I hate shopping for antiques. In the rare event that my wife convinces me to go look at antiques, I will shuffle miserably around behind her trying not to get dust in my eyes. Between […]
Whether a church has 100, 1,000 or 10,000 people, the business of church is complex. According to industry research, there are approximately 300,000 churches in the United States. Of those 300,000 ninety percent have around […]
“You are destroying the church I love!” “You are not a godly man and I hate you!” “Sometimes I do not understand the way you think!” “You are making my church too corporate!” After you […]
A variety of paths can lead to the role of executive pastor (or executive director) in a church. One of the most common is the businessperson who is already a volunteer leader in the church […]
“To organize or not to organize? That is the question.” While this may be a bad take-off on Shakespeare, it’s a key issue for second chair leaders. One possible response to this question is, “Don’t bother […]
Throughout my many years of ministry, I have had the opportunity to coach executives of Fortune 500 companies and church leaders. My vantage point is fascinating; I enjoy the challenge of identifying best practices that […]
My first ninety days as an Administrative Pastor at my church was not for the faint hearted. Take your pick of the more interesting opportunities for growth that I experienced in my new position in […]
Before even opening this book, the title caught my eye. Whenever we think of words with the prefix “re” before it—words like review, rewind, re-do—we automatically think of things or situations that we must execute […]
An examination of hundreds of responses to the Executive Pastor Indicator (which has become the People Patterns Indicator) documented some of the differences between Executive Pastors and Church Administrators. Many churches have both of these […]
Church administration is an organizational approach that translates the purposes of God revealed to church leadership into effective ministry that reaches the unique goals and purposes of the church. Administration is ministry, not methods; people, […]
Here’s the situation. Your giving to the General Fund is down, not to mention missions and other special giving. Some of your people are losing their jobs, and many others are in fear of that […]
We are truly “strangers in a strange land.” In Robert A. Heinlein’s Hugo Award winning science fiction novel by that title, the main character, Valentine Michael Smith, returns to Earth as an adult after being raised on […]
As the Executive Pastor of our church, (a non-denominational, evangelical, contemporary-styled church) I was the first person our Lead Pastor came to with his idea of adding two other staff members that would serve at […]
Working as a Town Planner, my work often varied and was rewarding as I helped shape and establish existing and new communities. After thirteen years and working for four different local government authorities, I had […]
In 2000, and after only a few months without a Senior Pastor, Woodinville Alliance Church made a “coup” in the pastor-hiring category. In 2004, Mary Jammerman began as Executive Pastor at Woodinville … in October of that year, Senior Pastor […]
Every year at the XP-Seminar, I ask, “How many of you came from the business world?” In 2005, about 25% of the XPs raised their hands; by 2008, over 50% said “yes.” Current estimates are […]
I once heard a good definition of a CFO: “Someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand.” There is some truth in this statement. However, in actuality, […]
There is a distinctly business-like aspect to overseeing a church: churches have assets to manage, employees to pay, and members who rightfully demand accountability for their financial contributions. The business side of church leadership is […]
Because I have an interest in organizations, I often have an eye out for signs of excellence, or lack thereof, in my everyday dealings. It becomes apparent when there is an obvious emphasis by an […]
David Fletcher ran into Dr. Booth’s paper while attending a class at the Kellogg School of Management. Measuring change is tough in a church and yet so necessary, considering how much change occurs! This is […]
