Church Growth & Vision
Dreams of Serving Others and the Origins of XPastor
If you have a dream for how to help others, get started. Do it! That’s what Fletch did in 2003 when he launched XPastor. Phil Taylor and Tyler Drewitz interviewed Fletch to talk about [...]
What Trends Are Shaping Large Churches Right Now?
Can Warren Bird stump David Fletcher? Warren is in the middle of fielding a landmark national survey titled The Future of the Large Church, and has looked at the first 300 churches to participate—churches with [...]
The Conversation Everyone is Having that No One is Talking About
by Stan Endicott and Dave Rhodes The Conversation Everyone is Having that No One is Talking About What might that be? The Answer: People In Your Church Who Are 55+ They are present but [...]
A 5-Year Ministry Plan at Age 90
Gene Getz is 90 years old … going on 91 in March. He miraculously survived Covid even though he spent eight months in the hospital. Gene's doctors suggested that his family meet [...]
How Marketing Strategies Play a Role in Creating Disciples: Using the Member Lifecycle
Making disciples is at the heart of every church. However, gone are the days when it was possible or practical for pastors to greet all members at the church door and know what’s going [...]
Forgetting the Sermon by Wednesday
The main segment in most worship services is the sermon. It receives the most time and is pivotal for teaching biblical truth. Yet, almost everyone listening to the sermon forgets it by Wednesday. Church [...]
Reaching Your Community
Bridging the Gap Between Online Explorers and Your Church Today more than ever, the church has the opportunity to use technology to connect with people. National advertising campaigns are spending millions of [...]
Nine Years of Surveys in a Megachurch
What I’ve Learned about Listening to Our People Watermark Community Church of Dallas uses periodic surveys to better understand congregants’ experiences, hearts, and opinions regarding COVID. Watermark is an enormous church with [...]
A Rough Road and How to Align Staff with Vision
Rough roads are tough on any vehicle. They jar, bounce and stress the machine and driver, often knocking things out of alignment. When wheels, tires, steering, shocks and struts are out of alignment it [...]
The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches
What is going on in megachurches? How are they growing and what is their racial composition? Fletch talks with Warren Bird and Scott Thumma—the premier researchers on megachurches who have just completed [...]
Breaking the 5,000 Growth Barrier and Beyond
Why do some churches go from 50 to 500 to 5,000 and beyond, while others seem to cap out at a certain point? What kind of church leader does it take to [...]
The Kryptonite of Multisite Momentum: Sustaining A Vision For Rapid Multiplication
Unfortunately, I am old enough to reminisce about the original “Adventures of Superman” created in the 1950s. But proudly, I am young enough to have only viewed them as reruns in the 1960s! It [...]
Book Review—Charting the Course: How to Navigate the Legal Side of a Church Plant
In his first book, Tim Beltz guides the church planter on a profound yet simple journey to establish a new church—both legally and above reproach. Charting the Course is a practical and relevant guide to [...]
Chapelstreet Church Motivates Good Neighboring
Fletch had the pleasure to be with multisite Chapelstreet Church of Geneva, Illinois. While there, he saw a 10-page magazine, Neighbor, summer 2018 edition. Fletch picked up a hard copy of the magazine and [...]
10 Questions Church Leaders Should Ask—But Probably Aren’t
Questions have a curious function in the life of a leader. A good question can often propel us forward more than a great answer. Our roles in leading our churches requires us to not [...]
Creating an Irresistible Workplace
Excerpt from Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace I’ll never forget the first time I hired someone and felt good about it. We shook hands over a cup of coffee, and I walked [...]
5 Characteristics of Church Staff Teams that Break the 1,000 Barrier
Rich Birch was a featured speaker at the 2018 XP-Seminar. Enjoy this great article from him ... and join us at the next XP-Seminar. Rich has plenty of experience in ministry, business and coaching [...]
Captivating Church Changers
It’s a dirty word in some circles. “They mostly grow by transfer.” This critique implies that the church is not reaching people with the gospel, just “stealing” people from other churches like TMobile does to [...]
Launching Strong: Five Key Strategies
A record number of new churches are launching across North America. Most will initially choose to meet in a rented facility---often a school, movie theater or community center. While church is never only about the [...]
Four Types of Churches That Will Soon Die
Death is not a topic we enjoy. Death of churches is not a topic I enjoy. You see, I love the local church. I love it, despite its flaws, sins and hypocrisies. Jesus loves me [...]
What Makes a Great Campus Pastor?
Ask any multisite church leader today what the most important component is in multisiting and the overwhelming answer is the campus pastor. When I went to Willow Creek in the year 2000 to pioneer the [...]
Twelve Questions to Ask a Potential Church Secret Shopper
I can't tell you how many times I've had a meeting with a pastor, told him what I do as a consultant and watched him perk up. I recently had a meeting with a [...]
First Impressions: Five Tips from a Church Secret Shopper
Below are five practical tips to implement at your church in order to make great first impressions with guests. 1. Vision cast to your Guest Services team So often, people that serve on a church’s [...]
Partnering With Your Community for Sustainable Impact
John Cissel talks about new uses of church property. This involves churches doing joint ventures with developers for impacting a church’s local community. The issue is how to build church facilities in expensive urban areas [...]