A Word to Pastors for Mother’s Day

May 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day is a big day for many churches and the mother’s day sermon is really important.  And while the day can be a great celebration, it can also be a painful time for many people.  Here are a few helpful lessons for Mother’s Day and preaching a Mother’s Day message.

1.  Don’t say “I’d like all the mothers to stand.”  Affirming mothers is great, but asking them to stand can be painful for someone.  Really painful.  Chances are, there is someone in the congregation who is trying to get pregnant or just lost a baby.  For that person, sitting down in a room full of other standing moms is horrifying.

2.  Don’t say “If you’re the youngest/oldest mother here, please stand.”  This might seem like a creative idea, but it’s a more focused version of what I mentioned above.  Plus, it’s really not all that creative.  For a great perspective from a woman on this, read Amy Young’s post.

3.  Most pastors are not moms, so it’s a good idea to send your sermon to moms and get feedback before you preach it.  Getting feedback ahead of time is better than getting an evaluation after the fact.  You don’t have to call a meeting or have a big creative team…just email your message notes to three or four moms and ask for their honest opinion.

On a side note, Father’s Day is a month away.  In my observation, churches really try to honor, cherish and affirm mothers with the mother’s day sermon only to yell at Fathers with the father’s day sermon a month later.  Maybe dads need some encouragement too.

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The Pinterest Pastor

May 7, 2013 by 4 Comments

Someone on Pinterest just finished the perfect kitchen remodel,  planted a shade patio garden in a pallet, and flawlessly executed a pirate themed birthday party for their six year old.

Pinterest users can browse categories and find recipes, home decor ideas, and even inspirational quotes.  It’s a popular social media destination for parents and crafters.  But I’ll admit it…I have a Pinterest account. 

Such collections of creative ideas can be inspiring, but they can also be depressing.  Who has time to buy all the ingredients for those tasty, healthy family meals?  Who has the money to convert their walk-in closet to a custom laundry room?  Who has the time to convert a Craigslist dresser into a bathroom vanity?

There are two downsides to websites like Pinterest.  First, it facilitates boasting.  Pinterest give you the virtual space to boast about your DIY miracle, flea market find,  or homemade 7-layer cake.  It’s easy to cross the fine line between sharing something that could benefit someone else and screaming, “Look at me.”

Second, it’s facilitates jealousy.  It’s an envy-evoking website where you can digitally drool over all you don’t have.  How many people become dis-satisfied with their closet when they see a dramatic overhaul?  I’ve found myself lost in a sea of wishes, scrolling through images of all the things I want but don’t have.

I want to talk about how the Pinterest phenomenon might underscore a secret problem I believe afflicts many pastors.

Pinterest Pastor Type 1:The Uppers

Like the moms who plan a birthday party with pictures for Pinterest in mind, these kind of pastors do things to get the attention of other pastors.  They aren’t necessarily doing what’s best for their church or ministering out of their unique calling, gifting or personality, they are doing stuff to get noticed.

It’s a publicity stunt, provocative outreach campaign or the press release precisely timed with a community service.  It’s a big event, because big events yield good pictures.  And those pictures are great in denominational newsletters and church leadership blogs.

Pastors aren’t except from pride and insecurity.  Attention is an addiction, and those who stand on stages or in pulpits are not immune.  It’s easy to get drawn in by likes, favorites and social media shares, and before you do it, you’re looking at your congregation as a platform to propel you into prominence rather than a flock to be lovingly shepherded.

I know this tactic well, because I used to live it.   I wanted to be noticed and I pursued recognition.  I wanted people to read my blog and come to my church.  And I pushed and pushed to make it happen.  Of course there was a greater good and a bigger purpose, but the pull to do things to get attention was strong.

The need to be noticed is powerful, and it can drive you to do things to tease and please the crowd.

Pinterest Pastor Type 2: The Downers

There’s a second type of Pinterest Pastor, one who has fallen into the comparison trap.  You feel like you can’t live up to the other cool things others are doing.

