Is your church plant built for disciple making?

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The North American model of church is not based upon disciple making, but that can be changed in a new church plant. Join Bobby and Paul as they describe how to plant new churches with disciple making DNA.
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Welcome to One Eighty, welcome to Disciple-Making. Over the next 8 weeks, we will be turning our focus to creating a discipleship culture as we look ahead to our 2024 Global Exponential Conference March 4-7th.

This podcast is one of several workshops from Exponential’s Global 2023 Conference in Orlando. You can grab the Evangelism Resource Kit for this workshop and more to train you and your team: https://multiplication.org/product/evangelism-2023-orlando-workshops-resource-kit/

To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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Discipleship MUST always be guided by good theology.

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On this episode join Bobby and Carl as they explore why it’s more important now than ever to have good theology. They will talk about practical tools the local church needs in this cultural moment.

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Welcome to One Eighty, welcome to Disciple-Making. Over the next 8 weeks, we will be turning our focus to creating a discipleship culture as we look ahead to our 2024 Global Exponential Conference March 4-7th.

To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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Welcome to One Eighty, welcome to Discipleship. Over the next 8 weeks, we will be turning our focus to creating a discipleship culture as we look ahead to our 2024 Global Exponential Conference March 4-7th.

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On this episode we are talking about how Jesus’ style of evangelism always led folks to follow Him. So many times we try to separate evangelism and discipleship. That leaves us with weak Christians and an even weaker church. Walk with us through the exploration of the Master’s plan for evangelism that leads to discipleship.

Speaker: Dan Leitz

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To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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Are your members equipped for the personal mission? Many of us tried turning our churches into evangelistic “fishing ponds.” That didn’t work. We taught our members to invite others to church instead of equipping them to go and make disciples. So, let’s turn our equip our members as “spiritual archaeologists” uncovering treasure in the people around them. The goal is to embolden ordinary Christ-followers to enter and explore friendships among the 70 percent of Americans no longer interested in Christianity. If you are looking for a simple, practical and profound way to grow your church on mission, this is the episode for you.

Evangelism Series // Week 5

Speakers: Ralph Moore

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This podcast is one of several workshops from Exponential’s Global 2023 Conference in Orlando. You can grab the Evangelism Resource Kit for this workshop and more to train you and your team: https://multiplication.org/product/evangelism-2023-orlando-workshops-resource-kit/

To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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Dive into a live Q&A session with Faith Eury Cho, Albert Tate and Aaron & Hannah Barnett as they unpack some keys to an evangelism culture and why evangelism is not a Lost Cause.

Evangelism Series // Week 4

Speakers: Faith Eury Cho, Albert Tate, Aaron & Hannah Barnett

To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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A few years ago, a ministry friend and partner of mine was attending the Exponential conference in Orlando when he overheard a conversation between two prospective church planters that went something like this:

Planter 1: “How big is the city where you’re planting?”

Planter 2: “About 15,000”

Planter 1: “Hmmm, I wouldn’t plant in a city any smaller than 22,000.”

My friend had to laugh to himself. At the time, he had been a senior pastor in a town with a whopping population of 25 for 15+ years. The church has since sent a significant percentage of its congregation to plant in other rural towns in Kansas.

Imagine the faith required to send hundreds of your members to go and start new works elsewhere when you minister in what some might consider a wilderness! That call sounds like a death sentence for ministry.

A death sentence is an apt description of how many Americans perceive rural ministry. Rural towns are where pastors who couldn’t cut it in the “big time” go to die. Rural ministry is “junior varsity” for those either training for the big leagues or those who will never measure up to move on to “bigger and better” places.

If you need more convincing, look at those we typically platform and clamor to learn from so we can implement the methods that made them “successful.” You won’t find a small-town pastor who has faithfully and effectively served their community for decades often because their ministry isn’t large enough to be of any notable consequence. Have you ever wondered what we are missing when we overlook the small ministries and places of the earth?

Jesus loved small ministries and places.

Jesus loved small ministries and places. He was born into tiny, insignificant circumstances: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2, NIV).

He grew up in Nazareth (population in the hundreds), a village whose reputation is expressed by the following question: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46).

Both Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministries in the more sparsely populated regions of Israel. Jesus was unimpressed by crowds and consistently resisted the pull to build a large brand, network, or movement. He did the opposite of what we would advise him to do today, and I have a feeling we wouldn’t be calling him to be the headliner at our conferences. Again, what are we missing when we overlook the small people and places of the earth? Could we be missing the heart of Christ himself?

My husband and I have been ministering in rural Kansas for 20 years. Because I am a talented speaker, singer, and musician, some have asked me why I don’t seek a position at a megachurch or move where my gifts could be put to “better use,” somewhere I could be more visible and have better opportunities.

In response, I point to the day God called me to serve rural communities. I was the new worship pastor for the church in the town of 25 I mentioned previously, and I was reading Return to Worship by Ron Owens. In his chapter titled “To Get or to Give?”, he tells the story of a young lady with a gorgeous singing voice who had been serving her small-town church faithfully, but had recently left to join the choir of a megachurch having been persuaded that she would get more out of a “bigger and better” church that could amplify her talent. He likened her story to David’s theft of Bathsheba in 1 Samuel 12.1

As I read that story, the Holy Spirit said, “You will not be a ewe lamb.”

That day, I committed to serving alongside Jesus in the small, seemingly insignificant places he leads me. My life and ministry are deeply blessed and enriched as a result.

Christ is powerfully present in small places.

So, back to the question: What are we missing when we overlook the small ministries and places of the earth? First, Christ is powerfully present in small places. Of course, he is present everywhere and values all people, but there is a potency in his gaze toward the poor, the powerless, and the disregarded. Throughout Scripture, God intentionally gravitates toward the underprivileged. He chooses the younger sibling over the eldest – not because one is better, but to radically work against the human tendency to elevate some people at the expense of others. He chooses Israel – not because they are the most powerful or populous nation, but because of their insignificance to the world’s great empires that his glory might be made manifest amongst humanity’s weakest. God is with those unimportant to the world because they are profoundly important to him. If we want to be in all the places where Jesus is, there must be no flyover country, nowhere too small or insignificant to be worth our time, nowhere that is beneath our notice.

Not only is Christ present among the small and despised, but his heart and character are revealed through them. If you want to learn to be like Jesus and draw close to him, follow his ministry pattern. Jesus intentionally turned away from the powerful and prosperous and set his gaze and favor on the foolish, the weak, the overlooked, and the outcast, or, as the gospel authors put it, the tax collectors and sinners, those who recognized their need for a savior.

In doing so, those with power and prestige were drawn to him, their curiosity piqued by this strange new teacher who taught with authority and dared to overlook them. I don’t think they would have paid much attention to Jesus had he come to them first, and he loved them enough to dismantle the lie of their own self-importance. He knew that proximity to the least of these produces the best leaders: Servants who are humble, gentle, and lowly, disciples who never graduate from their need to learn, not just from Jesus but from those to whom they are sent.

While rural ministry is prone to pitfalls like any other ministry, there is a unique opportunity in these places to die to self and learn humility. What could be more against the grain of American culture than seeking the small and ordinary and resisting being swept into the current of capitalistic consumerism that often produces churches that look and act more like corporations than the kingdom of God? Most rural people do not care and are unimpressed by titles, education, wealth, and positions of authority. They love and are proud of their community and want to see it thrive. They value togetherness and developing deep, rooted relationships committed to the long haul, and they aren’t necessarily interested in seeking what is bigger and better.

If you want to learn how to pursue what Friedrich Nietzsche called “a long obedience in the same direction,” rural communities are great places to do so.

Rural people often love and care for one another well and know how to appreciate the simple stuff of life. If you want to learn how to pursue what Friedrich Nietzsche called “a long obedience in the same direction,” rural communities are great places to do so.

For the past couple of years, I’ve had opportunities to enter collaborative spaces with people whose ministries are far grander than mine. While I have appreciated and learned a lot from them, this competitive sense of jockeying for importance still exists. The cultural waters we swim in make it nearly impossible to avoid. Who will offer the most profound word? Who has the best visionary ideas to offer? Who has the best connections? Honestly, it’s exhausting to me, and I often feel like an imposter, a fish out of water. My tiny area of the world is dwarfed in comparison.

Amid these experiences, God has opened a way for me to participate in a ministry to the ladies at the local jail in our small town. I told my husband recently, “Out of all the numerous opportunities I’ve had recently, my time spent with the women at the jail is my favorite. I could meet with them for the rest of my life and be content.” There is something so beautifully refreshing about communing with people who have nothing to hide, people for whom masks and pretending are useless. I laugh when I think about how little I do, how unnecessary I am, and how God’s purpose for me is more about what he wants these women to teach me than what I have to teach them. All I do is share the story of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit moves.

I have the incredible privilege of coming along for the ride and witnessing Jesus at work in the hearts of these least of these daughters who are so dear to their Father’s heart. If you want to be where Jesus is, if you want to learn to be more like him, find the least, the last, and the lost in your city, be it big or small, and resist the tendency to overlook and “despise the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10).

There are a couple of quotes by Roland Walls from my Celtic Daily Prayer Book that keep me grounded when I am discouraged by my own smallness and tempted to seek the type of success and notoriety the world deems valuable. I hope they encourage you like they have me.

Preoccupation with numbers and busyness is always a symptom of disease. ‘Success’ in the Christian enterprise has to pass through this lonely man, Jesus, who failed completely. So, somehow or other, theologically, and therefore spiritually, the success addict’s disease is that he’s left the centre, because the centre isn’t very encouraging. And therefore it has something to do with what does he think about Christ, and whose son is He, and how far did He get? You can always keep the success story going with the resurrection – but the resurrection of Christ isn’t the flip-over of the coin, it’s showing the value of the coin. It’s the crucified who is risen and therefore got the approval of God. So we’ve got to beware lest we come back with an easy theology of resurrection to justify success.2

Be content to live an anonymous, unspectacular, misunderstood life among people. Choose where possible those places and jobs where people are oppressed or deprived. Let Christ transfigure the darkness in ourselves and in the world. Let there be great care to maintain the simplicity of presence . . . Love what is obscure and little for there you will find Christ.3

– Celtic Daily Prayer Book

These quotes give me pause and remind me to cling tightly to what it means to enter the kingdom of God. It is coming to the end of ourselves, realizing the joy and privilege we’ve been given to participate in God’s mission through small, ordinary acts of obedience, knowing that it’s not about us. May you discover the joy and wonder of Jesus, the God who became small for us, and may you embrace the small spaces he delights to dwell wherever you are in the world.

Notes1. Ron Owens, Return to Worship: A God-Centered Approach (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 79. 2. Celtic Daily Prayer Book Two: Farther Up and Farther In (London: William Collins, 2015), 1407. 3. Celtic Daily Prayer Book, 1408.

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In a post-Covid world, almost every church finds itself in somewhat of a revitalization process. But even before Covid, a multi-faceted approach to planting new churches and revitalizing older churches was beginning to emerge as a unique strategy for addressing the staggering need of reaching a post-Christian world.

More and more younger leaders today are considering the possibility of church revitalization as an alternative or a means of church planting. In this month’s article, church revitalization expert Dr. Gary Moritz addresses a few advantages leaders and church planting churches should consider before planting a new church. It is possible the church you are wanting to plant already has seeds growing just below the surface. I encourage you to join this growing conversation.

– Dave Rhodes, Director of Church NEXT

In the ever-evolving landscape of American Christianity, a significant paradigm shift has been underway in recent years. Church revitalization has emerged as the new face of church planting. This transformation is driven by a complex interplay of factors, including shifting demographics, resource constraints, and a deeper appreciation for the untapped potential within existing congregations. In this article, we examine each of these factors.

Shifting demographics are driving the change.Changing population dynamics in America have a profound impact on society, politics, the economy, and various other aspects of life. Several key demographic trends have been shaping the United States in recent years, and understanding these shifts is essential for policymakers, businesses, society, and especially the church.

One of the most notable demographic changes in the United States is the aging of its population. This shift is primarily driven by the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964, who are reaching retirement age in large numbers. Many established churches in the United States are grappling with aging memberships, aging pastors, dwindling attendance, and the challenge of connecting with younger generations.

Most have no succession plan in place. According to Lifeway Research, the age demographics of the church mirror those of our country’s aging population with churchgoers twice as likely to be 65 and older.1 The average age of the lead pastor in America is 51.2 According to the SBC, 18 percent of pastors are over the age of 65.3

This aging population in the church means that the number of churches that will need church revitalization in the future will only grow. As churches and pastors delay succession to a younger pastor and leader, the average age of the church increases and has the potential to die with its congregants.

How many church planters are we producing now? According to Lifeway research, more is needed.4

The number of churches that need to be planted to keep up with population trends of closure is too high for the number of churches we are planting.

Seminaries simply can’t keep up with the number of pastors needed for the number of churches to be planted. But what if we could close less churches? What if we replaced older leaders with younger leaders? What if we could mobilize lay leaders within existing churches? In other words, what if part of the way we increased churches was through revitalization? And what if we concentrated on revitalization as much as we have concentrated on church planting? We might just solve our church planting problem.

Resource constraints are driving the change.Church revitalization has gained prominence as an alternative to church planting because it addresses the issue of resource constraints that church planters often face. Starting a new church often requires significant financial resources for land, construction, and initial operations. Revitalization may be a more financially viable option for organizations with limited resources. In other words, church revitalization brings resources to the table that church planting doesn’t. Here are several kinds of resources available in revitalization:

Optimizing Existing Assets: Revitalization leverages existing church facilities and resources, efficiently using established infrastructure.

Stewardship of Existing Resources: Revitalizing an existing church can be a more cost-effective approach than starting a new one from scratch because many of these churches have giving congregations. Many of these congregations have many different forms of financial assets that simply need to be stewarded well and repurposed.

Cultural and Historical Significance: Established churches often have deep roots in their communities, with a rich history and cultural significance. Revitalizing these churches allows you to preserve and build upon that heritage, which can appeal to existing and potential members. In other words, the community often sees the church as part of its history and therefore has incentive to see the church thrive – and can often be part of resourcing that reemergence.

Environmental Stewardship: In an era of increasing awareness of environmental concerns, revitalizing existing church buildings can be seen as more sustainable than constructing new structures, which can have a significant ecological footprint.

