Church Health
What Does a Financially Healthy Church Look Like?
When you think about a financially healthy church, what comes to mind? Is it the church with a large budget? Is it the church that can put on a full production each week for worship services? Or maybe you think about the church that just reached their goal for a large building campaign? Regardless of…
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When There’s an Elephant in the Room: Ministry & Criticism
Pastors, you have faced criticism in your career. Maybe the ministry criticism comes from members of your congregation. Maybe it’s from church community members. Maybe it’s even coming from staff members. Regardless of the source, when the criticism flies, it stings. We’ve found that recognizing your criticizers and knowing how to navigate them is the foundation…
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When Worlds Collide: Balancing Family & the Ministry
99.9% of the time, your family is part of your church body. That can lead to some sticky situations for a pastor’s family: from church bleeding over into family life, to the big stuff (a rebellious child, a medical crisis that becomes very public). Being a pastor is your job, yes, but it’s a little…
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8 Excuses That Keep Churches Broke
The other day I sat down with a pastor who had an incredible dream for his church. He’s an awesome dude. Talented. Smart. Successful. He had some great ideas. And he was passionate about them. But over tomato soup and blackened fish (which was delicious, by the way), he told me all the reasons why…
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Pastor’s Kids Stories
Pastor’s kids know: Always keep the house clean, in case a parishioner drops by the parsonage! Don’t get caught misbehaving, expectations are twice as high for you! Participate in everything, without volunteering for anything…somehow…and through it all, smile! There’s a special kind of camaraderie amongst PKs (pastor’s kids). And while the above might be a…
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After Easter (Part 2): Avoiding Burnout
Are you coming off the Easter glow? The Sunday was a success: people came, heard the Gospel and now you have a lot of momentum going at your church. People are EXCITED to be there. Now the onus is on you to take that momentum and do something. With the excitement of growth comes the…
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After Easter (Part 1): Maintaining Momentum
The big Sunday is almost here. And when it’s done, you’ll probably breathe a sigh of relief; but you have to do it all over again the following Sunday. And the Sunday after that. And the one after that…(you get it). You probably have two big questions on your mind: How do I keep the…
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How To Leverage Financial Cycles To Boost Online Tithing
Here’s what I know, because I interact with church leaders like you on a daily basis… You believe in your vision and mission as a church. Here are some other things I know… You want to see people give at a higher level for their sake and yours. You really do care about the people…
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Staff Meeting: 8 Topics For Your Next 8 Meetings
We often don’t think about staff meetings until we’re about to lead them. In the midst of our busy schedules, we need something to jump-start our preparation. Set aside time before each meeting to remind yourself of what you need to cover and who you’re going to celebrate. Even better, create a weekly checklist. Use…
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Influencing the Next Generation
As part of our #ShareTheLove effort, we want to talk about sharing the love with the next generations, both within and beyond our churches. We want to influence these generations, and to do that we need to make the most of their worldviews, their creativity, and their knowledge of current affairs and technology to increase…
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