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It’s easy to understand why pastors can feel so beat down by success of others on their same team.  With a few clicks, we can compare church size, influence and even salaries.

It used to be the spirit of competition was geographic or denominational, with pastors swapping stories at conferences and meetings.  Today, social media has closed the comparison gap. You’re comparing your children’s ministry area to the Disney-esque church with the million dollar budget.  You’re comparing last week’s message to the conference talk of the mega-church pastor.  And you’re comparing your website to the top 100 websites in the world.

Nevermind that the people in your church have never heard of the famous podcast pastor or will never visit the other children’s ministry.  Their existence and recognition is enough to make you wonder what you’re doing wrong and why you’re not experiencing that level of success.

Steven Furtick says pastors often feel bad about their message because they are comparing their everyday talk to the A-game conference special of their communication hero.

The drive to go to the next level, fueled  with knowledge of cool things other people are doing, can keep you from focusing on where you are and who you are.  Suddenly, your identity is a leader is being shaped more by what others are doing and what you should be doing, rather than the One who saved and called you.

“It is vital that you cross the finish line in ministry, and to finish well, you have to refuse the urge to compare yourself to others. The measure of your success is fulfilling God’s calling on your life, not the standards set by others,” says Rick Warren in this video.

But God didn’t call you to impress other pastors on social media – He called you to your place of service.  If he’s entrusted you with two talents, it’s not helpful to compare yourself to the pastor with ten.

So, are you guilty of being a Pinterest pastor?  Where are you naturally drawn on the people pleasing spectrum?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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You’re Talking About Vision TOO MUCH

April 30, 2013 by 1 Comment

Vision is a powerful word in the church world.  Pastors love to talk about it.

But here’s a secret.

People don’t want to hear about the vision of your church, they want to hear about themselves.

That’s right.  People love to talk about themselves.  Their dreams, their accomplishments, their problems.   And they like to listen to messages that address those things.

So while the three year plan of your church might be interesting to you, people might not care about it if they don’t see themselves IN it.  While your vision statement and core values might be carefully worded, people might not truly care if it doesn’t intersect with their lives.

  • Parents might be excited the children’s ministry plans to reach all the unchurched elementary children in the public school system, but they are thrilled when you help their little Sarah.
  • Donors might be proud of the renovations that will add 100 seats to the auditorium, but they would probably love to hear about how they don’t have to park on the muddy field.
  • It’s cool for people to know it takes 100 volunteers to pull of a Sunday morning experience, but help people discover their gifts and develop their talents, and they will get off the bench.
  • People might think it’s great to launch another campus, but when they realize they won’t have to drive as far or it will be easier to invite their friends, it changes the game.

Maybe it shouldn’t be like this.  Maybe people should intrinsicly care more about the local church.  But search your heart and consider reality, and you’ll agree.

Now that’s the bad news.

The good news is once you understand this, you can adapt your approach and truly connect with people.

You don’t have to compromise your vision or water down the mission to engage people.  You just have to intentionally connect them.  You have to show them how getting involved BENEFITS them.  You have to demonstrate you care about their life, not just your church

So instead of talking about features, describe the benefits.  Features are about YOUR product or program…benefits are about THEM.

Features

  • We have 100 children on Sunday morning.
  • This will be the best summer camp ever.
  • Here are the details of this amazing new program.
  • We have three campuses.

Benefits

  • This will help you follow Jesus.
  • This will help you become a leader.
  • This will help you lead your family.
  • Three campuses means it’s closer to where you live.

You’re talking about the SAME THING, but you’re doing it in a way that will connect with them.

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Three Things I Wish I Knew Before I Preached My First Sermon

April 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Not long ago, I came across a bin in the attic full of cassette and video tapes.   There were hi-8 video tapes of youth camps I led, mini-DV tapes of my kids, and cassette tapes of early sermons I preached.   I was a 19-year old youth pastor and was given the opportunity to preach in “big church.”  The year was 1995 and the message was entitled “God behind bars.”
I’m fairly certain the people have long forgotten it, but I still have the tape if anyone is looking. Here are three things I wish I knew before speaking for the first time.

