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 … I have a board member who wants a new vision and direction for our church. Also, he told me that he hasn’t given to the church in nine months. Now what?

I wish that I hadn’t heard that one before! I’d suggest that you set up a six-month period to walk with him through the vision and ministries of your church. Let him know that you hope he can get on board as you have focused discussions. If he can’t, then it is probably God’s time for him to rotate off of the Board. Giving to your church can’t be a weapon that is brandished to get one’s way. We give because we respond to God’s grace in our lives. My favorite Rabbi said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be” (Matt. 6:21). So the board member is telling you that his heart is not in your church’s ministry. Seek to engage his heart.

No Vision Buy-In

Hey Fletch … If I were to put our problem in one line, I would say, “People are not leaving our church but they haven’t bought into our vision.” Could you give some advice?

Tami and I were visiting a church today. It had a fabulous building and a stunning worship team. Yet, I noticed the men around me. Many were impassive. They didn’t sing or respond to the worship. Many were like statues during the message. I mention this to share that even in great buildings, exciting worship and a good message, there will be some who don’t buy into your vision. Jesus said it in Matthew 13:24-25: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed. While people were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.” Only in the mysterious ways of God’s Spirit can the weeds be transformed into wheat.

Perhaps you should look at how you engage folks. At the church we were at today, everyone from the stage was “talking, talking, talking.” There was no engagement of the congregation, no use of photos or video, no sharing stories of ministry and the sermon was a 30 minute monologue. Think through how you can release people to explore your vision during the worship services. How can you penetrate into their souls with the life-changing Word of God? Get creative and see what happens.

Purpose of Church

Hey Fletch … My question to you is ‘what is the purpose of the church’?

That’s a pretty broad question and I don’t know what perspective you are coming from. So, let me give a few thoughts from the New Testament. One purpose for the church is to be a community. The community worships together, cares for one another and serves others in their society. It is not any kind of community, but a specific one. The community is a group of people who are following Christ—the members aren’t perfect, they stumble and fall, but they get back on the road of following Christ. Tell me more about your question and whether your question relates to the article that you were viewing on XPastor. I’d be pleased to dialogue with you more.

Response—Thank you for your email. This question came up as part of a discussion for a class assignment. I was clueless. Hence my reason for asking you. I shared the same concerns that you have about the question. Your response was helpful. Thanks again.

Best Strategist

Hey Fletch … I found your site on a Google search and was impressed with all of the resources and tools to help pastors. You’re awesome! I have a question you may be able to help me with. Who do you think is the best Ministry Strategist Executive or maybe even Executive Connections Pastor in America? The guy making sure people have their pastoral needs met, are finding friends, and are using their gifts. Someone architecting the culture of the church to make sure the discipleship, DNA, and values are being taught and delivered. I know that’s a random way to say it all, but if you could be any help I would be so grateful!

There are lots of great ministry strategists today. I’m hard pressed to say who is the best. There is Dan Reiland, frequently called The Pastor’s Coach. Jenni Catron and her consulting firm, the4Sight Group, has tremendous thoughts on staff culture, strategic planning and vision. Dave Travis with Generis is excellent on succession planning. Brad Leeper with Ministry Essentials on generosity. Chris Purnell with CRI CapinCrouse on tax issues. The list goes on and on.

Strategy & Tactics

Hey Fletch … I’m confused over the difference between “strategic” and “tactical” issues in church ministry. Can you help?

Wikipedia says “The terms tactic and strategy are often confused: tactics are the actual means used to gain an objective, while strategy is the overall campaign plan, which may involve complex operational patterns, activity, and decision-making that govern tactical execution.” Tactic is from the Greek τακτική meaning the “art of arrangement.”

About 2,500 years ago, the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War.” In it, he said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Tactics and strategy are not at odds with one another—they’re on the same team. They have been for many centuries!

One person said: “Strategy defines your long-term goals and how you’re planning to achieve them. Strategy gives you the path you need toward achieving your organization’s mission. Tactics are much more concrete and are often oriented toward smaller steps and shorter timeframes along the way. They involve best practices, specific plans, resources, etc. They’re also called ‘initiatives.’”

Fresh Insight

Hey Fletch … We are bringing in a new leader to a ministry area in our church. We are hoping that this new person can bring fresh insight and make needed decisions. Our former leader had received lots of complaints for “stale thinking,” and “not being motivating.” I wonder if we are having some idealistic thinking about this new leader.

Let me answer this one with a personal story. A long time ago, I oversaw a ministry area with about 120 people in it. Things were running fine and people seemed to be happy. A new area at the church came open and I took a new role. I learned from my replacement that the church leadership had high hopes of seeing my former area grow from 120 to 240 people. They thought that with a new face and insight, that it could double. As a leader, I see that new staff can bring new perspectives to ministry areas. However, new staff are not a panacea. If your church culture has kryptonite in it, even Superman will lose power.

Back to my experience … the new guy took my position, thinking he could grow the ministry within six months. Well, a year came and went, and the ministry not only didn’t grow but it declined by 20 people or so. I don’t know why, but it did. Perhaps I handled the “oppositional elements” better or perhaps my season was a better season in that ministry. Perhaps it didn’t rain so much or the economy was better. There may have been other cogent reasons. It did teach me the truth in a great adage: “the grass is not greener on the other side of the hill.” But, all that being said as a caveat, let’s see how it goes for you!

Know Your Vision, XPastor Does!

Hey Fletch … I work as a freelance writer and with brands looking to promote their content on sites like XPastor. What are your policies for brand collaboration? Most often the brands I work with are looking to work with influencers and sites that will allow me to work on some contributed content on a mutually agreed topic.

XPastor is a unique site. All the articles are submitted by church leaders and national thought leaders. We do not pay any honorariums for our articles, nor do we have articles that promote specific brands. This makes XPastor an objective site for leading and managing the church. Other sites have different values for their articles and authors. For XPastor, our objectivity allows us to comment freely on any issue. This has built a sense of trust and reliability over the years. God’s best to you in your work!

XPastor Strategy

Hey Fletch … I’ve been in ministry a long time. Your XP-Seminar is unlike anything that I have attended before. I absolutely love it. The XPastor site exudes something different than most sites. What is it that is different?

Thanks so much for your gracious words. The free XPastor site has been around 2003 and has over 1,400 articles and thousands of pages of PDFs. Our aim is for articles that will stand the test of time. A good article should last for many years.

Webster defines a blog as: ‘a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer.’ Blogs are short and wonderful snippets of thought. That is not XPastor. XPastor presents articles of length and substance. Each one is written by a leader in their area of church expertise. They are much longer than a 150-word blog post, generally between 1,000-2,000 words, sometimes more. We don’t publish listicles of the ’10 Things You Need to Do This Week,’ with a sentence beside each one.

At XPastor, the material makes you think. It challenges you. You may not always agree with everything you read, but isn’t that how we best learn? XPastor is free. We don’t pay people for writing their articles. It is a gift to the church around the world. To pay the rent, we host the XP-Seminar and workshops, as well as do strategic consulting with churches. This is what makes XPastor different and effective for church leaders around the globe.

Metrics on Growth

Hey Fletch … I’m interested in using some leading indicators to help our staff get an idea on how things are really going in the church. What do you think?

One of the best things that you can do for your church’s vision statement is to monitor it being lived out. In the church world, lagging indicators are metrics like attendance data and financial reports.

A leading indicator could be a real-time report from the greeter team after each service. Here’s intriguing examples from business: Percent of items not worked on for 2 hours or 1 day; Average backlog of work per employee. These are examples of leading indicators in business. You will want to brainstorm about what would be effective leading indicators at your church. Translating these business examples to the church: Number of newcomers who took a visitor’s guide each Sunday; Percent of newcomers who desired guidance to a location on the campus; Number of people asking similar questions; Average backlog of guests waiting at the visitor center.

Keep me informed for what you set. In the church world, the examples that I have seen can get legalistic. How can we encourage folks with leading indicators while not loading them down with undue reporting?

Governance & Leadership

Elders & Decisions

Hey Doc … We have grown to a church of 600. Lately some of our Elders are asking, “Why did you two (the SP and XP) make this or that decision? I thought that we Elders were leading the church?”

One of the challenges of church growth is changes in situational leadership. The decisions that an Elder Board can make in a church of 200 is different from a church of 600, and will be even more different if your church grows to 1,200 or 2,400. I would suggest that you have a conversation and get elder input on that—what exactly do they want to decide and why? As churches grow, Governing Boards need to set vision, policy and make strategic decisions. They need to empower staff to carry out vision and to take tactical action. A church plant is like an infantry platoon—small, mobile and with direct access to leadership. As an army grows, you need officers to carry out the leadership vision of the Pentagon.

Appointing Elders for the First Time

Hey Fletch … I serve as XP of a quickly growing church plant. We are ready to plan for, appoint, and launch our initial Elder Board. What are the best books or resources to guide us down this path?

Sounds like you are in an exciting place. I’m thrilled to hear about a new and growing church. There are two classic books when it comes to the role of elders in a church. The first is Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership by Alexander Strauch. Some great Christian leaders have endorsed the book, from John MacArthur to S. Lewis Johnson. The Reformation & Revival Journal says: “A very useful resource for teaching … truth regarding elders in the local church. Sound, clear, and extremely important.”

