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I’m writing this post on Juneteenth, the national holiday established in 2021. Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of slaves in Texas...

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...

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...

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...

Of the four essential elements that every leader must exercise—Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and Imagination—Servanthood seems like it...

This summer at a nearby amusement park, I rode thirteen rollercoasters in one evening. The granddaddy of them all was Orion—a gigacoaster...

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...

Let’s start with the obvious: Churchplanting is not for the fainthearted. You’re welcome. If you’re in ministry, whether just starting or...

Over the years that we’ve worked with churches, it’s been our observation that of the four critical elements of healthy, effective...

“Falling in love” is what some psychologists believe is the collapsing of so-called “ego boundaries.” Ego boundaries are believed to be...

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...

Nothing should thrill a leader more than overhearing a volunteer describing the mission of the organization in a way that sounds as if...

Any form of movement requires energy. Energy, however, is hard to come by. As biological creatures, human beings will naturally seek to...

“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...

How long has it been since the people in your church, ministry, or organization were challenged with something bigger than themselves?...

My hometown of Cincinnati is (in)famous for a number of reasons, not least its name. Hardly anyone can spell it, and few people,...

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...

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?” ...

This whacked-out 2020 year is a case study in how circumstances can upend organizations and their leaders: how they function, how they...

The “Big C” Church has never been about earthly power. Never has, never will. The true Church has never desired to have control, because...