1.  People wouldn’t listen simply because I was preaching. 

You can imagine their disappointment when the people of Lakeview Baptist Church learned the real pastor wasn’t speaking that day.  If they didn’t listen to the regular pastors all that well, they certainly weren’t going to listen to the fill-in youth pastor.
This isn’t a unique circumstances, though. Most people don’t come to church on the proverbial edge of their seat to hear a message from whoever is speaking.  They aren’t waiting with baited breath for the launch of that new series or the next sermon from the book of Luke.  They drive to church thinking about lunch, the early game kickoffs or the errands they need to finish.  As the message begins, their minds are elsewhere, and someone standing up to tell them how to live isn’t enough to alter their state of mind.
There used to be a time when people would automatically listen when the preacher started speaking.  The profession of minister used to be one of the most highly respected professions, and sermons were delivered to people with built-in trust.  Today, ministers aren’t at the bottom of the trust totem pole – they fall somewhere in the middle, lower than healthcare professionals but higher than lawyers.
In other words, when you stand to deliver your message, people don’t automatically trust you or believe they should listen to you.  You’ve got to work to earn that trust.  Over time, but in every message as well.  I didn’t realize this when I preached that fall day in 1992.

2.  People wouldn’t listen simply because I was preaching the Bible.

 As a Christian, I care a lot about the Bible.  It’s an incredible collection of books with an important message for every single person.  I believe it’s the inspired Word of God, and I try my best to be a student, scholar and follower of it’s words.
In the weeks leading up to this debut message, I studied the Bible hard.  I looked at commentaries and read different translations.  My message was very, very Biblical.
But that didn’t make most of the people in the congregation listen to me that day.  And that’s still true today.  Most people don’t believe a preacher simply because he’s preaching the Bible.  Maybe they should, but they don’t.
The fact is the Bible is the inspired Word of God.  And we’re called to preach the Word.  But if we want to preach the Word of God effectively, we must consider our audience, baiting them into wanting to hear.  This doesn’t require tricks, schemes or crazy tactics, but it does require we work hard.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve changed my approach to preaching.  While I still start my message prep in the Scripture, I don’t start my message there.  While I believe sermon prep should start in the text, I believe the message should start with the audience.  Because most people aren’t drawn in by “open your Bibles to Matthew 7.”  That might work in some settings, or it might have been effective years ago, but times have changed.
I didn’t take time in the beginning of God Behind Bars to find common ground with the congregation and connect with them.  I didn’t do any groundwork from the pulpit – I just launched into the message.

3.  People wouldn’t remember all of my points.

 God Behind Bars had three carefully alliterated points.  Some of the sub-points were alliterated.  In fact, for the first few years on my preaching journey, I preached all of my messages this way.  I had carefully constructed outlines that would have made John Phillips proud.
But I don’t imagine anyone from the congregation remembering any of the message content seven days later.
A few years ago, I was leading a preaching workshop for about fifty people.  I asked this room full of preachers to name ANYTHING they remember from ANY sermon they have ever heard or delivered.  After a little bit of prodding, the responses started coming in and I wrote them on a whiteboard.  After about 25 things were written, I drew a line right down the middle.
As it turned out, everything that this room of preachers remembered fit neatly into one of two categories – carefully worded principles or beautifully told stories or object lessons.
People didn’t remember outlines or points.  They remembered key phrases, repeated often.  Or they remembered stories and illustrations.
This has shifted the way I prepare messages, and I spend less time alliterating outlines and more time trying to hone in on one powerful statement.  I force myself out of my natural desire to communicate information and intentionally weave in more stories.
I’ve learned a lot more about communication in the last 20 years, and I still have much more to learn.  I love listening to a good presentation that connects with an audience.  Whether it’s a sermon, a comedy set, or a business presentation, I love learning from them all.
If you’re interested in learning how to become a better preacher, check out the Preaching Rocket Core Coaching program.
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The Seven Deadly Sins of Volunteer Ministry