The second is Elders and Leaders by Gene Getz. This book covers: “Strong leadership in the church is exactly what God had in mind. However, very few people understand the biblical pattern for church leadership. Elders and Leaders unravels the mystery and alleviates the confusion surrounding this critical topic. In the first part of the book, Gene Getz lays the historical and biblical groundwork for the position of elder. In the second part, he shares how he has applied or has seen these principles applied over the years.”

Like Strauch’s book, many have endorsed Gene’s work, from Tony Evans to Howard Hendricks to Stephen Olford. Randy Pope, Pastor of Perimeter Church in Atlanta says: “How refreshing to read a book dealing with church that is historically biblical yet contemporarily relevant. Both biblical accuracy and a lifetime of wisdom merge on a subject filled with controversial issues. I applaud Gene for providing such clarity on a very misunderstood subject. This book should be read by all who are in leadership of God’s church.” I have used both books in the church and in the doctoral programs that I lead. You will get a great perspective on elders!

Elder Role Descriptions

Hey Fletch … I would love to know if you have any further comments on the Elder Job Description on XPastor. I’m interested in your ideas on the role of discerning and setting vision. Is this with the Senior Pastor who then shares with the elders, or is it with all the Elders?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Some churches have a shared style of creating vision. Many have the Senior Pastor create the vision and then have the Elders processes it and (hopefully) agree with it. Some churches have other leaders, such as the Executive Pastor, create the vision—then often the Senior Pastor shares it from the pulpit. Each church and circumstance is unique.

Transitioning to Elders

Hey Fletch … We are in the process of transitioning to an Elder governance system and are currently accepting nominations. This is a major change for this Baptist church but the vote to do so was overwhelmingly favorable to move forward. My pastor has suggested that the staff may have a difficult time adjusting to this new governance system, whereas I believe the committees will have the more difficult challenge as they will no longer be the final say on matters they are accustomed to controlling. We have a relatively young staff, and they are eager for this change to occur. Do you have any advice on this change we are making?

In the last two decades, many Baptist churches have adopted an elder-led governing system. Some retain the deacons in either care roles or to assist with operations. The transition can have some bumps, as you are indicating. I tend to think that the committees may have a harder time making the change to the elder-led system. It will depend on how empowering the elder board will be for committees and staff. The issue is one of who is making what decisions, when and how. If staff feel like they “report” to the elders, then you have two lines of control—through the SP-XP and the elders. That is untenable for staff. Everyone should have just one boss!

A good system has the SP report to the Elder Board. Some churches also have the XP report to the Elder Board. All other staff report to the XP and SP. Elders should not feel like they have staff report to them or that they can give directives to staff. The role of the Elders is to focus on vision and hold staff accountable for implementing that vision.

Board Bogged Down

Hey Fletch … You have got to help us. Our board meeting last night began at 7:00 pm and ended at 11:30 p.m. There was so much discussion on important but not vital issues. How can we focus on the critical issues of our church and not get bogged down?

The challenge for board members is that the stakeholders of the church see them every week. Members want to know that their board members know about the major ministry issues in the church. Informing the board can take a significant amount of time, as you are experiencing.

What I have done for many years is prepare a five-page report before the meeting. I email it out a few days in advance so they have time to read it. I also ask that people contact me before the meeting if they have areas of concern. This allows for one-on-one discussion of an area of special interest for a board member. Instead of chewing up valuable time in the board meeting, we may spend fifteen minutes to an hour on their topic. The major areas of the report are: Finances, Attendance, Operations, Fiduciary Issues, Vision and Strategic Priorities, Personnel Issues, Ministry Issues, Special Events & Ministry Photo. Try sending out a report for the next three months. Let me know what happens!

Board Bogged Down—More

Hey Fletch … I got your answer about our board meetings going too long. The idea of a written report to the board could be significant for us. Can you give a little more of the rationale? I have some elders who want more information.

I call the thinking behind the board report, “Give, Cut and Enable.” These are three things that you can do to help the board be more efficient. When I say “efficient,” I don’t just mean shorter meetings, but more spiritually productive meetings.

Give the Governing Board members information on every major aspect of ministry. Monthly present three to five pages of XP Notes with substantial ministry information. Give unvarnished information. Tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Be gracious and kind, yet hold nothing back. Set an atmosphere of if something is not mentioned then it was an honest mistake and not a political ploy. Set the standard that the XP Notes are confidential and should not be shared with others.

Cut the Board agenda time by not discussing most of the items in the XP Notes. Encourage individuals to contact the Executive Pastor with questions before the meeting. Spend as much time as needed with a board member before the meeting to answer their questions. This will cut rabbit trails of board members during the meeting. If two or more people have questions on a particular item, the XP can ask the Chair to add the item to the agenda for full board discussion. Work with the Chair to adhere to this principle.

Enable the board to fly higher than tactical issues in the meeting by sharing the XP Notes in advance of the meeting. Enable the board members to focus on vision and strategy. Enable the board meeting to have time to pray longer on vital issues.

Board Member AWOL

Hey Doc … In your experience, what are the best practices for a church board when a fellow board member goes AWOL, wants his wife to leave the home and wants a divorce, and will not speak to me (the pastor) or the team? Anything we can do, should do?

AWOL is the right term, as that soldier is off base, literally and metaphorically. I’m so sorry to hear about this. Life is hard and then we mess it up even further. From the earliest days of humankind, we see God gently saying to Cain, “If you do what is right, you will be fine.” If you don’t, sin is crouching at the door. It wants to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” Genesis 4:7. In the next verse, we see Cain opening a murderous door. Whether you have an Elder, Deacon or Trustee Board, the same scriptural concept in 1 Timothy 3:2 applies: “The overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher …” Your church constitution may have a clause about the qualifications of a board member as well.

The Apostle Paul knew of issues like this. He says in Galatians 6:1-2, “If a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness … Carry one another’s burdens, and fulfill the law of Christ.” You have tried to meet with him and help him. You are on the right path. He may not want to meet with you because he “knows what you are going to say.” He feels guilt about his actions. Also, encourage some women to meet with the wife for prayer and growth—she needs some Christian counseling from peers or a professional.

For the husband, set a season of time, perhaps 8, 16 or 26 weeks. In that defined season, ask the board to pray every day for the family, board unity and church health. It is a major issue when a board member goes AWOL. Contact the husband on a regular basis, perhaps every 10 days or so. Try phone, mail, email, text and personal visits. I would avoid social media unless it is a generic greeting and invitation to meet with no specifics. Don’t pester him but let him know that you want to talk and hear his story. You love him but not what he is currently doing to his family. If he has not responded by the end of the season, then your board should consider formal action to remove him. As parents, we put our kids in “time out” so they can learn from their mistakes. Your formal action may help the man’s spiritual restoration.

Churches are villages. Everyone’s eyes will be on your actions—and if you lovingly but firmly take appropriate action. Take the utmost care what you say in public. You don’t want to be accused of slander. You may want to hold a “members only” meeting to inform the congregation of your action plan, steps for reconciliation and ultimate decision. As WWII Fleet Admiral William Halsey said, “There aren’t any great men. There are just great challenges that ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet.” Now is your time to face a great challenge. Be strong, loving and gracious. I’ll be praying.

Delegate to New Hires

Hey Fletch … We are a small groups-based, disciple-making church that does lots of church-planting. I wrote to you before about hiring a care pastor. I need to turn over this area to a full-time person. We have a qualified counselor on staff, but I still do some counseling, and many of the funerals, weddings, crisis and community involvement stuff. I’ve been here for 21 years. We’ve got to change our culture so that I can free my schedule and the church can grow. The new care minister will not just be a chaplain, but will work with small groups and other staff, and raise up teams for caring for people. My vision for this is that it not be a reactionary-type ministry, but proactive. Caring is not typically something that growing, Bible-teaching, suburban churches do very well. Thoughts?

Senior pastors need to focus on preaching, as we see the model in Acts 6 with the apostles. You will want to stay “high touch” at critical moments in the lives of your people but then turn over the ongoing care to others. I love your emphasis on wanting a pro-active person in the care ministry. A good team builder can create a system for scores of people in your church to be doing the work of ministry. That will open up your schedule and allow you to focus on your primary role in the church—preaching and casting vision. And, it will allow others to use their gifts.

I would also suggest that once you train the people of your church to do care ministry, that you recognize them. I’m a fan of the governing board commissioning them as “Care Pastors.” List those folks on the website, in a special category on the staff or leaders’ page. Let the congregation and community know that you have many people that can care for them. This will help everyone know who are the first-stop care-givers in the congregation. Let me know how it goes!

Membership

Hey Fletch … Why should people become members of a church and what are the tangible benefits of doing so? I need to give people a good reason, other than the spiritual ones, to become a member; I thought you might have something.

Church membership, as we define it in today’s church, is not something that you see in the Bible. It is neither required nor banned in the Bible. In a similar way, you don’t see church buildings in the New Testament but we have and enjoy them today! So why have membership?

Membership is a statement that a person is committed to a particular local church. That’s a good thing as people know that you are definitely “in this local congregation.” Most churches require membership for the privilege of voting on a budget, new buildings or debt, board members, and the senior pastor. By voting for a budget, people both affirm the budget and that they will help support it with their donations. Membership allows churches to have “members only” discussions which can have legal protection for the church. If a staff person or congregant has an affair, it may be necessary to tell the members why that person is not a teacher or leader any longer. It is unwise, and often considered slander, to share this information to the entire congregation and guests.

