In an ideal world, when we graph attendance, giving, and engagement, it would create a straight line that goes up and to the right. However, we rarely see results like that in the real world. More …

I am in the routine of doing some “core” exercises each morning before my devotional time. I begin with planking for 2 minutes (I watch the YouVersion devotional video as I plank to occupy my …

Lifeway Research published a post-pandemic church growth article entitled “4 Factors That Predict Church Growth”. The author notes that the average Protestant church has 85% of their pre-pandemic attendance.  Still, surprisingly, several churches grew.  What …

This Thursday is called “Maundy Thursday” on the church calendar. It commemorates the day when Jesus gave his new command (mandatum nova) to love others as he loved us. He said this love should characterize our lives …

“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 …