A Juneteenth Reflection
I’m writing this post on Juneteenth, the national holiday established in 2021. Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of slaves in Texas...
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Apr 18, 20233 min read
What Would Paul Do?
Okay, I know, I know. It creeps me out too. But it’s difficult to overlook Paul in the roll call of tour guides for the spiritual destiny...
Feb 27, 20233 min read
Are You Celebrating?
One of the factors that we look for in churches that are plateaued or shrinking is the passion element. Passion is the vital fuel of an...
Dec 12, 20223 min read
A Different Christmas Eve
One September day twenty-two years ago, I was sitting in a Chipotle with my wife Anita and suddenly declared: “I can’t do another...
Nov 14, 20222 min read
The Secret of Servant Leadership
Of the four essential elements that every leader must exercise—Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and Imagination—Servanthood seems like it...
Oct 18, 20223 min read
Helping People To Become Inviters
This summer at a nearby amusement park, I rode thirteen rollercoasters in one evening. The granddaddy of them all was Orion—a gigacoaster...
Oct 4, 20223 min read
Let's Talk About Church Consultants...
Yeah, I know, I know. It’s a tacky mashup of Pixar and Peanuts. But the point is: do we really need “church consultants”? I have to admit...
Sep 13, 20223 min read
4 Critical Qualities for Churchplanters
Let’s start with the obvious: Churchplanting is not for the fainthearted. You’re welcome. If you’re in ministry, whether just starting or...
Apr 19, 20222 min read
Is Your Church Afraid of Change?
Over the years that we’ve worked with churches, it’s been our observation that of the four critical elements of healthy, effective...
Mar 29, 20223 min read
Are You Falling In Love?
“Falling in love” is what some psychologists believe is the collapsing of so-called “ego boundaries.” Ego boundaries are believed to be...
Mar 14, 20223 min read
Is Your Church Accessible?
Last week in a coaching session with a young pastor, we talked through some challenging decisions to make in her church as she’s about to...
Mar 7, 20222 min read
Bringing Dreams to Life
Nothing should thrill a leader more than overhearing a volunteer describing the mission of the organization in a way that sounds as if...
Feb 8, 20223 min read
The Challenge of the Easy
Any form of movement requires energy. Energy, however, is hard to come by. As biological creatures, human beings will naturally seek to...
Dec 29, 20213 min read
The Meaning of Life...in One Short Blog
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he...
Sep 1, 20212 min read
When To Challenge...
How long has it been since the people in your church, ministry, or organization were challenged with something bigger than themselves?...
Jun 15, 20213 min read
Cincinnati Has A Story...
My hometown of Cincinnati is (in)famous for a number of reasons, not least its name. Hardly anyone can spell it, and few people,...
Dec 17, 20202 min read
Flatlining on the Status Quo
At one point in my pastoring, we purchased a demographic study based on a ten-mile radius of our church. It was filled with extremely...
Oct 27, 20203 min read
We Have the Meats!
Leaders and pastors, have you ever heard this?: “When are we going to get the deep teaching here? When am I going to get some meat?” ...
Oct 25, 20202 min read
Circumstances and Leadership
This whacked-out 2020 year is a case study in how circumstances can upend organizations and their leaders: how they function, how they...
Jul 21, 20202 min read
Incarnational Leadership
The “Big C” Church has never been about earthly power. Never has, never will. The true Church has never desired to have control, because...
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