New research reveals the latest path to better health and wellbeing. Go to church. But the true link to the health benefits may not be what you expect. Gallup found that people who regularly go to church make better health choices, experience fewer daily negative emotions, and are less likely to be diagnosed with depression. [...]
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The Trouble With Youth Ministry
April 25, 2012
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Youth ministry in the American church is often diagnosed as an increasingly ill patient. Some are even suggesting the patient is terminally ill. Researchers and influential spokespeople report that a large majority of young people drop out of church after high school and rarely return. And they point out that the faith of Christian teenagers [...]
Read more Weird Ways to Choose a Pastor
March 28, 2012
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How churches select pastoral staff is sometimes just weird—and counterproductive. Some years ago I agreed to serve on a search committee for a new pastor. We began by establishing a set of traits and abilities our congregation needed in a pastor. It was a well-considered list. But before we could find and interview even one [...]
Read more Dubious Things Churches Spend Money On
March 14, 2012
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“Oh, we couldn’t afford that.” “We’re not a rich church.” “That doesn’t fit our budget.” It’s true that many churches have struggles meeting their ministries’ financial demands. But oftentimes truly productive, transformative ministry opportunities arise—only to be dashed by the money excuse. What’s worse, some of the dollars that are currently being spent have little [...]
Read more 5 Wishes for Worship
January 4, 2012
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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 [...]
Read more That Will Never Work
November 23, 2011
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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
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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 [...]
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Why Church Doesn’t Fit Most People
- 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
