What does drinking have to do with re-opening the church? Since this is already a divisive conversation, I will just go ahead and make it a bit more divisive with this real-life illustration. When I first became a pastor, it was common in some church ministry circles to hear conversations against the use (any use)…
Church Leadership
When Are You Going to Re-open?
I am getting asked this question with increasing frequency, from people in our church, from ministry friends, and from other church leaders. I shared earlier in the week that there are differing viewpoints on when a church should re-open. Because our viewpoint (not just mine but thoughts we have worked through with our leadership team…
2 Reasons Re-Opening the Church Will Be More Challenging than Closing the Church
When organizations and governing officials provided guidelines for gatherings and later gave “stay at home orders,” the overwhelming majority of church leaders made the unprecedented decision to stop gathering physically. Leaders pressed pause on following the biblical mandate to “not neglect gathering together” in order to “submit to governing authorities” and “love our neighbor” (also…
What Have You Learned From “Online Church” That You Will Keep When Gatherings Resume?
The title of the post is one of the most insightful questions I have been asked by friends in ministry during this season. Several have texted or called and posed, “what are you learning in this season during your online gatherings that will continue when you gather again physically?” I have started asking other leaders…
How Are You Thinking About Re-opening Church?
One of the most common questions ministry leaders are asking one another in this crazy season is around “re-opening church gatherings.” While none of us can really answer with any certainty “when” we can re-open church gatherings, we can think about “how” we will re-open church gatherings. As leaders, we cannot know when things “will…
May Our Longing to Gather Grow
Last week I hosted a video call with all our shepherding elders and their wives, simply to connect and share some updates about how we are responding as a church in this crazy time. Our shepherding elders provide care for people, counsel people, pray for people in our church, and serve in a myriad of…
One Thing Church and Marketplace Leaders Can Learn from Each Other
Last Friday I spoke for my friend John Townsend at a leadership event he hosted for leaders in his network. After my presentation, I fielded some questions for a few moments and was asked (I am paraphrasing), “Because you have led in both marketplace and local church contexts, what is one thing you think those…
3 Possible “Vanity Metrics” in Ministry
A “vanity metric” is a metric a leader or team focuses on that has no relation to organizational health. In fact, it can be a cover for a lack of health. Ministry leaders must be aware of the lure of vanity metrics. Metrics in ministry!? What!? Yes, some ministry leaders hold disdain for all metrics,…
Research on Fandom, Small Groups, and 3 Implications for Church Leaders
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a funny bit where he pokes fun at us sport’s fans. He says that because players are constantly changing teams, we are not really loyal to players as much as we are loyal to the clothes the players are wearing. Sport’s fans are essentially rooting for laundry, that we are standing…
Pastors: Shepherd and Lead “the Teacher in You”
Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and pastor emeritus at our church) and I meet every other week for lunch, and I always learn something. Recently Kenton shared some helpful insight about managing the multiple responsibilities of a senior pastor. They would likely apply to other roles too. I am paraphrasing, but he essentially said: “You are…