When things grow they tend to get more complex. As someone once right stated, "Everything naturally gravitates towards complexity." This being the case, as you grow, you have to fight (and I mean fight) to take what is complex and make it simple. It might seem impossible but it's not. If you work hard at it, then as Winston Churchill put it, "Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge." Last month our total average attendance was 1,724. This same month last year our total … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Faith
The apostle Paul instructed a young pastor named Timothy “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV This is the same instruction the apostle Peter gave. Addressing pastors he wrote “As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Love
The apostle Paul instructed a young pastor named Timothy “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV This is the same instruction the apostle Peter gave. Addressing pastors he wrote “As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. … [Read more...]
Principles and People
As a supervisor you have to care about principles and people. It's imperative that you find an appropriate balance between caring about principles and people. Historically I've tended to lean towards caring more about principles than people, but have found a healthier balance by learning to ask three important questions anytime someone fails to live up to one of my principles. If the quarterly stats for the church are good and the quarterly stats for that person's department … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Conduct
The apostle Paul instructed a young pastor named Timothy “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV This is the same instruction the apostle Peter gave. Addressing pastors he wrote “As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t … [Read more...]
Say It Over And Over And Over
Former president Richard Nixon, in a speech to the National Press Club in 1972 said "When I say something so much that I am tired of hearing it my staff has heard it for the first time. When my staff is tired of saying something over again the press is hearing it for the first time. When the press is tired of saying something the public is hearing it for the first time." I love this quote because it reminds me of how important it is repeat (often) whatever it is that's important for my staff … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Speech
The apostle Paul instructed a young pastor named Timothy “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV This is the same instruction the apostle Peter gave. Addressing pastors he wrote “As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. … [Read more...]
Your First Three Hires
When starting a new church or starting another location, aim to fill the following three positions before any others: It's the experience people have on Sunday that causes a church to grow and these three positions, more than any others, impact the experience your guests have each Sunday, so they should be the priority. It's like this... If you visit a new restaurant and the exterior looks run down, no one greets you at the door, it takes a long time to be seated, the waitress is rude … [Read more...]
RWMC
RWMC stands for Right, Wrong, Missing Confusing. Every Sunday I have a "note" on my iPhone that has these four words listed. My phone is always in my back pocket and as I notice things, I write them down. Right: worship team killed it, new video went over really well, we had 5 salvations, we had 3 new volunteers sign up for setup Wrong: the mic wasn't on when I started talking, the service went past 65 minutes, I asked a man if the woman with him was his mom and it turned out she was his … [Read more...]
How to Prevent Staff Burnout in Ministry
A couple years back I was on a tele-coaching call with Nelson Searcy and I asked him what he does to prevent his staff from burning out. With our volunteers we rotate people one month on then one month off. That's our strategy to not burnout our volunteers but currently we don't have any strategy to not burnout our paid staff. And since I love my staff and don't want them to get burned out I asked Nelson how I go about doing that. I was suprised at his answer. Here's what he said: It is not … [Read more...]