No matter how great Sunday’s worship service was, there’s always another Sunday service just around the corner, waiting to be planned — a reality that forces most pastors and church leaders into a continual state of stress. Can you relate? Along with Journey Worship Arts Pastor Jason Hatley, and Jennifer Dykes Henson, I wrote Engage to be your step-by-step, stress-free guide to planning … Read More
Monday is for Follow-up: Creating Relationships
“It doesn’t matter how well you preach or how passionate your worship team is – if your newcomers do not find relationships and take on responsibility within the church, they will not stay long.” – Nelson Searcy (the above quote is from p. 134 of Fusion by Nelson Searcy) What will you be doing today to maximize relationships and responsibilities for your … Read More
John Newton on Preaching
“My grand point in preaching is to break the hard heart and to heal the broken one.” – John Newton, clergyman and author of the hymn “Amazing Grace”
Ways to Respond in Times of Crisis
Today’s guest post comes to us from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. We’re all human. So it makes sense that our hearts often hurt for people impacted by tragedies here and abroad—tragedies that can leave us feeling helpless. What can we do in response to the violence and destruction around us? Pray Deeply “Prayer is the Christian’s greatest weapon.” —Billy … Read More
Let’s focus on your growth – 2 Day Assimilation Workshop
It would be wrong to keep this to myself – Nothing will bring health and growth faster in your church than working on your Assimilation system! Just a few tweaks to this system can make a big difference. This is the one system that will keep your first-time guests coming back and moving forward to become second-time guests, regular attenders … Read More
4 Truths and a Lie (When Volunteers Say No)
The following sentence contains a lie — See if you can find it: ** Every time I ask a volunteer to serve at The Journey Church, they always say “YES!” ** Did you see the lie? Before I confess it, let me state what is true in the sentence above: True: I ask volunteers to serve all the time. True: The Journey … Read More
LAST CHANCE – Quick Survey Plus FREE E-book on Recruiting Volunteers!
Did you miss it? I’ve been doing a survey on volunteer challenges and I’d like to get your feedback. It’s a brief 45-second survey – www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/volunteersurvey As a thank you, I’ll send you my brand new E-Book on recruiting volunteers: EIGHT BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES FOR RECRUITING NEW VOLUNTEERS: Miss Any of These and You’ll Always Lack Volunteers ($29.95 Value, yours FREE). … Read More
New E-Book on Recruiting Volunteers – Get Your FREE Copy!
It happens every week. You try to recruit as many volunteers as possible so that you can have the greatest impact possible. Some people jump at the opportunity to volunteer and others get that ‘deer in the headlight’ look, shocked that you would ask. As a pastor, it seems like I’ve heard every excuse in the book as to why … Read More
Charles Finney on God’s Presence in the Church
“If the presence of God is in the church, the church will draw the world in. If the presence of God is not in the church, the world will draw the church out.” – Charles Grandison Finney
Keys to Worship Planning: A Preaching Calendar
“Planning in advance is the only way you and I will be able to create life-changing worship services that reflect God’s excellence and allow him to work to the fullest degree. And here’s the key, teaching pastor: your preaching calendar sets the stage for your entire church’s planning system. Your preaching calendar is the foundation; it’s the backbone that … Read More