Most pastors will tell you that they often struggle to make annual events fresh and engaging for their members. After you have been in the ministry for long, the struggle becomes, what more can you say that you haven’t said already? How can you make essentially the same story fresh...
I love preaching on Easter weekend. 14,000 meetings all year long are worth it to get to give a sermon on the pastor’s Super Bowl of Sundays. Proclaiming and celebrating Jesus—His power, His love, the cross He endured, and His resurrection. “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in...
You’ll have the biggest crowd of the year, both online and in attendance, but if you make these 3 Easter offering mistakes, you could lose the potential for your best offering ever! For many churches, the Easter offering can be a shot in the arm, helping them wipe out any...
“I want to try something new.” That was a comment a pastor made to me a few years ago. A competitive firm was pushing a “new” concept called One Fund. Many SBC churches have embraced this concept. Many others, while not fully adopting a one-fund approach, combine all mission gifts....
It happened! The Easter crowd has shown up on Sunday morning. I know you are excited and, if we are honest, maybe even a little scared. This will, more than likely, be the largest crowd you will have all year. You have so much you want to share with them,...
How was attendance last Sunday? If you are the typical church, your attendance is 85% of what it was pre-Covid. 67% of Americans reported attending church at least once a year, down from 75% before the pandemic, is what the Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago...
Cooperative Program giving is not increasing because you have made it all about you. That will be my opening statement on April 25th when I address CP/Stewardship leaders from each State Convention of the SBC. I plan on pausing for dramatic effect and then continuing with this story. That was the comment...
The theology of gratitude? Is that a real theological principle, I questioned. So, when in doubt, Google it! I found a multitude of articles and posts talking about the theology of gratitude. Who knew? Whether you believe in calling it theology or not, we all agree that gratitude is pretty cool....
Southern Baptist churches are heading into a crisis that will determine which local churches will survive and which will slowly die. The chart on the left identifies the ticking time bomb about to explode throughout the Convention. Can you see the problem? Can you do the math? 84% vs. 16%! 84%...
Losing Their Religion: Why US Churches are on the Decline was a title by the Guardian that grabbed my attention recently. The lead sentence sums up the article well: “Churches are closing at rapid numbers in the US, researchers say, as congregations dwindle across the country and a younger generation...
