“Thank you so much for leading the More and Better Disciples conference! I believe I got more out of that than any other conference I’ve been to (and I’ve been to a lot). Your pastoral …

Doctors take measurements over time to gauge your health. Tracking blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels makes it easier to spot problems before they become severe. Churches can also benefit from collecting and analyzing objective data over …

Easter provides a great opportunity to help unchurched people take a first step toward Jesus and to help “stuck” Christians take a next step toward maturity. Discipleship is a pathway, but we often treat it like …

Part of any renewal movement is working to see new people come to faith. In our post-Christian context, one of the most difficult groups to reach today are educated young adults, who are often skeptical …

Great photography requires both a zoom lens and a wide-angle lens. During the winter, I love to pull out my zoom lens and focus on a single snowflake. Then, I reach for the wide-angle lens to capture …

Third rails are electrified metal rails supplying power to subway trains. If you touch the other two rails, you will live. If you touch the third rail, there are no guarantees. A “third rail” has …

Even though snow is still on the ground in many places, it is the perfect time of year to begin planning for summer ministries. Many churches that had traditionally offered Vacation Bible School are now …

The Super Bowl is an annual reminder of the power of good storytelling. Many football fans watch the ads just as closely as the big game itself because everyone loves a creative and entertaining story. …

Mission drift is a silent killer. Long before most churches close their doors, they had been subtly, slowly, and almost imperceptibly drifting away from their purpose. A key task for church renewal leaders is stopping …

Change is scary, but not changing is even scarier. Just ask Kodak or Blockbuster. Improvement requires change, so if you never change, you can never improve. This is true at camera companies, movie rental companies, …