How to Get Church Volunteers Back After COVID-19
Getting Church Volunteers Back after COVID Churches all across the country are struggling with volunteers. These challenges are caused by pandemic-related problems that have been present over the last two years. Most churches shut down for some at the beginning of the pandemic. As they returned to meeting in person, churches quickly realized that not everyone came back. Those who were attending once a month realized they could watch online or not at all. And now churches have to figure out how to recreate their volunteer force, sometimes starting with nothing. Church Attendance and COVID Whether we like it or ...
Dear Christian, It’s OK to Celebrate Halloween
Christians and Halloween Confusion The holiday of Halloween conjures up different feelings for Christians across country. Some consider Halloween a fun time for kids to wear cute costumes and get free candy. It’s an excuse for little girls to become a princess for the night or for parents to dress their babies up as Batman. For others it’s a dangerous night built upon an ancient pagan festival. The holiday is often marked by images of witches, bones, graveyards, ghosts and death; dark things Christians typically do not condone. Many Christians may wonder how a follower ...
Dunbar’s Number and Church Plant Success
church plant success Church Plant Success In the back of my mind I'm always wondering why some church plants take root and grow while others are forced to close their doors. Closed church plants impact lead planter families, community relationships, newly gathered congregants and supporting churches. Church plant success matters. I recently compared around 20 open and closed church plants, comparing size of congregation on launch Sunday and results of the lead planter's Ridley Assessment scores. (Ridley Assessment measures pastors ability on a 5 point scales for 13 identified abilities for successful church planting. I have not found where the ...
The Spiritual Discipline of Chaos pt. 2
I've thought a lot about successful spiritual formation in the midst of of surviving parenthood. Last week I acknowledged the value of escaping to some far-off mountain to be with God, but immediately recoil at the very thought of fitting long periods of quiet into my often chaotic life. You can catch up on the first part of the post HERE. But, then I take a look at the life of Jesus. Would anyone dare describe his life by using words like tranquil, quiet, silent, or solitude? In the book of Mark, one of the first items on Jesus’ ministry agenda ...
The Spiritual Discipline of Chaos pt. 1
I sometimes wonder why solitude and quiet are so highly revered in the Christian walk. I completely understand how a quiet place is a great way to hear the still small voice of God (1 Kings 19:12). Joshua Choomin Kang wrote, “ One of the obstacles to our spiritual growth is noise….How do our souls grow? Our souls thrive on silence”(2006, p. 106). I get this. I know the priority of solitude was modeled in Jesus. Before calling his disciples, Jesus spent the night alone praying on a mountain (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus called his disciples to a quiet place to rest ...
3 Things I Learned about Church Growth from Church Planting
There’s something amazing and terrifying about planting a church. I remember having trouble sleeping the night before Velocity began- terrified that no one would show up the next morning. I was pleased to find that people did and the church slowly grew. But, as the years wore on and the church became self-sufficient, I remember lead pastor Scott and I revisiting some of the principles that helped the church grow in the beginning. We would say things like, “Remember how desperate and hungry we were in the beginning”? These discussions were used to spur on areas of growth for the ...
Jesus is Not Your Boyfriend
Jesus is known to be many things to people including Lord, Savior and friend to sinners. But, there is one thing Jesus is definitely not. Jesus is not your boyfriend. But, if you spend too much time around many churches today, you might think differently. In fact, I think this idea has become so ingrained in our churches, most of us don’t even recognize it’s there (or a problem). But, it’s a huge problem, and can be especially confusing to a man attending church for the first time. So, I’d like to share 3 ways the church unintentionally encourages this ...
Dear Christian, It’s OK to Pray for Patience
As a follower of Jesus there are many things I’m encouraged to pray for; my family, school, government, finances, marriage, kids, and also for qualities like strength, perseverance, and love. BUT, there is one thing many Christians think I should never pray for—patience. The story goes, a Christian should never pray for patience because God will then bring something difficult into their life requiring serious patience. For anyone who believes this, you may not realize it, but this theology is incredibly hurtful and inaccurate. I want you to know that you can, and should pray for patience. Now, maybe you’ve ...
The Work of God While Waiting
Remember back in middle school when people would pass notes to each other and ask, “Do you like me?”, followed by the instructions, “Circle YES or NO.” I remember being in 6th grade and thinking this girl named Erin, sitting on the other side of the room was cute so wrote just such a note. I can’t tell you why in the world writing a note in that moment seemed like the most logical course of action to discover the feelings a girl I liked. But, I wrote and carefully folded my note, writing her name on the front, and began the ...
What Your Church Sign Says About You
About a month ago my family was on vacation in a small town in Michigan. Wherever we go I tend to notice churches and predict it's personality from what I see on the outside. So, as we drove through this quaint town, I couldn't help but notice 3 church signs and so thought I'd discuss what a church sign is potentially saying. Sign #1: This Church is Prayer Conditioned I appreciate the use of attempted humor in this sign, but question its intended purpose. I can't help but wonder to whom this sign is directed and why. Is it the non-Christian looking ...