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LATEST POSTS
It’s happened again—another exhausted pastor who needs a holiday more than I need to eat ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Since 2012, I’ve conducted over 170 church health consults, and there have been recurring themes in these consults. [...]
“I want to quit ministry.” As we sat in a beautiful seaside cafe I told my wife, Dianne, I was tired, discouraged and over it. My resignation letter was written. And printed. It was skillfully crafted and I was ready to [...]
As someone who’s been in the trenches of ministry for over four decades, I’ve seen firsthand the vital role small groups play in building community and nurturing spiritual growth. But let’s face it – small group ministries often [...]
Since 2012 I have conducted over 170 church health consults across 5 nations. During a consult, I analyze 12 separate, yet connected, pathways in the life of the church. One of those is the financial pathway. It’s more of [...]
A few years ago, Di and I visited an Australian megachurch. We wanted to learn more about small groups and other key programs in church life. Megachurches are often incubators of new trends in church life, so we visited [...]
Over my years of consulting, I’ve been surprised by the number of churches that don’t have regular, all-in, volunteer meetings. A second surprise is to see how many churches run these meetings like a Sunday service. Regular volunteer [...]
Over the last 20 years, pastors have been wrestling with many questions about the Great Commission and how to make disciples. There have been discussions about discipleship definitions, pathways, and communities. Let’s explore some of these questions [...]
Dave Jacobs is a pastor who is super keen to show you how to thrive as a small church pastor and he wants to help pastors grow a healthy church. He’s got a vibrant community in his Facebook group, Small [...]
I knew it was going to be an awkward conversation. This leader had been a loyal and fruitful staff member for some years. But something had gone wrong. I didn’t know what had happened but I knew attitudes [...]
The demands, complexity and stress of today’s church has a significant impact upon the physical well-being of pastors. Added to this is the fact that a pastor’s workplace is sedentary and involves hours of sitting behind a desk, in a [...]
An excellent practice I have personally developed and now recommend to leaders is a regular self-reflection hour. Taking this dedicated time in your calendar to pause and reflect on your actions, decisions, and experiences can be incredibly transformative. I’ve [...]
I have conducted over 190 on-site and online consultations with churches across five nations over 15 years. One recurring discovery was how much the right measurements could reveal about a church’s health. One of my surprises has been [...]
Endless details. Married? Single? How many kids? What’s your age? The list goes on and on and on and on. Yet there’s one form that is the key to growing your church. Church visitor cards. I think your church visitor cards are probably the most [...]
I first attended Hillsong church and Hillsong conference in 1995. It was transformative. My eyes were opened to a different way of doing church. It was faith building. I came home ready to crush giants, storm the battlements and take [...]
I am often asked how to get volunteers in a small church. Or even in a large church. These simple ideas work in all settings. These ideas revolve around one central strategy: a recruitment drive. This simple strategy is a [...]
