“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…
Keeping The Band Together: Maintaining Unity As Your Church Grows, Part Three
A wise, young pastor whose congregation is experiencing healthy growth put this question to me: “I love the unity we have in our church right now. How can we maintain it as we continue to grow?” Here are the answers I’ve shared so far: (Read the first full post here and the second post here.)…
Keeping The Band Together: Maintaining Unity As Your Church Grows, Part Two
Sometimes our success can be our own undoing. Oh-so-happy is the experience of the small, united church! Such congregations tend to grow spontaneously: “Come and check out our wonderful little church! I think you’ll love it.” And they do come, and they do love it, because we’re all looking for love, and this kind of…
Keeping The Band Together: Maintaining Unity As Your Church Grows
Would that every church leadership team would be faced with the challenges of significant church growth! A pastor who is dealing with that happy situation put this question to me: “I love the unity we have in our church right now. How can we maintain it as we continue to grow?” Again: wouldn’t it be…
This Old Church: Begin Your Revitalization With An Assessment
I heard it again on Sunday, described a little more eloquently this time than in the past. The homeowner and contractor told me how he had remodeled several homes, each time living in them during the process. He was grateful to have had the same wife with him throughout the whole adventure. As I had…
Pastors Turning Inward: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
“Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall.” Secretary of Defense Joab, to King David, in II Samuel 19:7 “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at…
Don’t Be Bashful: Most People Are Still “Lost In America”
“I am not ashamed of the gospel…” Romans 1:16 Back in 2001, Tom Clegg and Warren Bird gave us great encouragement with their book, Lost In America. The subtitle was “How You And Your Church Can Impact The World Next Door.” Before you change channels because I’m reviewing an “old book,” give this post a…
Jesus’ Bride Is Not A Building
It’s time to just stop it. It’s time to stop referring to buildings as churches. As evangelicals, we know that they’re not, of course. Every pastor explains this once in a while in a sermon: “We talk about our church building, but of course we all know that in the Bible, churches aren’t buildings, they’re…
To Get The Best Pastor Possible, Part Two
Periods of transition between senior or solo pastors are crucial for churches. This seems to be the case in all sizes of churches and in almost all denominational “tribes.” We wish it wasn’t so, but most of us know that the calling/accepting of a new pastor can make or break a congregation. This being the…
To Get The Best Pastor Possible
Looking for a new solo or senior pastor for your church can be a stressful, fearful, experience. We know that we should just “trust God” of course, but we also know, all-too-well, how important this process can be. The right pastor can greatly bless your church. The wrong pastor can all but destroy your church….
Eight More Helpful Hacks For Beleaguered Pastors
The Super Bowl is history. As usual, the team that won the “time of possession” battle won the game – not by much, but they did win it. The Bible gives us plenty of excuses for using the language of military conquest and athletic competition. We are to endure hardship, to storm the gates of…
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