Adaptive Reuse: Revitalization can involve creative and adaptive reuse of church facilities, making them multipurpose spaces that serve the needs of both the congregation and the broader community. This can enhance the church’s relevance and impact and provide potential divergent revenue streams.

Growing recognition of the untapped potential within existing congregations is driving the change.Church revitalization has gained attention and significance in recent years because there is a growing recognition of the untapped potential within existing congregations. As churches delve deeper into understanding the untapped potential within existing congregations, there is a growing appreciation for the unique strengths, assets, and opportunities that these congregations possess. This deeper appreciation has contributed to the shift toward prioritizing revitalization. This shift in focus reflects several key factors:

Community Engagement: Revitalizing an existing church enables immediate community engagement. Established churches already have connections and relationships within.

Sustainable Growth: Church planting can be resource-intensive and may face challenges in gaining a foothold in a community. Conversely, revitalization may offer a more sustainable path to growth by leveraging existing relationships and resources.

Discipleship and Leadership Development: Revitalizing a church often involves identifying and developing local leadership within the congregation. This can lead to the growth of new leaders who can play key roles in the church’s ongoing ministry.

Holistic Approach: Revitalization often involves addressing the congregation’s and community’s spiritual and physical needs. This holistic approach can result in a more well-rounded ministry that addresses a broader range of needs.

Think About Cultural ResistanceChurch revitalization does have its drawbacks – drawbacks that church planting and church planters get to avoid. So it’s not all roses. Here are a few of those drawbacks:

Resistance to Change: Not all church members are receptive to the shifts required for revitalization, leading to potential conflicts and divisions. Change is becoming harder after COVID-19 lockdowns. People seem to be digging their feet deeper in society. The sociological phenomenon is the resistance to not change and getting back to the way things seem to be the behavior, and the sociological temperature.

Navigating Resistance: Church leadership often faces the challenge of navigating resistance while maintaining unity and a shared vision. Navigating this kind of resistance isn’t easy and can take a toll on the leader. It requires the kind of leader who can lead with clarity. When the focus on clarity is central, then vitality will emerge. As a good friend, Jim Randall from Auxano, says, “The conversation has changed with the normalization of revitalization mainstream.”5 The awareness is more significant, so the conversation is more straightforward. Resistance happens when clarity is not apparent.

Communication and Education: Open communication and education about the reasons for revitalization are critical in addressing resistance. But this means the congregation must choose to be learners. Education plays a crucial role in overcoming resistance, but you can’t educate people who refuse to learn. However, many congregants may not be aware of the broader trends affecting churches today, such as declining church attendance among younger generations or changing worship preferences. Providing educational materials, workshops, or sermons on these topics can help congregants better understand the need for revitalization in the context of more significant societal changes.

While church revitalization offers numerous benefits, it’s essential to recognize that the choice between revitalization and church planting should be based on each church organization’s specific context, goals, and resources. Both approaches have their merits, and the decision should align with the church’s and its community’s unique needs and circumstances.

However, the ascent of church revitalization as the new face of American church planting marks a transformative era in American Christianity. Revitalized churches reinvigorate established congregations by harnessing existing resources, nurturing spiritual revival, and engaging with their communities. While challenges persist, this shift promises a hopeful future for American Christianity, where tradition merges with innovation to reach and inspire new generations of believers.

As we move forward, church revitalization is not just a trend, but a necessary and impactful strategy for the growth and relevance of the church in the United States.

Notes1. https://research.lifeway.com/2022/01/05/22-vital-stats-for-ministry-in-2022/

https://www.zippia.com/pastor-jobs/demographics
https://sbcvoices.com/more-full-time-senior-pastors-over-65-than-under-40
https://research.lifeway.com/2021/05/25/protestant-church-closures-outpace-openings-in-u-s/
https://www.thechurchvitalitynetwork.com/podcasts/vitalnomics-the-church-vitality-podcast/episodes/2147975819

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“Gospel” literally means “good news” … but if you ask many people in our increasingly pluralist and secular world, Christians who claim it as our central truth are less and less associated with anything resembling “good news”! This workshop will equip you in ways to share the gospel, in ways that sound like it’s truly good news again, especially to those in the next generation on whom the future of the church realize. We consider realities of our cultural moment, and how our changing mission field needs new and different strategies than the past decades. And we’ll discover tangible ways to display and declare the gospel in the stories that shape the adults of tomorrow.

Evangelism Series // Week 3

Speaker: Ben Connelly

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To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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The topic of soul care is often surrounded by confusion or suspicion by hard-driving leaders. Ben Cachairis helps us see this from a senior leader’s eyes, with the hope of integration and flourishing ministry.

GUEST: Ben Cachiaris, Lead Pastor of Mountain Christian ChurchHOST: Mindy Caliguire, Director of Healthy Leaders NEXT

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Evangelism Series // Week 2

Deconstruction has long been the activity of young people inside and outside of the church. However, this new wave of deconstruction has unique challenges that are deeply sociological and theological. In this episode, Daniel Yang explains how church planting models from 1980-2020 are falling short in addressing this new wave of deconstruction but also why Gen-Zers represent hope, not just for new models, but also for how God is redeeming their deconstruction for the greater good of the Church in America.

Speaker: Daniel Yang

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To learn more about Exponential events, visit: https://exponential.org/events

For all other links: https://shor.by/Exponential

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A remarkable 57 percent of Americans indicate that they search for purpose in their lives on a monthly basis. Additionally, a concerning 42 percent of Generation Z individuals have received […]

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Next Ventures is an innovative approach to finding, connecting, and learning from emerging leaders who are shaping the future of the church. We begin the process by collaborating with our […]

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Passing the Peace Growing up in the Catholic church, I always looked forward to the point in each Mass when the priest would invite us to turn towards others nearby […]

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We’ve all encountered this at some point: We’re just living our lives. Minding our own business. Living the dream. And then one day we get a Facebook message from someone […]

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Evangelism Series // Week 1 Dive deeper into the conversation of God’s Lost Cause with Dave Ferguson, Aaron Barnett and Hannah Barnett. • The Need for Reviving the Lost Cause: Problem: Evangelism […]

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So we’ve all encountered this at some point. We’re just living our lives. Minding our own business. Living the dream. And then one day we get a Facebook message from […]

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If you’re passionate about the intersection of faith, community, and generational shifts, this episode is your compass for navigating these uncharted waters. Join Aaron Barnett & Hannah Gronowski Barnett as […]

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One of the most important characteristics of great leaders is that they are not afraid to empower the people around them. Derek Sanford, the Lead Pastor of Grace Church in […]

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Last month, we at Christ Together released a new study on the State of Evangelism in the Church and while much of it highlighted trends we have seen before, there […]

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Older paradigms of student ministry were focused on centralized expressions that required the next generation to be good inviters. Gen Z believers are hungry for more. They recognize they’re living […]

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Every year, more than one million young people will walk away from the Christian faith. The young people in America are considered to be the first post-Christian generation in our […]

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At the end of the last piece from Albert Tate (“What Are You Doing Here?”), Jesus was talking with an isolated Samaritan woman beside a well. He came into her […]

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How is you church stepping into the gap? The gap between your church and your community won’t just close itself. It requires a change in mindset. In this podcast, Gabe […]

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There is a pervasive myth out there that innovation is the exclusive domain of artists, entrepreneurs, and creative types. But is it possible to cultivate innovation? Is there a hack […]

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In an era of rapid societal changes and shifting values, many local churches are facing the challenge of engaging the next generation. With declining attendance and waning interest, it is […]

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At the beginning of this series, I referenced the idea of a magnet that can pull us toward a certain standard of what makes a church “successful.” While this prevailing […]

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Let me share the story of Perpetua, born in 182 AD to a wealthy family in Carthage. When she was just 22, Perpetua was arrested and put in a Roman […]

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Fifty-five years ago, nearly half of Americans smoked and only 100,000 regularly took a jog. Then, in 1968, Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote his groundbreaking book, Aerobics, clearly laying out the […]

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I was born in South Korea and moved to Los Angeles when I was five. I remember wondering, “Is there a God?” You see, my great-grandfather was one of the […]

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In this episode, we will discuss the importance of parents and their role within the Next Generation and the church. As Next Gen leaders, it’s vitally important to have a […]

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Moses tells the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “The Lord, your God, the Lord is one,” and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, […]

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You are perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting. You’ve likely heard some form of this principle before, and it may have felt discouraging, especially if you weren’t happy […]

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All In Ministries International wants to mobilize an army of women to make disciples and impact communities around the world. In this episode, Susan Freese, Founder and President, shares her […]

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The best artificial intelligence chatbot in history was released by the A.I. research company OpenAI toward the end of 2022. ChatGPT (the GPT stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer”) acquired 1 […]

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This article is the third in a series of resources to help you move beyond the pull of being a church focused on addition. In this series, we will be […]

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Imagine Church Global is a collective of organically-led communities that gather either online or in a local venue to help cultivate community discipleship and an authentic relationship with Jesus through interactive teachings, discussion, and worship. Working toward this statement took many phases, research, and development, as well as trial and error to attain this culture.

They started in May 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona, with a core group of team members devoted to planting a church. The first phase was a lot of research and development. For eight months, they worked with team members in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Oklahoma, and New York City to try a new way of doing church. At the end of June 2018, they shifted from research and development and took several months to regroup, debrief, test new technology, and refine the vision and mission field.

After this stage, they launched their current model in February 2019.

Listen to Episode 30 of the Future Church Podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights:

Each Imagine Community is led by a Community Builder(s) and an Assistant Community Builder(s) who hosts and facilitates the weekly gathering. These communities truly are “The Church” on a mission; practically demonstrating the love of Jesus through relevant & Biblical interactive teachings, community discussion, worship, and service. A significant challenge that this church has faced is its growth, primarily due to geographical constraints in finding people and privacy concerns. Imagine Church caters to individuals who are homebound, highly mobile, or have autoimmune diseases and find it hard to attend brick-and-mortar churches on Sundays. The church has a slow growth model that focuses on intentional relationship-building, one-on-one, and intentional invitation. They provide a supportive, creative, and innovative space for members to worship, learn, discuss, and pray. They do this by conducting Zoom meetings that begin with a 10–15-minute conversation where members discuss events from the previous week and check in on each other.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Imagine Church Global:

Help isolated men and women around the globe find a spiritual, Christ-centered community wherever they are. Train, empower, and release everyone to influence their local communities for Jesus by providing accessible, face-to-face community discipleship. We desire to cultivate a culture of Jesus’ followers dedicated to personal growth and discipleship. To help followers of Jesus see the “missional” possibilities around them, love their communities with bravery, and invite others into a community with Jesus and others. Help reduce the barriers for families and individuals to attend church together who would not usually be able to participate in the community due to location or physical limitations.

Links: https://imagine.church/ Key Quotes from Justin and Janae Klatt: “Every day we encounter people. We can count the likes and followers. We witness the lives of others through our screens. We are surrounded by people and yet loneliness is a resounding call of society. We have proximity, but we lack community.”

“Daily devotional patterns and prayer practices are key to growing in relationship with Jesus. As we continue to grow with Jesus, we begin to understand that He desires to grow us as a ‘whole’ individual.”

“With the need for the gospel in our generation, we must not look for a silver bullet approach. We believe there are many expressions of the local church.”

“We celebrate bravery. And we really choose to redefine success as bravery. So, in that sense of cultivating that culture, there really is no way to fail when you're launching a community because you've stepped out and invited a friend or you've started meeting in your living room. And maybe it only lasted for six months, but that doesn't matter. That was bravery.”

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HowToLife is a fast-growing global youth movement of students to reach, disciple, and mobilize Gen Z for Jesus. A new study from The Barna Group reports that, “Generation Z is the Least Christian Generation in American History.”

Here are some sobering conclusions:

35% of Generation Z teens consider themselves to be atheist, agnostic, or not affiliated with any religion. Only one out of three agree with the statement, “Lying is morally wrong.” Only 4% of today’s teenagers hold a biblical worldview.

These aren’t just statistics. These represent the lives of our generation. How can we reverse these trends? What we need is a spiritual awakening in today’s young people. Our generation desperately needs Jesus.

HowToLife is a proven strategy that works. The right message, the Gospel, is delivered through the right messengers – high school student leaders. And God is transforming hearts.

Listen to Episode 29 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights:

HowToLife Movement mobilizes some of the sharpest Gen Z leaders and influencers in North America and Europe, hosting youth-led outreach events, leadership retreats, online conferences, and digital media content to impact countless Gen Z young people around the world with the Gospel. The movement has grown to over 140 student-led outreaches in 28 US states and eight countries across three continents, with the events being organized by local event directors, aged between 16 and 22, who receive training and guidance from Movement leaders. HowToLife aims to equip young people to reach their peers with the gospel of Jesus Christ, believing that teenagers and youth listen to other teens and youth more than other voices in their lives, including family, teachers, and church leaders. The Movement's vetting process ensures that potential event organizers are walking with the Lord, have leadership skills, and are plugged into a good local church community before they are given the green light to plan an event.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of OCNWTR Church:

Young people coming to faith across the U.S. and internationally, evangelism for the next generation reaching Gen Z in their context. Young, growing Christians being discipled by their peers and intentional mentors Next-generation leaders being equipped and mobilized to reach their generation through strategic events and initiatives.

Links: https://www.howtolifemovement.com/ Key Quotes from the episode from Jordan Whitmer: “If a spiritual awakening doesn’t happen, the future of this generation, nation, and world is unthinkable. We are one generation away from becoming a world that completely ‘forgot God.’”

“Our vision is to see a generation of young people rescuing the lost, making disciples, loving God, and loving people – fulfilling the Great Commission.”

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Okoa Refuge has Bible Schools, Discovery Bible Studies, and church plants that exist to equip indigenous men and women to effectively preach the Gospel, to continually make disciples who go on to transform entire communities, and to steward and multiply healthy churches in order to see all of East, Central and North Africa reached for Christ.

Their church planting starts with students attending Bible school. From the Bible school, potential missionaries identify themselves. After completing Bible School and missionary training, they begin praying and asking the Lord to show us which unchurched area he/she should be sent to. After being sent, they begin praying for a person of peace. When the Lord identifies that person, the missionary begins to disciple him/her and the family. That discipleship time turns into a Bible study. The Bible study grows into a home church and as the people multiply, leaders are raised up. At that time, a church is planted. This is also when a Bible School is launched.

