It's been a snow filled winter here in New England! As a result, many pastors have had to cancel church - some for a couple weeks in a row. And as every pastor knows, when you cancel church, many people don't make up their giving (i.e. give next week what they would've given this week had church not been canceled). Even when most of the church gives online, you still can expect about half the normal offering when you cancel. Well this is one of many reasons that at New Day we keep two months … [Read more...]
12 Questions for Sermon Run Through
In a previous post I talked about the benefits of a sermon run through (to read that post click here). In this post I want to share with you the twelve questions I ask my staff after sharing my message with them on Thursday (the Thursday before I preach the message). Tell me what you liked about the message? What resonated with you the most? Why should people care about this topic? "Thanks God it's over!" or "Wow, is it over already?" If it was long, where can I cut? Are there pictures with … [Read more...]
The Preacher as Witness
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” From this verse we learn that one of the roles of the preacher is to witness for Jesus (this isn't limited to preachers, but includes preachers). In this post we'll explore what it means to be Christ's witness in preaching. Whereas as the preacher as steward is a domestic illustration, and whereas the … [Read more...]
The Preacher as Witness
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” From this verse we learn that one of the roles of the preacher is to witness for Jesus (this isn't limited to preachers, but includes preachers). In this post we'll explore what it means to be Christ's witness in preaching. Whereas as the preacher as steward is a domestic illustration, and whereas the … [Read more...]
Know Your Numbers
I once read a book called The Walmart Way by Don Soderquist. In this book I learned how Sam Walton lived by this saying: Know your numbers! He would carefully track any key metrics that might help him improve his business. Well Proverbs 27:23 basically says the same thing: Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." Someone once taught me "You cannot manage what you do not measure." I think that's some good advice and I live by it. In 2012 we water … [Read more...]
How Google Can Help You Preach
When preparing for an upcoming sermon (or sermon series) I tap into the power of Google. For example, this past Sunday I preached a sermon called The Secrets of Attraction (in a series we're doing on the book of Song of Solomon). By creating a news alert for "attraction" Google was emailing me articles on that subject for weeks leading up to last Sunday. One of the articles gave me some great intro material to work with. Referencing the article I said "Here's the world's wisdom on what you ought … [Read more...]
Preparing Your Annual Report Part 2
Once you understand the purpose of your board (see Preparing Your Annual Report Part 1) you're now ready to begin creating a report. Since the first purpose of the board is to guard the mission I like to begin a board meeting by reporting on the mission (after I open in prayer and give an overview of the meeting). Jesus told us to make disciples, baptize them and then teach them (Matthew 28:19-20). So we're to make, mark and mature disciples. Making disciples is all about helping people get … [Read more...]
Preparing Your Annual Report Part 1
One task of the lead pastor is to prepare an annual report for the board of directors. In this post I hope to help you prepare for that task. A good annual report begins with a rock solid understanding of the purpose of your board. A board exists to guard three things: The mission The money The message The board is there to make sure the lead pastor is leading the church in fulfilling Jesus' Great Commission (for that's the mission of every church). The board is there to make sure the lead … [Read more...]
The Pareto Principle Applied to Volunteers
I first learned of the Pareto Principle my freshman year in Bible college from a John Maxwell book when I wrote a paper on leadership for one of my classes. The Pareto Principle basically teaches that 20% of the people do 80% of the work, and that it then takes the other 80% of the people to do the other 20% of the work. There are many ways you can apply the Pareto Principle, but in this post we'll apply it to spending time with volunteers in your church. As leaders we all have a limited amount … [Read more...]
Sample End-of-Year Giving Letter
In January you ought to be sending out giving statements to each person who financially contributed to the work of the Lord through your church over the past year. In this post I want to share the kind of letter I write and enclose along with the actual giving statement. My hope is that you'll be able to use this as a guide to help you in writing your own end-of-year giving letter. Dear New Day Church Family Member, Enclosed you will find your 2014 End-of-Year Giving Statement. Because we are … [Read more...]
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