Ask most people, and they’ll say the appeal of MOSAIC — a world-regarded Millennial-revered church in the heart of Hollywood — is, in some ways, intangible. Executive Pastor Lawrence Fudge would agree … to a point.
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There’s an old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” I don’t know who coined the phrase or what the circumstances were, but they were wrong for the most part — at least with regards to leadership.
From nearly entry vantage point of church leadership, I’ve found familiarity to be an asset.
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Pastor A has a top-ranked podcast, a book deal from a well-known publisher, and 150,000 Twitter followers.
Pastor B is the secretary at the local Rotary Club, is the assistant football coach at the middle school, and recently joined a bowling league.
Both pastors have influence. Both are doing God’s will. Both enjoy their callings.
I will make a bold statement: Pastor B’s local influence is ultimately more vital to church health than Pastor A’s national platform.
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The landscape for churches and ministries is filled with pitfalls.
Over the last 20 years, Congress and the IRS have become very interested in the activities of churches, ministries and nonprofits, which has led to the enactment of section 4958 and the creation of the Exempt Organizations Executive Compensation Compliance Project, resulting in increased enforcement presence and millions of dollars in fines.
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MERCER ISLAND, WA. — Healthy, flourishing workplace culture makes for increasingly effective organizations.
That’s the upside for 62 faith-based organizations across the U.S., Canada and Australia, which have just been honored as Certified Best Christian Workplaces by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI).
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Over the years, I’ve attended many training sessions. I’ve taught more than my share of them and have found that often, it is the simple ideas that can be the most profound.
In my ministry of equipping pastors and churches and sharing our vision of the Church, one of the lessons I’ve learned and teach often is the What, How and Why. All are important, but it’s the Why that matters.
Read More >The Boomers are now 30 again. They doubled-up on years and are entering their 60s. From this point until 2030, about 10,000 Boomers will retire every day. The leadership baton is passing to Millennials. A new people are beginning to lead churches. As one among the oldest of my generation (I was born in 1980), I have been the first Millennial pastor of a few churches, following Boomer pastors in leadership. Like a lot of new, younger pastors, I inherited a large population of Boomers in my congregation. We are left with a key question: What should we do with all these Baby Boomers?
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Since 1954, churches — and other nonprofits in America — have been prohibited from engaging in certain kinds of political activity. While these limitations might be an affront to the moral conscience of many pastors across America, it has become a way of life for 501(c)(3) organizations.
Read More >Like a beautiful painting or a touching melody, the spoken word has the power to move us in profound ways. It can give comfort in times of need or spark the imagination with new ideas. But, for too many — due to hearing loss — the spoken word is often beyond reach.
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Ministries need to be aware that even the best applicant on paper might not seem so squeaky clean after a background check. It’s important that church leaders have a standardized policy when it comes to identifying “red flags” that will disqualify someone from employment or volunteer positions. Even red flags such as behavior or character traits need to be thoughtfully weighed as they could expose the church to increased risk.
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