During the Bible School, more people are trained to go and make disciples. More Discovery Bible Study groups are started, continuing the process. This, in turn, results in more disciple makers and missionaries to be sent to unchurched areas. They now have indigenous missionaries in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, DR Congo, Zanzibar and Chad. They are also in the process of translating Bible School and missionary training curriculum into multiple languages of unreached people groups.

Listen to Episode 29 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. The non-negotiables that drive them.

Their core values center around breaking negative cycles, reaching the unreached, sacrificial service, and glorifying God in everything. The Gospel drives it all and is the vehicle of everything that they do while all these ministries that they do more so function as the exhaust of that vehicle. It’s the outcome of transforming people and their communities.

Key lessons learned along the way.

As a young leader who moved to Uganda at 24 years old, his experience as a leader was next to none. One of the hardest and most painful lessons to learn was how to empower and the trust his team. Once the mission started to grow and be successful, it was difficult to let go of that level of control and wanting to have his hand on everything. Of course, this eventually led to burnout and unhealthy relationships within his marriage and family. Learning to delegate and trust his team was key to watching the organization flourish.

The biggest challenge they are facing right now.

A roadblock that they are running into is having a culture and mindset shift within the East African Church to not being one that receives missionaries, but sends them. Another challenge is working with the Ugandan Police Force to create a memorandum of understand to be able to bring in human trafficking training for them. Not just for the force, but also for the entire region. Goals and Desired Outcomes of WI+H Movement:

130 schools by end of 2024 with 2,600 students graduating every 2 years 2,000 DBS groups across East/Central/North Africa in next 3 years 1,500 churches planted in same time period Assess 500 of those churches and hold over 50 regional trainings Indigenous Missionaries sent to Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria

Links: https://www.okoarefuge.org/ Key Quotes from the episode from Tyler Workman: “When you change the life of a child, you affect one person. When you change an entire community, you affect entire families and hundreds of lives.” – Tyler Workman

“Just teach them to obey all that the Lord commanded them and let the Holy Spirit move in the Gospel move as fast as possible.” – Tyler Workman

“We exist to glorify Christ through stabilizing the family unit and transforming entire communities.” – Tyler Workman

“Okoa’s childcare program is aimed at raising up the next generation of Ugandan children ...

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All In Ministries International is all about serving women worldwide who have never heard they are loved, valued, or have a divine purpose.

In the “majority world,” women make up 80-90% of the churches, yet discipleship training is limited or nonexistent for women. Cultural restrictions or other mission goals keep leaders from investing in women. Yet, in many cultures, women are “keepers of religion.” Because no one is “teaching them to obey all of (Jesus’s) commands” (Matt. 28:20), women return to ancient customs and do not fulfill their part in the body of Christ.

In 2011, Susan Freese (now founder & president) received a call from her missions pastor asking her to create a two-day conference for women in India. Ninety minutes after the call, the training curriculum was complete. She describes it as a “spiritual download.” Indian women walked for hours, took long train journeys, slept on concrete floors, and endured physical abuse to learn more about Jesus. Within days after the conference, women reached their Hindu villages with the gospel and started Bible study gatherings. As soon as Susan’s flight from India landed in Newark, she received an email inviting her to take the conference to South Africa. All In Ministries was born a year later (2012) and has now served 18 countries and equipped nearly 10,000 believers.

They work with missionaries and church leaders to offer three-day intensive disciple-making workshops/conferences with practical application and immediate action steps, including distributing UPG lists and our award-winning follow-up Bible study (released March 2021). Women learn God’s grand story, and their part and purpose in it. They learn how to abide in Jesus daily, study the Bible in a group weekly, commune with God in prayer consistently, and depend on the Holy Spirit to serve their church and share Jesus. Local leaders help lead the conference, and we create long-lasting relationships by coaching in-country leaders. Women are changed as disciples of Jesus and bring change to their families and communities—all for God’s glory alone.

Listen to Episode 28 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. The unintentional beginning of All In Ministries International.

In 2011, Susan was asked to create a 2-day women’s conference to serve the women of a church in India. Originally she was hesitant due to the last minute nature of the request but she was determined to serve however best she could through this experience. Over the course of those few days, she saw women who in various cultures were told that they have a place in the body of Christ, and it was through this transformative experience that All In Ministries International was born.

2. How to mobilize women to be disciples.

There is a global crisis of truth, identity, and purpose. Psalm 68:11 tells us that “The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host” and with that in mind, they want to mobilize other women to do the same. All In Ministries International wants to raise up an army of women to go and invest in other women to help them be disciples who know how to make disciples. It is through this investment that generations change, and villages are reached.

3. Translating resources in other languages.

Publishing traditionally has become a challenge in light of maintaining control over content and distribution so self-publishing has become the route to pursue. Since then, after 10 years with 3 theological reviews and over 1400 passages of Scripture, they are seeking to get these studies in various languages. With the goal being for women to go deeper in their relationship with God and to understand the theological foundations of the faith so they can not just believe in Christ, but they can follow Him with their lives.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of All In Ministries International:Eph. 4:12 – Equip Women Worldwide by connecting us with influential national leaders in developing or under-resourced countries. As one African leader said, let’s “awakened a sleeping giant/lioness” in the church by equipping women for works of service so the body is built up and unified. Let’s help women do what God designed them to do.

Titus 2:3 – Amplify Short-Term Missions by inspiring missions’ leaders to invest wisely in partnerships by adding women’s discipleship to their short-term mission trips. Let’s bring immediate and generational change by asking mission pastors to include spiritually mature women on their teams who can disciple indigenous women to be disciple makers of Jesus.

Col. 4:3 – Bring Awareness of the worldwide need so “that God may open a door for our message” and mission sending agencies and spiritually mature women use our free material and equip women worldwide to advance the gospel.

Prov. 11:24-25 – Build Online Community to invest in women and encourage using our free resources and disciple-making tools. We are open-handed in our interactions, not charging for our training curriculum, online course, or downloadable tools, so nothing hinders the spread of the gospel.

Links:https://allinmin.org/

Key Quotes from the episode from Susan Freese:“Most people think discipling others is complicated but look at the Apostles’ examples. They discipled others by visiting people, writing letters, and praying for them. We can do that too.” – Susan Freese

“You were designed to enjoy God and help others encounter Him.” – Susan Freese

“God works in you and with you to make disciples of Jesus—across the street and around the world.” – Susan Freese

“Most women worldwide have never been told they are loved or valued. They are hungry to learn about Jesus, but don’t have access to resources.” – Susan Freese

“When you experience the depth and magnitude of God’s love for you, it transforms you and motivates you to follow Jesus to fulfill your purpose.” – Susan Freese

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The WI+H Movement exists to transform every community’s pain points through a disciplemaking movement and using business as a tool of justice.

They come alongside existing churches and new pastors to help them imagine new possibilities for their community. Through a process of WI+H Connection (1 hour), then WI+H Ministry Studio (1.5 days), WI+H Cohorts (12 months/meeting quarterly) and Coaching (meeting monthly with leads and teams), they assist these teams with listening, learning, and then leading in ways that are effective to disciplemaking and transformation in each cultural and geographic context.

Phase 1: Listen – 1 month/4 weeks – Pastors and leaders listen to God and the community. They discover God’s agenda and imagine lives and neighborhoods the way God sees them.

Touchpoints/support mechanism
Weekly one on one & group sessions by Zoom (w/ Connect)

Phase 2: Learn – 2 months/8 weeks – Cohorts learn Discipleship making & community transformation strategies and models. They design innovative models and strategies that lead to change.

Touchpoints/support mechanism
Attend in-person and virtual ministry studios
Monthly group coaching sessions
Monthly one-on-one coaching with the pastor or leader

Phase 3: Lead – 9 months – Cohorts launch innovative models, capture learning, and adjust. They also begin to share models and look for new opportunities to influence and impact.

Touchpoints/support mechanism
Attend in-person and virtual ministry studios
Monthly design team coaching sessions
Monthly one-on-ne coaching sessions with the pastor or leader

The primary context that WI+H operates in is urban or inner city, because there is more prevalent, systemic and generational pain. Economic development and unleashing ordinary believers in Christ into spiritual disciplemaking (not Sunday worship experiences nor occasional outreach) are often weak spots for the Church and faith-based non-profit in these communities.

Listen to Episode 27 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. The importance of listening to the community.

W+TH is slow and steady in their engagement of marginalized communities. They don’t have a fast-paced evangelistic method. Rather, they invest long-term in the transformation of the community with the community. Their movement consists of micro-communities of faith who do life together with the unchurched in pain points. It’s crucial to know people by name, listen to their life stories, and meet practical needs. Urban pain points cannot be transformed if the people are not first heard and engaged in the transformative process itself.

2. The importance of ordinary people being involved in the mission.

The WI+H movement consists of ordinary people who dare to imagine new possibilities for America’s most dangerous neighborhoods. You don’t have to be a superhero or even clergy to move forward in doing this work. It doesn’t require a master’s degree or even a seminary degree. When pastors understand this, they don’t have to shut down Sunday morning because they have an opportunity to train, equip, and unleash ordinary people to be on mission outside of Sunday.

3. Outreach is transactional, not sustainable.

Outreach definitely shouldn’t be discouraged, but it’s limited because we often approach it on our own terms and schedules. We don’t need more churches; we need more businesses in the inner city. That’s how we’ll begin to see some transformation, especially if they’re ordinary Christians who are running these businesses and working in them who are purposeful about making disciples who make disciples. When this occurs, we will begin to see transformation in these communities.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of WI+H Movement:WI+H Overarching Goals:

To ensure that each person living in urban pain points has repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the gospel.
For urban neighborhoods to experience the fullness and joy of knowing Jesus.
For churches, christians, and community stakeholders to collaborate to imagine new possibilities, act, and create new environments for people.

Links:www.with.city

Key Quotes from the episode from Walter Harvey:“Racism has systematically been a part of the church since the beginning of America. The church is the most segregated body of society. We are living in a new era of repentance, a time to work together with marginalized communities who are crying out for hope.” – Walter Harvey

“Christ’s values are not left or right. They’re centered in truth and justice.” – Walter Harvey

“The Kingdom of Heaven has been held hostage too long by people trying to be too safe. Leave your comfort zone and go where the pain is. Live where injustice and marginalization live.” – Walter Harvey

“Jesus specializes in redeeming hard things. That’s how multiplication happens. When people discover Jesus, more micro-communities of faith grow.” – Walter Harvey

“Jesus took the time to get to know people, and He’s commissioned us to do the same.” – Walter Harvey

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The purpose of the Digital Church Network is starting and multiplying digital & metaverse disciple-making & church planting movements.

The heart of Digital Church Network is to do something different. They’re empowering a different type of planter to start different types of churches in different spaces, reaching a different type of person. Primarily a bi-vocational movement, they provide Community, Care, and Coaching for leaders who sense the vision of Jesus to seek and save the lost in digital and metaverse spaces.

They began early 2022, launching their digital community in February, which is now over 500 members strong! They just launched our digital church planter training called Launchpad. In addition, they also launched 12 church networks involving 70+ pastors and planters as they introduced New Thing’s Movement System into DCN.

Coming in the near future is a digital accelerator for existing digital ministries to up their ministry game, trainings on multiplying digital/metaverse missionaries, even soul care and mental health in the metaverse as well as an expansion of church planting networks within the metaverse. They plan on seeing over 1,000 people join their community by the end of the year.

Listen to Episode 26 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights:1. How digital churches can connect with physical churches.

With digital churches, people are able to connect with different types of people in these communities than what the physical church buildings are reaching. The way that the Digital Church Network operates is not in competition but rather it’s complimenting what the physical church is doing in hopes of finishing the Great Commission that God has called us to. The anonymity of these communities allows new people to come and share their struggles without the fear of being outed or exposed.

2. The difference in challenges between the digital church and the physical church.

When it comes to physical church, often getting people to attend your service is the hard part. With digital church, it’s completely backwards. However, because of social pressure, in person church attendees usually stay for the whole service because they don’t want to be perceived as rude whereas in the digital church, leaving is as easy as clicking a button. So, with the digital church, the sermon is not the most important thing, but rather how you uniquely connect with those who choose to attend.

3. The key to evangelizing in the digital space.

Don’t make statements. It’s much better to use question marks than periods and never use an exclamation mark. It’s important that we try build relationships with people that are in digital community. These rules also apply to your physical church that’s doing digital ministry. You don’t want to yell at people, and you don’t even want to tell people what to believe right off the bat, but rather you want to learn from people. This is where you build relational equity and trust. This is where you build that a deeper friendship and overall relationship.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of the Digital Church Network:* By EOY 2023 – 10 movement leaders in digital & metaverse spaces * By EOY 2023 – 250 Network Leaders * By EOY 2023 – 5000 people in FAM – DCN’s Online Community * 30 Nations Involved * 1,000 people involved in Movement System (DCN’s Discipleship Process)

Links:https://digitalchurch.network/

Key Quotes from the episode from Jeff Reed:“When disciples make disciples, and those go and do the same, a movement is catalyzed. The problem is many churches are filled with seedless grapes: there is fruit, but that fruit isn’t reproducing.”

“Often movements are blocked because leaders aren’t reproducing more leaders; they simply do kingdom work without equipping others to lead as well.”

“The church doesn’t have a mission—the mission has a church.”

“These digital environments and meta worlds are in fact communities where people gather. And many of these people need Jesus. Opening the digital mission field not just for you as the church leader but empowering your church to embrace the digital/meta mission field is crucial to a digital church’s multiplication efforts.”

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Equip and Encourage Army disciple makers virtually to make disciples wherever they are sent locally.

Disciple makers in the E-2 Network, regardless of physical location, will always have connection to an intentional community living to advance the Kingdom of Jesus in the Army context.

The E-2 Network exists to Encourage and Equip Disciple makers for the unique challenges of Kingdom Ministry in the Army. A monthly zoom huddle—for training and encouragement—connects like-minded believers with a heart for ministry to soldiers and their families.

Listen to Episode 25 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights:1. The unique challenges of ministering to members of the military.

For somebody who is outside of the military to try and reach people who are serving in uniform, there are a lot of physical barriers to access a base or that community. One of the biggest challenges is the simple fact that military families move every few years and in between those moves, service members are often gone for trainings, deployments, or other things. Because of this, it can be a very disruptive time in their life to create any sort of spiritual continuity.

The benefits of a virtual community.

