2020
Lately, it’s hard to remember what day it is.
Without the usual markers, one blends into the other in a confusing emotional haze.
My sleep is off, too. And with my sleep goes my ability to think and lead clearly.
You too? Yes, me too.
So how can we stay stable and sane in ...
It’s been a month.
Four full Sundays of worship at home.
And with every week that goes by, I realize more than ever how much I miss it.
No, not the building. You can have the building.
Not even the event. You can have that, too.
I miss the people.
I miss gathering as the church.
It’s a whole new ballgame.
In a matter of just a few weeks, churches all around the world have a new standard for measuring ministry success.
And I’m trying not to be cynical about it.
So here’s my best shot at a non-cynical (but certainly skeptical) take on this. ...
We’re all doing church online now.
If your church is new to this, and you’re putting your church on YouTube, your YouTube URL looks something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3iMLx7Dyfi3T097D7VEnA
What you want is something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/GodsGraceChurch
This is harder than I expected.
No, I’m not sick. And none of my loved ones are. So, for those of you who are sick or who are dealing with the illness or (God forbid) the death of a loved one, I cannot imagine your burden.
But even for those of us who are simply being asked ...
The most important aspect of leadership is not competence, communication or innovation.
It’s integrity.
When we can’t trust our leaders, life can turn really bad, really fast. Even deadly.
We’re seeing it in real time right now. The current COVID-19 (coronavirus) ...
Just about every church is live-streaming their services now.
Necessity being the mother of invention (and adaptation), we’re all doing what we have to do.
Churches with pre-existing live-stream technology are learning how to conduct their service from an empty room, while ...
(Photo: Justin humorously explains social distancing, but laughs so hard that he and Manuel forget not to touch their faces.)
Humor is gift from God.
Truly.
The ability to laugh, even (especially?) during a crisis is an important way to find relief and share community.
But knowing ...
Over the next few weeks there will be a lot of people quarantined in their homes in an all-out attempt to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
This is cause for concern, but it need not be a cause for fear. Especially if we prepare well for it.
But what exactly can ...
As of today, the CDC has recommended that all gatherings of 50 or more people should be canceled for the next 8 weeks.
Small church win, right?
Wrong.
No one wins in this.
No “I told you so’s”
As a long-time proponent of the value of small churches, you might think ...
Did you just find out that your home church won’t be holding public services this weekend?
If so, you’re not alone.
Your church leaders aren’t panicking. At this point, especially if your church is large, this is a responsible decision.
The current global health ...
Today is the day!
You can now buy a copy of my newest book, 100 Days To A Healthier Church!
Here’s an excerpt.
Chapter 2: What Can Be Done in 100 Days?
Turning a church from unhealthy to healthy is a daunting task.
It starts by working smarter, not harder.
Here’s an example.
Most churches in the world are small. As many as 90 percent are under 200, 80 percent under 100.
Is this because the pastors of those churches haven’t mastered church growth? Or could there be other factors at play here?
These are valid questions, but they have surprisingly ...
Doing new things is scary. For some.
Doing new things is exciting. For others.
But even if you fall more into the second category than the first (as I do) doing something new is always exhausting.
And it’s more exhausting when you’re attempting to change something you’ve ...
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