A couple of weeks ago, I released my newest eBook, The Leisure Suit Trap: 8 Reasons Your Church is Stuck. As I’ve had the opportunity to interact and work with churches over the last several years, there are some common themes. These are the challenges that churches typically face when ministry starts to plateau or decline. Here are…

8 Reasons Your Church is Stuck

1. You lack a leadership empowerment plan. We have failed as leaders in the church if we do not embrace the unique gift-mix that God designed. And we won’t fully know the power and impact of the local church until people are empowered to be the people God wired them up to be.
2. You are unclear about your vision and mission. There are lots of churches with vision statements, but I don’t think there are very many churches that really have a vision statement that clarifies who they are as an organization. A clear vision that is properly communicated will both rally and repel people.
3. You blame outsiders and external factors. Victim-thinking will only lead to bitterness and competition. Leaders who blame outsiders and external factors actually are confessing their own failure to think creatively and inspire their team.
4. Your structure inhibits growth. One of the attributes of a church in decline is a complex structure. The natural tendency of organizations is to add complexity to their structure and systems. The longer an organization exists, the more complex it typically gets. (more…)

I get pretty excited about the potential of new tools like this being used for ministry purposes. Can’t wait to see how this unfolds. Check out the video highlighting the new features in the Google+ Project.

My brother-in-law shared a story recently about a parenting tactic he used with his girls. When his four girls were younger, they’d sometimes act up. When they started doing things that they weren’t supposed to be doing, he’d tell them that he was going to call “the people”. Then he’d pick up the phone and pretend that he was dialing.

When “the people” answered, he would explain the situation and ask for them to come and take care of the problem. On occasions, the timing of these “calls” would coincide with sirens in their neighborhood. Over time, the girls learned to fear the response of “the people”. Just hinting at calling them would improve their behavior.

Now, I’m not necessarily endorsing my brother-in-law’s parenting tactic, but it illustrates how much we fear “the people”. We don’t trust them. We assume they are evil. If we give them time, they’ll certainly prove they’re out to get us. At the very least, they won’t do things the way we like to do things.

Think about it. We don’t trust the people that we don’t know. We may work in the same organization, but, if we don’t know them, we assume they have a different agenda. Sometimes “the people” are in management. Sometimes “the people” work on a different team or in a different place. Sometimes “the people” are new to our organization. Because they come from a different background, we assume they don’t do things the way we do things. “The people” can’t be trusted. (more…)

In previous articles in this series on helping churches get unstuck, I’ve shared the importance of establishing healthy systems. Many churches have a gap between the vision and execution. Without healthy systems, they won’t be able to accomplish God’s vision for their ministry.

I explained in the last article that within the context of a church, a healthy system is a simple, replicable process to help people move from where they are to where God wants them to be.

Because your organization is unique, there’s no way I can tell you specifically what systems you need to accomplish the vision God has for your church. I can, however, share some common characteristics of healthy systems that may point you in the right direction. With that in mind, here are:

8 Characteristics of Healthy Systems for Churches

1. They empower leaders to accomplish ministry without always having to get permission. Without systems, every decision must go back to the senior pastor, the senior management team, the committee, etc. In his book Making Ideas Happen, Scott Belsky said it this way, “The more people who lie awake in bed thinking about your idea, the better. But people only obsess about ideas when they feel a sense of ownership.” Good systems will give leaders the freedom to make decisions within established boundaries.
2. They are embraced and championed by the top leadership. It does absolutely no good for systems to be established that top leadership doesn’t support and encourage everyone to use. If the top leaders can’t endorse the system, you’re not ready to implement the system.
3. They mobilize many people rather than leaning on a select handful of talented individuals. If your system is “contact Joe for more information”, you don’t have a system. If your system is “go hear Joe teach on the topic”, you don’t have a system. You have a gifted individual. Good systems point people to next steps (processes, tools, resources, etc.) rather than specific people.
4. They simplify the path. The objective is to create just enough of a framework to make it easier for people. Good systems are intuitive. Typically the fewer the steps, the better the systems. If you want to improve a system, challenge your team to figure out how to reduce the steps required. And, whatever you do, make sure your “customer” doesn’t have to guess where to go next. (more…)

A few months ago, I connected with Joel Quile on Twitter. Through that dialogue, I learned about Bara Church in Trophy Club, Texas. It’s a church plant that’s less than two years old.