Often when you’re stationed overseas, there isn’t a lot of notice for when you’ll be traveling elsewhere so being a part of a virtual community where you are checking in regularly for encouragement and discipleship knocks down the hesitation to go deep in relationships. So if you’re able to stay connected with a community of like-minded people, there’s no need to start from scratch every time you move to another physical location.

The importance of self-care.

In this line of work, it takes a lot of energy and effort in addition to the normal army requirements that are expected of these service men and women. Considering that, it’s crucial to establish a solid balance of sacrifice and self-care. It’s important for us to take care of ourselves and to recognize our limitations as people because we don’t want to spread ourselves too thin and burn out. Learning what we want to do well and consistently addressing our capacity to love others well with mission is key to being successful in this type of ministry.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Equip + Encourage Network:* Make discipleship about people. Discipleship is done in the context of relationships. * Quality is better than quantity. * Obedience is better than competence. * Disciples are made one at a time. They cannot be mass produced. * Competent disciple-makers cannot be created overnight. Disciple-making is a continual process. * Discipleship is a team sport, conducted in the context of a spiritual family.

Links:https://www.e-2network.com/

Key Quotes from the episode from Josh and Megan:“Disciples are people and discipleship is done in the context of relationships. That’s what discipleship is all about.”

“Quality is better than quantity. We would rather have a few folks who are committed walking with Jesus than 100 folks who are only halfway in it.”

“Disciples are made one at a time, they cannot be mass produced. We don’t try to mass produce anything. How many folks are in at one particular time is not a metric that we consider an ultimate measure of success.”

One of the dangers that us in the military can fall into is that we can be more in love with the mission than with Jesus. It’s just a natural output of how we’re wired and what sometimes we’re rewarded for. Our job at the end of the day is to create a spiritual family. It’s a team sport.”

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OCNWTR exists to help the marginalized coastal communities of the 108 countries with direct ocean access receive their drinking water from the ocean at a price point of zero with a decentralized desalination system which secures their long-term water rights. We install each ocean-based system through establishing a new local church revolving mostly around food, the Bible, the Holy Spirit & relationships.

In 2010, Ryan Delamater rode his bicycle over 16,000 kilometers thru 10 countries from Canada to Colombia. As he traveled, he learned that people didn’t have clean drinking water in certain parts of the world. In 2015 he adopts the village of El Palmar in El Salvador. Over the next 7 years from 2015-2022 he has taken over 200 people on 17 different trips to discover how to best solve this problem. During this time OCNWTR utilized 3 different platforms to help provide a permanent solution. They delivered point of use water buckets to over 500 homes, built a solar powered decentralized desalination system that was capable of providing 300 gallons a day & have now partnered with Source Water and their hydro panels that produce unlimited water from sunlight and air.

They now have a water system in El Salvador along with 4 coffee shop churches in California. Each of their coffee shop churches in California take responsibility to go on a trip to install a system and begin a new OCNWTR church. This approach has enabled them to expand to Argentina, Indonesia, & Bangladesh this year.

Listen to Episode 21 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: (1) The North American Church Planting funding model doesn’t work for areas that need water.

Due to economic reasons, the modern church planting model found in America doesn’t work for areas that desperately need water systems in place. So as a result, Ryan left his job at Saddleback Church to create water systems in areas that desperately need clean drinking water and while at it, also starts churches in these areas to combine the ministry with the spiritual goal.

(2) How state-side churches can sponsor water projects across the world.

Ryan and a few buddies started a church that now has led to over 20 churches that help sponsor water projects around the world. So as these churches grow, more water projects across the world can be supported and in turn, those churches can also grow both locally and globally.

(3) The new technology for water projects today.

After meeting with a Materials Scientist at MIT, Ryan found a company that makes panels that convert sunlight and air into drinking water. With a Beta Test done on a pasters house for six months, they found that this technology works incredibly for what they’re trying to do and it is way more cost-effective than doing the salinization work of cleaning the existing water in these areas.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of The Greenhouse Network:They are in the process of raising capital for the various water projects they are working on right now. Each project costs $50,000 and provides continual clean water to 40-60 people in a renewable way.

Links:ocnwtr.com

Key Quotes from the episode from Joel Repic:“What development pathways are in the church today? I see a lot of what I do as making ministry and church planting a lot more accessible for people who love God and want to go make disciples. The world is changing, and we need a lot of innovation so that we can attract young people to pursue ministry.”

“Churches that had a few to 40 people can be very easy to multiply as they can adopt another place in the world. They can function independently from a lot of bureaucracy and in the process, help people get clean water and living water.”

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The One Multichurch Network of 40+ microchurch leaders in North America seeks to mobilize an additional 100 microchurch leaders by offering a high-energy, inspiring, training events that will draw in those interested in alternative ways of making disciples and multiply the church and launch out those who just need to take that next step to go for it.

The One Multichurch Network is transitioning from a largely quiet and underground relational network of 40+ microchurch leaders to recruit and mobilize leaders and launch dozens more microchurches in 2022. Our approach is to build of our strengths of 1) existing relationships tended by weekly meetings, journey group coaching, and online message board, 2) our network of external training, resourcing, and mobilizing partners, 3) our existing super-simple self-directed online training, 4) our free resources to assist in launching to now build a bridge into recruiting from a much broader platform of potential microchurch leaders.

Listen to Episode 23 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: (1) The biggest gap in ministry training right now.

There is a great deal of in-depth training as it is for those who’ve already experienced some form of Christian ministry training already. However, there aren’t a whole lot of entry-level trainings for people that are new Christians who just wanted to reach their friends and do something that would connect with them. Typical church training is too long and complicated for most of us. To reach those in the US who won’t respond to an invitation to a public worship service, we need to simplify training to the essentials so everyone can get involved.

(2) Why spiritual conversations aren’t happening outside of the church walls.

As we become more event focused in the inherited church, most people are equipped to invite to a weekend service. However, research has shown that 49% of people who would be invited to church cannot imagine themselves going even if invited. That means we’re leaving half of the people on the table and a normal church attendee doesn’t know how to adapt to that situation. But if someone was to be invited to your living room or a place like a coffee shop, those chances skyrocket.

(3) People need options to match their style of learning.

David and his team offer “Two Styles of Training” on their website. One is a self-paced online training, the other is an interactive online training via video conference. We’ve found that people that like one way don’t prefer the other. Sure, people could try out both, but they’re roughly the same length, and cover the same stuff. The self-paced version is particularly designed for those who would rather just roll up their sleeves right now and learn what they need to know at their own pace, not attend an event. It’s best for visual/spatial, logical, or solitary/intrapersonal learners. The live event version is particularly designed for those who need to “attend” something and participate rather than do something self-directed. It’s best for aural, verbal, or social/interpersonal learners. We thought it was key to not force everyone to go about it in the same way—and to give people options, since everyone is different. Goals and Desired Outcomes of The Greenhouse Network:

Initial “lead” indicator: Exposing 1,000 unique individuals to new wineskin approaches to disciple-making and multiplication through online training events Tracking each of these in system for ongoing connection/options to launch Mobilizing 100 unique individuals into making disciples and multiplying a microchurch within their community. Connecting each into existing Journey Groups, free resources, and online message board Endgame outcome: M = 100mc + 4g3 (Movement equals 100 new microchurch starts that are 4th generation multiplications within 3 years of a 1st generation start) Enlist doctoral level researchers to comb our data to connect the dots i...

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The Greenhouse Network is a decentralized, released, growing family of missional leaders and outposts (non-profit organizations, social impact projects, missional communities, businesses, and church plants) that exists to provide relationship between missional outposts and church plants for sharing resources, provide support for missional leaders, provide access for emerging leaders to existing social and material capital, and provide momentum for the regional multiplication of missional outposts and church plants.

The Greenhouse Network had its beginnings in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a distressed community northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. The disinvestment of the steel industry in the 1980s left three generations of poverty with its attendant social challenges. In 2005, a youth development organization called Aliquippa Impact was birthed out of a 100+ year old Christian and Missionary Alliance Church called The Gospel Tabernacle that had begun to experience renewal. As that organization grew, served the community, and developed young and emerging leaders, lessons were learned about joining Jesus in mission among those experiencing poverty. Over the next decade, a family of non-profit organizations, social impact projects, missional communities, businesses, and church plants began to multiply in Aliquippa and throughout the Pittsburgh region with a special focus on post-industrial river communities.

This movement remained almost entirely organic until leaders in the movement formed it into The Greenhouse Network in 2018. At this time, an incubator called the Greenhouse Lab was initiated at the relational center of the Network to provide a service platform (marketing support, financial support, coaching, and training) to support network leaders, help people imagine and start missional initiatives, and provide pathways for the poor to create their own businesses.

Listen to Episode 21 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: (1) Joel shares how the Greenhouse Network continues to grow.

With so many people on their team working from a community development background, there are certain values that they will not transgress like: listening to the community, identifying the assets already present in the community, etc. As things started to grow, they found that it was important that they grew in a way that fit their values. Once they have a clearer onboarding process, Joel says that this will allow more missional leaders to participate in what God is doing through the Greenhouse Network.

(2) Why it’s crucial that indigenous leaders lead this effort in their neighborhoods.

It’s important to empower leaders from each neighborhood to eventually lead and take on this development because the goal isn’t to just transport people from the outside in to solve the issue. We need people who are already in these neighborhoods to lead the efforts on fixing the communities problems and to believe that the community has the answers and the creativity for the challenges they face.

(3) A new way to think about innovation.

Most view innovation in the creation of a new thing, but another way to think about creativity and innovation is curation. Curating things in a new way involves integrating different things that Joel and his team have learn from other movements and people that can come together in a way that’s contextually appropriate. Goals and Desired Outcomes of The Greenhouse Network: Their goal is to explore how denominations and existing churches might work in synergy with networks to plant more missional outposts and multiply church plants.

In the next year, the Network (sodalic) will partner with four kinds of churches (modalic) for the purpose of piloting intentional partnerships out of which we can learn reproducible models of sodalic/modalic synergy. The Network will partner with 1) a mid-sized, established church that is already heavily engaged missi...

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Our macro vision as an inner-city church is to saturate every inner city with diverse hope filled churches.

Our missional venture, “Shift” is an entrepreneurial incubator designed to impact the inner city by shifting the mindset of the inner city into an entrepreneurial mindset. This allows us to elevate the water mark of impact in the inner city and leave a hope filled footprint in the lives of the underdog.

2019 Beta Test 2020 Launched 2021 Currently going 2022 Scale 2025 Multiply in inner cities across North America

Listen to Episode 21 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. Myron shares what an entrepreneurial incubator is.

One thing that is overwhelmingly true is that there is a cycle in inner cities of poverty, crime, and justice systems as well as structures that are designed to regurgitate the paradigm of brokenness. One of the fastest and most missional ways to do justice and make disciples is through creating an entrepreneurial incubator. If that’s a problem in the community, they will come alongside you for 16 weeks plus to help people shift into an entrepreneurial mindset. When people learn the idea of ownership, they create legacy and opportunity in their communities under the banner of unity.

Why it’s important for people in a community to hear and work with people that look like them.

Because of Myron’s unique background and story, anytime he runs into someone who struggles with drugs, gang involvement, or other delinquent behavior, he can sympathize but also call that person to more. Since Myron overcame that life, he now shatters every justification they have for not moving forward. That’s the power of what Jesus would tell His disciples when saying to find those people of peace.

The biggest obstacle facing Shift Omaha right now.

The mindset of members of these communities is something that will take a long time to overcome. There is an undercurrent of jealousy and hatred that is ingrained in some people’s minds where one person’s success represents a detriment to their own chances of success. In the African American communities, this response comes from generations of trauma and oppression ingrained since the inception of the country, so this isn’t entirely their fault, but nonetheless, it’s a hindrance that is holding people back from accomplishing what they want. We need to learn how to celebrate one another if we’re going to overcome this scarcity mindset about success. Goals and Desired Outcomes: Their mission field is black and brown inner city residents ages 18-45 who have been incarcerated, poverty stricken, against the odds, and hopeless.

Shift 10% of North Omaha into an entrepreneurial mindset Launch 2,500 businesses in North Omaha by 2030 Assimilate graduates back into our missional venture

Links www.thisismission.org/shift Quotes from Myron Pierce: “You’ve heard people say, ‘Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.’ But that’s incomplete. We actually have to show them how to own the pond.”

“A key reason that a lot of mission organizations, nonprofits, and even businesses or even those who are outside of the community don’t make the jump towards riveting scalable influence and impact is because they desire to be the people of peace rather than finding the people of peace that can get the job done in that specific community.”

“Are you thinking about your business 20 years out? Because if you’re not, you’re already failing. Any great upset is going to take awhile so we need to be able to have a long-term type of approach to what we’re doing.”

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Our big idea is to reach the gaming community with the love and light of Jesus. Our approach is simple. Reach people where they are. Return to the core devotions of the first church. People are on their phones and computers for hours every day. Lux is a church that exits where they are.

When we felt called to reach gamers we needed a church without borders, brick and mortar, or timber and steel. Gamers are global and we needed to be global from the start. We realize that every church has hundreds or thousands of Millennials and Gen Z within their immediate area that will never come to a physical church no matter how good the preaching, comfy the seats, or bumping the music. They can only be reached through their digital life.

We knew we were called to start a digital church in 2019, we told our church leadership in 2020, we went through planting with Stadia and partnered with them, we established the church in the state of PA in early 2021 and held our first live service on March 24th, 2021, at: Twitch.tv/LuxDigitalChurch.

Listen to Episode 20 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. The gaming community is a massive harvest opportunity for churches.

Mark found that gaming created a unique connection to a massive demographic of people who really had been shunned or outcasted by the church. These people had very little interest in the church and Mark found that he was encountered a lot of people that would rather go to Hell than step into the doors of a brick-and-mortar church. Places like Twitch and Discord consistently have over 100 million unique users every single month so it’s safe to say that there is plenty of opportunity to go around.

Deep community and vulnerability forms online in digital church.

Since March of 2021, Mark has found that even if people don’t show their faces or display their real names, every person represents a soul that is made in the image of Christ. Even despite a popular belief that online relationships lack community, Mark has found that the people that participate in his church are there day after day and week after week engaging and talking deeply about their lives.

The future of church is a hybrid model of both digital and physical.

