Over the past five years of working on church renewal projects, I’ve discerned that most congregations face the “Big Three” and the “Hidden One.” Some of us who are older may remember when GM, Ford, …
How To Find Fresh Ideas
Have you ever made a copy of a copy? How about a copy of a copy of a copy? Over time, the copies begin looking blurrier and blurrier until you can barely tell what is written on …
Five Renewal Resolutions For the New Year
An important reality for pastors and churches to embrace is that we are perfectly structured to get the results we’re already getting. If we’re not completely happy with our present revitalization outcomes, something has to …
New Data About Clergy Health
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and one of the best ways to show appreciation to your pastor is through empathy and understanding. How are ministers doing today? How is your minister doing today? In today’s …
How to Reverse a Decline While There Is Still Time
My wife and I are fans of the British Television show “Silent Witness.” The show focuses on the way a person who died under unknown circumstances can tell a story through an autopsy. As we …
Just Ask: The Power of an Invitation
Despite tectonic shifts over the centuries, one of the best ways to grow a church remains the same — the simple act of extending an invitation. According to Thom Rainer’s book, The Unchurched Next Door, 82 …
Biblical Prayers for Renewal
Often, our prayer lives can grow stale. We are wise to return to the scriptures, because they give us words we didn’t know we needed. God’s people have always prayed for and sought God for …
Renewal and Kingdom Thinking
Renewal leaders spend a lot of time thinking about church. In his book Kingdom Come, Reggie McNeal suggests we should spend a little less time thinking about church and a lot more time thinking about …
Fresh Ideas From The 1860’s
Those who know U.S. history know that the 1860s was a time of great turmoil, not only in the United States’ politics, but also in its churches. These years provide useful lessons for our churches today. …
Five Election Day Prayers
If you live in the United States, today is election day. Today’s election is, perhaps, the most fraught of any election in a half century or more. No matter where a person stands on the …
