Many churches know something needs to change. They can feel it. Attendance patterns have shifted. Volunteers are harder to find. Outreach feels more difficult. Younger generations seem less connected. The surrounding culture has changed. The …
Programs Are Not The Same As Discipleship
As church leaders, we long for people to grow in Christ. We want children to know Jesus. We want adults to mature in faith. We want leaders to lead like Jesus. We want worship, small groups, …
Is Your Church Strong Inside but Stuck Outside?
“What’s happening in churches?” That is a question I often hear from pastors, elders, and renewal leaders. Over the past few years, I have had the gift of surveying and talking with church leaders about …
IS YOUR MINISTRY TOO COMPLICATED?
One of the most important questions church renewal leaders can ask is this: Are people truly being transformed? Or are we simply keeping them busy with a calendar full of the usual church programs? Churches tend …
When Politics Pulls Renewal Into The Rapids
Renewal is never a calm float down a lazy river. Sooner or later, every church that wants to follow Jesus into deeper health and mission hits rough water. One of the roughest places right now …
A World of Campfire Stories
Imagine sitting on chairs in the church’s parking lot; multiple “campfires” are burning safely in their containers, and people are roasting marshmallows and telling stories. They smile as they tell small “c” campfire stories about …
The Importance of Campfire Stories
When I served as a counselor at Camp Roger, a camp in Rockford, Mich., we would head out each week for a night in tents. After dark we gathered around the fire and told stories. …
Is Your Church Healthy?
To pursue your congregation’s vision and calling well, it is essential to have a healthy congregation. In our Renewal Lab, we teach that at least two things are critical to church health: Grace – In …
Facing Reality: Stalled Outreach
In this series of newsletters, we have been naming six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed aging congregations, leadership pipelines running dry, and the decline of volunteerism. Today, we’ll turn to the fourth challenge, stalled …
Facing Reality: Volunteer Decline
In this series of newsletters, we have named six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed the first two challenges, aging congregations and leadership pipelines running dry. Today, we’ll turn to this third challenge, the …