With the rise of child abuse, many churches require membership in order to volunteer for ministry to children. Other churches require at least six to nine months of attending the church in order to volunteer to serve in kids’ areas. Membership is a good thing when it comes to voting for a change to a church constitution and by-laws. Suppose that fifty people dropped in on your next congregational meeting, how could you ensure that these fifty were not there just to vote for or against a change to the constitution? Without membership, a busload of people could show up and vote in a new name for your church, such as “That Mean Church that’s Against the Airport that Would Bring 100 Jobs to Town.” If anyone in the community knew they could just show up and vote at your church meeting, the odds are that they would. Stranger things have happened in real life.

Let’s say that your church dissolved and sold the building. Who would get the proceeds? Generally directions for the proceeds are in a constitution. What if a group of people from outside the church voted in a different non-profit to receive the money … one that your regular congregation is not in favor of?

Church membership is a way for people to align with the doctrinal views of your church and a covenant of fellowship (often stated in the bylaws). It gives a legal way for the church to assert that “these are the views of our members.” In the case of hiring staff, you can then hire people of “like faith.” Without a doctrinal statement, your church could be accused in court of denying a position to someone of a different faith, and not have a basis to support your view. This applies to both pastors and administrative staff on a church. Let’s say you have a preschool and want your teachers to support the doctrinal view of your church in teaching kids. Without membership, the argument could be made that the congregation really doesn’t support that point of view. Membership is one way to have checks and balances in power. Should people misuse their governmental or spiritual power in a church, the members can vote to replace them.

These are some practical ideas about membership. There are undoubtedly many more. See Thom Rainer’s book, I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference. I am open to ideas if someone has a better system than church membership. As Winston Churchill said to the House of Commons in 1947: Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried. A leader of a church sent in thoughts about something that may be missing in the church. Read Church Membership and Discipline.

Amending the Constitution

Hey Fletch … Can you describe to me how a church amends its constitution?

The first place to look for amending a church constitution is in the document itself. There should be a clause in the constitution that mentions how it can be changed. It may look something like this: “Amendments to this constitution may be made at any meeting of the congregation by two-thirds of the votes cast. The proposed changes must have been shared with the congregation for three months before the vote.”

Some constitutions allow for the governing board to amend the constitution. The governing board may be elders, deacons or trustees. Most constitutions require the congregation to vote on any change. Your church may vote by ballot, show of hands or verbally. If it is a close vote, then a verbal vote will have to be modified into a show of hands—and those hands will need to be counted. Record the results of the vote in the minutes of your church. The process of making an amendment is important. Sharing information with the congregation is vital. Share why the changes are being proposed. Illustrate current challenges and how the amendments solve those issues. Allow time for discussion and good consideration. This generally takes several months.

A change to your church’s constitution should not be hasty. Outside of the Bible, it is the core governing document of your church. I suggest that you review your constitution every two or three years. Make it a regular process to review and suggest changes. It is easier to make “bite-sized” changes rather than large ones.

Attendance Every Week

Hey Fletch … In Australia the trend is quickly moving away from every week attendance. People who almost never missed a Sunday, maybe missed once a month, now maybe only come once a month. Yet if you asked them, they are still ‘committed’ and consider our church to be their spiritual home. We may have 200 average Sunday morning service attendance, but over a 4-week period may have over 350 separate individuals who came. Do you have any advice?

There are trends in many US churches where people are going to church 2x a month. Posting the services or sermons online may contribute a bit to it … “we will go away for the weekend and still catch the message.” Many churches have vibrant sermon-based small groups. Larry Osborne tells me that at North Coast, an overwhelming number of their members are in small groups. The sermon is developed with questions for the groups, and the groups are the hub of shepherding life. People may think they won’t be missed from the worship service. But, everyone who is absent is missed in a small group.

Response from Larry Osborne—Our small group percentage is a public number. We use it internally more than externally. But it is free to share. Our benchmark is a comparison of an October average adult attendance with October small group attendance. We have been above 80% for 32 years and 92-97% for the last 10 years or so.

Attendance 3 Times a Month

Hey Fletch … In response to the “Hey Fletch” column about attendance, let me add (and feel free to use my name here): In regard to how often our people come to church each month, we are closer to the traditional three times per month because we have so many worship service options. Sports and club programs and travel options are one of the main reasons for the drop from worship attendance of 3 or 4 times a month. Alternate worship service times help with that. Plus, sermon-based small groups cause those who miss to listen online to be prepared for their groups. Larry Osborne, Senior Pastor of North Coast Church.

Larry, thanks so much for sharing. Normally “Hey Fletch” is anonymous for the ones asking the questions, so I appreciate you giving permission to share your story. With five campuses, you make it easy for people to worship near where they live. I noticed on your Vista campus a variety of worship service times—Saturdays 5:30pm, Sundays 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:00am, 12:45pm, 6:00pm. It would be hard to say, “our kid’s sports program on Sunday morning made it impossible for us to worship this week.” Tami and I love going to church on Saturday nights. When I was young, I used to go to Vista to visit my great-grandmother. I’m thrilled that there is now a vibrant church in that region!

Senior Pastor or Co-Pastors

Hey Fletch … I am chair of a committee and we are in the initial stages of discerning the future direction of the congregation. Our current structure is to have a senior pastor and associate pastor. I am trying to get the congregation to think about some form of co-pastors. I have some church websites that have co-pastors and I would like to offer some church websites that have SP-XP structure. Do you have any that you would recommend?

As I read your question, I see two different thoughts. One pertains to a structure with a senior pastor and another is one with co-pastors. Most churches have the XP report to the SP. However, some churches have both the SP and XP report to the governing board, which makes them peers. One church has three Executive Pastors who form the staff leadership of the church—an XP of Business Administration, XP of Ministry and XP of Preaching. There is no Senior Pastor. It is a three-person staff leadership team and elders. Making such a change is significant for your church. I would suggest that you carefully study various models and get input from outsiders. There are many local and cultural issues that come into play in changing a church leadership structure.

3 Types of XPs

Hey Fletch … I see that there are three types of Executive Pastors. There are those who are the solo XP for a church, an XP of Ministries and an XP of Operations. Do you see this too? Is there better wording that’s more clear, or another way to slice it?

Shakespeare writes “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other word would smell as sweet.” The exact names are less important in your question than the roles that they fulfill. Yet, your wording resonates with me. I wrote an extremely popular article, “3 Kinds of XPs” and said: “Whether you call the position Executive Pastor or Senior Associate Pastor or Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, there are many vital roles that need to be filled in the modern church. Leading and managing the church has become complex and multi-dimensional.”

In the old days, a mechanic could work on any car with a wrench and some muscle. Now, mechanics are specialized to work just on your Toyota Hybrid using highly complex machines, computers and battery analyzers. Whether you like it or not, the same is true in the church. The easiest way to see the rise in the Executive Pastor position is to walk through time. Consider the pressures on the Senior Pastor, how the Senior Pastor was trained in seminary and how the church changed in various decades. The most important thing is to nail down exactly what the person does.

Sole XPs in churches have an umbrella function like the Senior Pastor. Everything in the church falls under their purview. XPs of Ministries are only responsible for the strategy, planning and execution. XPs of Operations are only responsible for the entire facility, HR, finances, insurance coverage, and safety. All three models of the Executive Pastor work in various churches. The key is to find what your church needs and how it will work in your local culture.

SP Overloaded with Program & Policy

Hey Fletch … I’m a new Senior Pastor. I love the role and thought that most of what I would do would be preaching. While the preaching is going well and the church is growing, I’m getting caught up in lots of program and policy issues. Help!

Many times our model of the church is taken straight from business. We equate the preaching pastor with a CEO. There are leadership comparisons there to be sure. There are also plenty of differences. A CEO gives very few speeches to his company. By definition, the CEO works on executive issues. In contrast, the preaching pastor delivers 40+ original messages to all the stakeholders of the church each year. The executive issues in church are daunting—such as finances, facilities, board issues, safety, programs, recruiting volunteers, managing staff. Few church leaders are gifted with both preaching and executive skills.

Consider the model of the early church in Acts 6:1-7. In verse 2 the apostles say, “We shouldn’t neglect the word of God to wait on tables.” Talk with your church leaders and staff about what your role should be. Find volunteers or staff to help with the oversight of programs and policy. Give high level direction to those leaders and then let them lead!

Serving in Multiple Churches

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 to more than one church?

A few thoughts come to me right away, and there is some history that is repeating itself. First, it is reported that John Wesley rode over 250,000 miles on horseback. Whoa! That makes me sore and stiff just thinking about it. A Christianity Today article noted: “John Wesley preached in the open air to audiences estimated in the tens of thousands after Anglican pulpits were closed to him. Sometimes he began preaching at daybreak or even before daybreak, and regularly he preached three times a day.”

Second, in the classic 1963 black and white movie, Lilies of the Field, Homer Smith (played by Sidney Poitier) meets the camper-driving Catholic priest, Father Murphy (Dan Frazer). Homer builds a chapel for Mother Maria (Lilia Skala) and the nuns. It becomes the first church for Father Murphy. These type of ministers are called circuit preachers. Pockets of them remain today. Methodism, founded by John Wesley, popularized the notion of circuit preaching. The question you ask is, are circuit riders still out there?

