Building Ministries vs. Making Disciples

Building Ministries vs. Making Disciples

Full disclosure: I think leaders and pastors fall into the trap of focusing more of their time on building ministries than making disciples. It is not that leaders and pastors don’t think discipleship is essential, but the reality is that discipleship does not pay the bills. The commitment to discipleship is time and energy-intensive, ultimately taking time and energy away from the ministries we are paid to oversee. As a result, discipleship takes a back seat to most everything else. 

Nobody Wants to Work Anymore: Why blaming young adults won’t get us anywhere in the church.

Nobody Wants to Work Anymore: Why blaming young adults won’t get us anywhere in the church.

The church in North America is shrinking and we blame the next generation, “nobody wants to go to church anymore.” We did it with Gen X. We did it with the Millennials. We’re doing it with Gen Z. However, I don’t think blaming the next generation of young adults for not connecting with what connects to us is going to right the ship.

How to Do 18-24 Months of Sunday Morning Sermon Prep

How to Do 18-24 Months of Sunday Morning Sermon Prep

It’s Friday, and it happened again. You’re sitting in front of your laptop trying to come up with something to preach on Sunday. Your mind is blank. Your soul is dry. You’re frustrated and angry for getting to this point again. You were so excited earlier in the week about what you wanted to share. Now, you don’t want to be here, stuck doing sermon prep. It’s the weekend and there are other things you’d rather be doing. All the while your cursor is blinking, “You’ve got nothing. You’ve got nothing.”

Balcony Time: The Weekly Practice That Can Take You From Task Management to Visionary Planning

Balcony Time: The Weekly Practice That Can Take You From Task Management to Visionary Planning

Balcony time is an intentional, weekly practice of spending time working on your ministry rather than just in your ministry. Often, doing church ministry and other non-profit work can feel like putting out one fire after another and prioritizing what feels urgent over what feels important. Balcony time helps alleviate those issues by increasing the…

5 Things You Need to Lead a Youth Ministry Virtually

5 Things You Need to Lead
a Youth Ministry Virtually

Just a note: this is not a blog about the Enneagram. But, this opening analogy is helpful.  If you’ve heard or studied anything about the Enneagram, you already know the way you learn your type is to identify your core motivation. I use this analogy often when talking about Ministry Architects because if Ministry Architects,…

Three Keys to a Fantastic “Family Ministry Fall”

Three Keys to a Fantastic “Family Ministry Fall”

Fall is always an exciting time in church world. People are coming off summer vacations, rest, and a different pace of life. They are typically ready to re-engage with church on some level. Kids move up into their new Sunday school class or small group. Then, youth group cranks back up with some kind of…