6 ways pastors can find work balance
Pastors are a notorious bunch when it comes to work. Here are 6 tips for helping these workaholics find a better work balance.
Read More >BLOGS Archives - Page 17 of 46 - Church Executive
3 things “churches in the shadows” can learn from megachurches
Not every small church in the country is destined to become a megachurch, nor should it be. Nearly 90% of all churchgoers attend much smaller churches and obviously enjoy the size, fellowship and ministry they find there. Even so, here are some things we can learn from the megachurches, and which are likely to contribute to continued health and vitality, if not attendance growth.
Read More >Familiarity breeds awesome: a leadership lesson from the USAF Thunderbirds
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.
Read More >Why local influence is more essential than a national platform
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.
Read More >Get to the ‘why’ in ministry
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 big Baby Boomer opportunity
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?
Read More >Are you winning the wrong race?
There are many good races, but only one matters most.
It doesn’t matter if you win a race if it’s the wrong race. We can’t declare ourselves winners of a marathon for winning a boat race.
It’s winning. It’s just winning at the wrong thing.
Which is a form of losing.
Read More >New Year’s resolution — plant a church!
Perhaps you’ve heard the often-told adage that 80 percent of all new church plants fail. Not true. While there’s no comprehensive research on the total number of new churches started annually, the most recent research on literally thousands of new church starts show that 99 percent of all new churches survive the first year, and 68 percent survive to year four. Moreover, of the churches that survive, more than 70 percent are self-sufficient financially by the fifth year.
Read More >The #1 key to a great church hire
There are many very important aspects to making a good hire. They include a good job posting, posting to the right places, reference calls, résumé review, the interview process, crafting the right job description, prayer, more prayer, and many more. However, one key stands out above the others. What is it? It’s your gut.
Read More >5 essentials for church leadership
In my ministry in visiting, encouraging and partnering with literally hundreds of churches, there are five essential aspects of church leadership that I am committed to never forget. Here they are in a condensed form. To make it interesting, the most important is actually the last one on the list.
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