I just returned from the world’s largest worship gathering. And I picked up some ideas for those who wish to grow their congregations to epic proportions. I witnessed an estimated 50 million faithful gather in one place to seek the Almighty’s favor, wash away their sins, and spend time with their admired religious leaders. This […]
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Tag Archives: evangelism
Shutting Up the Heathens
November 21, 2012 
9 Comments
No wonder people view Christians as judgmental. No wonder the unchurched feel their thoughts and questions are unwelcome at church. In my work with Lifetree Café I hear weekly from the unchurched, the dechurched and not-yet-believers. And I also have the opportunity to talk with church leaders about how Lifetree connects with those who don’t […]
Read more Back-to-Church Bait-and-Switch
August 8, 2012 5 Comments
It’s time to crank up the new season. As the new church year approaches, church leaders begin to roll out varied efforts to entice the unchurched to fill the pews. Churches across the country use all kinds of back-to-church lures: special events, comedy concerts, giveaways, fish frys, and creative advertising. But do these efforts work? […]
Read more “It’s about Sunday, stupid.”
July 18, 2012 15 Comments
A friend visited the large, famous church on a typical Sunday. The worship band performed with precision. The lighting and fog effects were state of the art. The pastor presented a polished sermon amidst specially built staging. Later in the week a pastor from this church shared their ministry secrets in a seminar. He described […]
Read more Why People Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore
July 11, 2012 33 Comments
Last weekend most people in America avoided church. And, a sizable portion of those who did make it to church wished they were somewhere else. But why? I decided to go direct to the source. I staked out a city park to ask the public why they weren’t in church. What they told me echoed […]
Read more Where the Church Is Booming
April 4, 2012 10 Comments
I just returned from a land where the church is booming. I found the conditions there fascinating. The Christian population may double in the next few years. The church is growing so fast no one really has an accurate current count. How is it thriving–with characteristics that most may find counter-intuitive? Almost all the churches […]
Read more 5 Keys to Share Faith–Without Being a Jerk
February 15, 2012 4 Comments
The men surrounded Candace after the community meeting. They knew Candace was a Christian. They had some serious questions for her. This scene played out a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I see—and participate in—scenes like this every week. This is the texture of the new evangelism. This is the true heart of being “missional.” […]
Read more Selling the Church to a Skeptical Public
February 8, 2012 9 Comments
“The church has an image problem,” somebody said in the board room at the national offices. “We need an ad campaign to change the public’s perception.” So, they committed millions of dollars for beautifully executed ads on national television and in print. Local congregations often get the polish-our-image bug too. They join back-to-church marketing campaigns […]
Read more What to Say to a Dying Man
January 11, 2012 8 Comments
What is your true role in the often mysterious journey that leads to someone entering into a relationship with Jesus? Is God counting on you to “win souls,” to “close the deal”? Or, is your job to carefully plant seeds? Or, should you just “let your light shine’? One thing is clear. Faith is a […]
Read more Biblical Illiteracy: Not the Real Problem
October 5, 2011 16 Comments
“The Bible? You believe in that?” Ben asked. Ben walked into our Lifetree Café today—looking for something. I learned he was a successful businessman, friend of Hollywood stars, estranged family man, and hungry to talk. “You believe in God?” he asked. Before I could respond he barreled ahead. “The virgin birth? The crucifixion? The resurrection? […]
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Why Church Doesn’t Fit Most People
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Church Abusing Kids with Root Beer
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Why People Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore
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Acts of a Suicidal Church
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Sunday Morning Fantasies
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9 Ways to Me-Too Your Ministry Heroes
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“Life Change Happens in Circles, Not in Rows.” Are You Kidding Me?
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To Become the Best Church in Town
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How to Silence Your People
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Why the Easter Christians Won’t Be Back
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drwayman: Wearing a golf shirt or hawaiian shirt when you pr...
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descriptivegrace: Churches can’t survive because they can’t figu...
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Joan: "Preachers" who wave the Bible in the air. Why do ...
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Rocky: What's up with all the "big beards" I see on youth...
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Sherry: Music that is so loud that anyone who has not alre...