Members of the digital church find that they want to go to physical churches after encountering Jesus in their digital space but also, members of physical churches might find more engagement and vulnerability if they also engage in a digital community as well as maintain their physical membership. We need to hold onto a both/and approach, not an either/or. Goals and Desired Outcomes: To see a thriving, self-supporting, and multiplying church that impacts thousands of lives digitally and physically with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We are specifically targeting the gaming community on Twitch.tv. Twitch averages about 1.5 million unique viewers at any given time and sees about 100 million unique viewers every month. While our church is for gamers, we realize that gamers are multifaceted, and games only occupy an aspect of their lives. We desire to use gaming as an opportunity to speak into other areas of life and allow Jesus to transform every aspect of who they are.

Begin a thriving and multiplying digital church. Plant micro site house churches across the globe. Work with Christian streamers and content creators to disciple their already dedicated fans. Form a church without the overhead of facilities to be extravagantly generous. Lead the Church (Big C) is new ways to reach the Post Millennial generations.

Links www.luxdigitalchurch.com Quotes from Mark Lutz: “It is an essential biblical truth that the church is made up of God’s people, not merely the building where they gather. The digital church is an expression of this essential reality.”

“Using digital tools, we can effectively build relationships, disciple, and care for people who live thousands of miles aw...

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Where are we going? We’re going to talk about seeing church as a city we build within the cities we live in or what we call Brave Cities. This is an organization co-directed by Hugh Halter which is a consulting firm committed to equip, coach, and connect apostolic leaders who are building kingdom ecosystems as a new way of being church.

A Kingdom Ecosystem is another way of describing an interconnected and interdependent network of missionary disciples, who band together to incubate good works in a specific local context. These good works include new businesses, justice works, and incarnationally focused homes that all work together so that a prospering economy and intentional community form. We hope the content and the spirit of Brave Cities will be what you’ve been needing and looking for and that real hope for you, your family, and your leadership will emerge.

Listen to Episode 19 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. Hugh shares what creates a “Brave City” church plant.

Comprised of three essential parts, a Brave City plant is a different type of Church Plant integrates a benevolent business or business design that helps the town and creates jobs to change the atmosphere in the city. The second is incarnational, neighborhood homes which are homes for people that live in certain parts of the neighborhood who seek to better the area and create lasting positive change. The third is justice works which are things that other people are not doing that the town desperately needs done, specifically people that are on the margins or don’t have the same access as everyone else.

How Brave Cities incubate good works through new businesses.

Hugh shares how they utilize their 501c (3) holding company to help people start businesses that strategically change the city. They provide a central administrative and legal covering for them as they seek to get started. However, good works don’t have to be Christians with an idea. They can come from non-Christians that have something they want to contribute.

The biggest obstacle facing Brave Cities right now.

The need to create jobs in this country has gone down over the last few years which unfortunately means job creation isn’t a top priority for a lot of businesses right now. With that being said, the most important goal right now for Brave Cities is to move people into the spiritual community who progress from business development to a community of family and friends. It is through this process that people can be discipled as we give witness to the LORD. Goals and Desired Outcomes: They seek to redefine the way you think about the future church and your future as you consider your true passions, dreams, and visions for blessing the cities you live in. Here are the changes they seek to change in churches:

The Theology of Church as a City on a Hill Promoting the 6 elements required to build a Kingdom Ecosystem Moving from Pastoral Leadership to Apostolic Leadership How To Create Multiple Buckets of Income for yourself and the Ecosystem God Forms Firing Your Congregation and Framing a New Community Providing a New Template for creating Natural Evangelistic and Prophetic Influence in Your City Promoting Business Not FOR Mission or IN Mission, but AS Mission

Brave Cities would like to have 100 cities that are building Kingdom Ecosystems over the next decade. Links www.bravecities.com Quotes from Hugh Halter: “The greatest strategy for giving young people a vision for leading their own friends spiritually to guide and disciple their own friends is to call them into their own homes.”

“Businesses are important in this process because it’s your financial sustainability and credibility with the city, but the real ministry still has to be individual people that feel confident to guide spiritual conversation, open up the Scriptures, and have talks about life and meaningful things with people...

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Grace in the Bywater has taken the former church fellowship hall and large green space in their back lot and transformed them into “Grace in the Bywater.” The commercial kitchen will have affordable day rates for food entrepreneurs, and will also include indoor/outdoor seating. The outside space will also be available for event rental, art shows, markets, etc.

By Utilizing the space for the good of the community, they can make the property a community hub without the commitment of someone attending a church service. Part of their dream is to build out enough missional business on property that any salary or utility would be covered by these ventures.

The missional and financial picture work together for a sustainable approach to mission.

Listen to Episode 18 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. Stephen talks about being the resource of an older church and trying to become good stewards of the property

He says that his vision was to plant a church, and also a missional business at the same time.

Grace Community Church looks like a traditional church and Grace in the Bywater is the missional business. The business uses the Fellowship Hall and has made it into a neighborhood cafe, renovated it, and put in a commercial kitchen.

Stephen explains how being a church and a cafe work together to serve the community.

They desire to have the church building become a neighborhood hub again in the community, as it was so many years ago. The hope is to also help businesses grow and prosper.

Stephen talks about the community partnership approach and how to make it work.

Stephen says that many times, churches have great ideas about what the future could look like, but not the best execution, because they don't always have the diversity of people with the right kind of people to make it happen. Their church has told the community, "It's not that we just want you to be a part of this. We can't do this without you."

I think there's a lot of potential for churches, with kitchens and certain spaces to think through community partnership models and it'll be a huge open door to relationships and engaging people. Goals and Desired Outcomes:

Create a thriving neighborhood hub at our space, for people to enjoy and connect. Build relationships with those completely uninterested in church in a no-pressure environment. Demonstrate the nature of the gospel by using our property for the good of others rather than ourselves. Financially subsidize ministry through missional ventures. Create a model for others churches in our region with property to launch missional business in their space for impact.

Links www.gracefornola.com Quotes from Stephen Partain: “We talk about post-Christian, I think in our space, it's really been post-Christian for a while now, that getting people to a service isn't the goal necessarily. Getting them to relationship, seeing those forms, seeing conversations about Jesus. Really almost the service itself is probably more of the outgrowth of actual engagement than it is the front door of how we're going to engage people.” (08:04)

“For us, it's been just a partnership thing and then really telling people, "It's not that we just want you to be a part of this. We can't do this without you." (11:08)

"I'm convinced that God blessed us with this resource for the exact reason of leveraging the property for mission." (24:33)

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Love Clan is specifically targeting people who otherwise would have nothing to do with Jesus. Love Clan has created a community of gamers through Discord (like an advanced message group, primarily used by gamers) who have formed true community.

Love Clan believes that being active in people's lives and praying for them is the easiest door into deeper conversations. The goal is to be active in people's lives and pray for them.

Listen to Episode 17 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. Jate talks about the gaming platform

Jate says he tries to reach different people each day through gaming. He notes that his number one focus is on seekers and non-Christians.

Jate talks about meeting people

He mentions that his main goal is to form relationships - through prayer and open communication.

Jate shares some stories

Jate mentions two different instances (of many) where people have joined him in games and begun to ask questions. As they stuck around for multiple days, they learned more and have both been baptized and are now actively involved in the Love Clan Community or have planted their own online church community. Goals and Desired Outcomes: There are still 3 months left before I've been streaming full time for a year, but these are the metrics I want to continue to see increase. I don't have exact goals for by how much because it still is fluctuating a lot from month to month.

184k chat messages (over 9 months) — When someone chats, we connect. 1.6 million total minutes watched (over 9 months) — Not everyone chats right away, some just want to watch and see first. This number isn't as important to me as the chat messages number, but I expect to see it continue to go up. 1 streamer reproduced (over 9 months) — I've gotten other people to try live streaming, but I've only gotten 1 who is leading a Bible discussion once a week like I am currently. I have plans to start a stream team where this would be one of the requirements, but that's definitely an up-and-coming goal I'd like to see happen in the next year.

Links — Search: JateLIVE Quotes from Jate Earhart: “I don't want to get too big as far as the live stream goes. I actually don't want it to be thousands, and someday it may be. God willing, he does his thing. But that's why I feel the need to replicate. It's why multiplication is so important to me because I see the benefit from having the small right now.” (26:22)

“...the best and worst thing about online is that it's anonymous.” (34:44)

“I mean, for gaming, specifically, I would just say it's such a big medium. It's bigger than Hollywood and sports combined. I mean, the reason it's like 35 average is because it's more just saying pretty much like everybody has some touching point on it.” (33:50)

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We all desire to make a lasting impact, fight for justice and see the world change...but so often we have no idea where to start.

Here’s the good news. Generation Distinct has a solution.

Generation Distinct equips next generation leaders (18-28) to discover the wrong they were born to make right, leading them to experience who Jesus really is.

They offer a fresh, relevant, and edgy way for a generation skeptical of the Church to encounter Jesus. Young leaders enroll in a Cohort for our online 6-month World Change Strategy Program to create their own custom world change strategy.

At the end of this 6-month experience, they will be enrolled in our Online Community and invited to our yearly gatherings.

Listen to Episode 16 of the podcast and access the show notes below. Future Church Insights: 1. Hannah shares how Generation Distinct helps the younger generation tap into their missional power.

In talking with young people, the missing piece they found was the lack of strategy. Generation Distinct found that if they could help pair the passion with a strategy to accomplish those goals that the missional action of this next generation would be unleashed.

The biggest tension and challenge for Generation Distinct currently.

Hannah shares that her organization is primarily volunteer driven as her and another staff member out of 10-11 people are the only ones paid. The biggest hill they are climbing is fundraising and one way they are inviting people to participate is by becoming a Generation Student Advocate. This is someone who wants to invest into the next generation by investing their time, resources, and experience to see them come back to Jesus.

Honoring where we’ve come from rather than complaining about it.

A temptation that every generation faces at some point is the idea that a new generation comes into the church to fix what the older generation didn’t. The danger in this is that we start to think of ourselves as the hero of the story as opposed to our unchanging God. We are simply servants that are showing up in the world to do our best to build the church. Goals and Desired Outcomes of Generation Distinct They are currently in the midst of an Initiative called 2023 in 2023. Here are their goals:

See 2,023 young leaders go through our program by the end of the year 2023 Partner with 50 Churches & Universities by the end of the year 2023 See 200 World Change Strategies fully executed by the end of the year 2023

Links: www.generationdistinct.com Key Quotes from the episode from Hannah Gronowski Barnett: “I realized that Jesus actually does care about who he's made me to be and the passions that he's placed in my heart. He wants to unleash me to make wrong things right in the world.”

“The most effective ways of building the kingdom take time because nothing is an overnight success. I think a lot of times we can see things that launch, and it can seem like they grew so quick because we didn't see the 10 years that happened beforehand. The struggle, the dreaming, the building, the fundraising, the hustle all the work that goes into the behind the scenes before that launch takes place. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that good things take time.”

“The scarcity mindset tells us that there’s not enough for all of us, that if someone else is winning then we can’t win because there is only so much goodness in the world. But the abundance mindset says that we can all win because there is enough goodness of God for all of us. It’s not a conflict, it’s a partnership.”

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The more that we start to investigate the metaverse, the more that we will see the doorways of virtual reality and augmented reality, and the more that we, the Church, will recognize that there is a dark side to this technology.

What happens if we aren’t light in the darkness?

Recently I was speaking on the metaverse church at an Exponential conference, and a girl stuck around in one of the breaks to talk with me. She was visibly uncomfortable with the idea of the Church in the metaverse. In her mind, the metaverse was a place where the Church had no business going. Intrigued, I started by asking some questions about what her experience was in the metaverse, and it didn’t take long until we found the answer to the questions. This girl, before she found Christ, had multiple sexual experiences in a virtual reality platform called VR Chat, and even after finding Christ, she is still laden with guilt through the situation. In her mind, virtual reality is unredeemable. It’s the platform that we the church should avoid entirely. When I asked her if God can be found in virtual reality, she didn’t have an answer.

The girl was right: there are dark sides of the metaverse. But this doesn’t mean the church stops here. I’ve had metaverse experts tell me that an estimated 40-50% of people on the platform VR Chat are in private rooms having virtual sex. This is happening outside of the church. To be honest, it’s probably happening inside the church as well. I’ve had multiple conversations (with women and men) that were eerily similar to the story above. Some struggled in the metaverse before they were saved. Others struggled with the temptation while being a Christian. And while temptation is strong, this does not give us an excuse to abandon this meta mission field. Quite the opposite. It is because of the dark sides of the metaverse that we, the Church, have to go in. We have to be the light in the darkness.

Jesus stood as a beacon in the darkness.

I hear some of you right now: “But that doesn’t mean you can do church in the metaverse! We need to meet in person!” There are lots of ecclesiological, incarnational questions we can have centered around the metaverse church. And the day is coming soon when we will. While the Bible doesn’t talk point blank about virtual reality and metaverse, the Bible and Jesus do talk about the infinite value of a person.

Let’s look at John 8:3-8. I think we’ll see that Jesus had no problem doing things to upset established religion.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” … But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

If you know scripture, you know this story. The Pharisees brought in someone who was caught in adultery, trying to trick Jesus. What I love about Jesus is that he typically has no problems upsetting the system. Flip over some tables. Draw in the sand. When the situation called, Jesus was ready to handle it in “his” way. And in this situation, he upset a bunch of Pharisees over restoring a woman.

This illustration could convey that I’m comparing the modern church to the Pharisees. I don’t mean that at all. I am drawing that comparison for anyone in the modern church who is preventing someone from reaching into the metaverse mission field. Why am I so bold here? Simply put, Jesus had no problem going to the people that religion rejected.

Let’s look at John 8:9-11:

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

If we look at the life of Christ, we see a God/man who went to those who were hurting. Most of the disciples and early Christians were a rag-tag group of sinners that God used to build his church. Peter? Mary Magdalene? Zacchaeus? Paul? Jesus didn’t choose the easy ones, he chose people from these dark areas. He trained them. He released them.

What if our mission field wasn’t our Sunday morning building?

What if we went to the mission field outside of our building—really, outside of every building? What if we truly looked at the metaverse as a mission field, not to condemn people but to connect people to the restorative grace that only Christ can provide?

Great questions. But, the main thing has always been the harvest.

We’ve established that the metaverse has dark places. That’s the very reason we’re called to shine light there. Does that mean we’re planting churches in the metaverse? Does that mean we should or should not disciple people in the metaverse? Does that mean engaging in the metaverse will hurt our weekend, in-person attendance? These are great questions for another day.