Katarina Schuth wrote Priestly Ministry in Multiple Parishes in 2006. This sociological study is of Catholic priests who serve in mostly rural, multiple parishes. Some Methodists are circuit preachers. Traveling Preachers Bring the Word to Rural America is a 2016 article by the Voice of America News. It notes: “And meeting spiritual needs is where Pastor Dan Sweet comes in. Today, he is leading services at tiny Zion’s Hill United Methodist Church in Unionville, Tennessee. He is one of a growing number of lay pastors serving Methodist churches, primarily in small, rural congregations just like Zion’s Hill … As soon as services are over at Zion’s Hill, Pastor Sweet jumps into his jeep and rushes ten minutes cross-country to another small church where he conducts his second service of the morning. It seems that the Methodists and Catholics dominate modern day circuit preachers. I wouldn’t say that it is a fad or trend, but is a continuation of a 200-year tradition of church in rural areas. Saddle up your horses!

Ministry Issues

Income Generating Projects

Hey Doc … Here in India I am pioneering a church planting ministry. We are doing some income generating projects based on the people and the places. I would like to request your practical suggestions. How can the spiritual aspect of ministry be reconciled with business? How can we strike proper balance between business and ministry? Sometimes I am afraid that we succeed in business and fail in ministry. Kindly give me a piece of advice as to how I can have a business mind with pastoral heart.

It’s so good to hear from you again, dear friend. Your questions remind me of the Apostle Paul. In Acts 18:3 we see that he was a “σκηνοποιός.” While commonly translated “tentmaker,” I prefer the traditional rendering of the Greek word, “maker of stage properties.” Paul made sets and backdrops “σκηνή” for the theater. We get the English word “scene” from σκηνή. Bauer (BADG) notes that translators prefer “tentmaker” due to religious objections of Jewish culture to the theater. Let’s think for a moment: was Paul affected by religious objections? Paul was free, unbound by such thing. Where to better be with those who don’t know Christ? Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” I like to think of Paul creating stage sets for the theater.

So, you are free to be a “scene maker” a σκηνή. Business can fund your ministry, as long as it is legal! The key is to keep your purpose in mind. The business enables you to live and provide for your family, so that you can do ministry. Define your business hours, then stop doing business. Define your ministry hours, then start doing ministry. Don’t be hassled by religious or cultural objections. In your business, bring the ethic of Jesus’ Kingdom. Immerse yourself in the Proverbs and do business with kindness, justice and with grace. When your ministry can pay your salary, receive the “double honor” of 1 Timothy 5:17. One person recently said to me, “David, in business I have far more opportunities to share the gospel with the unchurched than I do being a Pastor.” Carpe Diem.

Easy Onramps

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

Every church needs places where newcomers can easily “get on board.” Existing attenders also need to know how they can revitalize their spiritual lives in groups ranging from the basics, to ongoing study, to serving others. I like to call these “easy onramps.” One size does not fit all churches. Just as you have different kinds of onramps to get on a freeway, tollway or to catch a train, so you need customized ways to engage people. I would be pleased to work with you and explore what will work best for your church. You need a carefully designed ministry strategy, not a bevy of tactical programs. More is not always better. A strategy of engagement takes time and planning to be most effective. Give folks an easy onramp to the exciting path of following Christ at your church.

Discipleship

Hey Fletch … I’m a millennial and thinking about the call to prioritize and pursue discipleship in my own life, both upwards and downwards. Do you have any articles that I could read on this topic?

I found this article. Let me know if it resonates with you: Millennials Aren’t as Cause-Oriented as You May Think. Often millennials are lumped into the category of cause-oriented. Like any generalization, it has valid aspects but doesn’t describe the entire picture. I was introduced to the author, Grant Skeldon, at an XP-Seminar. I like how Grant begins the article: “Over the years, many leaders have become frustrated with millennials because they’re not as cause-oriented as they were sold to be. I remember someone once complaining to me, “Millennials aren’t activists. They’re slacktivists!”” I see his point. Still, millennials do have a higher propensity toward causes than generations before. But what many leaders don’t understand is this: Millennials aren’t drawn to causes. They’re drawn to cause communities.

Residencies

Hey Fletch … I read the Hey Fletch column and was intrigued about the potential of a residency program. I’d love to be in one to learn how to be an XP. Any more on that?

I reached out to one XP who was considering starting such a program. He said: “I was attempting to get that started. Since last year we’ve changed direction to a co-op with a seminary. We’ll invite prospective students to consider a two-year paid internship as one of our staff while at the same time they take seminary classes from either live profs, in a Zoom sort of format, or just a straight online class. Certainly as we get to see and know these interns (right now we’re hoping to start with five for this next year) we’ll get to pair them up with mentors in areas in which we might think they’d not only succeed but thrive. And, of course, one of those areas will be for XP.” I would contact Dave Miller at Leadership Pathways. They have outstanding materials on how to set up a residency.

Interim Pastors

Hey Fletch … I am an intentional interim pastor working with Interim Pastor Ministries. In the past 7 years, I have served 4 different churches, 3 of which had their pastor abruptly leave. So I have had a front-row seat in watching church leadership teams struggle with this trauma. I come in and work with the church for 18 months to 2 years to help them work through their issues before calling a new senior pastor. I have a burden for, when a pastor abruptly leaves, what the leadership team of the church does in the first 90-days. That determines how the church recovers. I would like to chat with you to see if what I’m pursuing could network with XPastor.

It sounds like you have a great ministry. It is one of healing, spiritual rebuilding and nourishing. That is terrific. On the XPastor site, we have some articles by Bud Brown of Turnaround Pastors. Here is one of his articles called Wisdom for Interim Pastors. All that to say, I like to provide selected resources to pastors and churches in interim situations. Yet, XPastor does not focus on interim needs. There are other great sites, like yours, that are devoted to interim work. God’s best to you in serving churches in such critical moments.

Narcissist on Staff

Hey Fletch … I’m on the other side of the international date line from you, but church issues are the same the world over. We had a Narcissist on our staff and ruined staff and congregational morale. Can you give advice on how we can heal?

I’m so sorry to hear of your trouble. One definition of a Narcissist is “a person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves. Narcissists think the world revolves around them.” Check out the Wikipedia page, especially the provocative painting of Narcissus by Caravaggio. As you now know, dealing with a Narcissist is a high challenge. The damage in your church will take many moons to heal. If you don’t know Ken Sande’s book, The Peacemaker, it would make a good read.

To deal with the hurt and pain, you may need to lead a time of confession in your church. Ken gives 7 A’s of a Confession:

1. Address everyone involved.
2. Avoid if, but, and maybe.
3. Admit specifically.
4. Acknowledge the hurt.
5. Accept the consequences.
6. Alter your behavior.
7. Ask for forgiveness.

Over time, you can instill a culture of peace, but it takes a great deal of work.

The Pentecostal Movement

Hey Fletch … I am in a search of understanding “The Pentecostal Movement.” Can you tell me about that movement? Is there a website or something I can read to learn about the phenomenon of the pentecostal movement? Thanks for your time in this matter.

Many see the Azusa Street Revival as the primary source for spreading Pentecostalism in the last century. The Wikipedia article on the revival concludes with: “Many existing Wesleyan-holiness denominations adopted the Pentecostal message, such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Church of God in Christ, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The formation of new denominations also occurred, motivated by doctrinal differences between Wesleyan Pentecostals and their Finished Work counterparts, such as the Assemblies of God formed in 1914 and the Pentecostal Church of God formed in 1919. An early doctrinal controversy led to a split between Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostals, the latter founded the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1916 and the United Pentecostal Church in 1945.”

As for the beliefs in the Pentecostal movement. A section of that article notes: “Comprising over 700 denominations and a large number of independent churches, there is no central authority governing Pentecostalism; however, many denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship. There are over 279 million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the global South. Since the 1960s, Pentecostalism has increasingly gained acceptance from other Christian traditions, and Pentecostal beliefs concerning Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts have been embraced by non-Pentecostal Christians in Protestant and Catholic churches through the Charismatic Movement. Together, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity numbers over 500 million adherents.” Many in the XPastor community are a part of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. While this is not my tradition, it is a joy to call them friends and to see how they serve Christ.

Leadership Conflict Over Gifting

Hey Fletch … There have been some good developments and resolution on the ‘leading the leadership team’ front. A person from the denominational ‘church health team’ has spoken to our leaders. He used the term ‘architect of culture’ to describe the Senior Pastor role. It seems to have ‘clicked.’ A couple of people realized what they have wanted me to be and what I have historically been. That sidestepped one or two who had been imagining a very directive kind of leadership being in place if they referred to me as “leading the eldership.”

This is great progress for your church. Resolving leadership conflict takes time and energy. I am so pleased that you brought in someone from your denomination. Often when I consult with churches, just the process of hearing an external and objective voice can normalize the conversation. So many churches think, “We are the only ones with this issue.” While the specifics of issues are unique, the general dimensions of church problems are amazingly consistent around the world.

Continue to meet with and hold near those who disagree with you. Differences of opinion are not the problem—they can be an asset. Problems grow when we don’t validate the opinions of others and carefully consider them. We need to know that different views are vital. Issues get only larger when we leaders fail to acknowledge “the elephant in the room.” I applaud your steadfastness. Continue on the path. Good discussion, coupled with competent outside counsel, can bring people together. We can do so much when we realize that our objective is to serve Christ, extend the ministry of church and love one another.

Change of Worship Styles

Hey Fletch … Our church is moving from a cappella singing to including instruments in our worship services. How does this communication statement sound to you? “The shepherds have lifted a restriction that has been practiced at our church of singing a cappella only during Sunday morning worship. After an initial ninety days of discernment, there will be much to be discussed and decided about worship as we look to the future. Planning and implementation of worship will come from a decided upon grouping of core values of worship that we believe God prioritizes.

