“Revitalizing your church is like remodeling your house: It will take more time, cost more money and create a bigger mess than you ever could have imagined. But in the end, it’s worth it.” Anonymous I have loved that observation for a long time now, and…
Eight More Reasons To Expect Persecution
An old friend who is a keen student of Church history has been telling me for thirty years that “The only hope for the American Church is persecution.” I fear that he’s right, and as much as I’d love to see a vibrant Church in my country, I can’t say that I’m embracing persecution. But…
What In The World Did We Expect?
Having the right expectations really matters. Just think about the expectations with which you entered into: High School College Marriage Your spouse’s extended family Your first full-time job Many American Christians are reeling right now because of their expectations. They thought that the unusual (from a historical perspective) conditions which we had in America for…
Fresh Starts Needed; How Nostalgia Holds Us Back
Many church leaders are telling us that there isn’t going to be a return to “normal” any time soon, or ever. Even if your “good old days” were in 2019 (instead of 1955), the 2019 version of “church as usual” isn’t coming back. Even churches which weren’t even slightly interested in experiencing revitalization are facing…
Can The Government Destroy The Church?
“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…
Four Opportunities For The New Year
“The secret of the Christian life is a series of new beginnings” George Sweeting In my home area of northwestern Wisconsin there is a village which is prospering and attractive. It’s not my home-town, I’m sorry to say, it’s ten miles up the road. Back during my adolescent years, my village was prospering and the…
Senior-itis And Senior Pastor-itis
I think we all know what senior-itis is: the arrogance/impatience/excitement of the high school senior who feels like she’s: (a) an adult, trapped in a child’s existence (b) so much smarter than her parents (c) a college student on the inside who is suffering terribly by having to attend high school and live with her…
Ten Questions For The Post-Covid Church
I’m seeing a lot of internet traffic these days on the subject of the Post-COVID Church: the way evangelical Christianity is going to look, in America, after the pandemic is over. I appreciate every attempt I’ve seen and heard to make sense of this crazy year and to predict the future. I don’t have a…
Is There Hope For The Small Town Church?
God brought me on a journey so I could meet Joe Humrichous (pronounced: HUM rick house). The physical journey was an uneventful trip to northeast Indiana. The spiritual journey was more exciting. I had just finished writing, A Really Great Church! in which I sought to point my readers to the sufficiency of Christ for…
The Church In Motion
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
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
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…
Worn-Out Shoes And Fair-Haired Boys
“Why don’t you love me like you used to do? How come you treat me like a worn-out shoe?” Hank Williams Here’s a phenomenon I’ve seen a number of times. If you’re an experienced leader, I’m sure that you’ve seen it too. An older, generally respected, long-time leader of an organization recruits or hires a…
Sample Elder Covenant
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
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 (Percept) is purchased by the church and a church health survey is completed by church members (I recommend the Lawless Group’s survey)….
Comprehensive Church Health Assessments
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. With the church’s permission, Church Health Consultant Brian Thorstad may be assisted by one or more assessors-in-training, the…
Church Health Assessments
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…
Becoming Effective Leaders (BEL) Groups For Pastors
Those of us who serve Jesus as pastors deeply long to lead churches which are powerfully used by God to make real disciples – devoted followers – of our Savior. We want to lead disciple-making, transformational churches and we don’t want to just “spin our wheels” until it’s time to retire. But how do we…
Twenty Observations About Troubled Congregations
By Peter Steinke I have worked with troubled churches for 20 years. I never cease to learn from these experiences. The list below includes some of what I have learned about congregations in times of conflict: 1. Most people are interested in relieving their own anxiety rather than managing the crisis or planning for a…
A Little More Detail On Brian’s Consulting Work
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 – Pastoral Resignations (13 Ways To Leave With Grace)
Don’t go away mad. Seek a trusted advisor and work through your anger issues. Resign because God is leading you to resign, not because your emotions are leading you to resign (Ephesians 4:25-31). If God is leading you to resign, don’t equivocate or expect to be talked into staying. Make it clear and firm…
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