As about half of the typical American church service involves music, I have a few modest wishes. But first, a couple of caveats. I’m not a professional musician. But neither is the majority of pew sitters. I’m in good company. And, I propose that worship music has a primary purpose: to collectively communicate with God [...]
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That Will Never Work
November 23, 2011
4 Comments
Something is stifling the church. It’s keeping the church from fulfilling its full potential. It is characterized by these nasty words: “That will never work.” Those who utter these words have unknowingly been crippling the church—and many other endeavors. A few examples: “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, 1895. [...]
Read more A Pew Sitter’s Thankful List
November 16, 2011
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The woman began to weep after we inducted her into Group’s Sunday School Hall of Fame. “I’ve taught for 50 years. This is the first time anyone stopped to thank me.” Then I began to weep. Too often, paid and unpaid ministry leaders and workers serve faithfully with little affirmation or thanks. Well, this is [...]
Read more Got Vision? Or Just Visions of Grandeur?
November 9, 2011
8 Comments
Last week a friend stopped by and mentioned he left his church. I learned he wasn’t alone. It seems a large chunk of the congregation has fled, along with half the staff. I asked my friend for his take on what’s happening. His story resembles many others I’ve heard over the years. “The pastor is [...]
Read more Coping with Complainers
September 28, 2011
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Ministry tends to be hard, messy and thankless. At the end of a long week, the last thing you want to hear is another complaint from a whining member, volunteer or staff person. But there are those in leadership who actually seek out negative feedback. Why? Receiving full and wide feedback (positive and negative) helps [...]
Read more Why They Resist Volunteering
September 21, 2011
23 Comments
The vast majority of today’s pew sitters resist volunteering at their churches. If your church resembles most, less than 20 percent of your congregation engages in any meaningful or regular volunteer service with the church. This drives church leaders nuts. “What’s wrong with our people?” they ask. “What a bunch of lazy slackers! If only [...]
Read more You Know Your Ego Is Out of Control if . . .
September 7, 2011
7 Comments
Unhealthy egos have a way of choking a ministry. They inevitably turn attention toward the minister–and away from the message, away from the Body, and away from God. But unhealthy egos don’t always recognize they’re unhealthy. So, here’s a handy pocket guide to detect a toxic ego. You know your ego is out of control [...]
Read more How to Kill a Ministry–All by Yourself
August 31, 2011
11 Comments
Larry loved teenagers. Everyone thought he was the perfect pick as the church’s youth minister. But he bombed. What happened? I remember when he came to town. He soon gathered a group of kids who connected with his personality. He spent lots of time with them, planned a full schedule of youth ministry events, and [...]
Read moreLost Sheep: Why Do Members Leave?
September 22, 2010
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This week I listened to people who left their churches and never went back. I didn’t like their stories, for a couple of reasons. First, it was painful to hear of their wounds. Their reasons for leaving varied widely, from mistreatment to malfeasance to neglect. Then, it was agonizing to hear how none of them [...]
Read moreBe a Good Coach
September 14, 2010
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What do you do when your volunteers perform poorly? Many church leaders fumble when they see problems with volunteers. Some say or do things that injure volunteers. Most simply grit their teeth and do nothing. And the ministry suffers. Here are some volunteer-nurturing practices we’ve used successfully at <a href=”http://discover.lifetreecafe.com/”>Lifetree Cafe</a> locations across the country: [...]
Read more- Anti-Missional Language
- Sermon Fill-in-the-Blanks are ____________.
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What to Say to Your Local Heathens
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6 Keys to Power Up Your Message With Video
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Why They Resist Volunteering
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5 Keys to Share Faith–Without Being a Jerk
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Selling the Church to a Skeptical Public
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Dumb Questions Heard in Church
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6 Keys to Power Up Your Message With Video
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What to Say to a Dying Man
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Larry Shallenberger: God Space is a fantastic book. The appendix of que...
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Rob Nedbalek: Thom, Years ago, at the seminary, they allowed me...
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Rob: Very well said Thom. You are spot on. It is so m...
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Cheri Gabriel: Absolutely right on piece! I just had a conversat...
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Bratsmom: I do wish we would always siing, Just As I Am as t...
