Two Opposite Errors Committed by Church Staff
If you lead a ministry (kids, students, groups, connections, worship, etc.) in a local church, you are given responsibility for a significant ministry in the church, and yet you are also part of a larger body of believers. You steward a part of the whole, and in this, you must care deeply for that which […]
Four Hard Questions Pastors Should Continually Ask Themselves
When the apostle Paul challenged the believers in Philippi in their obedience to the Lord, he told them: “Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me” (Philippians 4:9). When he wrote the believers in Corinth, he said, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Though not perfect, […]
Two Divisive (and Wrong) Definitions That Hurt the Church
Perhaps an unbiblical approach to ministry exists in many churches because an inaccurate vocabulary has infiltrated the people of God. When most people hear terms like “clergy” and “lay people,” certain images and definitions enter their minds. And these definitions are far from their original and intended meaning. Clergy Churches often think it makes sense […]
5 Thoughts to the Staff at a Growing Church
Last week I spent some time on a Skype call with a staff at a church that was planted several years ago and has grown to more than 1500 in attendance. The Lord has done and is doing a great work through the pastors and staff. I shared with the team these five thoughts about […]
Simple Church Epilogue Part 1
Almost eight years have passed since the initial release of Simple Church, and to say that we are overwhelmed with the response would be a vast understatement. Our shock with the response is not a statement of humility (unfortunately) but the reality of the nature of the book. Let’s be honest—it was a nerdy research […]
Airplane Churches
When the apostle Paul wrote the believers in Philippi from prison, he told them: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). The word for partnership in the original language is […]
Four Reasons Church Leadership Is Tougher Than “The Real World”
Before becoming one of the vice-presidents of LifeWay, I served on church staff teams for 17 years. I still serve as teaching pastor at a local church, but my responsibilities are far less than they were in the past. Many times I have heard businessmen in churches reference “the real world” as if those of […]
Five Resources on Multiplication
Each month, in conjunction with the Creature of the Word book that I wrote with Matt Chandler and Josh Patterson, we list questions and action items for church leadership teams to consider on the Facebook page. We recently listed some of our top resources on multiplication. Here are several that have impacted me: The Master […]
Ministry Is a Cruel God
I took my first full-time pastoral position right out of college. I was serving as a full-time student pastor and desperately wanted to see students meet Jesus, live out their faith, and grow in the Lord. But at some point in my first few months, I became unhealthily obsessed with the ministry. It was likely […]
Church Culture and the Gospel
Will Mancini is the founder and leader of Auxano, a consulting group that helps church leaders navigate growth with vision clarity. Since Will and I are often pigeonholed as “strategy guys,” some have viewed us as pragmatic types. But we are guys who deeply love Jesus and believe the gospel must impact everything a church […]