Planting a new church is one of the most exciting ways to grow the Kingdom of God! As we said in last week’s article, church plants tend to be strategically nimble and especially effective at community …
How to Become an Outward-Focused Church
The gravitational pull of churches will always be toward the wants and needs of insiders. It takes intentional effort to keep a church focused on its mission of reaching those outside the faith. At a …
Planning a Vision Retreat
The work of church renewal hinges on ministry leaders’ clarity about the church’s mission and their role in helping to accomplish it. Summer is the perfect season to plan a retreat that allows your team …
Encouraging People: Being a “Barnabas” in a “Paul” World
Recently, I was on a call discussing the need for encouragement in this season of life and ministry. Many of our friends and colleagues are walking away from ministry and the church. It can be …
Asking Better Questions In Church Renewal
Getting the right answers is useless if you’re asking the wrong questions. Yet, how often do we pause and zoom out to make sure we’re asking the right questions in church renewal? Church renewal begins not with activity …
Just Do Something: Cultivating a Bias Toward Action
Synergy is a popular word in the business world. Companies like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble have shown how profitable collaboration can be. Who wouldn’t want to sip coffee while flipping through a good book? …
The Anatomy of Church Renewal: A Helpful Metaphor For Navigating Change
Church renewal requires us to enlist every single member of the congregation in the effort. But each person has a different role to play, and we have to make sure people end up in the …
The 2030 Problem: Church Renewal Steps For Graying Congregations
By the year 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older, and for the first time in U.S. history, older adults will outnumber children. This profound demographic shift is known as the “2030 Problem,” …
Four Essential Traits of a Leader
What do followers need from leaders to thrive? Those who lead congregations through seasons of renewal must ask this question. The outcome often hinges on how well leaders can engage council members, staff members, and the …
More Trends In Church Renewal
Last week, I began summarizing an important new report that highlights 10 dynamics I think are relevant to our work in church renewal. This week I have the final five insights from Vanderbloemen Group’s State of …