Top 10 Reasons Leprechauns Rarely Join a Small Group
Today bein’ St. Patrick’s Day ‘n all, I thought it might be somthin’ fine to talk about some of the reasons Leprechauns rarely join a small group. Who really wants to share the pot of gold? Very few leprechauns are others-centered. Much too busy. Most leprechauns spend all of their time making shoes. What leprechaun…
Read MoreDilbert on Hiring the Right People
Sometimes you just have to laugh. Or you need to laugh. Either way…this is a funny one.
Read MoreWould You Rather: Connect More People or Eliminate Risk?
If you had to choose, would you rather connect more people or eliminate risk? Don’t you hate a proposition like that? But if you think about it, it’s really the premise behind the childhood game. Two choices. Choose which of the choices you’d rather make. See also, Would You Rather: Connect More People or Make…
Read MoreAmazed and Confused: A Great New Book (and Study) by Heather Zempel
I might as well get this out of the way. You are going to want your own copy of Amazed and Confused. In my experience, it really doesn’t matter what Heather Zempel is writing about or talking about…I want to read it again or hear it again. That’s just always been my experience. And this time…
Read MoreA Smörgåsbord of Destinations vs Sequential and Tailored Next Steps
How would you describe your church? How would you describe the collection of ministries of your church? Particularly your ministries and programs designed to meet the needs of adults? I’m always looking for ways to better describe a phenomenon that occurs naturally in churches everywhere. I sometimes refer to this phenomenon as the Smörgåsbord of…
Read More5 Strategic Flaws that Cripple Ministry Impact
There are recognizable strategic flaws in the culture of churches that are stuck. Fresh eyes can almost always reveal strategic flaws in an honest conversation, a website review, or an onsite visit. Sometimes it can be just one strategic flaw. Other times it is the whole set. Does your church struggle with any of these?…
Read MoreDon’t Miss Church Leadership Essentials: What Every Pastor Needs to Know
Downloaded a great new book this week: Church Leadership Essentials: What Every Pastor Needs to Know by Greg Atkinson. More than a great read, this book is packed with ideas you are going to want to have in your toolbox. I have to say, I love the way this book is put together! 34 short, extremely…
Read MoreLaunch New Small Groups on Easter with This Simple Strategy
Need to connect people and launch new small groups? The short season following Easter is one of the three best times every year to launch new small groups and connect a certain kind of person. When can you launch? This year (2014), Easter is on April 20th, which means that you can launch some new…
Read MoreDo You Have Eyes to See and Ears to Hear?
Jesus had some one-liners that he used over and over again. I think one of his favorites might have been the “eyes to see and ears to hear” reference. Favorites might not be the right word. There definitely seem to have been times when it was actually a little exasperating that his disciples could be…
Read MoreDo You Struggle with this Leading Cause of Ministry Misfire?
I’ve written many times about the dangers of what I call the pursuit of problem-free. I’m pretty sure that the dogged search for problem-free solutions delays more ministry than anything else. Ready to pull the trigger on a new strategy to connect people? Can’t do it. First, we need to look for a strategy that…
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