At the core, you are changing the culture of your church. To do this well takes both a good process and sufficient time. Some in your church believe that instruments do not belong in a worship service. Others have worshipped that way for so long that it is second nature. Still others long to have instruments. Your plan allows for a test period, followed by a time of discussion. This lets everyone know that they can experience the new style of worship and then share their thoughts. You may want to have one service that remains a cappella and another with instruments. This may help people who have a strong cultural preference for one style or the other. Along the way, you will want to share the biblical reasoning for the trial and ultimate decision. God’s best to you as you navigate the waters of cultural change!

Evangelism Leader

Hey Fletch … How important is the leader of evangelism? What are the top three areas that the leader should be driven to succeed?

There are many titles for people who lead the evangelism effort in local churches. They range from Pastor of Evangelism to Local Outreach Pastor to Friendship Minister. These are vital roles in churches! And from your email handle, I’m assuming that you are or desire to be in the role. I would suggest that the core of the role is twofold.

The first role is to model to others the power of sharing the gospel. The leader needs to be “doing it” and taking others with them in the process. There are so many ways to do this in the local church. Some do an in-person visit with each newcomer to their church. Others go house-to-house in the neighborhood around the church. Some churches have community events that draw newcomers, such as at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or 4th of July. People are often followed up by email or a personal visit. The people of the church, staff pastors and ministry workers need to see and be reminded of how to best share the good news of Jesus.

The second role is to train others. It is too easy for people to say, “that is the evangelism leader’s job” or “I don’t have that gift.” Paul said to Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist.” This probably means that Timothy was not gifted in evangelism but should share in the joy of bringing Jesus to others. A good training program incorporates great content and “hands-on” sharing. Take people with you, conduct classes and invite people into your giftedness of evangelism. I hope this helps. Let me know!

Multisites & Mergers

Future Campus Expansion

Hey Fletch … I have admired you from afar and the work you do! We are a multisite church with over 3,000 people. We need some creative strategies for future campus expansion. Any insight for us?

Thanks for the compliment! I’m getting a little bit of what you want but can you tell me more? What exactly are you looking for? What I have found essential is defining the question. I got this from Harvard Business School’s Question Zero. It is so simple but so hard to answer. They ask, ‘What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?’ If you need some help in the generosity, fund-raising, capital campaign area, I know of some great folks. I also know some really talented architects … Before I make a recommendation, tell me a little bit more.

Church Mergers

Hey Fletch … Our church is talking about merging with another church. We would be the lead and adopt their church. We are a setup/teardown church, and they have a paid-off building. I’m working on what our budget will be, post merger. Since we don’t have a building, I am curious what line items to add. The ones I have thought of so far are maintenance, custodial, utilities, taxes, and increases for staffing and insurance. Are there other things that I should be considering?

Let me start by giving a link to many articles on XPastor on church mergers. These articles will give you the big picture of mergers and lots of details too. I like your initial categories as they are a great start. Many mergers require a significant capital outlay for initial renovation. If a church has been in decline, the property may need a facelift. This can run from painting to moving walls to redoing the stage. Make sure that you enhance curb appeal so that those driving by get a sense that something new is going on. This includes a new sign—invest well in signage. A cheap sign looks just that—cheap.

The worship tech of audio-visual, lights and live church broadcasting may need an upgrade. Many times churches fail to renovate bathrooms, which is a significant way to turn off guests. Carpeting may need replacement. The list can go on and on. Renovation and upgrade costs can begin at $500,000 and easily go up to $2 million. For your future budget, you will have major capital expenses. Set up a fund that you can add to each year for replacing expensive items, such as HVAC units, roofs, major exterior painting and carpeting. Though we already talked about expensive audio-visual-lighting items, they will need more money in the next five to seven years.

Smart Church Solutions has a good facility benchmarking report. Tim Cool, their founder and I have done a webinar on The 4 Buckets of Church Facility Budgeting and another webinar on What Are Capital Reserves and Why They Matter. Tim says: “Less than 40% of churches Smart Church Solutions have surveyed in our national benchmarking have a defensible plan for capital reserve planning. Capital renewals are inevitable expenses. Every component of your building has a life cycle.” Your plans sound interesting for the merger. Let me know how it goes!

Follow-up by Fletch— From your website, it looks like you merged! What were some of the expected and unexpected costs? Can I include the following as an “add-on” to the article?

Friend—For sure! With all the help I’ve received from your ministry I’d love to be able to help in any way possible. We did merge. The Lord has blessed the whole process. Since it was our first time merging in this manner almost everything was unexpected. Expected costs were: Legal fees; Consolidation—moving offices to one location, breaking leases, etc.; Accounting—paying to have their finances handled until the end of the year and tax statements sent out; and Signage—the church we merged with had a building and we were keeping our name, so we had to pay for new signs, both exterior and interior.

Unexpected costs were; Legal fees—there were some legal fees that we didn’t foresee being as much as they would be; Printer fees—because we couldn’t get out of a lease, we have two office printers now; Deferred maintenance—we knew there were some things that we would need to fix, but we didn’t anticipate the full scale.

Consider a Merger

Hey Dr. Fletch … My church of 2,000 members has dwindled to barely 300. What should I do?

Thanks for your note. There must be lots of history behind your question. So, it’s hard to answer without knowing more. Declines can be due to people moving, cities changing, splits, changes of leadership or staff. The facility costs are most likely enormous for a church of 300. That may be a major headache. Then there will be problems of morale and people feeling like “this isn’t what it used to be.” Here are some ideas to consider. If God is calling you to stay, consider the causes for the decline. There may need to be a season of repentance and confession if there has been issues of sin, such as a divisive spirit, immorality or gossip.

Is it time to consider merging with another church? This often brings in fresh leadership and new people. Some churches merge and do a video of the message. I have seen this where there has been an enormous uptick in active believers added to a church. If God is not calling you to stay, then you need to listen to Him. What is God asking you to do? These are some thoughts on a challenging issue. May they be of help. Let me know!

Campus Pastor Preaching

Hey Fletch … Quick question—from your experience gained through XPastor or otherwise, do you have a sense on how often a campus pastor typically teaches in a video-venue model where the lead teacher is preponderantly on video?

One rule of thumb for a campus pastor to speak is anywhere from 4 to 8 times a year. Some churches do more and some churches do less. Some campus pastors are the primary teacher for that site. You want the campus pastor to have enough pulpit presence so that he can lead the ministry at the site. If you do much more than that, the person may begin to lean into the full-time speaking role! That’s fine if you want to have multiple communicators, but that is a different question!

Leadership Structure for Multisite

Hey Fletch … Our church is wanting to look at our leadership structure. In the last ten years we have grown from one campus to many campuses. We want to continue to grow in the future but don’t know if our current structure will best handle growth. What should we consider as our options?

You are asking a delightful question. Some of the things that you want to consider are: Society has changed in the last ten years and churches need to adapt to those changes. I don’t mean change the gospel here, but how we communicate and lead others with the gospel. Look for what Christian Schwarz calls “functional structures.” Your leadership model should be based on the vision of the church and how to best implement it. The key aspect there is the ability of senior leadership to cast vision and empower others to implement it. In addition to the senior pastor and executive pastor, consider having a small strategic team of key staff people and volunteers. My strong preference is for a team of six to eight people who meet weekly. These people need to be able to speak into church-wide issues, leaving their “departmental hats” off during the discussion. God’s best to you as you move forward. I look forward to talking with you soon.

Church Plant Budget

Hey Fletch … I’m a church planter. We have a part-time pastor on our staff. Her husband makes a good living and we would love to pay her more. However, as a starter church, our budget is so, so tight. I can’t bring her to full-time status. She is already putting in more hours than we are paying her for and I fear that she may burn out. Thoughts?

The good news for you is that as a licensed, commissioned or ordained pastor, she is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act and overtime pay. Since she has the title of “pastor,” I’m assuming that she is commissioned by your new governing board. If she is not licensed, commissioned or ordained, get on that asap! The other piece of good news is that this pastor has “owned the church vision.” She is implementing it well and loves it. You want staff who “buy in” and will invest into the new church. That is a huge win! The bad news is that she may burn out. This happens in churches everyday. Pastors are committed to Jesus, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. They are so driven for spiritual impact that they often lack adequate time boundaries.

Here’s an idea. Why don’t you take the pastor and her husband to dinner. It is important to include the spouse in the discussion. Talk about the number of hours that she is working, the impact on her family and the fact that you sense that she may burn out. Discuss reasonable expectations for her role. Listen to her husband and his concerns. Ensure that she is taking at least one day in seven off, completely away from ministry issues. Shape the conversation as a pastoral care issue. You deeply care for her and her family. Plus, you want to retain her at the church. If left unresolved, she may burn out and resign from the church. One Sunday she may not show up and never be seen again. By being proactive and framing a spiritual discussion with her, you can help prevent this.

Church Plant Has Challenges

Hey David … You told me that doing this church plant was going to be a challenge. And you were so right. Our funds are so limited. I can barely afford any staff help and we have to measure everything against how much it costs. Help!

Your comments could be right out of a textbook on church planting.Very few new churches have much money. However, this gives your church a sense of great dependency on God. You need God to provide money and energy each week. You need every person to be active and help in some way. If one of the set-up people doesn’t show up one week, they will be missed! The best and hardest times are all rolled into the same period! You have a sense of dependency on God that established churches generally take for granted. There is a sense of community that big churches generally lack. While it may be hard, these are great times!