I’ve never planted a church. I don’t really know anything about planting churches. For whatever reason, church planters contact me often for coaching. I always send them to Launch, because I know nothing about church planting.

When I connected with Joel, I realized he had knowledge that I don’t have. He wrote a blog post containing a number of myths and truths about church planting and shared it with me. Among his thoughts, Joel offered these:

“Myth: It takes money to plant a church.  Truth: It takes a man with courage and conviction. Money doesn’t raise itself.”

“Myth: It isn’t about Sunday morning. Truth: It’s not if you don’t hold a gathering on Sunday morning.”

“Myth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you’ll fail.  Truth: If you plant a church without the support of your wife, you’ll get divorced and then fail.”

“Myth: You need good worship, good preaching and good kids programs on Sundays if people are going to come.  Truth: If they don’t have a place to serve (ministry) and people to serve with (community) they might come, but they won’t stay.”

Visit Joel’s blog to read the rest of his insightful list of myths and truths about church planting.

Have you planted a church? What myth and truth would you add? Join the conversation by leaving your comment.

I have a number of Apple products in my home, but I wouldn’t consider myself to be an Apple fanboy. I didn’t run out and purchase an iPad when they first came out. I prefer Google apps over Apple apps. That said, I still believe Apple offers incredible products and solutions.

With that in mind, it’s been interesting to watch the reaction of diehard Apple fans in the last week after they released the new Final Cut Pro X — it’s the software they sell for video editing. I’ve never used Final Cut, so I know absolutely nothing about the software. Folks that have used the software in the past, though, are in an uproar about the new release.

The situation is a good reminder that no matter how much your fans love you, they don’t like change. The crazy thing is Apple has proven time and time again how important change is to an organization. They’ve changed their product line up and focus. After products are released, they routinely make changes to improve their performance. Apple wouldn’t be what it is today if it didn’t embrace change…even though people don’t like change.

I thought this was an interesting quote from TechCrunch writer MG Siegler in today’s article:

“And perhaps it’s extra infuriating for some because it’s almost like these companies don’t even think twice about making such changes. And the harsh truth is that they shouldn’t. When you start to second guess yourself and let the masses dictate your product decisions, you’re done.”

That’s a powerful insight. And, believe it or not, it’s consistent with what Jesus taught. People haven’t liked change for a couple thousand years. Check this out:

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Your church needs a website. It’s that simple. This media-driven world may be a bewildering place, and a church website may seem complicated and expensive. But still, every church needs a website. Here’s why.

1. A church website brings people to your church. If someone wants to find a church in your area, how are they going to find it? If your first answer is, “check the Yellow Pages” you’re wrong. Most people go straight to Google.
2. A church website connects people. Fellowship takes place even when people aren’t physically together. Church websites give members a way to interact and fellowship throughout the week. This kind of interaction helps build unity.
3. A church website organizes church events. Church websites help people stay up to date with your church’s events—from softball games to Sunday services.
4. A church website answers questions about the church. People have all kinds of questions about churches. Music? Nursery? Denomination? Bible version? How can you answer all these questions? Two words:  church website.
5. A church website is the church’s testimony. Within seconds of accessing your church website, a person forms opinions about your church—for better or worse. A good website is a great way to communicate a good testimony.
6. A church website broadcasts your message globally. Instantly—without buying a ticket, experiencing jet lag, or eating airline food, your church can reach as far as Europe, Asia, or Africa. Regardless of its size, your church can spread its message worldwide.
7. A church website saves you money on advertising. Any pastor wants the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to church marketing. Church websites are way more visible and far less expensive than any other form of church advertising.
8. A church website stores your media. A church website gives you a digital media library. Storing sermon recordings online is a great way to increase the longevity and reach of sermons.
9. A church website increases your church’s income. People pay their bills online, invest their money online, and read their bank statements online. Can they also give to their church online? With a church website, yes.
10. A church website gives your church the relevance necessary to communicate today. This generation has witnessed the launch of the digital age. Creating a church website is the primary means of jumping on the information superhighway and reaching our generation for Christ.

