fresh & practical ideas for your journey to the summit
Three new beliefs that are keeping my head above water these days
If you read my very personal post last month, you may be interested to know 3 new beliefs that are keeping my head above water as of late. They are truly transforming me post-COVID and have helped me move from a winter season in my life and ministry and into a full blown spring. I know that if you buy into them, they will do that for you too.
3 simple ways to better connect people after baptism
Do you ever feel like you’re dropping the ball when it comes to connecting people who are making new decisions to follow Jesus at your church? Even if you don’t, few of us would say we couldn’t do better. If you want to see these people pursuing God and building community with you, here are 3 things we are doing right now that are yielding new results.
Use this for a last minute prayer focus for your staff and volunteers before Easter Services
Here is a last minute resource for your staff, leaders and volunteer teams prior to Easter services.
A way to add new volunteers to your teams this year that you are probably overlooking.
Let’s face it. 2020 has taken a huge bite out of our volunteer apple. Now is the time for a fresh group of people to be invited into the game at your church by establishing a way of letting an overlooked group of people taste what it means to serve God and others. These are individuals who would not be allowed to serve in many churches. Find out who they are and how to recruit them now.
7 things I just learned for creating an online program that connects guests to your church. (Facebook Live summary session 7)
I was cohosting our first ever Next Steps Online. As we let in the guests from our zoom waiting room, all the squares with real people inhabiting them populated the screen of my laptop. That’s when Lynette’s face appeared. I was about to get schooled on what becomes possible when you create an online space to connect guests at your church.
Two principles I learned in Jerusalem that will help you connect new people at your church
When on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee last month, I reflected on my time walking down the road Jesus took into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I thought of 2 principles from that experience that will help all of us connect people better this year at our churches. Here they are.
Need a quick free assimilation overview for you and your team to jumpstart the new year?
Do you ever approach a new opportunity and feel the need for one more run through of the basics before you start? 2020 is your church’s new opportunity and my youtube conversation with David Hopper is your run through before jumping in!
The New Atheists and how to serve them well
The trouble with churches when it comes to atheists is when you only have a hammer (sound arguments for having faith), everyone starts looking like a nail. Arguments to people without faith now are about the most non-sensical and least effective thing you can do in many cases. Learn 5 different approaches to respond to 5 different kinds of people who don’t believe.
8 ways to maintain attendance during your multi-week assimilation program
There is nothing that can deflate a Sherpa leader (one who leads guest on the climb to connect with your church) quite like these 2 things:
An empty room.
A full room missing guests who attended last week.
That’s why when I am talking to leaders who want to see their guests go the distance and get connected to their church, I always share these 8 attrition busting practices I have learned over the years.
5 practical things I learned on a hike help me connect people better at church
Recently, my daughter Carly and I climbed Castle Rock above Big Bear Lake California. As we hiked, bouldered and climbed, 5 discoveries came to me for those who connect people in local churches. Click here to look at our photo journal to see what I learned.
How a Type 9 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
If you have three children like I do, you have had the concern for the emotional landscape of your child in the middle. My so-called “middle child” is Kendra. She is now 24 and she has taught me all about connecting Nines at your church.
How a Type 8 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Charles likes to challenge us. Questions like “Why are we…”, “Why did we…”, and “How will we…” are often asked by him in a polite but direct and courageous way. Why does Charles relentlessly ask the hard questions and make the tough statements? Because Charles is an Eight and you have to know how to connect Eights well to your church.
How a Type 7 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
When she was done, she was surrounded by a group of guests connecting with her and our compassion opportunities in animated conversation. That’s because Ariel is a Seven. Discover a Seven’s superpower and how to connect them to your church.
How a Type 6 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
There are some fun Do’s and some definite Don’ts when connecting Sixes to your church. Learn them here along with two outstanding superpowers they have as volunteers.
How a Type 5 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
I actually thought all this was possible because she is MY daughter. I know now it was largely because Carly is a Five on the Enneagram.
How a Type 4 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Did you know that Van Gogh was…
A pastor’s son
He went to Bible College to become a pastor
He served as a missionary
He was also a Four and Fours are visiting your church right now. Here’s how to reach and connect them.
How a Type 3 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Several business owners were coming into my church and connecting at a descent level with me personally but not relationally with others in the church. I began asking myself why and came up with these 2 observations…
How a Type 1 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Want to know how to connect people like Matt (a Type One at my church)? Let’s look at what it takes, how he experiences church, the dos and don’ts for reaching someone like Matt, and of course, his Superpower as a volunteer.
How the Enneagram can help you reach a bigger variety of guests at your church
The guests that God will lead to your church and mine this weekend are not all the same and one style of connecting does not fit all of them. Understanding people’s Enneagram number will make you more effective at helping people find their small group of friends at your church and their unique role in serving others on a ministry team.
Discerning where you're really at in your spiritual journey and helping others do the same.
Have you ever wondered where you are in your spiritual journey, or why you went through a difficult time and wondered when it would end? I think that guests who have found their way to our churches are wrestling with those same questions as well. In this conversation with Sharon Hughes, I share an answer to these questions that has served me and the guests we connect with well.
Ready to speed up your progress?
Is it time for you to take building (or rebuilding) your Assimilation System seriously with the CTA Video Course (especially before your next big weekend)?
Do you need one-on-one help with one of our results-driven coaching packages? (we’ll join you in the weeds and do the work with you)
Or are you ready for total staff-wide alignment — the fastest move you can make toward strong walls and open gates? Then Base Camp is for you.
What about a full audit of the walls and gates that you are (or maybe aren’t) presenting to your guests every Sunday with a Secret Sunday Guest Review?