Pastoral Care

Adult Care Ministry

Hey Fletch … I want to ask you about the structuring of our adult care ministry. We are a church of two campuses, with our main campus having 3,000 people per weekend. We care/minister to adults through four community pastors who are deployed by geography—east, west, north and south. Each of these community pastors cares/ministers to their geography in the areas of life groups, weddings, funerals, hospital visits, baby dedications, men’s ministry, discipleship, etc. We are considering changing our current geographic structure. What models would you suggest that we consider? Do you see anything currently being used by existing churches that really resonate with you? Thanks so much in advance for your help. I really respect your passion for the church and the position of executive pastor.

Churches struggle with how to minister to adults. As you have four care or community pastors, it feels like a well-staffed solution to the issue. I’m wondering if you are feeling the financial pinch of such a staffing arrangement. Let’s step back for a moment. Who should be caring for the people of your church? What is the role of paid staff verses gifted people in the church? Are paid staff taking away ministry that the people should have? Ephesians 4:12 says that pastors are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” As a church of “believer-priests,” the people should have bold and dynamic ministry throughout the church.

A beginning question is: how much training are these four pastors doing? As quality care pastors, are they equipping others from their expertise and giftedness? One church trained their small group leaders to be at the forefront of care ministry. The leaders took charge of hospital visits and the pastors only got involved in major illnesses or life-threatening issues. One pastor heard that a friend of his was in the hospital. As the pastor entered the hospital room, the friend said, “The doctors must be lying to me … if you’re here, I must be near death!”

Who Can Perform a Wedding

Hey Fletch … What does the Bible say about who can perform a wedding? Are they any state or federal laws on it? I’m asking because I’ve been asked to do a friend’s wedding but I’m not ordained or a pastor.

The Bible is silent on who can perform a wedding and how the wedding should be carried out. There is no mandate that the wedding be performed in a church or by a religious official. Read the Scriptures and you will find just about nothing on the topic. There are various state requirements, for example, Utah, “Ministers of the gospel or priests of any denomination who are in regular communion with any religious society may perform marriages.” States want those performing marriages to have some level of licensing, commissioning or ordination. Some states go further and require the individual to register with the state.

The old joke (that had plenty of truth in it) was that you could get “ordained” for $10 from a group that advertised in the back of Rolling Stone magazine. Some churches have trained non-pastors to perform weddings. These “people of the church” are commissioned to do weddings. These churches show that you don’t have to be a pastor to perform a wedding. You just have to be licensed, commissioned or ordained by a religious group. See if your church will train you to lead a great wedding. Ask them to commission you to perform the wedding. You may find this is a great ministry opportunity for you to share the truth of Jesus.

Predators

Sexual Abuse Policies

Hey Fletch … Do you have any articles concerning sexual abuse policies in the church?

Attorneys Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris are some of the best people working on the subject of sexual abuse. Good articles and polices on XPastor include:  These articles by Greg and Kim: Sexual Abuse Response Planning and MinistrySafe Institute Teaches about Sexual Abuse. Paul Utnage has written a great article, Survival Skills for Managing Moral Failures Among Your Leaders. I also like this article on Teaching Sensitive Topics Policy from Trinity Lutheran Church. Check out Josh Evans’ article on Boundaries for Youth Leaders.

These Personnel Policies from Central Baptist Church of Hixon are good. This HR Manual from Seven Mile Road Church in Boston has material for you. Here is the Employee Handbook from Christ Community Church of Chicago. This topic is of vital importance!

Grooming

Hey Fletch … In the area of sexual abuse, I heard the term “grooming.” What does this mean?

That term took me aback when I first heard it. I’m not an expert in this area, so let me call on someone who is. Gregory Love is a nationally-noted attorney who deals with sexual abuse and its prevention.

Greg—“What is grooming?” Not only is that a good question, it is the right question. In fact, the grooming process is the key to understanding and preventing child sexual abuse.

First, let’s define the term. The “grooming process” is the process through which a preferential abuser prepares the child and the child’s gatekeepers for inappropriate sexual activity. Clearly, it is important to define another term: gatekeeper. A gatekeeper is anyone through whom an abuser must go to gain access to a child, such as a parent, youth minister, coach, teacher or babysitter. It is important to note that more than 90% of abused children are victimized by someone they know and trust—not a stranger. We are often fixated on ‘stranger-danger.’ The reality is that the abduction offender, where ‘stranger-danger’ is valuable, represents only a fraction of the problem. The greatest risk is posed by the preferential offender who prepares children and gatekeepers through a process known as the grooming process. The preferential offender is commonly a person known and trusted by the child and gatekeepers. In short, we cannot recognize this risk visually, we must recognize this risk behaviorally—by the grooming.

At this juncture, a metaphor is valuable: the type of fence you build is driven by what you want to keep out. To protect a garden, the fence is different for keeping out cattle (barbed wire) versus bunnies (chicken wire). Because the church and our society is focused on abduction as the primary risk, the church confidently describes it’s ‘cattle fence’ when the primary risk is bunnies. For example, the church often quickly lists its child check-in system as a deterrent of abuse; the child check-in system, however, has no value in preventing abusive behavior as it relates to the preferential offender or peer-to-peer abuse. Only when the church is acquainted with the grooming behaviors of the preferential offender can the church build the right fence, recognize risky behavior, and intervene before someone has victimized a child.

Sexual Abuse Awareness Training is a training that provides the following content: facts vs. misconceptions, abuser characteristics, the grooming process, common grooming behaviors, peer sexual abuse, impact of abuse and obligation to report. When leadership has this information, leadership can be about building an effective safety system—the right fence. When everyone who wears a name tag on behalf of the organization (staff and volunteers) has this information, they can effectively operate within the created safety system. Now everyone has eyes to see and ears to hear grooming and the mouth to speak when a report is appropriate.

Given the above, an effective safety system should include the following elements: Sexual Abuse Awareness Training; Skillful Screening Process with good forms and training in their use; Appropriate Criminal Background Checks; Tailored Policies & Procedures that are rooted in the grooming process; Systems for Monitoring and Oversight. To learn more about an effective safety system or how to develop one, visit MinistrySafe.

Sexual Activity Between Minors

Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading in the “Hey Fletch” columns about sexual abuse. Normally I think of that as between an adult and a minor. What about sexual activity between two minors? What if that happens on church property? Do I need to report it? Is our church a mandated reporter when two minors are involved?

You are asking a question with enormous legal implications. Pastors are mandated reporters when a crime involves a child. I have a hunch about the answer to your question, but we should really hear from a professional for the answer. Let me ask attorney Gregory Love, XPastor’s go-to expert for sexual abuse issues, to respond. Let me also mention the Sexual Abuse Summit that Greg and Kimberlee host.

Greg—You are right that questions involving abuse reporting have enormous legal implications and are the most commonly mishandled. Every state has legislation regarding reporting child abuse. The legislation will define abuse very broadly, such as verbal abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is often referred to as ‘maltreatment.’ Not only does each state have its own unique reporting requirements, these laws are changing rapidly in response to high-profile situations like USA Gymnastics. In Texas and Oklahoma, for example, all adults are mandated reporters. In Washington D.C., there is a list of people who are mandated to report; all adults in DC not on the list are considered permissive reporters and highly encouraged to report to the appropriate DC authorities. Almost all state legislatures are amending their respective state reporting requirements in such a way to make more people mandated reporters and shrink ‘safe harbors’ that may prevent a report, such as clergy privilege.

First—Learn what the reporting requirements are for your state. If you are in a state that lists certain professionals as mandated reporters (nurses, teachers, counselors, day care workers), keep in mind that most churches have programming that will include positional mandated reporters. Periodically check for legislative updates; when the legislature changes the law, they will not send you a memo. The reporting laws in Colorado changed without notice which led to the arrest of 2 pastors and 3 elders at VineLife Church in Longmont.

Second—The best practice is to make it church policy that all church staff and volunteers are required to report—regardless of whether the respective state requires such a report.

Third—Peer-to-peer sexual abuse is reportable. The first step to resolve is whether the behavior is abusive, as opposed to play or curiosity. This will often involve an aggressor child and a child that does not want the sexual interaction. There will be an imbalance of power. If these concepts are foreign, I highly suggest the MinistrySafe Sexual Abuse Awareness Training, which covers peer-to-peer sexual abuse. If the person seeing the behavior or receiving the report believes the behavior to be abuse (regardless of whether both involved are children), the behavior is reportable. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if the behavior occurred on your church property. If you have a suspicion of abuse, it is reportable regardless of where it happened. If the behavior happened on church property, it is likely that a report should also be made to your insurance carrier.

Fourth—When in doubt, report.

Emergency Response Plan

Hey Fletch … Can you review our Emergency Response Plan? We are struggling with how to address three main issues: suicide prevention, an active shooter and fire.

In that question, you have some big fish to fry. Or, as we would say in Texas, “that’s a big herd to roundup.” You have a great focus in your Emergency Response Systems. Your team has done a ton of work. Hopefully it will never need to be used! I don’t have any major items to add to the good work that has been done.

I would add, however, that a response plan is just the beginning. The next and vital thing to do is to implement the plan. If your plan stays on the bookshelf, then it is next to worthless. If you only train staff and key leaders once on the plan, then they probably won’t remember what to do in an emergency.

Get your key leaders together by affinity groups and regularly talk about emergency measures. For example, empower the leader of your ushers and greeters to review the things they should do. I would suggest that this be done twice a year. Do it in a regular team meeting of the group, so that emergency plans get engrained into the thinking of the team.