Sharefaith church websites are an unprecedented way for churches to get online. Sharefaith has developed the world’s easiest, quickest, cheapest, most professional, and full-featured church websites. Sharefaith believes that every church in the world deserves an awesome website. Our dream is now a reality. This reality is yours—a full-featured, professional, easy, and free website for Sharefaith members.

If there was ever a time to get a church website, now is the time.

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This is a sponsored guest post from the team at Sharefaith, one of my ministry partners on TonyMorganLive.com.

For the past number of years, there are two conferences that I religiously attend. I go to the Leadership Summit with all the elders from West Ridge Church. And, I attend the Catalyst Conference here in Atlanta. Both events, in their own ways, stretch who I am as a leader.

The next Catalyst event in Atlanta happens on October 5-7, 2011. As usual, I’ll be joining 13,000 of my closest friends for worship, teaching and creative fun! This year’s event includes folks like Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Francis Chan, David Platt, Priscilla Shirer, Mark Driscoll, Dave Ramsey and Judah Smith.

I’m sharing this news today, because the best rates on Catalyst tickets end tomorrow. Call 888.334.6569 to speak to a Catalyst Concierge, or register online at www.catalystconference.com. Use Rate Code FOB to save $120 off the regular ticket price.

Check out the video previewing this year’s event below. Register today. Let’s plan to hangout together in October.

One of the great myths in ministry is that we have the power to change behaviors by teaching more. We teach during worship services. We teach at student ministry gatherings. We teach at women’s events. We teach at men’s retreats. Even our small groups are built around teaching. We’ve fallen into the trap of thinking the only way people will take a next step is if we teach at them more.

My dad was a marching band director. Because of that, I grew up loving The Music Man. Harold Hill is nothing like my dad. Hill was a con artist. He really knew nothing about starting a marching band. All he wanted to do was sell band instruments and uniforms to make money. For his charade to work, he used the “think system” in order to train his musicians. Hill wasn’t concerned about the kids learning the notes to become better musicians — he just encouraged them to think their way to becoming a marching band.

My dad’s approach was very different. His system involved teaching, but it also included learning how to play each note, individuals lessons and practice, band rehearsals to fine-tune the music, marching drills on the practice field, band camps to master the programs, warm ups before each performance, etc. Dad implemented systems to support his teaching and it resulted in an award-winning marching band that became known as the “Pride of Piqua”.

Teaching is a good thing. Jesus did it. He taught in front of crowds of thousands. That was only one part of his ministry. His teaching was supported by faith steps, relationships, disciplines and actions that led to a movement.

If churches (and people) are going to get unstuck, we have to stop leaning so heavily on teaching to produce all the change and we need to begin creating healthy systems to support the teaching. Within the context of a church, a healthy system is a simple, replicable process to help people move from where they are to where God wants them to be.

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I went back through the archives, and it’s been three years since I shared the comment guidelines for my website. I can’t believe it’s been that long. This post is long overdue.

In case you’re curious, every comment that is submitted to my site is moderated. I have filters in place to automate the process. I’m guessing 99.9% of the comments get posted. There are always a handful every month, though, that don’t make it to the site.

Here are the guidelines to make sure your comments get published:

• Stick to my agenda. This is my blog. I get to decide what topics we discuss. If you want to push your agenda or talk about your topics, start your own blog.
• Don’t attack individuals (including me) or ministries (including my church). We “encourage one another and build each other up” around here. It’s biblical. And, it’s a lot more fun. Again, if you want to be grumpy and pick fights, do that on your own time. There are plenty of blogs out there that are designed to encourage bickering. I don’t have time for that.
• Don’t embarrass me. I’m trying to be a good Baptist boy. If you use inappropriate language, I’m not going to post it.
• Don’t submit anonymous comments. If you can’t honestly share what’s on your mind and let others know who you are, either you’re in an unhealthy environment that doesn’t encourage open dialogue or you’re a coward.

Thanks for helping to promote a positive conversation on the site. I love having your engagement.

By the way, I’d love to know who is reading. Take a moment and let me know who you are. Share a link and let me know where you’re from. Join the conversation by leaving your comment.