March 21, 2013 by 1 Comment

Does your church depend on volunteers to accomplish the work of the ministry?  Wayne Corderio said this (and it’s really, really powerful):

“I’m convinced that the influence of a church has on its community will be determined in large part not by the personality of the pastor, the size of its building or how long the ministry has worked in the community. It will be determined instead by the percentage of involvement in the ministry of each member. This marks the transition from attendance to ownership, from being consumers to contributors.” – Wayne Corderio in Doing Church as a Team

I just finished writing a short ebook on seven of I things we’ve learned about volunteers in the church. It’s called The Seven Deadly Sins of Volunteer ministry and it’s absolutely free. You can download the entire eBook right here, but here are the seven deadly sins.

  1. Not saying thanks. Just because someone’s reward is in heaven doesn’t mean they don’t need to hear “thank you” here on earth.
  2. Not writing a job description. If people don’t know what to expect, it’s hard for them to win.
  3. Asking people to serve forever. Volunteering in church shouldn’t be a life sentence.
  4. Asking for help all the time. We found the best churches ask according to plan, not under pressure.
  5. Too many training meetings. Seriously, can we say goodbye to useless and uninspiring training meetings?
  6. Not having fun. Why can’t serving be fun and fulfilling?
  7. Using people to get things done. Pastoring people involves shepherding them, not just giving them a list of task.

That’s just a summary.  The free eBook explains a little more.

Click here to get the free eBook on The Seven Deadly Sins of Volunteer Ministry

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Twenty Triggers To Call People to Action

March 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Not long ago, I went through a fairly substantial online marketing course from Jeff Walker.  I listened to a lot of audio, read a lot of examples and clicked through a lot of files.  One of the most interesting sections of the course was a list of social triggers that cause people to act.  Whether you’re asking people to sign up or buy something, there are mental triggers that cause people to act.  Marketers use these triggers in their communication.

But I wonder if this information can be redeemed for God’s purposes?  Not to sell a set of knives on QVC, but to encourage people to take action inside the church.  After all, we want people to give, serve, and invite.  We want people to connect with our programs.

So in the spirit of connecting with people, I give you a modified list of twenty triggers that might cause a church attender to do something.

1. Story. People in your church want to be a part of a bigger story.  If you want people to volunteer to help in the middle school area, tell stories about what’s happening there.

2. Events. People respond to events. That’s why a volunteer orientation at a set time often works better than random sermons on serving.  Use an event to kick start a process.

3. Community. Just like in high school, people want to go where people they like are going.  You can’t force friendship, but you can facilitate it.

4. Social Proof. Seeing that something is working for other people is incredibly motivating.  Use tweets, videos, and quotes in your communication.

5. Scarcity. If there’s a limited supply or a deadline, that will motivate people to take action.  It’s why the Home Shopping Network has a ticker counting down the number of available luggage sets.  It’s also why I used to raise the price on youth camp after a certain date.

6. Suspense. Sign up begins next week.  It’s okay to tell people about something and make them wait.  As long as it’s worth it.

7. A Common Enemy. People love to attack a common enemy. Whether it’s hunger, boredom or a building project.  Talk about the reason you’re asking people to attack a problem.

8. Proof. Social proof is people talking about how something works. Proof is pointing to the actual numbers.

9. Commitment. Sometimes, raising the bar attracts the right kind of people.  I know people who pay $250 a month to be a part of a Crossfit gym because it’s a greater commitment.  Northpoint asks volunteers in their high school ministry to commit to four years of serving.

10. Conversation.  If you can get people to ask questions or have a conversation, that’s a big step.  Too many times we go for the big step, when we should really just look to engage people.

11. Giving. If you give them enough, you earn the right to ask for something in return.  That’s not the main reason to give, of course.

12. Surprise. Mark Hughes says this is one thing that generates buzz. How can you surprise and delight?

13. Like-ability. Vance Havner said like ability is the single most important quality of a pastor. If people like you, they will listen to you.