For people leading from the stage, have laminated cards with your instructions. In an emergency, it is so easy to forget the training! Have simple steps of what to say in case of a fire. Have those cards easily accessible for leaders to get to. In real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” In emergency plans, the mantra is similar: “Locate the instructions in an easy-to-reach place.”

Response—Your thoughts are just what I needed. I’ve been wrestling with how to keep moving forward with so many things without losing track of them or steam to continue to move forward. Thank you! Thanks again for sharing your helpful thoughts and insights.

Emergency Preparedness

Hey Fletch … I used this XPastor article for doing research on a plan for our church: Emergency Preparedness For Churches. Can you expand on the ideas?

This is a hot topic. I so enjoy the perspective of the two brothers who wrote the article. One was an FBI agent and became a Police Captain. The other is a Police Lieutenant. This is an insider’s view of the issues. You may want to check out Brotherhood Mutual’s book: The Church Safety & Security Guidebook. Among other things, it covers an active shooter, domestic disputes, a missing child, medical emergencies and severe weather threats. The key is to plan in advance. You need to designate who will communicate in an emergency, who will call the authorities, and how to assemble an emergency response team. Pray and seek God’s wisdom in what you should do!

Active Shooters & Security

Hey Fletch … With all the craziness in the world, our church is concerned about safety and security. What can you recommend?

Here is what the Federal Bureau of Investigation says: “The FBI has designated 50 shootings in 2016 and 2017 as active shooter incidents (20 incidents occurred in 2016, while 30 incidents occurred in 2017). On another page the Bureau notes, “The five downloadable graphics below reflect statistical information pertaining to the 250 FBI-designated active shooter incidents that occurred in the United States between 2000-2017.” The Bureau asserts that 4% of the incidents occurred in houses of worship. This brings some data to the importance of your question. On various issues, I lean into professionals who are area experts. Let me check in with Jesse Stanley who founded Strongside Principles. They do training and consulting in this area.

Jesse—Consider your team’s mission. Are you forming this team to simply secure your premises? Or, is this about safety? Do you believe there’s  a ministry opportunity for this team? These are the reasons to perform an assessment of your church’s particular risks and that should drive the team’s mission. Considering how to deter and react to active shooters is important, but don’t forget this: you are far more likely to encounter a medical issue than violence. Your team’s purpose, their mission, should be clear.

Then there is the church’s reputation. How do you want your church to be thought of? As a deterrent, some churches want it to be known that they have security and all the associations that word conjures. Other churches would rather be more discreet, enjoying the benefits of an effective team without flying the colors. Think about how your team will impact your attendees, visitors, and the type of person you’re looking to recruit to the team.

Concerning the purpose and name of the team, using “safety” is a popular go. But some churches go with names more descriptive. “Gatekeepers” has an obvious meaning. “Nehemiah Ministries” has been used and is based on the idea of Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem. He started by building a wall meant to restore community, not eliminate it. Another idea is “Ikanos Ministries,” as ikanos is the Greek word for “sufficient” or “enough.” This is taken from Luke 22:36-38 where “ikanos” expresses the tension of security in church.

Concealed Weapons

Hey Fletch … Is it legal in California to have a concealed gun in a church with permission from the church leaders? Is it different with or without a CCW?

You are hitting a hot topic here. First do an AI search of where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon in a church. Here is an article to read, Concealed Weapons in Churches. Few people are skilled at using a weapon in a crisis situation. Where will the stray shots go? What is the backdrop behind the bullets … are there people present there or a thin wall that leads to a kids’ classroom? A huge issue is how will police know the difference between an active shooter and a congregant who is defending themselves. I strongly suggest that churches carefully develop plans to work through active shooter situations. Brotherhood Mutual, an insurance industry leader for churches, has an excellent book to help churches assess and train for security issues: The Church Safety Security Guidebook. Let me ask Mike Kramer, Manager of Casualty Claims at Brotherhood Mutual, for some expert advice in this area.

Response from Mike Kramer—Churches need to protect their people, and at the same time, minister to the broken and hurting. For a safety and security program to fit within a church, it must function as a ministry of the church. That said, a safety and security mindset does not happen overnight. It takes time and a team of people who are passionate about creating a program that is focused on the ministry of the church. The framework to get started is: 1) Engage leadership, 2) Assess your needs, 3) Make key decisions, 4) Form a Team, and 5) Create a plan. Regarding allowance or use of weapons within your framework, coordination within the church and with authorities who would respond to an incident requires effective communication and management.

CCTV Storage

Hey Fletch … How long do you suggest keeping video footage from church cameras?

As you are in the process of getting bids on surveillance cameras (CCTV), you are asking a million dollar question. The question is vital if you have an incident at your church. For my book, Predators in the Church, I learned of a church that kept the recordings for 90 days. Unfortunately, they had a child molester in their ministry and the recordings showed his activity. I don’t have an answer on how long to keep video. It is probably going to be a function of number of cameras and cost of storage. Your competitive bids should help you see what you can afford to keep and for how long. I would suggest that you keep as many days as you can afford.

Security Team

Hey Fletch … I have a question concerning our security team. There are as many opinions about a security team as there are people, so I wanted to check and see if you could clarify for us that calling our team “Security Team” does not present any legal issues. We have already cleared our purpose statement and description of the security team with our insurance company and they are good with our framework. We keep having one person who is a dealer and CHL Trainer pushing us that we can’t call our team a security team without legal ramifications and we need to come up with something other than that to call them. We are about to order reflective vests that has security on the back and before we do, wanted to see if you could give me some direction. Also I wanted to say thank you. I have connected with Nathan Baxter and going through his executive coaching right now and it has been one of the best things I have ever done. Thank you for inviting compelling people to the XP-Seminar—it truly makes a difference!

Great to hear from you … and for the impact of the XP-Seminar and Nathan’s coaching. I love to hear those things. I’m not an attorney so I can’t answer your question with legal backup. However, I can give you some things to think about:

It is fantastic that you have checked in with your insurance carrier. When you develop policy for the team, run that by them too. Keep in close dialogue with your insurance carrier. This is vital and especially important if any of the team will carry any kind of firearm. If you have an attorney in the congregation, see if they can give some pro bono advice on the name. There may be local or state issues involved that define “security” in a special way. If you find that “security” is the wrong title, consider “safety team,” “church safety,” or some other term. In the event of an emergency, you need to have the team easily identified by law enforcement officers. Check in with your insurance carrier about the vests as well. They may have some input for you. On the naming issue, let me check in with Jesse Stanley who founded Strongside Principles, which does training and consulting in this area.

Jesse—“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” Well, as Romeo and Juliet discovered, names matter. When it comes to naming the primary team you rely on to promote a safe environment, there are a few topics to consider.

Your CHL trainer may have a point, but before unpacking let me say this: security licensing is regulated at the state level, every state is different, and understanding state laws on security licensing can be downright frustrating. It’s been a while since I lived in Texas and I’m no expert on its laws, but here’s what I found. Legislation was passed in Texas in 2017 that allows for churches to form security teams without licensing, but with some limits. Specifically, a person providing volunteer security services may not wear a uniform or badge that has that the word security or gives the appearance of being a security officer.

So, traffic vests with security on the back used by unlicensed security volunteers may put you in violation of your state’s law. It’s a good idea to get familiar with state statutes, so check out Texas Occupation Code, chapter 1702 and then section 1702.333 that was added after SB 2065 was signed into law in 2017.

Response—Thanks! We did talk to our church lawyer. It looks like we will go with “Church Safety Team.”

Sexual Harassment Training

Hey Fletch … I would like to bring our staff through some type of sexual harassment training and share our sexual harassment policy. Are you aware of any videos, articles or resources that you would recommend in doing this? Would you recommend just developing my own? What would you include in this time?

My thought would be to not develop your own material but use someone else’s. By using industry standard resources you should get an unbiased and comprehensive view. Brotherhood Mutual has great material online, many on this topic. They have 80 online training courses, all available free to their policyholders. If you use another insurance company, see what they offer. ChurchLaw&Tax also has many articles and resources. MinistrySafe has great training!

XPastor’s material from the free Predator workshop may be of use. There are videos and downloadable tools on child abuse and screening. When you do your training, I would include at least these areas: Clear definitions of each concept; Address child, teen and adult harassment; Examine staff and congregational harassment; Explain your state mandated reporting for child abuse. I would walk through your church policies and practices: Explain your church’s harassment policy and have staff sign it; Describe your whistleblower procedures; Teach how to have wise counseling practices; Walk through the Code of Conduct issues in the employee handbook.

Bullying in Europe

Hey Fletch … An article on XPastor mentions a doctoral dissertation by Dr. Art Hunt, “I Never Expected This Would Happen To Me.” I would be very grateful if you could let me know how I can contact Dr. Hunt for a copy of his dissertation. I am a social psychologist working on bullying in churches and religious groups. With many thanks for your help. There is much more happening in the United States about issues such as bullying and harassment—and abuse generally—than here in Europe.

Thanks for your note from across the Atlantic. The XPastor article that you are referring to, Exited Pastors: The Ruined Landscape by Roy Yanke. It is a great article. I especially found this comment to be insightful: “From the March 2012 issue of the Review of Religious Research, an online study found 28% of ministers said they had at one time been forced to leave their jobs due to personal attacks and criticism from a small faction of their congregations.”

