A ministry strategy is great. A ministry strategy with continued strategic thinking is even better. It is possible, and common, for a ministry leader to implement a strategy and then fail to think strategically. Without continued strategic thinking, over time an articulated mission and strategy tends to gets buried beneath a bunch of un-strategic thinking…
Church Leadership
9 Ways Strategic Ministry Leaders Think Differently (Part One)
Since writing Simple Church with my mentor and former boss Thom Rainer, I have enjoyed countless conversations with ministry leaders about strategy and strategic thinking. While some ministry leaders view spiritual leadership in opposition to strategic leadership, I am thankful that many don’t embrace the false dichotomy. Ministry leaders can be both spiritual and strategic….
4 Most Common Comments from “Regular People” About Studying Theology
In the summer of 2020, I led an online theology class for people in the church I pastor. I was blown away that over 1000 people engaged in the class, asked thoughtful questions, and walked through the material each week. We used a theological text book as our reading, and explored a different “ology” each…
A Disturbing Moment in Ministry and What It Has Done for Me
In the last seven weeks, God has moved in beautiful and profound ways in the church I am honored to serve as pastor. We have seen nearly 500 people stand and declare “I Believe” in public gatherings… which I realize needs a bit of explaining. Every church I have served has invited people to “repent…
How Preaching Christmas Services Tests a Preacher’s Confidence in the Gospel
This week as Christians will gather for Christmas services, pastors are putting their finishing touches on their sermons. Preaching Christmas services can test a preacher’s confidence in the gospel. 1. Some people only come to church on Christmas and/or Easter. And preachers can be frustrated that “they only hear essentially the same message.” I have…
3 Reasons Preachers (and Christians) Should Say “I Don’t Know” More Frequently
I am teaching a theology course to some amazing people at our church on Wednesday nights. We offer four different “Deep Dive” courses and the one I am currently teaching is Deep Dive: The Story of God which walks through the Bible as one overarching Story. At the end of each session, I do a…
What is Most Important for a Church Guest Services Team?
I was invited to speak at the online First Impressions Conference, a conference designed to help churches think about the experience first time guests have when they visit a church. It is an important topic so I was honored to speak, and speaking at the conference caused me to think once again about what is…
Fire, Momentum, and Three Questions Leaders Should Ask
When we lived in Nashville, our favorite place to hang out as a family was the outdoor fireplace in our backyard. I loved gathering sticks and picking up firewood with my daughters. We often enjoyed the warmth of the fire on a cool evening and the conversations around the fire were rich. To maximize our…
Pastors and the Paradox of Being Resented and Revered
We are reading through the book of Acts as a life group. In Acts 14 we see a glaring paradox in the lives of apostles Paul and Barnabas. They were despised by some. “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” And “an attempt was made to mistreat and…
5 Leadership Reminders from Launching 4 New Congregations
In early 2019 we set plans, as a leadership team, to launch one new Mariners congregation in Orange County each year for the next five years. Orange County is filled with 3.2M people spread out through 34 cities, and we believe Jesus loves each person and each city. We were in early stages of planning…