about Karma these days. When it comes to ourselves, every good thing we do is seen as contributing to our reservoir of “good karma.” When it comes to others, every bad deed is seen as contributing to a growing cesspool of “bad karma.” Hmmm. Our words matter. Our beliefs matter. …

How Fast Can My Church Change? Three More Factors

Last week I wrote about a happy question put to me by the pastor of a growing church: “How fast can my church change?” I noted that there’s probably no simple answer available, but I noted several factors, which, considered together, should help a leadership team determine how fast their church can change. BTW: The…

How Fast Can My Church Change?

A pastor whose church is experiencing vibrant health and growth recently asked me this great question. Would that more church leaders – the world over – had cause to be asking this! As I write these words, his congregation is growing and significant changes are being made to accommodate and catalyze that growth, and it’s…

The Pastor’s Salary: An Alternative View

Note: My thoughts below relate to Senior or “solo” (the only one the church has) pastors. Another note: This is a hard subject for pastors to talk about. Now that I’m no longer a pastor of a congregation, I can share my thoughts on the subject freely. My viewpoint is quite different from that of…

Ten Questions To Identify Your Church’s Actual Mission

Does your church have a mission statement? If it’s an evangelical church, it probably does. What does it say? More than likely, it says something to the effect of: “We exist to make disciples” – defined as growing, devoted followers of Jesus. Writing a mission statement is a “slam dunk” because this imperative is so…

Seven Marks Of The Closed-System Church

Let’s get right to it. In the business world, a closed-system at the leadership level means that the senior leaders are listening to themselves and each other, but to no one else. Those in production are shut out of the decision-making process, as are the front-line workers, as are the customers. These companies go from…