Today? The metaverse harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few.

With about 20 years experience serving the church in the digital/technological realm, Jeff loves working with churches. As passionate about discipleship as he is technology, Jeff uses his passion to help churches develop technology systems to bring people far from God closer to him. Oh, and he loves digital church and church online.

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As church and ministry leaders, spiritual formation is what we care about most! Discipleship and spiritual formation are intimately linked.

Spiritual formation is the life-long process of allowing our will, thoughts, and behaviors to become like those of Jesus from the inside out. Spiritual formation is revealed in our actions, desires, and words, but it occurs in the heart, mind, and soul.

As we look to our next generation—Gen Alpha is growing up with our Generation Zers—there is no time to waste in developing healthy and effective spiritual formation practices. It’s our call as leaders to pass on what we know to our next generation, and learning what it really looks like to walk with Jesus is where we need to start.

Spiritual Formation Is Essential for Next-Gen Ministries Spiritual maturity is not bound by age or physical maturity. However, we often fail to treat our youngest brothers and sisters as filled with the same Holy Spirit as we mature folks. This doesn’t mean that our seventh-graders will have the same Scripture-reading or prayer experience as a 25- or 70-year-old. But it does mean that Jesus is just as capable of being near to them, transforming them, and giving them purpose.

Our failure to teach spiritual formation and actively disciple our students will leave them high and dry when they inevitably grow in emotional or physical maturity. By then, your kids will have turned to every other avenue to get answers to the very valid questions they’re asking. Google, their friends, and TikTok will have authority over you, their parents, and the Bible—unless they’ve learned that Jesus is real, trustworthy, and actively shaping their lives.

Culture is a terrible witness to the vision and power of Jesus. The world is already forming your teens’ spiritual lives; you must teach them how to counter-form. Therefore, spiritual formation isn’t something that happens casually—it needs to be intentional, accessible, and powerful.

So what do we do? How do we use our Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, and other 166 hours in a week to spiritually form our students? I have three suggestions and three blindspots for church leaders.

How to Integrate Spiritual Formation into Next Generation Ministries Be Honest and Intentional I’ll be honest—for many of our churches, following Jesus looks like a pretty boring deal. Life looks pretty much the same, and many Christians aren’t raving about the radical joy, power, and life that’s supposed to come with real faith. So what gives? Why is life with Jesus valuable at all?

We need to teach our students that life with Jesus offers something seriously powerful, and they need to actually experience it. Something beyond the cool worship nights or the bonfire high (although those are tools of spiritual formation, too).

Create time in your regular meetings and in-between meetings to invite your students into spiritual formation practices and tell them what’s happening. We don’t pray because “it’s the rule,” we pray because we get to talk to God. And what’s more than that is that he talks back.

Explore that relationship often with your students—how do you enter into the presence of God, and how do you hear from him? Share openly and often about your own experience to show students what spiritual maturity has in store for them.

Explore Broadly Spiritual formation is something we have to practice. Fortunately, Scripture and church tradition provide us with an incredible number of ways to meet with God, hear from him, and act in his power. Introducing the next generation to the dynamic relationship Jesus offers begins with exploring more than informational Scripture reading and structured prayer.

God makes himself available to us through movement, nature, music, discussion, silence, formational Scripture reading, confession, service, fasting, obedience, studying—the list continues. Connect the dots with your students. Teach them what the presence of God looks and feels like, and where to find him.

Partner with Them There is a lot of non-Christian spiritual opportunity out there right now. But we need to let young people wrestle with freedom and hearing from God in their own minds, lives, and souls. We get to be with them (we must be with them), but we need to trust the Spirit is doing something in them that is unique and holy.

Mentorship and intentional discipleship are perhaps the single most valuable spiritual formation tool for all believers, especially the young ones. Walk alongside your students in friendship to shepherd, encourage, and support them as they explore what God has in store for their lives, now and in the future.

Next-Gen Spiritual Formation Blindspots In pursuit of strong youth groups and next-gen programs, we can make some missteps as leaders, even with great intentions. Here are three common ones to look out for.

Focusing on the Behavior as the Ultimate Our fruit as Christians is how we know that our faithfulness is in the right place. However, focusing on behavior modification as the primary indicator of spiritual maturity misses the point. The process of sanctification is just that—a process. When we skip the intimacy of n being with Jesus and jump right to being like him and doing what he did (i.e., being perfect), we miss out on what gives us the power to behave rightly.

Releasing control of your student’s behavior and focusing on their inner life and relationships is a big deal. But we get to grow in our own spiritual maturity when we trust the Spirit’s work in the lives of our students.

Removing the Mystery of God’s Spirit The work of the Spirit is what causes the life transformation we’re longing for in our next generation. Yet, how we teach our students to follow Jesus often removes that power. When behavior becomes the primary focus, then your student’s strengths become the primary power. They miss out on the surrender, faith, and miraculous work of the Spirit. Like we’ve talked about, releasing the quantifiable change in your students is scary. But we need to create space for slow, mysterious, supernatural work; this is the way of Jesus.

Neglecting Your Volunteers, Staff, or Personal Spiritual Formation Our fast-paced culture often leaves us neglecting our own spiritual formation, in addition to the spiritual lives of those we’re inviting to mentor and lead our students. Skipping the spiritual formation of your staff and volunteers leads to burnout, bitterness, limited capacity, and immaturity. Even before your students, you and your staff require spiritual support and community. You’re longing for a next generation full of passionate, deep, resilient disciples. Your student ministries are prime gardening spaces to nourish their spiritual formation—don’t trade that essential, messy, powerful work for simple behavior modification, “palatable” messages, or hustle culture. The future of your church depends on a bought-in next generation, and the future of the world depends on their real relationship with Jesus.

Victoria Greenwald is a spiritual formation and ministry coach bringing intimate revival to American churches, one leader at a time. Through ministry team and individual coaching, Victoria helps leaders walk in their unique callings from a place of intimacy so that they can make the Kingdom impact they’re desperate for. Connect with her victoriagreenwald.net or on Instagram @victoria_greenwald.

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When Josh Adsit and Mark Papp traveled from Oklahoma to visit Boston, they felt God’s call to plant a church in New England. A mere three weeks later the two ministers, their wives, and children were packing up and moving across the country to begin Movement Christian Church in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

Yes, you read that right—three weeks. The two best friends had considered potentially partnering with Restoration House Ministries perhaps three years down the road to plant a New England church, yet one meeting shifted the timeline.

Josh shared his part in the story.

Sign Me Up! For seven years Josh had been on staff of First Church in Owasso, Oklahoma. In this church he first learned about Christ during his senior year of high school and got baptized. This church paid for him to go to Bible college and ordained him for ministry. In this church he and his wife married. He loved this church and everything it had meant to him.

But Josh had been thinking about church planting for years. At Ozark Christian College he remembers the first time he heard the term. “They offered a church planting class. I said, ‘I am terrible at science! I’m terrible at plants that go inside churches.’” When he learned that it meant starting new churches, he was excited. “Sign me up!” he said.

Josh’s professor mostly talked about New England, where he and his wife had planted a church.

The stories and the mission field of only 5% of people being Christians intrigued Josh. “He had me hooked.”

Since that college class, even while serving on the First Church staff, Josh’s heart stayed partially in New England. First Church itself stoked that passion because the lead pastor and elders had a heart for New England and partnered with RHM.

“They invested financial resources in New England and church planting,” Josh said. “They would go out on all these trips and would come home so fired up about what God was doing in New England. I ended up on a couple of those trips.”

Josh and Mark were excited about ministry in Oklahoma. First Church was growing and asked the two men to plant the third campus of their rapidly growing congregation in a rural town of 4,500 people. They moved New England to the back of their minds, thinking perhaps they would head to Boston to plant a church with RHM in 2020. But the opportunity came sooner than they expected.

What on Earth Is God Doing? In the summer of 2016, Josh and Mark were in New England on a trip to pray about the future. They were invited to meet with several churches to discover how God was at work in that region. They happened upon a story of loss and heartbreak as a congregation in Merrimack, New Hampshire, a commuter town 42 miles outside of Boston, experienced their minister retiring and their church dwindling in members. Their building was paid for—a rarity—and the church was at a crossroads about what to do with their $1.2 million property.

“They could sell it and give the assets to RHM to start more churches,” Josh described. “Or one of their prayers was: What if God could bring a team in here, use this building debt-free, and plant a church in the same location?”

The two friends from Oklahoma sensed the hand of God moving through this conversation as they offered encouragement to these hurting believers.

“Yes, it needed work, but with RHM’s help, we knew we were within an arm’s reach of resources,” Josh said. They could not shake the feeling that they were supposed to get involved—now.

“‘What on earth is God doing?’ we asked ourselves.” When Josh and Mark called their wives that night, they wondered the same thing.

“We went home, prayed, and fasted,” Josh recalled. “Two days later, we got a call from that group basically saying, ‘Our team is united. Everybody loved your vision. We’re willing to do anything it takes to see God start a new work right here.’ Their radical humility was unbelievable.”

The members were set up like a congregational church, and everyone had to vote. “They were voting to give up their right to ever vote again. In New England, that just doesn’t happen!” Josh marveled. Of the 36 people who remained as church members they had 35 yes votes, 0 no votes, 1 abstained.

When Josh and Mark approached First Church back in Oklahoma, “There was zero hesitation from the elders,” Josh said. “They saw this vision with Kingdom eyes and told us, ‘We’re with you whatever it looks like. It would be a sin not to send you guys.’” Since that day, First Church leaders have lived up to their promise. “Every single elder has been out to New England to support us, encourage us. They just held a leadership training with our new people recently. Their support and partnership has been paramount.”

Investing in the Community Movement Church launched on January 1, 2017. They grew to average 215 people in their first year with 22 baptisms. They baptized 26 people in 2018 and 55 in 2019 and now average 388 in attendance.

One interesting ministry move for Movement was developing a Monday evening service. That may sound strange. But the Movement team noticed a quirk about the culture: many people head out of town for the weekend to their “camps”—homes in the mountains or at a lake that have been passed down in families from generation to generation. As a result, families with camps don’t attend Sunday services, but many watched Movement’s services online. In order to more fully engage their transient friends, Movement asked, “When would service work for you?” As a result, the church has been able to Make Mondays Matter by holding worship services on those evenings. (Though all services moved online when the pandemic began.)

“We met over 100 people who had watched online but had never been to the church before. A lot of our 2019 baptisms came from that service,” Josh noted.

They Pastored Us as Pastors A huge part of how Movement Christian Church was able to launch and thrive is their partnership with RHM. While Movement did not have the burden of searching for or paying for a building, they had a different burden.

“We inherited 40 people who were broken, beat down, and in need of pastoral care,” said Josh. “We needed to walk with them, leading them toward grace, reconciliation, and relational restoration.”

As Josh and Mark and Movement leaders sought to care for their hurting people, they were grateful to rely upon the RHM pastoral care team so that they could remain strong themselves.

“The care team’s primary role is to pastor pastors. They’ve pastored us like crazy,” Josh said. “They supported us, especially those first two years, having dinner with our families, checking on our hearts, and making sure we were taking care of our families.”

While there are a number of resources that church plants can utilize, Josh noted that the pastoral care team was one of the big reasons Movement wanted to partner with RHM. The partnership has been helpful as Movement has grown spiritually as well as numerically.

“Our growth has been crazy, and it has been hard. There is no way in the world we could ever have done this without Restoration House Ministries and the network they connected us to,” Josh said.

Kelly Carr is the Lead Minister of Echo Church, and is also a writing and editing consultant.

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I know that for many of us we’re tired of hearing about the Global Pandemic. I get it. That’s why 2022 feels like a year where we can finally put so much of that in our rearview mirrors. With so many churches able to return to in-person services with little, if any, restrictions, I am ready to kick all that stuff to the curb and hit reboot!

But, I know better than to just run with my “gut” on things. So, I reached out to several pastors across the country to see where their heads were and it was good that I did. This morning, as I sat down in my home office in Colorado Springs, our warm, mid-70’s, spring-like weather was shattered by clouds, snow, and cold temperatures. This served as the all-too-often reminder that we get more snow in March and April than any other months in the year. While we know Spring is eventually coming, when the cold hits, in the morning, you can see a long layer of clouds coming over the mountains to our West and they just drop and hang over our city for a few days. And, that’s a perfect analogy to this year’s Easter for so many churches.

Coming Out on the Other Side

While we’re all moving on from the past, what the pastors are telling me is that there are still some lingering clouds that disrupt our sunny weather. The past two years have taken their toll on our people and our cities. Listen to a few pastors’ perspectives:

Petie Kinder, Lead Pastor of Peak City Church in Colorado Springs said this, “My main emphasis going into Easter is inspiring our congregation to get back into the habit of INVITING PEOPLE to church. This is something that I believe COVID has robbed from us, or at least gotten us out of the habit of doing. From a preaching perspective, on Easter my focus will be helping people see the heart of Christianity. It was a MOMENT that started that MOVEMENT. Heavily focused on the resurrection, why it matters, why it isn’t a fairytale… and why it has changed everything. In a world full of crazy news cycles, false information, nothing solid to believe in… I want people to see that there is something that has stood the test of 2,000 years to believe in, and it can change everything for them.”

So, we all can see that our people, for various reasons, have lost the “invite culture” that many of us as leaders spent so much time cultivating and building prior to the pandemic. I also like that hand-in-hand with focusing on inviting, is a look at his community and our culture and recognizing that the number of things our communities believe in has shrunk. Trust is low and a lot of people are jaded. What an opportunity to allow them to see there is truly something bankable in this life and it has withstood the test of time.

Two Groups Emerging

Let’s look at another perspective. Keri Ladouceur, the Community Pastor at Community Christian Church in Chicagoland has seen two groups emerge as a key focus. Describing those two groups, Keri says, “The first is those who are far from God but finding themselves open to and desperate for hope. We are intentionally extending invitations far and wide, including invitations to a family friendly event for families in our community. We hope to welcome folks/families of all shapes and sizes to make memories together two weeks before Easter. The second group is more those who haven’t returned since the pandemic began. I know there are a variety of reasons people haven’t and that means a myriad of potential obstacles to them walking through our doors again. The last thing we want them to feel is shame or judgment about where they’ve been. We want to fling the doors open wide and be waiting with a genuine welcome back! Our team is working to call all of the folks we haven’t seen to extend a personal invitation too.”

