the Church Revitalization Podcast
Show Notes11 Steps for Developing Strong Church Leaders
Pastor Bill Hybels once said that Christ’s church is the hope of the world, and leadership is the hope of the church. In light of this, we discover that the reason so many churches are struggling in North America and beyond results from poor or nonexistent leadership....
8 Ways Healthy Churches are Killing the Church to Save the Church
So many people fight for the survival of their church at all costs. I'm sure most mean well, but what's wrong with killing the church to save the church? I should probably explain...as many will undoubtedly voice concern about why we should save the church. But what...
14 Ways to Better Understand Your Community
One of the best ways to reach your community is to take the time to understand your community and what makes it unique. In Acts 1:8, Luke writes that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and therefore we are to be witnesses to our communities...
15 Characteristics of Healthy Church Leaders
A healthy church begins with healthy church leaders. It's easy to assume someone serving "in ministry" has things all together, but you and I both know this can certainly be far from the truth at times. Church leaders are human, which means they are fallible (*gasp!*)...
5 Indicators That You Do Not Need A Church Consulting Firm
What are the indicators that you do not need a church consulting firm right now? We hear all sorts of talk about the newest tool a pastor of our church can use. Sometimes you'll read a blog post about the three, five, or seven best of whatever to fix a certain area of...
15 Church Security Tips and Resources for Pastors and Church Boards
Church security has risen to the forefront of our minds in recent years. From school shootings around the country to shootings in churches in Texas, South Carolina, and more--Americans are increasingly concerned about safety in public places. We need a healthy balance...
10 Ways Church Leaders Create a Culture of Equipping and Training
"How do we get from here to there?" is a question that I get frequently. Church leaders want to transition their church from where they are to where they would like to be. Many, many church leaders would like to transition from constantly shepherding, visiting, and...
10 Ways Pastors Balance Life and Ministry in Their Schedules
I’m addicted to seeking advice from older, wiser, spiritually-healthy pastors—those with godly attitudes and a long history of balance, healthy families, and personal fruit. Of the many questions I like to ask, this one is my favorite: “How do you build your ‘normal’...
Creating Simple and Effective Volunteer Job Descriptions for Your Church
To lead others well, a leader must know what is expected of those being led. In businesses, the leader or HR department creates a "job description", which attracts qualified candidates for a given position. That job description helps the leader determine who would be...
5 Things You Must Do Before You Plant a Church
“I think I want to start a church one day. Where do I start? What should I be doing now?” This is a frequent question that comes from potential church planters. I think it's awesome that so many people are interested in church planting. It takes work, but it's worth...
6 Steps to Building a Leadership Pipeline in Your Church
Leadership pipeline development in churches isn't a new fad or trend that only applies to multi-site or church planting contexts. A church's leadership pipeline cultivates the God-given spiritual gifts and abilities each person has. It requires a redesign or...
9 Tips for Effective Church Technology
I’ve spent the last 18 years supporting small business computer networks. Most things crossover well into effective church technology; however, special considerations do exist for church networks. Every entity is budget conscious when it comes to technology, but...
5 Warning Signs of Narcissistic Leadership
I came across a quiz the other day that tested if you could identify if a quote was from Kanye West or Jean Ralphio Saperstein from Parks and Recreation. I only got six correct. How well can you identify narcissistic individuals? And what does that have to do...
4 Ways to Use Vision to Recruit Church Volunteers
Vision seems to be a popular word these days...and for good reason. Vision excites people and motivates them to get involved. Ever wonder how you can use vision to recruit church volunteers? Take a moment and consider these 4 ways to use vision to recruit church...
10 Ways Privilege Hurts The Church
Privilege hurts the church. It robs us of what God intended for us. It stands in stark contrast to the life of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5-11 we read a powerful example of how Jesus set aside his privilege(s) for you and I. ...who though he existed in the form of...
7 Steps to Becoming a Multi-Ethnic Church
The great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Despite his valiant efforts, little has changed over these many years. Becoming a multi-ethnic...
5 Steps Towards Normalizing the Multi-Ethnic Church
We live in a large metropolitan area where there are churches of every kind within walking distance from most of our homes. Many of those are what we call "multi-ethnic". One that I will particularly focus on is near the heart of Dallas proper. Their stated mission,...
7 Items Pastors Should Include On Their Church Revitalization Checklist
Any church revitalization should start with a church revitalization checklist. Preparation is key. To alleviate our fear of flying, the various airlines assure us that traveling in one of their aircraft is safer than driving to the airport in your car. As a ministry...
The Need for Church Planting and Revitalization
The strategic emphasis in most denominational or network circles is on church planting. I suspect that few would disagree with this, as it builds up new church bodies, expands the impact in communities, and reaches larger amounts of individuals. After all some...
Baptizing Your Church Through Revitalization
Statisticians generally agree that church attendance in America is on the decline. This issue remains challenging to understand, yet also carries just as many opinions on correcting it, as there are writers willing to confirm it. While views on church growth vary,...
Are You Ready for Church Revitalization?
Revitalization: To give new life to; to give vitality or vigor. Reading this definition makes me tired! But...it also causes me to reflect on the churches we have served recently; churches that cry for someone to step in and give a hand in order to regain some margin;...
Making an Impact Through Ministries to Women
The availability and variety of ministries to women that exist today are exponentially more than what I found when I was a new believer and getting more involved in church. Our church hosted women’s Bible studies, women's luncheons, and the majority of us worked...
20 Things You Should Know About Your Pastor
Pastors work hard to serve God's people. Many things they do or feel may go unnoticed. Or you may not even realize pastors have these thoughts. Here are 20 things you should know about your pastor. These are true about most pastors I know. I've followed each statement...
12 Challenges to Building a Leadership Pipeline in Your Church
It is easy to talk about leadership development, but developing disciple-making leaders is a far greater challenge. It requires us to address the challenges to building a leadership pipeline in your church. Any time you try to intentionally develop leaders, you will...