Tools For Pastors

The past year, it has been incredible to watch God open some new doors to other ministries, networks, and church leaders. One of my favorite new connections is with the tremendous team that leads the Exponential Conferences. It has been really cool to see the network of connections that has webbed off Greg’s relationships with Todd Wilson, the president of Exponential. Not only has it opened the door to several new relationships, but it has also introduced us to some fantastic resources on the Multiplication front.

4 Things Great Hires Do

One the greatest obstacles we face as leaders is our own insecurity. We feel like, in order to lead, we have to be the best player on the team. Not true. Great leaders hire great people. People who are better at what they do than what the leader is at what he does. The courage to hire like that is rare. The willingness to acknowledge it publicly is ever more rare.

6 Lids to Church Health

Churches, just like plants and animals, have life-cycles. And just like organisms, churches can find themselves in an unhealthy place that limits their growth. After working with hundreds of churches, the same six lids kept emerging and we noticed that seldom does an individual congregation wrestle with just a single lid. The more lids a church is facing, the more difficult it is to get healthy and multiply.

What if I am found wanting?

What if I am found wanting?
That’s the question Bill Greiner of Eagle Ridge Church of God found himself asking as he and his church prepared for their consultation weekend with HGC last year.

Coaching isn’t Counseling…

What distinguishes coaching from mentoring, consulting, counseling, therapy or even teaching?
Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Team Members: PROJECTS or PRODUCTS?

Years ago, I heard my friend Nelson Searcy talk about staff members who are either PROJECTS or PRODUCTS. PROJECTS are team members that are very much works in progress. They are usually young and lack experience, they are often new to the faith, and a little rough around the edges. They […]

Bring in an Expert

Several years ago I began having some measured levels of success in growing my church. In fact, it grew VERY well. As a result, I began having other pastors and churches ask me if I could come in and share some of our “secrets of success.” They weren’t really secrets […]

Creative Atrophy

Two hundred years ago pastors had to preach every week without vidoes, bands, or even amplification. They had to write their own material without the help of material from North Point, LifeChurch or Willow Creek. There were no dynamic children programs or cool youth pastors or coffee bars in the lobby. They had their bibles, a handful of hymns and barely adequate facilities. Yet they reached their communities for Christ.

Got A Fitbit?

I got a Fitbit for Christmas. I didn’t get it because it’ll exercise for me, though THAT would be the ultimate gift! I got it because it gives me two things I think everyone needs: Honest Assessment and Accountability. Those of you who know me know that I try to stay in decent shape. But I’ve decided I want to be more diligent.

Moving Toward Multiplication

Most pastors and churches (both new and established) are not asking the question or talking about what it might look like for them to multiply. When leaders and churches have the courage to ask this question the idea of God giving birth to something new becomes a very real possibility. A simple question and the conversation that ensues is a giant step forward in moving toward multiplication.