Church Leadership
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Raise the Expectations or Lower the Offerings
I don’t know when I first heard of the 80/20 principle, but, if you have been in nearly any business or organization–including the church–very long, you have likely heard of it, too. The concept is basically that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. There are variations, but that principle is the one that is most commonly cited and, seemingly, nearly universally regarded as at least nearly true, if not fully so. For so many years now, I have heard that formula mentioned in elders’ meetings, elders’ and deacons’ meetings, read it in church bulletins, seen it on church blog posts, and more. This principle is…
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It’s Essential to be a Member
In recent weeks, I’ve stayed more nights in a hotel than is usual for me. I am definitely not a world traveler, but, for whatever reason, nights in hotels have added up over the past month or so. One thing that happens, especially when you stay in a “chain” hotel, is that you see ads about joining some type of reward program. Maybe it’s a sign in the room. Maybe it’s on the Wi-Fi login page. Maybe there is a sign in the lobby. But the point is the same: if you’re a member, it gives you something, so it’s better than not being a member. Sadly, there are a…
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Think of the Church Family
Two sermons. Two very different reactions. A number of years ago, I was at another congregation where we hosted a wonderful Gospel Meeting dealing with the family. The elders had agreed that we had a lot of families in need of help and a series of lessons could only help that. Our speaker did a wonderful job and there was no way anyone with a family left without more tools to do better and more encouragement to keep going. After the final service, one of our older ladies–who was a widow–saw me walking by and, instead of saying something about how helpful this had been or how grateful she was…
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An Ancient Empire, A Former President, and Some Recent Concerns
If you are familiar with Daniel (the book and the man), you know that his enemies looked for a way to get rid of him. The plan they devised was to get the king to issue an order that would prohibit the worship of any god other than the king himself for thirty days. Those who violated that decree were to be cast into a den of lions. The thinking was that Daniel’s enemies knew that he regularly worshiped the one and only true God and that this practice would/should result in them no longer having to deal with him. They also knew something else. In that empire (the Medo-Persian…
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Commonly Held (Non) Qualifications for Elders
Central is in the middle of a search for additional elders. As such, thinking about elders, their role, their qualifications, and the future of our congregation has taken up a lot of my mental space lately. One of the things that I have been reflecting on is how, over the years, I have heard people talk about the qualifications for elders and say things that “disqualify” a man, but that are not found in the actual Biblical qualifications (found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). Here are four of those. “He Has Never Taught a Bible Class.” This one often comes up when people think about the qualification that…
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The (Human) Strength of a Church
One of the most important things any congregation needs to remember is that the ultimate strength they have is in Jesus and in His Word, the New Testament. It is a blessing that is hard to put into powerful enough language that we can rely on a Head Who is perfect and on His Word, which is infallible. In that Word, though, we are clearly commanded to do certain things within the context of each congregation. And one of those things is to have qualified men as elders/pastors/bishops/overseers. These men are the human strength of the local church. Central is currently in the process of seeking additional elders, so this…
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Restoration is Ongoing
[NOTE: Today’s post is the full script of a sermon I preached at Central recently. Since it is written more in “essay” form, I thought it might encourage our readers. –Adam] Tonight’s lesson is a little different in style. Even my notes look different. Typically, when I write a sermon, there is an introduction, body–with 3 or 4 points–and a conclusion. This lesson, though, is written more in essay style and, I hope, you will see why. I want to say that the idea for this lesson is not original to me, but the content is. The idea comes from a small portion of a lesson that Kirk Brothers gave…
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It’s the Word
“Our church isn’t growing. We need a new preacher.” “The kids aren’t interested. We need to have more fun.” “That church draws all the people. We need to do what they do.” “My life is in shambles. I need to find a podcast to help.” Or… you need to remember that the power of God is in the Word. If your preacher is preaching the truth from the Word of God, you don’t need a new preacher. You need to appreciate that he is sharing the truth. If some kids aren’t interested, you need to remind the children and their families that fun won’t get them to heaven–following the Word…
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Two “Uh-Oh” Statements that Hinder Congregational Growth
Today’s post is not original with me. I got the idea from a brief comment made at a lesson at Polishing the Pulpit last year by Brandon Rader. While it was not the main point of the lesson, it has stuck with me since I heard it on a recording of the lesson recently. Congregations want to grow (I hope). However, there are certain phrases that, if they become the default, can hinder growth. One of those you have heard talked about many times before, while the other you may not have. Statement #1: “We’ve never done it that way before.” I think it is worth saying that this is…
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Here We Go Again
Well, we made it. At long last, the reality that every youth minister simultaneously longs for and secretly dreads has manifested again. It’s summertime. If this is anything like the summers I have spent in youth ministry before, it’s going to be a long two and a half months. There will be a lot of early mornings and late nights. There will be a lot of hard conversations, some because they are very deep and challenging and some because they are about subjects that are difficult to discuss. There will be a lot of hard work that is both physically and mentally strenuous, on top of the hard work that…