fresh & practical ideas for your journey to the summit
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 2 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Want to know how to connect people like Nathan (a Type Two at my church)? Let’s look at what it takes, how he sees church, the dos and don’ts for reaching someone like Nathan, and of course, his Superpower as a volunteer
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.
Need to get someone's attention in leadership about what needs to change at your church?
Do you ever feel that you are not being heard by your senior leadership as you shout from the trenches? Here are 4 ways to lead up and get the ear of senior leaders, followed by 3 free resources that you may find valuable for such a time as this.
A caution and a call for your soul this Easter
Last May, many of you know I experienced the trip of a lifetime-taking my wife to one of my favorite places on the planet: Italy. The trip ended in Venice, a location I had not been to yet. What I experienced there has left a mark on me. Literally, a Saint Mark on me. Brace yourself for some cool history. Here we go…
Easter is coming! Here are 8 ways to be ready this year.
No, this is not me and “Cousin It”. This is my wife Michelle and I. I call this accidental California Spring Super Bloom photo “#marriage”. Let me explain…
5 lessons for connectors from the movie Free Solo
What Alex Honnold did on El Capitan is too astounding to take in. Alex climbed El Capitan in less than 4 hours….without a rope or any other safety equipment. His documentary Free Solo is up for an Oscar this year and is in IMAX theaters right now. As I watched the movie, the lessons for those of us leading people on the climb to connect with God and our churches became obvious to me.
Help...Our church campuses aren't growing!!
Ideas, tips and encouragement on this reality of multisite ministry is what this latest episode of our All About Multisite podcast is about. This one focuses on lack of growth and what can actually reverse it.
How do you split up responsibilities between the central and campus staff at your multisite church?
I love talking with Rich, Natalie and Ben about facing this challenge through the lens of programming, children's ministry, and assimilation. If you want to explore this issue with us by listening in.
Do you have a Director of Volunteers?
We do.
This isn't a "Neener, Neener", but I do have to say I think it is super cool to have a person like Julie Liem in this role in my church. I absolutely love working with her, and not just because we grew up in the youth group at Eastside together. At our church, the Director of Volunteers two vital things.
What is the best way to onboard a volunteer at your church?
What is the best way to onboard a volunteer at your church?
a. Carefully
b. After they have proven faithful
c. When they have completed the membership class and been baptized
d. As quickly as possible.
Communion and Reaching In (3 of 4)
I believe we can help guests AND members of our churches make better connections with God and each other by sharing Communion together, holding fast to these two realities:
1. Understanding the story of communion is the only pre-condition for participation
2. If the Holy Spirit is drawing a person to receive the Meal as the story is explained, that is a "sign" of their acceptance at the Table.
Communion and Reaching Out (2 of 4)
What if Communion is not a cleansing ritual for Christians but a story-telling experience for all who need the gospel?
This is the question I proposed in my last post. As someone who is passionate about helping people connect to the Body of Christ, I would respond to this question in a controversial way: I believe that communion was never meant to be a time of personal cleansing of sin for a believer, but a chance to vividly understand the good news about Jesus and how that works out in everyone's life.
Church Membership: Harmful or Helpful? (4 of 4)
Membership has its privileges. We hear this quite a lot. But, there are many understandings of what membership is, and what it means-especially when it comes to the Church. Like a health club, people can be a member of a church that they have not attended in years simply because they fulfilled the membership requirement to remain on the roster. Read on to explore an understanding that will not only really resonate with your guests, but would resonate with the Apostle's understanding of membership as well.
Leveraging the Affinity Factor
One of the reasons that guests make a decision to return to your church within the first 7 minutes of their first visit is because they are unconsciously asking the same question all of us instinctively ask ourselves when we find ourselves in a new environment: "Is there anybody here who's like me?" As Rick Warren says, "You don't attract who you want, you attract who you are".
Learning to leverage "The Affinity Factor" can unlock whole new opportunities to connect guests to your church.
Our Primary Way of Recruiting Volunteers
When I went on my honeymoon to Cancun Mexico, I had an idea that my wife found disturbing. It wouldn't be the last time...