If you have a dream for how to help others, get started. Do it! That’s what Fletch did in 2003 when he launched XPastor. Phil Taylor and Tyler Drewitz interviewed Fletch to talk about the […]

by Stan Endicott and Dave Rhodes 

The Conversation Everyone is Having that No One is Talking About
What might that be?
The Answer: People In Your Church Who Are 55+

They are present but invisible. They are part […]

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 […]

Questions have a curious function in the life of a leader. A good question can often propel us forward more than a great answer. Our roles in leading our churches requires us to not only […]

Excerpt from Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace

I’ll never forget the first time I hired someone and felt good about it. We shook hands over a cup of coffee, and I walked away from […]

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 coaching […]

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 […]

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 […]

While circulating in our church atrium, greeting people as they strolled in for Sunday worship, a woman came up to me and timidly asked, “Do you remember me?” I had to apologize for not recognizing […]

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 […]

I choose to read and review Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend  because of my positive experiences with other Andy Stanley and North Point books and videos. Andy’s book Communicating for a […]

In his book, Church Unique, Will Mancini pushes pastors to engage in the hard work of finding the unique contribution that their church can make to the world. More than strategy, this is a matter […]

Andy Stanley is fed up. He is fed up with churches that are more interested in protecting the way “we have always done it.” He is fed up with churches that invest millions of […]

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 […]

If you’re like me, you’ve got a stack of books somewhere in your home or office in a pile named, “I really need to read this once I have time.” If you have that pile—or […]

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 […]

Church members frequently understand themselves to be the raison d’êtrefor which their congregations exist: “Our church is here to meet our needs.” But, as they move toward a missional stance, many congregational leaders today seek a […]

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 […]

I like to ask myself what assumptions lie behind the way I think about ministry. In May of 2007, I was asked to write a preliminary, background assessment as Campus Crusade for Christ began rethinking […]

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 […]

Quick … what’s the single key difference between checkers and chess? Both have two players, alternating moves, the same board and both need advanced strategic thinking … now if you are already saying, “Hey I […]

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 […]

David asked me to write an ongoing series that explores books that have the potential for really pushing your buttons, disturbing your thinking, or challenging how you lead your church. If you don’t want that, […]

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 […]