At the Center for Church Renewal, we often say, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The general idea is this: You might have all the right strategies and plans, but if you don’t have the culture …
Positive Messaging
Would you rather hang out with a “yes” person or a “no” person? A person who is persistently positive or persistently negative? A person who is grateful or a person who complains incessantly? The answer …
Recent Trends in Church Staffing
A high-functioning church staff helps the church accomplish its mission. A key task many church renewal leaders face is hiring, training, and empowering the right people for ministry as employees. The Unstuck Group recently just published a …
Seven Communication Hacks For Church Renewal Leaders
Good communication is at the heart of our work as church renewal leaders. Why? The goal of church renewal is transformation. Transformation requires change. Change requires trust. Trust requires communication. Good communication creates the fertile …
Tim Keller’s Lessons for Church Renewal Leaders
Church planter and author Tim Keller recently passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy for those who work in church renewal. Keller planted and grew a thriving congregation in Manhattan, co-founded The Gospel Coalition, launched …
Choose To Change One Thing This Summer
The 2022/23 ministry season has ended. What was the one thing that most annoyed you during the past year? Was it misspelled worship slides, leadership meetings that majored in minors, a poorly run children’s ministry, …
Covid Lessons and New Commitments
Covid-19 has impacted and continues to impact our world in more ways than expected. Some suggest that the coronavirus didn’t create all the problems we faced, but Covid-19 exposed preexisting issues that previously managed to …
Sharing Our Faith With Skeptics, Part Two
One of the key learnings from my recent documentary, “Paul in Athens,” was the prevalence of idols both in ancient Athens and in our culture today. The Greek philosopher Petroneous wrote 2000 years ago, “It …
Growing Leaders Like the Future of the Church Depends On It
Last week, I shared that 42 percent of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry within the past year. This week, I have another sobering statistic about pastors that we must confront — 1 in 4 pastors …
Mental Health in Church Renewal
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Illness recently found that about 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, but less than half receive treatment. Pastors and …