14. Credibility. Why should they listen to you? What are your experiences?  Why should they be on your team?  And for what it’s worth, it’s not just your successes that make you credible.

15. Celebrity. Even in the Christian world, people follow the “famous” people.   It’s why products get celebrity endorsers and there’s a cardboard cutout of Francis Chan at every Christian conference I attend.  I’m not saying this is a good thing but I am saying it’s a fact.

16. Interesting Information. One of the keys to good writing is to be interesting. It’s also compelling when you’re asking people to do stuff.

17. Reasoning. Churches are usually good at spelling out the reasons someone should do something. Some people do connect with a thoughtful list.

18. Competition. I once worked at a church who did Sunday School attendance competitions during March Madness.  Competition can be a big motivator…just ask all of those Paleo Crossfit people.

19. Emotions. Instead of presenting the facts, look to connect with people on an emotional level.

20. The Bible. People really do need to understand what the Bible says about serving, giving, loving, inviting, praying, etc.  This one wasn’t on Jeff Walker’s list, but I think it’s important for church leaders.

How could you apply some of these mental or social triggers to your next sign up opportunity, website, or sermon?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Say This Before You Receive The Offering

March 5, 2013 by 2 Comments

Pastors plan out what they are going to say during the message.  The band or worship team rehearses the songs they will lead.  But when it comes to explaining and setting up the offering, too many churches wing it.  A deacon mumbles through a prayer or a worship leader strums through a sentence as an afterthought.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  The time of giving in a church service can be meaningful and purposeful.  That’s why our team at The Rocket Company writes giving talk scripts and sends them to hundreds of people every week.  These scripts are plug and play – you can use them, give them to another staff member or even empower a volunteer to use them.  They rotate between sharing a stat, story and Scripture because we know people are motivated by different things.

Here is a sample script.  You can say this before you receive the offering this week. Use it to connect the dots for people and make the time of giving in your church service meaningful.  And if you want a giving talk script every week, you can get it as a part of The Giving Rocket Core Coaching Program.  It’s the BEST way to increase regular giving in your church.

Here’s the script.

My name is Michelle and I’m part of the staff team here at Cross Church. This is the part of the service where we worship God though giving. Just like we can worship through singing or serving, we can worship through giving. So we’re gonna pass the plate in a few minutes and you can participate if you’d like.

First, I’ve got a little confession for you. Confession is good at church, right? Well, here’s my confession: I’m a bit of a coffee snob.

Some people like Starbucks…any Starbucks fans here?

Other people like Dunkin’ Donuts. Right? America runs on Dunkin.

Any Folgers fans here? The best part of waking up, right?

True coffee snobs like single origin coffee. Coffee beans that came from one particular farm and roasted to perfection, ground just before they were brewed with filtered water that came straight out of the deep aquifer. Do you know any of these people?

One of my favorite things about coffee is the smell. I love the aroma of coffee in the morning. It smells so good.

There’s a verse in the Old Testament that talks about Noah building an alter and offering a sacrifice to God. The Bible says God smelled the “pleasing aroma” of Noah’s sacrifice. In fact, a phrase like that is used 39 different times in the Old Testament. People would offer God a sacrifice on the altar and God would say it was a pleasing aroma. Maybe it made God happy the way the aroma of good coffee in the morning makes me happy.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul used similar language to Christians living int he city of Philippi. In Philippians 4:18, Paul told the people that they financial gifts were “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

I love that connection between the Old and New Testaments. I love that God looks at our financial gifts the same way he looks at Old Testament sacrifices. I love that our donations can make God smile.

That’s something to think about as we worship though giving today. So let me pray and then our volunteers will pass the buckets.

Let’s pray.

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How Your Church Can Gain, Train and Retain Volunteers

March 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

For the last few months, I’ve been spearheading a big project for the Rocket Company. We’re gearing up to launch our third rocket, and it’s all about volunteers. We want to help every local church succeed in the areas of volunteers.

