by Tracee Swank | Aug 10, 2026 | church health, community, Kingdom, outreach
Ask most church leaders how their church is doing, and they will tell you about Sunday: attendance, giving, the new sermon series, the building project. Almost no one answers the question by talking about the neighborhood outside the doors. That instinct reveals...
by Tracee Swank | Aug 3, 2026 | church health, community, decision-making, leadership
Across many communities, churches unknowingly compete for members, resources, visibility, and influence. While few leaders would admit to this openly, the effects are often visible. Congregations duplicate ministries, guard ideas, and measure success against...
by Tracee Swank | Jul 29, 2026 | change, church health, community, growth, renewal
Every leader keeps score. The only question that matters is whether your scoreboard is telling you the truth. For most of us, the scoreboard is attendance. Count the seats, measure against last year, let the number decide the mood. But if people now belong before they...
by Tracee Swank | Jul 22, 2026 | challenges, change, community, mission
Right now, somewhere within a mile of your church, someone is typing into a phone the things they cannot say to a human being. Asking for comfort. Asking if they matter. And something answers, fast and patient and tireless. It just cannot love them, and it never will....
by Tracee Swank | Jul 20, 2026 | community, Kingdom, mission, outreach
For many years churches believed their primary responsibility was to create excellent worship services and effective ministry programs, trusting that people would eventually walk through their doors. Today, however, many churches are discovering that the front door no...
by Tracee Swank | Jul 15, 2026 | challenges, church health, community, growth
Think of the last person who actually became part of your church. Not a name on the attendance roll. Someone who got woven in. They almost certainly did not fall for a service first. They were loved by a few people who refused to let them stay strangers. That used to...
