How Saddleback Online Has Started 1700 Small Groups in 4 Years
Online. Many churches are currently making worship services (or at least the sermons) available for viewing online. Some are streaming their services. Others are simply making them available for viewing on-demand. A few churches are creating a true online campus. Do you know the difference? If your church has an online presence (whatever the type),…
Read MoreWhat Do Your Goals Say about Your Ministry?
You can learn a lot about ministries and organizations by analyzing their goals. Some churches have attendance goals. Some churches have baptism goals. Some multi-site church have goals for the number of sites. Some churches have church planting goals. Your church’s goals are an indication of priorities (of your true priorities). Goals can be something…
Read MoreDo You Have Your Ducks in a Row for a Powerful Fall Ministry Season?
Do You Have Your Ducks in a Row for a Powerful Fall Ministry Season? Well do you? Have your ducks in a row? It’s not too late to do the planning that will prepare your church for a powerful fall ministry season…but now is the time. You might be thinking church-wide campaign, but you certainly…
Read MoreThe Number One Reason Leaders Don’t Want a Coach
I’m often told by small group pastors and directors that the main reason they don’t have a coaching structure is that their leaders do not want a coach. Ever thought that? Ever said that? Here’s what I’ve found. Most of the time, if not 100% of the time, the small group leaders who say they don’t…
Read MoreDon’t Miss Happy Hour – Hugh Halter’s Newest Book
The newest book from Hugh Halter arrived this week. I’ve loved every one of his previous books (especially Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth) and couldn’t wait to see this one. Happy Hour: Etiquette and Advice on Holy Merriment is a simple book–just 58 pages–“that will give you a little theology, a little missiology, a…
Read MoreQuotebook: John Ortberg on Finding a True “Just As I Am” Church
“If ever there were a true ‘just as I am’ church, if ever there were a community where everybody could bring all their baggage and brokenness with them without neat and tidy happy endings quite yet, if ever there was a group where everyone was loved and no one pretended — we could not make…
Read MoreThe Best Training for Small Group Leaders
In yesterday’s post I updated an older article about how we’re training new small group leaders these days. The article generated several good comments and questions. Here’s a little more thinking on how to provide the best training for small group leaders. First, I want to make it as easy as possible for people to…
Read MoreFAQ: How Are You Training New Leaders These Days?
I get questions. A lot of questions. Some come in a comment right here on the blog. Others come in an email. And some come when I’m speaking at a conference or workshop. Here’s a very frequent question: “How are you training new leaders these days?” Great question! I love it because in the question…
Read MoreA Values-Driven Culture Is Essential
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Often attributed to Peter Drucker, this is a line right at the heart of an important challenge for all of us. We work hard on choosing our small group model, system or strategy and that is a very good thing. Strategy is important. But at the end of the day,…
Read MoreA Beautiful Design: God’s Unchanging Plan for Manhood and Womanhood
Spent some time this week with a new DVD-driven study from Matt Chandler. A Beautiful Design: God’s Unchanging Plan for Manhood and Womanhood is classic Chandler. Straight from the Bible, the lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex tackles one of the most important issues of our time. “What does it…
Read More