Volunteer Rocket is going to be a comprehensive, yet step-by-step program. It will combine coaching, case studies, resources and action steps. The win for us is helping you engage new volunteers, do better training, develop and appreciate, and make sure it all works. Here are a few of the things I’ve learned along the way.

  1. Volunteers in the church should be inspired and excited about what they do. Serving should be rewarding, not make you want to quit.
  2. System problems are sometimes disguised as people problems. That’s why Volunteer Rocket is being built on a simple system any church can implement. We want you to set it up right.
  3. Church leaders should give away leadership and responsibility. The church doesn’t need superhero leaders. She needs regular people who understand the priesthood of the believer.

The system we’re creating in volunteer rocket is about as simple to understand as the alphabet.

Volunteer Rocket

Here’s a little more explanation on what those words mean:

A – Attract. We want to show you how to effectively attract volunteers.  There are five different models.

B – Build. Once they’ve signed up, you’ve got to train them effectively.  They need to know what to expect.

C – Connect. Who you know is how you grow, so we’re going to help you connect people the right way.

D – Develop. You’ve got to appreciate and inspire people. In short, you need to pastor them.  We will show you how.

E – Evaluate. Let’s run this off facts not feelings. We’ll give you tools to measure and tweak the system.

In addition to lots of research and writing, I had the opportunity to learn from seven different churches. Inside the program, we’ll show you what real churches are doing and how this system works in real-life settings. Theory is great, but I want to help churches implement real solutions.

If you’re interested in answering some questions, beta-testing some of the program, or just want to be an early adopter, let me know.  I’ll send you stuff before it’s released to the public if you will help me make it better.

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Seven Things I Learned from Watching Andy Stanley Teach Junior High Students

February 25, 2013 by 4 Comments

NorthPoint just started a new series called You’ll Be Glad You Did.  The kickoff message on February 24, 2013 was actually recorded by Andy Stanley on the previous Friday evening.  It was the opening talk of a transit weekend retreat.  Andy taught the message to a room full of middle school students, knowing it would be shown on Sunday morning in church.

Andy was teaching junior high school students, knowing the message would be shown at area churches on Sunday.  As he walked off the stage Friday, a camera followed him as he addressed the adult service. It was like the Inception of sermons.  Communicating to two audiences is a difficult task for any communicator.

I couldn’t help but think how many parents appreciated the look inside the message their kids are hearing at NorthPoint.  But I also couldn’t help but jot down some notes on communication from Andy’s message.  It was masterful.

Here are seven things I learned from Andy Stanley’s sermon to students.

1.  Andy used a ton of  humor.  The message was all about labels, and how we accept labels from other people, and miss out on the fact that only our maker has the right to label us.  Andy told stories from his own time in junior high school.  He talked about getting the nickname “Sabertooth Andy” because his teeth were so messed up.  (I bet a lot of people could relate to that). He talked about being labeled “not smart” after his teacher just wrote “NO” in red ink on a math test.  Andy didn’t talk about all his successes in junior high…he made fun of himself.  And whether you’re teaching junior high kids or senior adults, this is a great way to make a connection.

Andy Stanley

2.  Andy built tension into his talk.  I’ve seen him do this time and time again, but this message was a great illustration.  There was a time when he wanted everyone to think about the question he was going to ask.  Think about it, not answer it out loud.  He spent several minutes baiting the crowd and setting up this moment, so by the time he put the question on the screen, it just hung in the air.  Too many times, we assume people are interested in our message.  Work on the tension early on and they will lean in.

3.  Andy introduced an idea and then brought it back at the end.  I’ve seen comedians do this throughout the course of a set, and it’s a great way to weave a major point through an entire message.  In this case, Andy said that manufacturers, owners and purchasers had the right to label something.  This came in the first few minutes of his talk and then he moved on.  Later, he came back to this idea and said that God – the one who made you, owns you and purchased you – is the only one who has the right to label you.  When you tease and idea or set it up early, you can come back to it later.  Done right, it can be a great a-ha moment.

