The biblical account of Lazarus in John’s gospel is the account of every Christian. Like Lazarus, we were dead. We were dead spiritually, dead in our trespasses and sins. Like Lazarus, Christ raised us to new life. Just as He called Lazarus by name and pursued him, Christ pursued us. He set His love and…
Church Leadership
4 Reasons to Consider Theological Education While Serving on Church Staff
When I was a college student, the Lord made it clear to me that He wanted me to serve His church for the rest of my life. In college I knew I was going to be a pastor. In fact, I became a pastor while in college and started working on staff at a church…
3 Practical Challenges of Less Frequent Church Attendance
Several years ago, while I served at LifeWay Christian Resources, we noticed a big shift in the definition of “regular church attender.” The speed of the shift seemed to be fairly dramatic and it transcended theological tribe and type of church. In other words, people from every type of church were attending less frequently than…
4 Reasons Megachurch Pastors Are Susceptible to Fall
There has been, in recent years, a growing concern about the number of moral failings and integrity lapses in megachurch pastors (churches with attendance north of 2000 people a week). Words like “epidemic” have been used, as the number of leaders disqualifying themselves has felt extremely high. I have been asked if a megachurch pastor…
A Counterintuitive View of Multiple Campuses and Sudden Pastoral Transitions
Gosh, that is a long blog title. It almost reads like a dissertation title, so let me explain. One overwhelming argument against a church having multiple campuses or congregations is “what happens to those campuses if the celebrity pastor dies or blows up his life?” By a church having multiple congregations or campuses, I am…
Church Leaders: Because Leadership Is Transferrable…
In the book The Leadership Code, Dave Ulrich and his coauthors articulate that as much as 70% of leadership is transferable from one context to another (the other 30% is specific to that context or industry). This means that the vast majority of what makes someone an effective leader in one context is transferable to…
A New Term: Omnichannel Church
Last week Dave Adamson wrote a compelling article on the future of the church based on the digital tools that church leaders now have at their disposal. He applied the term “omnichannel” to church practice, and his article was the first time I have seen someone do so. Dave does this type of work with…
“I Should Have Been Doing Most of What I Did as a Student Pastor”
I followed a living legend in Kenton Beshore when I became senior pastor of Mariners Church six months ago. I have enjoyed learning from Kenton and I look forward to learning more from him. He said something in a meeting the other day that resonated with me and challenged me. He was speaking about his…
4 Thoughts on Mission, Church, and Technology
Every new technology provides an opportunity for gospel advancement. With the Gutenberg press, the Scripture became more accessible. With the advent of the microphone and sound system, regular preachers without booming George Whitefield voices were able to speak the good news of Jesus to more people. With radio, Christians such as C.S. Lewis were able…
Bowling Alone, Church Alone?
Harvard professor Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone, which has been called a landmark book by many sociologists. Written nearly twenty years ago, it has proven to be prophetic. Putnam’s book was based on research about the deterioration of community in American culture. He researched lots of community organizations and networks but the title comes from…