What strikes me about Keri’s focus is that it has the heart of God all over it. So many times, especially in years past, churches can fall into the temptation of it all being about the service, the weekend, the lights, the band, and attendance. But, here is Keri really loving two groups who need to know we care and love them. To know that they are not being invited to a place where they will be judged or that attempts will be made to “fix” them is so honoring and caring. The second thing that stood out to me was their investment in creating community and fun prior to the big Easter Sunday. This event communicates that there’s something bigger than just the holiday services. This church wants to invest in building relationships with them which translates into valuing them and loving them. With so many having been isolated and turning to social media, love and value are distant ideals that few are feeling, much less seeing as realities in their lives. How comforting to be encouraged to step out of isolation because there are people who see them having infinite worth and value and genuinely want to get to know them.

God Still Moved

Let’s look at one last perspective heading into Easter 2022. Christy Gibas, the Region Pastor of Crossroads Pittsburgh West in Pennsylvania, had this to say:

“Leading at Easter in 2022 is the same as the past two years, meaning, everything is different! 2019 was the last “normal” Easter we have known! That was the largest attended Easter in our history at Crossroads as a church. I remember how excited I was about our services. I preached my little heart out. On that mountain top, I never dreamed that the very next year we would be leading Easter through online services!

Last year, Easter was a challenge because the vaccine was just beginning to be available. We offered many options for people. We hosted services outdoors, and we also hosted services inside. People had to choose their seats through a seating diagram and then the next several were unavailable in order to assure social distancing. Masks were required. Since we are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we were grateful for nice weather. Our outdoor services seemed like a wonderful family reunion. It was a blessing to see people rolling into our parking lot to worship our Risen King!”

I’m seeing this more and more this year and I love it! Pastors are finally able to do as Christy and her team are doing, which is, looking fondly at the challenging previous two years. With all the change and challenge they brought, God still moved and worked and the labor of ministry teams did not return void and empty. Different, challenging, but God still did big things! I love that she starts with that perspective!

The Big Picture

Then, Christy shares with us something new and it feels like something they have learned to lean in on completely. Listen as she describes what this year is bringing for them.

“This year, as we head into Easter and have low Covid numbers and lifted restrictions, it will feel much like the Easters before the pandemic with a couple of key differences. We have no historical data to assist us with planning, and holidays will not net us the growth yield as it once did.

In the years prior to the pandemic, we could always look to the previous years to forecast how many services we would need, and how to plan our volunteer teams. Here in Pittsburgh, we are seeing similar trends that other large churches are experiencing around the country. We do not have the same weekend attendance numbers as we did prior to the pandemic. For that reason, being Spirit driven is essential, not an option. We will use our best judgment and pray for God’s leading in the number of required services and volunteer teams.

In faith, we are planning to receive a large number of folks on Easter, but our primary strategy for growth is not dependent on the weekend service. Here at Crossroads, we enjoy large holiday celebrations with guests, but special days are considered icing on the cake when it comes to adding to our numbers.”

Did you catch that? Christy is shining a light on the big picture, their primary strategy has shifted this year. In fact, she’s about to tell us that strategy is lived out more for the opportunity that comes around Easter.

A New and Balanced Focus

Christy continues, “For this reason, we will live more fully into our stated reality this year. We are a “cell” and “celebration” church. In years past we invested hours of time focused on the weekend and let our group focus take a back seat during peak times. Not so, this year. We have not stopped keeping our pedal to the metal in terms of coaching, group multiplication, raising up new leaders, and launching new groups. With so many new groups launched, we are considering this a “high touch” season with our leaders.

Our worship celebration service will be excellent in quality and people will experience God’s presence. But, we are determined not to take our eye off the ball. Our Life-Groups are paramount to making disciples who will reach our region. We are working with a more balanced approach this Easter to reflect our mission and strategy of sending people with love and power to make disciples who make disciples.”

What I am hearing is this: Easter 2022 is different. The past two years have affected not only groups within our community, but also our approach to sharing the gospel and building the Kingdom. Our call to love others and ascribe to them infinite worth and value has not changed. People need hope, love, and a community of friends to journey with. Isolation only served to make that more obvious than ever before in our lifetimes. Yet, God is on the move within our cities and he’s inspired leaders like Petie, Keri, and Christy who run towards the challenges with one united goal: To bring the hope of Jesus into the lives of the communities that God has entrusted to us. I know, like me, you’re inspired by this!

What is more, I pray you’ll continue to follow us as we will bring Part 2 of this article that will focus on this question: This year, how do we earn the right to have Easter attenders, many first time, become part of our community/church? Or who are perhaps uncomfortable – how do we build a bridge to them?

Pete Heiniger wore various ministry hats in his first ten years of ministry before serving as an executive at Faithlife/Logos Bible Software and Outreach. Then he returned to ministry as the executive pastor for Discovery Church in Colorado Springs. Now he serves Leadership Network in the area of content curation.

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I’ve heard it, time and time again: “The Church has no business in the metaverse.” Virtual reality is filled with dark spaces… sin. Mental health issues abound in the metaverse. Yes, there is legitimate fear that in many ways virtual reality will become better than reality, and we need to be cautious about these things. What’s interesting here, of course, is that the enemy isn’t hesitating to engage the metaverse. He’s attacking it full-swing.

Altspace VR (AltVR) is one of the more popular virtual reality worlds. Acquired by Microsoft pre-COVID, AltVR has become a place where community, and events, are happening regularly. A few churches even exist in this space. Through Metaverse Church NEXT we’ve had conversations with Jason Poling and DJ Soto, two pastors who lead two separate VR churches in this AltspaceVR virtual reality world. While some would question if God can move in the metaverse, these two are seeing God move in big ways. But, unfortunately, we see the enemy moving as well.

Today, March 16, because I have an account with AltVR, I received a promotional email from Altspace VR basically inviting me to a series of events that are happening in the Altspace virtual reality world over the coming week. And, while a game of virtual reality hide and seek does sound intriguing, I was honestly a little surprised to see Altspace VR promote a tarot reading in virtual reality.

So, let’s unpack this. Altspace VR, a company owned by Microsoft, just invited every person who has an Altspace VR account, to come get a tarot card reading in the metaverse.

To be honest, my response is outrage. I was actually in a video conferencing meeting with some of my teammates when I got this email and I started yelling at the camera. I got emotional quickly. Let me unpack:

I’m not mad at Microsoft. It’s a secular company. They don’t know any better, and to be honest I doubt anyone in leadership had any vetting of events sent out in a weekly virtual reality email.

I’m not really mad at AltVR. From a non-Christian perspective, this event could be interesting. Even in 2022 people are infatuated with spiritual things, and hearing about how this organization is crossing over “traditional” actions like tarot readings with modern technology like the metaverse. I bet the event is popular, and will be a front door to more events like this.

I’m not even mad at the organization hosting the tarot cards. Now, I don’t agree with their spiritual perspective and would challenge the theology and possibly the motivation behind organizations like this. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m even mad at Satan. I expect him to flex his muscles in the metaverse. I’m sure this is just the beginning.

Simply, I’m mad at us, the church. Maybe mad isn’t the right word. I’m frustrated by today’s church leaders. Sure, there are leaders that are pioneering in this space. And they are increasing slowly as I see and hear that more are experimenting. But while the church is questioning whether Virtual Reality is a universe worth exploring, if these communities are worthy of a church, or even if engaging as if a mission field… the enemy has latched onto the potential where even major corporations are (if even unwittingly) playing a part in leading people astray.

Church, we’re at a crossroads. Historically, the Church has been very behind on adopting technology and engaging culture. And through something even as subtle as a tarot reading in a virtual reality world, we’re seeing a subtle way the enemy is using this new tool to engage in this new metaverse culture… and this isn’t the only way, either.

The metaverse is filled with dark places, no one is questioning that. In the metaverse, sin is crouching at the door, ready to devour (Genesis 4:7). The metaverse needs churches, needs missionaries, needs people to enter the battlefield, I mean mission field, and turn the tide. I would suggest that Christ’s words ring true, even in the metaverse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Church, let’s bring Christ’s fullness to the metaverse. Learn more about the metaverse mission field, and the metaverse church, over on Metaverse Church NEXT, Leadership Network’s Live Show happening Wednesday’s 12:30pm Eastern, over on Exponential’s Hub.

Jeff is the founder of the thechurch.digital and serves as the content director of Leadership Network’s Metaverse Church NEXT. With about 20 years experience serving the church in the digital/technological realm, Jeff loves working with churches. As passionate about discipleship as he is technology, Jeff uses his passion to help Churches develop technology systems to bring people far from God closer to him.

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Most of us didn’t expect to still be in the pandemic as we start 2022. We’re almost two years into this thing that was supposed to last a few months. When this started, we all had to adapt quickly. There was more church innovation in a month than we had seen in the past decade. But as the pandemic dragged on, many people stopped innovating, and they went back to doing it the way they used to.

But everything is not going back to the way it was pre-pandemic. As much as we try to pretend it is, it isn’t. I know you’re tired and so over it. I feel you! I am too. But now is not the time to fall back, get lazy or have a pity party. It’s time to innovate!

Time to Innovate I have looked at this season like I’m planting a new church. Seriously! A large chunk of people haven’t come back in person yet, and around 50% of our in-person crowd is unique since we reopened in the fall of 2020. Plus, we have a lot of new people watching us online from all over the country. It’s a new church! It’s exciting and meaningful, but we must reintroduce our vision and get new people plugged in continually. In some ways, it feels like we’re starting over.

We’re working harder than ever, but we’re seeing it pay off as our church is thriving in so many areas. This is the time to keep learning, experimenting, and seeking God for what is next in your church. I’m constantly reading, observing, and trying to stay on the pulse of the rapid shifts in our culture. I regularly talk to other pastors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs about what they learn and work on. Our team has been super intentional in trying new things and putting new systems in place. Some of them didn’t work, and we stopped them. Others worked for a season and ran their course. Then there are some things we’ve done that have been a game-changer.

Follow-Up Systems for First-Time Givers One example is our new follow-up systems for first-time givers. When someone gives for the first time, I send them a signed copy of my book What Happens When You’re Generous? I also put a handwritten card in there. Who handwrites anything in 2022? It stands out big time! Their email also gets added into a drip campaign through mail chimp that is five videos sent out over the next 40 days. It helps them get to know us better and see what their giving is going towards. It builds trust and relationships. We also started a program called “Fire Starters” for people who automate their giving at least $20 weekly. We send them a FireBox with three books in it, a T-Shirt, and some other goodies.

We do a quarterly gathering on zoom with this group where we do a devotional on one of the books, cast vision, and pray with them. In the fourth quarter of the year, we do an in-person gathering to celebrate them and what their consistent giving has helped our church accomplish. At the beginning of the year, we had 52 families that automated their giving, and a year later, we are at 143 families after launching this. Our budget in 2021 went up over 15%. Even in the middle of the pandemic, we’ve been seeing growth in several areas because we’re innovating.

If you are interested in learning some other church innovation ideas, I lead a monthly coaching network called “The Innovative Pastors Network.” Check out the details of what’s included at www.tranzlationleadership.com.

Tommy “Urban D.” Kyllonen is an author, artist, and coach, and serves as Lead Pastor of Crossover Church in Tampa, Florida.

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“What is your leadership development strategy?”

It’s a question I’ve been asked scores of times. It often happens when someone gets close enough to the places where I’ve been privileged to lead, and they see many high-capacity leaders being challenged and growing in their leadership. They think, There must be a curriculum, some materials, an apprentice model, or some type of leadership development model in place.

“What is the secret?”

The secret is there is no secret. The strategy is a non-strategy.

I’m convinced that it is better to have a leadership culture than a leadership development strategy. I’m not saying a strategy or training plan or process is bad. I just think a leadership culture is better.

Leaders can’t be created by working through a prescribed curriculum, listening to lectures, or even having one-on-one conversations with great leaders. All those things might be good—but if they consistently created leaders, then we’d have a consistent supply of high-level leaders coming out of our colleges and seminaries.

It’s just better when leadership development is in the air you live and breathe rather than a process to follow. In a culture that consistently produces great leaders, there are several things that are happening.

Rising leaders are given significant responsibility. They don’t have to wait for a diploma or experience. Someone sees potential and lets them spread their wings and try stuff.
But more than responsibility, they are also given the authority to make decisions. They have the freedom to try stuff without coming back for permission.
With new leaders, there is a constant monitoring of how that person is wired. What do you love to do? What makes your heart beat fast? What skills do you have that are still untapped?
Veteran leaders refuse to micromanage. We usually try to control new leaders so we can protect the quality of the work or because we are convinced it won’t be as good if we aren’t involved. But this sucks the life out of leaders. They won’t hang around an organization where they aren’t given some space to lead.
They have a flexible work environment. It isn’t about sitting at your desk a certain number of hours—it is about getting accomplishing the goal. Growing leaders love that flexibility.
They believe the best about their team. Always. When accusations come, they determine to stand with them. This gives rising leaders the strength to innovate, create and experiment.
Failure is not a deal-breaker. In a leadership culture, you lean in to make sure valuable lessons have been learned and the one who failed is encouraged for her initiative.
A great leader gives away all the credit when someone on his team succeeds. He keeps none of it for himself. On the other hand, when someone messes up, he takes the blame. This breeds within the rising leaders loyalty, respect, and a desire to gain the same type of respect and integrity.
In a leadership culture, the veteran leader doesn’t assume he is the smartest person in the room. In fact, he knows in his heart that he isn’t. This desire to learn and value the contribution of others empowers rising leaders to participate, learn, grow and collaborate.
Experienced leaders are never satisfied with the number of leaders filling key positions. They look for ways to hand-off leadership or send out leaders so there is always a place for rising leaders to contribute.

My answer, “We don’t have a leadership strategy, we have a leadership culture”—is rarely satisfying to the person asking. They are looking for a product, something they can wrap their hands around and implement.

But you can’t touch, see or pick this up. It is a way of thinking. Some might suggest that my non-strategy is actually a strategy. I actually think it is more of a philosophy, a way that you think about the people on your team and in your organization.

Want to see how you are doing? Pull the leaders in your organization together and go through this list one by one. Ask, “How are we doing?” and “How could we do better?”

It’s an exercise that just might begin to change the air you breathe.

