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It is a key issue in pastoral leadership today. Here is a quote from a pastor I coach. It is indicative of this issue: “I don’t feel like I am leading well. Sometimes I wonder if God’s anointing and calling is no longer on my life.” That pastor is not alone. As I work with…
The post When Pastors Doubt Their Leadership Ability appeared first on Church Answers.
Churches decline for two main reasons—both having to do with a shift in priorities. First, they lose passion for the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Second, as a result, they no longer give God glory. When a church no longer pushes outward with the gospel, the people will no longer look upward to God’s…
The post The Top Ten Misaligned Priorities in Struggling Churches appeared first on Church Answers.
Perhaps one of the most under-reported issues about the post-pandemic church is how some churches are doing better after the departure of some church members. We know that about 20 percent of active church attendees stopped attending during the pandemic and have not returned. What we rarely hear is that some of those departures actually…
The post When Church Members Are a Blessed Exit: 5 Thoughts appeared first on Church Answers.
Criticism is an inevitable aspect of leadership, and as a woman in a leadership role, you may encounter unique challenges and expectations. How you handle criticism can profoundly impact your growth and effectiveness as a leader. Whether it is an e-mail from a member sharing their opinions on room temperature and the selection of snacks…
The post Navigating Criticism with Grace: A Guide for Women Leaders appeared first on Church Answers.
I’ve had the privilege of learning from Christian leaders—clergy and laity alike—for almost 50 years. As a seminary professor who teaches courses in leadership, I pay attention when I see leaders who seem uniquely gifted. I offer this list of characteristics today (1) to push myself to evaluate my own life and (2) to challenge…
The post 6 Unique Characteristics of the Best Christian Leaders I’ve Known appeared first on Church Answers.
When the church causes hurt, it pollutes God’s calling and creates a toxicity that works against the gospel. The goal is to minimize church hurt and maximize church unity. Here is reality. Something will happen in almost every church because ministry includes people. In some cases, the pastor is the cause of the hurt. In…
The post How to Recover from a Toxic Church and Bounce Back Even Better appeared first on Church Answers.
The metaphor has changed. For most of my ministry, we often referred to the up and down of pastoral ministry as a roller coaster. It made sense. One day the pastor will celebrate five new believers in Christ. The next day the pastor is met by a long-term church member who is leaving the church…
The post Pastoral Whiplash Syndrome: Five Causes appeared first on Church Answers.
We have written and presented numerous insights and information about the effects of the pandemic on churches. I even wrote a small book called The Post Quarantine Church. The essence of our information was straightforward: negative church trends were accelerated and exacerbated in the pandemic and for the several months after churches regathered in-person. In…
The post Five New Challenges for the “Post-Post” Pandemic Church appeared first on Church Answers.
Gossip is a destructive force in the church. Once the rumors of gossip spread, it’s hard to correct if they are false. Even if partially true, gossip is always wrong because what is shared is inappropriate and hurtful. Gossip fosters an environment of distrust and suspicion. Instead of focusing on productive work or conversations, individuals…
The post How to Discern If a Church Member Is Guilty of Gossip appeared first on Church Answers.
I became fascinated with dead and dying churches about thirty years ago. I know. It’s morbid on my part. My fascination turned into somewhat of an obsession that I wrote a bestselling book on the topic, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, several years ago. It still has robust sales today. It obviously hit a nerve. …
The post Why Your Church Will Die within Five Years appeared first on Church Answers.