Making disciples is at the heart of every church. However, gone are the days when it was possible or practical for pastors to greet all members at the church door and know what’s going on […]

The main segment in most worship services is the sermon. It receives the most time and is pivotal for teaching biblical truth. Yet, almost everyone listening to the sermon forgets it by Wednesday. Church leaders […]

Unfortunately, I am old enough to reminisce about the original “Adventures of Superman” created in the 1950s. But proudly, I am young enough to have only viewed them as reruns in the 1960s! It may […]

In his first book, Tim Beltz guides the church planter on a profound yet simple journey to establish a new church—both legally and above reproach. Charting the Course is a practical and relevant guide to […]

Fletch had the pleasure to be with multisite Chapelstreet Church of Geneva, Illinois. While there, he saw a 10-page magazine, Neighbor, summer 2018 edition. Fletch picked up a hard copy of the magazine and got […]

Monday, April 2, 2018

Hey Fletch … I am a researcher for a public television station. I wondered if you have ever heard of a trend where a pastor in a small, rural area may minister […]

Monday, March 12, 2018

Hey Fletch … I have heard you talk about “easy onramps” in a church. What do you mean by that?

DRF—Every church needs places where newcomers can easily “get on board.” Existing attenders […]

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Hey Doc … I’m trying to gauge how warm our church is. I feel that it is a super encouraging place to be, but some visitors are telling me otherwise. Any thoughts?

DRF—Here […]

February 12, 2018

Hey Doc … I have just been posted to a very small church in Africa, just 15 older people. What should I do to help grow the little church? What are some of […]

Rich Birch was a featured speaker at the 2018 XP-Seminar. Enjoy this great article from him … and join us at the next XP-Seminar. Rich has plenty of experience in ministry, business and […]

It’s a dirty word in some circles. “They mostly grow by transfer.” This critique implies that the church is not reaching people with the gospel, just “stealing” people from other churches like TMobile does to […]

A record number of new churches are launching across North America. Most will initially choose to meet in a rented facility—often a school, movie theater or community center. While church is never only about the […]

Death is not a topic we enjoy. Death of churches is not a topic I enjoy. You see, I love the local church. I love it, despite its flaws, sins and hypocrisies. Jesus loves me […]

Ask any multisite church leader today what the most important component is in multisiting and the overwhelming answer is the campus pastor. When I went to Willow Creek in the year 2000 to pioneer the multisite strategy, […]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a meeting with a pastor, told him what I do as a consultant and watched him perk up. I recently had a meeting with a Senior […]

Below are five practical tips to implement at your church in order to make great first impressions with guests.

1. Vision cast to your Guest Services team

So often, people that serve on a church’s Guest Services […]

Why are people leaving your church? Every church has a back door. But do you know why they are leaving? Have you ever done exit interviews? A number of years ago, Bill Hendricks wrote a […]

As a pastor of a small church (less than 200 people) that has now planted three churches (two in the last eighteen months), we always have more dreams than dollars. In our context, multiplying churches […]

Mike Robinson of www.details.com prepared this Visitor Experience Audit for Oak Hill Baptist Church, in preparation for the opening of their new building. It’s many times helpful to get an outsider’s perspective on your church’s […]

It’s 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Sonny pulls in front of a 200-year-old shirt factory turned nightclub ready to clean up after last night’s show. I unlock the door; we walk in to assess […]

I caught a flight out of Denver, still celebrating the ministry impact that was clearly evident at the church I had just visited. As I traveled, I began to compare and contrast it with other […]

I have had the opportunity to visit many churches over the last several months, both in the DC metropolitan area and in different parts of the country. Many of these churches are filled with good […]

Liberty Church is a dynamic, progressive church of 550 adults and 300 children in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Unusual for a Southern Baptist Church, it is governed by a Board of Elders—and the ministry is carried out through teams. […]

In the Stonebriar Community Church Case Study, the decision of Dr. Charles Swindoll to add a third service at 8:00 on Sunday morning was introduced. Chuck, as he likes to be called, had informed his Executive Pastor, […]

In January 2004, Dr. Charles Swindoll, Senior Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, announced his decision to David Chavanne, the church’s Senior Executive Pastor. The internationally known radio preacher, who likes to be called “Chuck,” had decided that Stonebriar […]

Richland Bible Church is located in the small West Michigan town of Richland, about nine miles northeast of Kalamazoo. The church was organized in March of 1983, when 75 people came together to form a […]

These are unique and challenging times for churches. There are more distractions to draw people away from church involvement than ever before. These distractions make it difficult for attendees to fully participate in sermon series […]

Recently we had the hallway in our home painted by some professional painters. We were constantly reminded of this each time we left and returned to our house. You see, once we spent enough time […]