Five Simple Habits That Help Guests Feel Like They Belong
Church leaders often assume hospitality requires a complicated strategy. The truth is much simpler. Guests rarely remember elaborate programs. They remember how people made them feel. Here are five habits every church can begin practicing immediately. 1. Notice before...
Why Community Engagement Is the New Front Door to the Church
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...
You Do Not Have to Reinvent the Wheel: What Immersion Learning Offers
Most of the significant shifts in my own leadership have not come from books or conferences. They have come from being in the room with someone who is actually doing what I had only read about, watching them navigate complexity with wisdom and grace, and having the...
Obedience to God: Exploring My Spiritual Gifts
The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts; however, they will remain dormant if we do not accept them, explore them, develop them, and finally, use them for the common good. The process from accepting our spiritual gifts to using them for the common good may differ...
Belonging Before Believing: The Circle, Not the Row
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...
Hospitality Isn’t a Ministry—It’s Your Church’s Culture
Many churches have hospitality teams. Fewer churches have cultures of hospitality. There's a big difference. A hospitality ministry is something a handful of volunteers do. A culture of hospitality is something everyone owns. That's the difference between greeting...
The Future Belongs to Churches That Learn to Innovate Faithfully
Many church leaders become uncomfortable whenever the word “innovation” enters the conversation. Some fear it implies abandoning biblical convictions in favor of cultural relevance. Others embrace innovation so enthusiastically that every new trend is treated as the...
Obedience to God: How My Spiritual Gifts Journey Began
I felt a stirring from deep within me as I listened to the report from Church Doctor Ministries. That stirring grew into a strong tug over the next several days. Each time I reread the “Spiritual Health/Connected by Serving” section of the report, I grew more...
Why People Are Joining Your Church Before They Ever Attend
You count the room on Sunday. Fewer than last year. A couple of regulars gone. And the thought you keep pushing down comes back anyway: This church is shrinking, and I am the one watching it happen. Sit with that fear for a second because it deserves an honest answer....