In my last post, I revealed a problem. A phenomenon is impacting churches of all sizes and affiliations in the United States. The frequency of attendance is dropping among congregants. Attendance frequency measures how often a person comes to church. For example, an “active” member was once considered someone who came twice, or even three times a week. Today an active member is considered someone who comes twice a month. The problem of decreasing attendance frequency is pervasive, and Read more [...]
A phenomenon is impacting churches across the United States. Maybe your church is an anomaly. But most churches—regardless of size and denominational affiliation—are experiencing a decrease in attendance frequency. Attendance frequency measures how often a person comes to church. For example, an “active” member was once considered someone who came twice, or even three times a week. Today an active member is considered someone who comes twice a month. Many reasons exist for this decline—from Read more [...]
I have a high view of church membership. The book of Romans refers to followers of Christ being members of a body. I believe it to be a helpful way in which we can encourage one another and hold each other accountable. At my church, we emphasize two key areas with church membership. The first is doctrine. The second is expectations. We ask members to work towards fulfilling seven expectations, which is also our church covenant. The seven expectations involve worship, growing, serving, giving, praying, Read more [...]
Some church leaders love to swim in a sea of spreadsheets. If you are among them, then October is likely your favorite month. The vast majority of churches budget on a calendar year, which means the spreadsheets come out in full force about the same time as pumpkin spice lattes. Creating a church budget is a laborious—and somewhat thankless—task. At West Bradenton, our stewardship committee is hard at work refining the 2020 budget. It takes several weeks to finalize our annual budget. Every Read more [...]
The best leaders for the church are those who demonstrate a willingness to serve first. Is servant leadership necessary in every situation? No, but pastors and church leaders should have a default posture of service. If you’re unwilling to be a servant leader, then you are not fit to have authority and influence within the body of Christ. Serve first; lead second. It should be the leadership theme of every pastor. I understand the tension with servant leadership. Serving a church means sacrificing. Read more [...]
In this week’s show: We discuss the idea of competition and ministry. Is it healthy for us to compete with one another? Is it ever appropriate for churches and church leaders to have a sense of competition with one another? Special Est.Church discount – Available only to our listeners! Four Steps to Revitalizing Your Church with Thom Rainer More than seven hours of step-by-step training & instructionDownloadable notes, practical examples, audio files, and related bonus contentFive Read more [...]
Vision is overrated. Too many leaders put too much weight on their vision and not enough on other important matters of leadership. Culture, discipline, accountability, and creativity are just as important as vision. That being said, leadership does not happen without vision. Vision is meant to inspire, engage, and capture the heart. In the church, vision statements are common, but not enough of them move the congregation to action. How do you know when vision is working? When it’s Read more [...]
Both extroverts and introverts can lead well. Both can lead poorly. Personality is only one part of leadership. However, your personality as a leader comes with intrinsic advantages and challenges. For example, the extroverted pastor tends to work a room better than an introvert. The introverted pastor tends to listen better one-on-one. Partly because they are more outgoing, I believe extroverted pastors get the benefit of the doubt in leadership—more so than introverted pastors. Many have Read more [...]
Through Church Answers, I receive a lot of questions about churches. I also ask a lot of questions when I’m consulting and coaching. Over the years, I’ve refined the types of questions I ask and the way I ask questions. Some questions don’t elicit much of a response. Other questions cause people to pause and think. Then there are the questions that get people talking. Some of the best learning experiences as a leader come when you ask a good question and listen. After twenty years of researching Read more [...]
Our staff meetings lacked something, but we couldn’t put our finger on it. The time together was not a disaster. There were ups and downs, good days and tense days. Things got done. But spiritually, something was missing. That’s when our new senior adult minister, Jim, pointed to our problem—prayer. We were praying in every meeting, but we weren’t praying for specifics in each other’s lives. He came up with a plan. His plan revitalized our staff meetings. The plan was simple. Every Read more [...]
Solving the Problem of Decreasing Attendance Frequency in Your Church
How a Decrease in Attendance Frequency is Affecting Your Church
An Example of a Statement of Faith
Six Quick Tips for Church Budget Season
Seven Ways to Be a Better Servant Leader for Your Church
Est.Church Podcast: Competing as a Church Leader