4.  The message was short.  The message was about 30 minutes.  This might be longer than you think middle school students could handle (it’s not…you just can’t waste their time and you have to be on your game.)  30 minutes seems like the right length for most sermons.  It’s not a hard and fast rule.  In general, I think we need to say what needs to be said and then stop talking.

Andy Stanley

5.  Andy started with them.  I believe that while sermon preparation should start with the scripture, the sermon itself should start with the audience.  The goal is to teach the Bible, but in order to do that effectively, we have to start with where people are.  What are their hopes, dreams, fears, thoughts and desires?  What are they thinking in that moment?  The first minutes of Andy’s talk were not wasted…He was building a connection by starting with where they live and what they deal with on a daily basis.

6.  Andy made the audience the hero.  Here’s a secret….your audience loves to feel smarter than you.  When you talk about the things you mess up, the people can relate to you.  When you make them into the hero, they connect and pay attention.  In this message, Andy referenced the room of adults listening (remember…this was an Inception style sermon!), and said, “Right now, there is a room of adults who are saying – I wish someone had told me these things when I was a kid.”  Andy told the students they could get this right the first time.  Without putting down anyone, Andy made a room full of junior high students feel like they could do something better than their parents.

7.  Andy taught one passage.  Andy got to Romans 12:1-2 and unpacked some meaning from that verse.  It was a bite-sized teaching time – He knew it didn’t have to be the final word on the topic.  He didn’t jump all around the Bible and confuse people with a bunch of verses.  He taught one passage, and he taught it well.   Of course, he used a sticky statement to tie it all together.  The bottom line of this message was “The labels people put on you could cause you to miss God’s plan for you.”

Andy Stanley

Every Senior Pastor should teach students from time to time.  It will keep you on your game and will force you to work on your craft.  Adults will often sit through a boring message because they are supposed to…students usually will not.

As someone who cares so much about helping people communicate God’s Word authentically, passionately and effectively, it was great to see how Andy did so in front of junior high students.  It was refreshing to see a Senior Pastor willing to communicate to junior high students.  And a church willing to give show a message in the adult service on the weekend.

I learned a lot from Andy’s message.  Not just about finding my identity in Christ, but how to connect with students.  I don’t know if I’m an expert in communication, but I do love serving churches by helping the pastor preach better messages.  That’s one reason I devote so much of my time to the Preaching Rocket Core Coaching Program.  I don’t know of a better way to work ON your calling and your craft.

Filed Under: Church, Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Three Benefits of Being a Small Church

February 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Do you pastor a small church? I bet you’d say yes to the next three questions, too.

  • Do you feel like you can’t compete with the major players?
  • Do you feel like you’re constantly waiting on the big break?
  • Do you wonder if you’re making a big difference, or any difference at all?

It’s easy to think being small is the same as being second.  But there are some distinct advantages to being small.  Here are three:

1. You can make decisions quicker. When you’re small, you don’t have to go through sixteen steps in order to make an important decision. You, and maybe a small team of advisors, get to make the decision. Sure, you might get it wrong, but you also might get it right. When you’re highly responsive and directly responsible for decision making, you can position your organization for success.

2. You can be more creative. A pastor of a mega-church once told me, “I’m somewhat jealous of you small guys. You know how to innovate and create better than we do because you don’t have all the resources.” You might think you’d be more creative with more money or more staff, but it’s just as likely that those resources would turn you into a passionless machine.  A small team or a small budget isn’t an excuse, it’s a constraint you should embrace.

3. You can change faster. Turning a battleship requires multiple people and a fair amount of ocean in front of you. Changing directions with a one-man canoe is a little easier, and you can turn on a dime. If you need to shift the focus or head in a different direction, you can do that quicker than others. Of course, there’s the risk that you’ll over-correct all the time and never make headway, but if you’re a good leader, you will know when the change is important.

Being small is not the stepping stone to being big, and not everything that starts out small makes it big. Relish your place in the design. Don’t whine and complain that you’re not bigger. Being small is a strength, one that you might not always have.

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