Tag «Staff & Organizational Issues»

It’s Time to Release Churches from the Myth of Infinite Expansion

Every church has limiting factors. No church grows exponentially every year. Infinite expansion isn’t possible. Even the largest churches stay at the top of the list for only about twenty years. Each generation has its own group of biggest congregations or fastest-growing congregations. Compare any lists of the largest churches from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,…

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8 Things I’d Love to Receive for Pastor Appreciation Month

Each year, I post on my personal site a list of possible ways to show your pastor gratitude during October (Pastor Appreciation month). Even with that list in mind, here are some things I would love to receive from members if I were pastoring again: Regular, intentional prayer. In our Church Answers’ Know Your Church…

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The Great Leadership Shortage in Churches: Five Ways to Address It

One of the most common challenges we hear from church leaders, particularly pastors, is the need for more leaders in the church. The vacuum seems the greatest among elders, deacons, and teachers. Many churches lost not only members in this post-pandemic world, but they also lost leaders as well. Of course, it is likely that…

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Are You Asking the Character Question about Your Staff?

If you examine the job descriptions in searches for pastors, associate pastors, and church staff (as we have), you will find (as we did) an absence of expressed interest in character and a profusion of terms connected to skills. Job descriptions, even for senior pastors, have devolved into a can-do list. That is because we…

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Why Your Church Will Die within Five Years

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. …

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The Big Warning Signs Your Church Bylaws Are Working Against You and Not for You

Every church needs a good set of bylaws. Put simply, the bylaws are written legal documents establishing the governance of a church. Church polity and ecclesiology will have an impact on the contents of bylaws. The size and structure of a church will also affect bylaws. For example, multi-site churches will differ from single-site churches….

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8 Reasons Potential Pastors Would Rather Begin Ministry with an Internship or Assistant Pastorate

When I started pastoring more than 40 years ago, most of us called to pastoral ministry wanted to get started on the task quickly. Right or wrong, we typically leapt into ministry as soon as we could. Now, young leaders preparing for ministry are much more inclined to look for an “entry-level” position before stepping…

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Eight Ways Any Church Can Get the Attention of the Neighborhood

God’s mission travels in one vehicle: the church. In the same way that different kinds of vehicles travel our roadways, many different churches share the good news message. No congregation has a corner on the Kingdom, and every Bible-believing church has the potential to be an asset in the Kingdom of God. The neighborhood will…

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Five Ways to Hurt Your Pastor Deeply

The times sure have changed. Yes, the statement is cliché, but it is one I often make about the challenge of pastors today versus several years ago. When I was a pastor, I had my challenges. But they pale in comparison to what pastors face today. Why is pastoring so challenging today? There are several…

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Five Cautions about Church Budgets for the Next Twelve Months

The call from the pastor was not that unusual. Indeed, it was a part of a pattern we’ve observed at Church Answers. “Hey Thom,” the pastor asked, “Are you seeing anything about church giving declining? We thought it was a temporary pause at our church, but giving is consistently down about five percent.” While we…

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