fresh & practical ideas for your journey to the summit
Ideas and strategies for church guests in the "New Normal".
It's a humbling experience to be speaking alongside thought leaders of this caliber. I am so excited about this conference and the help it will give to all of us who strive to serve and connect guests….and it’s coming in just a few weeks from now! Get a $20 off code from me here.
Two ways to handle political division like Jesus did
To say this is a challenging year to be a spiritual leader would be an understatement. After quarantining for months, protests breakout that have polarized the culture we serve so severely that it has politicized whether your church even reopens or remain closed. How can we stay focused on the right thing when forces are pulling us to one extreme or the other, especially when so much is at stake for guests?
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.
How to engage your guests using "The Power of Place"
In this post, I am going to create a short photo scrapbook from a location in Israel to demonstrate something I call The Power of Place which I believe can make or break your engagement efforts with people at 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!
A challenge from the Christmas story and a tip on video for connecting well with your holiday guests
Christmas is next week and this is the last post of the decade for me. What do I want you to know? Just 2 things as we move into a whole new decade in 2020.
Do you know how to follow up on Christmas guests so they'll return in January? Here's your checklist
At my church, 18% of all the guest cards we receive in a year come from our Christmas services. That is why we’ve come up with a special and strategic way to follow up on Christmas guests, campus wide, a way that we don’t use with guests at any other time of year.
A checklist for onboarding more volunteers at your church this Christmas
I'm one of those guys who believes that God has already brought to your church all the volunteers you need for everything he wants to do at your Christmas services this year. Here are 4 ways to staff your ministry teams with plenty of volunteers this Christmas, with a checklist for each one.
Your First Impressions Checklist for Christmas
Most of the focus at Christmas revolves around what happens in the auditorium, not around it. Yet it’s where the “common areas” surrounding your auditorium/sanctuary are that most of your guests will decide if your church is one they will be returning to or not. That’s why we all need a first impressions checklist for Christmas.
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…
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?