“Where do you sense God’s presence in the church?” “Where do you sense God calling us to go in the future?” These are the two vital questions renowned author and consultant Anthony B. Robinson asks church members to ask themselves as he helps them turn things around.  They key is listening far and wide for [...]

Are you ‘up a Willow Creek without a Hybels?’ Trying to carbon copy the modus operandi of another church is just one of the stupid things veteran pastor and author Geoff Surratt warns those of us interested in building healthy congregations. Sure, it was the catchy book title that caught me, but Geoff’s deep passion [...]

Building a healthy congregation means building a healthy understanding of money. And there are few who have a better grasp on this than Episcopal Bishop Greg Rickel (Diocese of Olympia). For years he has moonlighted as a stewardship consultant and become convinced that at the center of God’s heart is generosity. I first heard Bp. [...]

After moving into a poor neighborhood in Richmond, VA Presbyterian minister Corey Widmer got involved in his community.  Little did he know how powerful the hand of God would be upon him, his neighborhood, and the work he would help give birth to. Call it Reverse Church Planting, Corey’s experiment with the East End Fellowship [...]

No Sunday is the same at Historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia where Fr. Rob Wright’s four Sundays per month rotate between focused and polished Traditional, Contemporary, Glee Club, and Women’s Choir.   Rob and I were classmates at the Clergy Leadership Project, where we shared airport shuttle rides and stories about St. Paul’s, [...]

Veteran congregational development expert Alice Mann says the chances of turning around a congregation are not great, she cites one study that sets the odds at 25%, but that doesn’t mean a) a congregation can’t do it, and b) ending well = failure. I first heard about Alice when I read one of her excellent [...]

Less than a year after opening his doors, Ronnie Collins’ Out of the Box Worship Center is nearly bigger than the United Methodist congregation that planted it. One big reason is Ronnie’s use of social media, especiallyhis blog and Facebook, to keep in touch and mold community. Ronnie’s demographic research showed him 78% of his [...]

Sure, it may sound ironic that the pastor of a church that meets in a $20m, former golf club in the Hawaiian Islands would point to humility as a key to success.  But Pastor Dan Chun’s accessibility, modesty and authenticity have served him well, and seen a congregation of 175 people on Sunday reach over [...]

The first step in turning around a declining church is figuring out the first step.  Hundreds of congregations have turned to Presbyterian minister Chris Walker, also known as The Evangelism Coach, to help them both diagnose and address their challenges. Chris has a huge presence on the Internet because his stuff is so practical.  He’s [...]

How do you keep a 100 year old congregation vital, energized, and focused on God’s mission in the world?  Jay Sidebotham says he concentrates on bringing members to higher places of spiritual maturity. At Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, IL, the mantra is, ‘If you come here you will grow.’ I had heard of Jay’s ministry [...]

Nearly every church sees it: 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. How do we get more people involved?  Scott Thumma says he knows how, so I invited him to share his story with the rest of us. Scott, and co-author Warren Bird recently wrote a book addressing this dilemma that caught my [...]