1,400 Articles from 325 Leaders
Listed from the most recent
Be as Ingenious as a VW Bug
You face issues, complications and problems all the time in your church. It’s not a question of whether they will be solved; you have to solve them for ministry to go forward. It’s a question [...]
Architectural Leadership: The Missing Discipline in Executive Pastoral Ministry
Introduction I remember sitting alone in my office late one evening after another long staff meeting had ended in quiet frustration. No one had said anything unkind. No one had raised their voice. Yet [...]
Internship Applications and Checklist
There are always lots of questions about paid and unpaid internships. Steven Goodspeed, Partner at My Church Law Firm has provided these two forms in Word format. The important question is one of compensation. In [...]
Case Study: Team Building Never Stops
How Flatirons Strengthened Their Staff If you lead in a church, you already know the truth: The work of building teams never stops. Team members shift. Ministries grow. Needs evolve. Leaders are stretched into [...]
“The Job Was Slowly Emptying Me”
Ministering as an XP, Dr. Nathan Baxter loved ten hours of his job. Those one-on-ones with staff fueled him; the rest of his responsibilities slowly emptied him. Naming that truth started a two-year journey [...]
Cost of Living
I often get emails that say: I’m in a high cost of living area. Should I be earning more because it costs more to live here? The question is a good one so let’s see [...]
Pastors, Directors & the Ministerial Exception
Each year, I see hundreds of positions with titles of Pastor/Director, such as Operations Pastor/Director or Student Ministry Pastor/Director. While it may be counterintuitive, whether the person has the title of Pastor or Director, the [...]
Should Your Church Change Its Fiscal Year-End?
If your church uses a calendar year-end of December 31 as its fiscal year-end, you may want to consider whether you would benefit from changing it. We continue to see more churches moving away from [...]
Signs Your Ministry Needs an HR Audit
Leading a ministry is a profound and complex calling. Your primary focus is on the mission: important topics like spiritual growth and community, but ministry leaders often overlook one of the most crucial pieces [...]
The Ripple Effect of Vacancies: Lessons from The Compass Church
Introduction Every church leader eventually faces the reality of a staff vacancy. A beloved pastor accepts a new call, a trusted leader retires, or unexpected life events create sudden change. In those moments, the [...]
Balancing the Business Brain and the Pastoral Heart
What do scuba diving, salary spreadsheets, and severance packages have in common? According to Fletch, more than you think. Matt Davis interviews Fletch in Episode 55, Balancing the Business Brain and the Pastoral Heart. This [...]
Want Your Church Technology to Work? Start with the Right Team
Thousands of churches across the country are navigating the same opportunity: how to use technology to deepen engagement and disciple people throughout the week. These are churches focused on mission and looking for ways [...]
Retiring Your Staff Handbook: It May Be Time for a Rewrite
Your ministry is ever-changing. Staff changes, leadership changes, community changes—it is imperative your organization as a whole grows and changes as well. This should be reflected in all facets of ministry, but one often [...]
Hey Fletch & Ops Questions
Fletch Answers Questions on Operations Buildings, Communications, Facility Issues and Information Technology Buildings & Facility Issues Raised $10 Million Hey Fletch … I’m an XP and we just raised $10 million for a [...]
Hey Fletch & Staff Questions
Fletch Answers Questions on Staff Compensation, Hiring, HR & Housing, Issues & Policy, Job Descriptions, Reviews and Rest, Searching, Succession or Fired. Compensation Issues Senior Pastor with Little Retirement Savings Hey Fletch … [...]
Hey Fletch & Finance Questions
Fletch Answers Questions on Finance Banking & Fraud, Budgets & Cuts, Financial Issues, Generosity and Legal & Insurance Banking & Fraud Stolen W-2s Hey Fletch … A shipping firm claimed they left the [...]
Hey Fletch & Strategy Questions
Fletch Answers Questions on Strategy 10 Year Vision, Church Growth, Governance, Leadership, Ministry Issues, Multisites & Mergers, Pastoral Care, Predators and Team Culture. Vision & Church Growth Elder Vision and Giving Hey Fletch … [...]
Hey Fletch & New XP Questions
Fletch Answers Questions on the XP Church vs. Business, Essentials, First Six Months, Growing as an XP and the SP-XP Relationship. Church vs. business Business Minded New XP Hey Fletch … We hired an [...]
Fletch’s Aphorisms
Fletch's Favorite Aphorisms Insanity is Hereditary—You Can Get It from Your Kids Being a grandparent is an ideal place in life. We get all the benefits of loving on those grandkids without the responsibly. Parenting [...]
Cultivating the Leader Heart of Jesus
For years I avoided reading or learning too much about leadership. The topic made me afraid … afraid to feel inadequate … to become overly ambitious … to feed my ego…to get stressed and over-function. [...]
The Secret of Jesus’ Easy Yoke
A ministry friend of mine was late for his appointment with me. He finally arrived breathless as he explained that 24 hours in a day just isn't enough! He was trying so hard to [...]
What Are the Odds You Will Finish Well?
I read a book in 1999 that posed this question: What are the odds you will finish well? I have never forgotten how it impacted me. I went on to develop a leadership coaching [...]
What is a Reasonable Retirement Package?
Too often, church boards lack the knowledge and experience to create an appropriate retirement package for their senior pastor who has served the church faithfully for many years or even decades. When the topic [...]
Building Before and After
A Picture is Worth 1,000 words These before and after shots tell the story. Churches with adequate facilities become beautiful and functional places for ministry. See the Build Smart page. [...]