Bullying and harassment has been done by church staff, leaders and congregants. We all need to follow the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:15, speak the truth in love. The New Testament has plenty of advice about gossips, hate-mongers and rabble-rousers. If we have a conflict with someone, we need to go to that person directly and gently express our concerns. Those words are easy to say and challenging to carry out. My book is on a related topic, Predators in the Church. It will look at child sexual predators, active shooters and embezzlers. These cause enormous pressure on pastors. At one time being a pastor was considered an stress-free occupation, but that is not true any longer. As to contacting Dr. Art Hunt, I have sent you an email on how you might contact him.

Donation Scam

Hey Fletch … Have you heard about this scam? According to police in Troy, Michigan, a church received a $4,500 donation for hurricane victims. Later that day, police say the donor contacted the church saying he made a mistake and meant to donate $45. The church refunded the check for $4,500. Days later, the church found out the donation check was fake. This guy attempted to do the same thing to us yesterday. I spoke with the man and I explained that I’ll be taking it up with the police. He seemed nervous, but frankly from what Google tells me, this guy is prolific. Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

That’s a newer one to me. Over the years I have heard of lots of scams. There was the man who wanted to donate an oil well to a church but needed several thousand dollars to “transfer the title.” Millions of dollars were promised if the church could pay the transfer fee. Many con artists use large dollar numbers to entice their marks. I recently heard of a church that wired money to the “senior pastor” who was stranded in a remote location. The person was not their senior pastor; they never saw that money again.

Good internal financial controls are necessary. Here are a few basics: Have two decision-makers for any refund or wire transfer. Wait for all donations to clear before issuing a refund. Put in print steps for staff to follow for regular and unusual circumstances. A church’s finance team should review your church’s internal controls. Get plenty of advice and input on how you handle your money. We have lots of material on XPastor concerning Finance Policy. Thanks for the info on this latest scam. May this post help churches avoid it!

Team Culture

A Cold Church

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?

Here is my simple litmus test. How many times have your members invited you to a small group or class? In sharing this litmus test with an elder recently, he said, “never.” He added, “maybe our church needs some help in being more welcoming!” Announcements from the stage are fine. Their effectiveness often is in the 1% to 3% range. Consider that if you have 1,000 people in the audience, an announcement may get 10 to 30 responses. What would happen if 500 people regularly invited folks to their groups? I would hazard to say that over a year, your groups would double in size. The warmth of a personal and face-to-face invitation is effective.

Leading Voulunteers

Hey Fletch … A woman wanted to start an outreach ministry activity. She has good character and a right heart for the target audience. Now she’s drowning under the weight of being at the helm of the new team. Do you have thoughts on how I could have prepared her better for leading?

I love it when people want to launch new ministries. What she is feeling is common to first time leaders: There are many moving pieces to starting a church ministry.; Unforeseen factors take up a lot of time; Leading others is both an art and a science. Let’s look at each one of these areas. The questions and issues will help you with those who want to start a new ministry in your church. We are going to assume that the person has the character to be a leader. The following will help you measure their capacity as a potential leader.

Step 1 is to identify the many moving pieces for leading a new ministry in your church. These moving pieces revolve around people, materials and time. Start a list of the moving pieces and repeatedly check it. Have multiple conversations about your list with paid staff, volunteers and a mentor. Be as realistic and inclusive as possible about the size and scope of the pieces needed for the new ministry. For example, if someone starts a new for-profit business, there are important things to do. File a permit, obtain resources in buildings, develop plans for communications and workers, and buy supplies. Then you can hire workers. With all those in hand, you can advertise your new business and interact with the buying public. There are similar things in a church ministry. Permission needs to be obtained from church leaders to begin the new ministry, rooms need to be reserved and a budget obtained for supplies. Some new ministries may hire workers but most will need volunteers.

Getting volunteers for a new ministry is harder than most people think. Since it is a new ministry, people don’t know exactly what they are volunteering for. Draft role descriptions for the leaders and workers in the ministry. Include the specifics of what you are asking the volunteer to do, along with how many hours a week are required. Be clear about delegated authority and how decisions are made. Step 1 is to be intentional about listing the various pieces of this new ministry. Write them down and consult with others about what you may have inadvertently omitted. That consultation should be with church staff, existing volunteer leaders and workers in other ministry areas, and a mentor. A mentor will guide the new leader in the upcoming challenges.

Step 2 is to acknowledge and be ready for unforeseen factors. Be prepared for these as they take up a lot of time. In most new ministries, there are unforeseen issues that arise. As hard as you try to list all the areas, something will arise. A challenge isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can bring wonderful and creative solutions. For example, it might be that the new leader is just now honing their leadership abilities. The team meetings might be less polished, even a little rocky, because the new leader is just that—new. With time and the input from a good mentor, this can be worked on. It might be that the new ministry needs more hours than anticipated to begin it. Instead of two hours a week, the start-up time might be eight. The leader is unhappy about the extra work and those on the leadership team are grumbling. It could be that people on the new leadership team have other ideas about how to do the ministry or need coaching on creating this new ministry.

For example, what if the new ministry includes watching kids while the moms are in another room doing a study? First the aspect of childcare needs to be identified. Is it merely childcare or are the children going to be instructed in some sort of curriculum? You need to identify whether volunteers or paid people will watch the kids. Where will that salary money come from? Where will your volunteer pool realistically come from? There are other issues such as rooms for childcare, training for workers and background checks. Just one area, such as childcare, can cause a major bump in creating a new ministry. Step 2 is to be ready for unforeseen factors. Affirm that, Yes there are going to be things that I don’t see yet, and they are going to require more time than I plan on. By simply affirming that proposition, you are a step ahead. You know there are going to be new areas of challenge and won’t be surprised when something arises.

Step 3 is to see that being a leader is both an art and a science. The science of leadership points to getting all the data points on paper. Put in print the role descriptions, good and organized team meetings agendas, along with the process of recruiting workers and leaders. The art of leadership is navigating the relationships with others who are involved in major and minor ways with the ministry. This includes both those who volunteer their time and paid staff. It is the challenge of presenting a compelling vision so others will want to join in. There is an art to balancing the varied interests of church leaders with their policies, communications protocols, and budgets.

It is so exciting to launch a new church ministry. Hardship will arise in some measure. That’s fine because a little adversity and challenge hones even the most experienced leader. Adversity also shapes and forms new leaders. Make sure that your new leader has an understanding of the moving pieces and that there will be unforeseen factors. Help them see that leadership is not a static thing. It is a dynamic process of art and science. The goal is to motivate and empower people to accomplish an exciting vision for ministry. Ensure that your new leader has an experienced mentor to coach and guide them. The new leader may need help with the basics of organization, meeting management, inspiring volunteers, following church policies, and overcoming challenges. You can help a new leader expand their leadership capacity by walking with them. The best place to mentor a leader is in an existing ministry area—it’s just less complicated. However, you can mentor a new leader as they begin a new ministry area at your church. Plan for a few more complications and challenges though!

Visitors Not Returning

Hey Fletch—We have a lot of people who visit our church but they don’t come back. We send out letters and emails to newcomers. Apparently these are not working. Any thoughts?

I stumbled on an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal. Hold with me while I explain it. Rob LaZebnik wrote: How to Avoid Being Boring at 60: What to do when your life is so routine that you’ve run out of stories? Embark on a series of tame, achievable, eye-opening challenges. This isn’t the first place that I might turn to answer your question, but he provides a fascinating insight into the non-church world. LaZebnik decided to do sixty things that he had never done before, as a way of growing and having interesting things to talk about with friends.

The first item that he mentions is, “Attend a megachurch: Though I’m a skeptic about all organized religion, I went to a 2,000-person-strong service at one of America’s largest evangelical megachurches and, honestly, saw what the hype is all about. Young, very attractive singers in Bonobos pants and white sneakers launched into soaring rock songs on stage. The pastor was a charismatic woman who told us how, in the story of Joseph, his brothers decided not to kill him but to sell him into slavery. She said, “They thought, ‘We won’t be murderers, we’ll be human traffickers!’” Not John Mulaney-level comedy, but solid stuff for an evangelical church.”

The self-described skeptic was impressed at the solid stuff for an evangelical church. He remembered the worship and the message. This is off to a good start.

Here is the kicker where things go downhill: “The disappointing thing, though, was that the crowd just filed back to their cars after it all ended. I wanted to get inside the heads of these people who had such a different outlook on life.”

We can’t say if the megachurch had a coffee shop, guest area or welcome session. Perhaps he didn’t make use of those things. What we can say is that the regular attenders did not engage him in conversation. They seemed to evaporate and drive away. He wanted to talk! He wanted to get a better grip on such a different outlook on life.

I’m sure that if the church knew that a WSJ reporter was there, from a newspaper with millions of readers, that they would have rolled out the red carpet. They would have had pastors and church leaders with him, talking about their different outlook on life. They could have gotten Joe and Josephine Congregant to dialogue with him. They would have gotten him backstage to talk with the preaching pastor between services. I would have offered all this and more.

This reminds me of Hebrews 13:2 that I translate as, Show hospitality to strangers, as some people hosted angels (messengers) without knowing it: An angel is a messenger from God: A international student is a messenger who may become a future leader; A neighbor is a messenger from your community; The reporter was a messenger from the Wall Street Journal.

All messengers will share their experience at your church. In this case, it was a lost opportunity to show hospitality to a WSJ reporter … who represented a respected voice in international media, with a circulation of millions. What a huge audience for the messenger to share his experience with! To answer your question about visitors not returning to your church, perhaps let your people know that you never know who you are sitting next to. It could be a messenger from God, a future leader of a foreign country, a neighbor, or a reporter from the Wall Street Journal.