_____________________________________________________________________________ Tim Stevens is Executive Pastor of Campuses & Culture, Willow Creek, and former VP of Consulting, Vanderbloemen

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I’ve been thinking a lot about generosity recently. Maybe it’s because I’m squarely in the center of being middle age. Maybe it’s because I just changed jobs and so it’s a natural time to rethink the type of leaders to whom I’m attracted. Maybe it’s because I’m so aware of the impact generous leaders have had in my own life.

Lewie Clark was one such leader. We began working together in my first job out of high school when I was barely 18 years old. Lewie had no reason to give me special attention. He had no reason to be interested in my success. Yet over and over again, Lewie mentored me, believed the best in me, and gave me wisdom or resources or ideas when it didn’t benefit him in the least.

At least once a week, Lewie would take me out to lunch or drinks and drill me with questions. He rarely ever told me the right answer—he just asked insightful questions that made me rethink my decisions or actions. And with each conversation I grew a little bit more.

Lewie was a generous leader. When I think of Lewie and other generous leaders whom I’ve had the opportunity to imitate, several traits come to mind.

Generous leaders…

- want their people to succeed.
- are not competitive with their team.
- have an open door policy (generous with their time).
- would rather err on the side of grace than be just or strict with policies.
- have an open hand.
- freely share what they are learning.
- love to give away credit to others even when they could rightly keep it for themselves.
- care about their team. They know about each team member’s goals and dreams, and diligently try to help them fulfill those desires.

It’s counterintuitive, isn’t it? We think to achieve more, we must keep more for ourselves. We’ve been taught to work hard and climb the ladder, even if it means climbing over others to get to the top.

More than a decade ago, Tim Sanders wrote a timeless book called Love is the Killer App. I love what he says on this topic:

The most powerful force in business isn’t greed, fear, or even the raw energy of unbridled competition. The most powerful force in business is love. It’s what will help your company grow and become stronger. It’s what will propel your career forward. It’s what will give you a sense of meaning and satisfaction in your work, which will help you do your best work.

Love is such a squishy word. We all likely have a different definition of love based on how we grew up or the quality of relationships we have experienced. Sanders goes on to define love:

What do I mean by “love”? The best general definition that I’ve read comes from philosopher Milton Mayeroff’s brilliant book, On Caring. Love, he writes, “is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other.” When you help others grow to become the best people that they can be, you are being loving—and as a result, you grow. (source)

Did you get that? Love is “the selfless promotion of the growth of the other.” The opposite of a generous leader is a selfish leader.

Selfish leaders…

- keep the credit for themselves.
- do not listen. Why? Because they do not care.
- circle all conversations back to him or herself.
- hide competitive advantages from his team
- are always looking to determine blame for mistakes. “Whose fault was this?” rather than “We made a mistake, let’s learn from it and keep going.”

My experience with selfish people is that they are often stressed, tense, bitter, angry, critical, argumentative and bullying. Generous people, on the other hand, are genuinely happy. They aren’t constantly determining their self-worth by how far they are above others. They have a great day when they’ve had the chance to add value to others.

And lest you think generous people are happy but poor, or that they feel good about themselves but it doesn’t translate into an economic benefit for themselves or their company, you might tune into this final quote by Tim Sanders:

People who love what they’re doing, who love to learn new things, to meet new people, and to share what and whom they know with others: These are the people who wind up creating the most economic value and, as a result, moving their companies forward. (source)

It’s undeniable. Generous leaders win. The question is—what step can you take today to become more generous in your leadership? Figure it out and take a step.

Tim Stevens is the author of Fairness is Overrated: And 51 Other Leadership Principles to Revolutionize Your Workplace (Thomas Nelson, January 6, 2015). Tim is also a team leader with Vanderbloemen Search Group, an executive search firm that helps churches and ministries find great leaders. For more information, visit www.FairnessIsOverrated.com.

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Have you ever met a multiplying leader? They’re wired differently. You might be asking, “Well…uh…what is a multiplying leader, Pete?” That’s a great question.

Multiplying leaders are leaders who are passionately consumed with a singular focus: developing leaders who in turn develop leaders.

When you get to know one, you’ll know. Whatever question you ask them about, they always bring it back to developing a leader who will invest in another leader. I wish it was more common, but honestly, it can be rare to meet one of these leaders.

Imagine my surprise when I found two of them! And they’re married! Joseph and Lindsay Rangel of Peak City Church in Colorado Springs are multiplying leaders. What wasn’t a surprise was when I asked both of them what were the three biggest challenges they were facing headed into 2022.

The Three Challenges Unformed Theology Joseph and Lindsay began to tell me this story: If you ask a worship/production/creative team member, “What is worship? How do you measure it?”, most responses reveal an inability to land on a solid answer. Yet, the truth is, what we believe determines how we worship. When our beliefs are vague and undefined, it doesn’t translate into what we’re doing, into what we’re investing hours and weekends into. That leads to burnout and a lack of impact and influence on other developing leaders. Those leaders don’t know what they don’t know, and their teams, those they are mentoring, will follow suit.

His description of the first challenge reminds me of a growing trend I have personally experienced over the past five years. I’ve seen a lot of senior/lead pastors downplay the importance of learning theology as if they assume people would run from their buildings if they were asked to actually study. In a day and age where pastors are less and less formally educated, it’s easy to understand why. But, if you don’t think that trickles down to your team, let me share something with you.

I saw this trend with a church that I was serving as an executive pastor. One day I put out a short survey. Out of roughly 30 staff people, more than half said they did not believe that the Bible was authoritative and relevant for today. In fact, many of them knew very, very little about the Bible at all. I’m not joking. I’m also not judging. It’s not their fault. They were not evil or intentionally rebelling against the Bible and its teachings, and they weren’t being lazy. So I immediately offered an “Intro to the Bible” class to help introduce them to something I knew God would pursue them through. We had great discussions and it was beautiful to see their hearts.

Joseph and Lindsay are right. You can’t pass on what you don’t possess. So, their goal is to take the challenge and help their teams form their theology and they know it’s not a short game, it’s a long game, an investment. It’s been beautiful to watch as they both dive in with so much love for the leaders entrusted to them.

Hebrews 11 makes a promise. God’s Word is a multiplier. It doesn’t return void. It doesn’t say it will transform you into a scholar or a seminary graduate, but it will fill you and consume you if you surrender to it.

Imagine the impact of daily surrender upon your worship.

Becoming God-Confident Again Joseph and Lindsay saw one of the lasting marks of the pandemic was the thumbprint it put on creatives and the creative realm. There were very polarizing moments through the pandemic. This side vs. that side. Social media was full of opinions and trolling. As a whole, Christians didn’t shine through those moments like we should have. As a result, many, not just creatives, have unwittingly grown passive in sharing their faith. The idea of saying “I am a Christian” or “I’m a Christ follower” began to feel divisive and potentially offensive. Again, no judgment. When you sit on the couch of life observing a yelling match going on, you can feel like a child in an abusive home environment. You become Switzerland.

Joseph and Lindsay felt called to respond with support and being less directive, because they saw that team members needed simple encouragement. Love and support are the right response when we see so many traumatized by what’s going on in our culture. Again, you see the acceptance of the long game. There is no short fix to heal trauma or shame.

A multiplying leader invests deeply into loving team members and supporting them. That investment, over time, will empower and equip those leaders to do the same for so many others. They had to go no further than the Word and encouraging their teams with the loving words of our Father. Our God is a hound from Heaven who pursues us and He loves to pursue us through His Word. God will work to make them God-confident again. God doesn’t shout or troll; He loves and pursues.

Imagine how much God’s pursuit and love will impact your worship.

Emotional Challenge Joseph and Lindsay found that team members were far more likely to have negative self-talk and more quickly believe that over what God says about them. This year brought a blurring of the place emotions should hold within us. So many were blind to the fact that their emotions were becoming hooks that were leading them around, oftentimes by the nose. Many of us can easily get there. Joseph and Lindsay saw that helping their team members understand that emotions can be signs that are telling us things, but they don’t have to own us and lead us around. To watch them do this is so life-giving. They are continually beacons and messengers to their team members of how God sees them and what He says about them.

So much in our world is trying to silence us. I’m reminded of when Jesus rode through Jerusalem on a donkey and people began to lavish praise on him. Some wanted to silence those people, but Jesus replied, “If you silence them, even the rocks will cry out.” Every time I read that section in Luke, I’m brought back to Amanda Cook reflecting on those phrases before leading the song “So Will I.” She explained that sometimes we take that statement and we see it as a threat or a missing out. That if we don’t sing and participate, then we’re missing out, someone else somewhere else will worship.

But, she asked this question: “What if it is not so much a threat, as it is a promise? What if it is that if we forget whose we are, if we forget how to worship the rocks, the rocks will tell us the truth?” Her point was that if we simply look, creation will remind us. It was one of the most impactful and beautiful lead-ins to worship. She let the audience know that, if they found themselves in a spirit of desolation, they could simply observe and take in the promises of God. Then, she turned to those who were there with a spirit of consolation and she encouraged them to break more into song because they were singing for those who could not, in order to point their dear brothers and sisters to the promises they need to hear.

Imagine your worship as you believe in a God who is erasing a hundred billion failures and speaking truth against the lies in our hearts.

An Investment in the Long Game The last year has been a lesson in the long game. Just over a year ago, I was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer. After 27 rounds of chemo and multiple surgeries and no end in sight promised, I had to embrace that I was in a long game. This game was about HOPE. I realized that Jesus had asked for his Father to remove the cup in front of him, but the silent answer was a No. But Hebrews tells us that in that moment Jesus looked forward to the joy awaiting him and he turned towards the cross and endured the shame. He took HOPE in the promise of his Father.

I know it is tempting as leaders coming out of the last year to just want the short game, just give us a quick win. I get it. But, often, multiplying through mentoring, encouraging, and loving your teams is a long game. The challenges Joseph and Lindsay identified can’t be solved in a snap. Multiplying leaders invest in the long games. A journey can be long, but it doesn’t mean God is not at work!

Imagine your leadership when you trust in the promises of God and wait on him!

Be still. He’s stirring. His work does not return void.

Pete Heiniger is currently Content Curator at Leadership Network and has served as an executive at Faithlife, a VP at Outreach, and as the Executive Pastor of Discovery Church in Colorado.

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What Does a Microchurch Look Like? Perhaps the most common question we get when it comes to microchurches is, “What does a microchurch look like?” This question is asked through the filter of the predominant model of the church in the West. We have a framework for that. We know what “church” is supposed to look like because we’ve seen it in action, or we’ve attended a service. Not everyone has a filter for the microchurch so they’re running their question through the only framework they know.

What people are mostly asking is: “What do you do when you get together? Is it just a Sunday morning with fewer people in a living room situation?”

A better framework for microchurches is not about an event or a place, rather, a family on mission, and every family looks different. Some microchurches will see a physical neighborhood as their primary place of sentness. They might indeed meet in a living room sometimes. Yet, some microchurches will emerge in a network of relationships that share a common story, their gathering places might not necessarily converge in living rooms on a regular basis.

Answer: What all microchurches have in common is that they are a family. If you want to have a healthy family, you need healthy rhythms that bind that family together.

Through the years we have primarily coached around three areas of healthy rhythms that foster an environment where extended spiritual families experience the fullness of kingdom life.

Communion The first area is communion, or the ability to connect with God together. Many networks might describe this as an “upward” rhythm. For most Christians, that’s time in Scripture together, praying together, eating together, etc. We see this pattern for the New Testament church, and it’s always marked the family of God. Gathering for a meal and opening the Scripture to understand how we can be more like Jesus is essential to our individual and communal family rhythms.

Mission/Blessing The second thing we try to have people integrate is what we call mission or blessing, which is just helping people with no strings attached. This rhythm is most often understood as an “outward” rhythm. We coach leaders to ask this question every time they’re together, “Do any of our friends have any needs?” If somebody says, “Yeah,” then you actually go, and you spontaneously meet their needs. This is how we can make the kingdom of God tangible to our believing and non-believing friends.

Every missional context is unique. The mission or blessing will emerge based on that context. In every situation, we are demonstrating good news for the people to whom we’ve been sent.

Inclusive Community The third phase is what we call inclusive community where you’re creating a place of belonging for people. While many have assumed “inward rhythms” to mean the time we are together with other believers, we have reframed our understanding to communicate the time we open up our tables to those who are searching for that place of belonging.

The simplest way we coach this is to make sure you throw a party! In the book of Mark, when we see Jesus invite Matthew to follow him, they do not immediately go do work. Instead, they immediately get to partying. Mark 2 says that Jesus, his disciples, and all the “disreputable sinners” that are Matthew’s friends gathered at Matthew’s home for dinner. This is an inclusive environment for those far from God simply to be present together.

The 2-1-1 For those who are just getting started, dreaming about seeing microchurches in their context, we’ll give them a very basic 2-1-1 grid:

Twice a month (2): Get together for a meal and spiritual time around Scripture and prayer
Once a month (1): Go serve people together
Once a month (1): Throw a party for friends together

Growth and Multiplication We’ve discovered that these rhythms increase as the family of growing disciples begin practicing the “one-another” commands of Scripture. What might have begun as a twice-a-month gathering to study scripture turns into every week. What started as a once-a-month party turns into happy hours, birthday celebrations, tailgating, and more. A once-a-month opportunity to serve emerges into thousands of little opportunities to bless the specific network of relationships as we begin to see all the ways we can make the Kingdom of God tangible in the everyday stuff of life.

So, it’s really simple. But, we have found that if you don’t coach around all these areas, especially on mission and inclusive community, you won’t see a multiplication of disciple-makers and extended spiritual families…and those are our biggest hope!

Hugh Halter is an Author, Speaker, Consultant, Founder of Post Commons and Lantern Network.

Brian Johnson serves as one of the directors of Leadership Network’s Microchurch NEXT and also serves as one of the founders and directors of the Kansas City Underground, a mission agency and decentralized network of missionaries and microchurches in Kansas City.

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Church plants, small churches, limited budgets, and a host of other qualities can force ministry staff to wear multiple hats out of necessity. Yet, there is one position within churches that even if you were to remove most of those qualities would still require this leader to wear multiple hats. The executive pastor.

If you think about it, often an executive pastor is asked to run operations, finance, ministry leaders, and many more areas. In most businesses, those areas would be split up into multiple job descriptions and filled by a number of individuals. Executive pastors sometimes have to be part unicorn.

So, it was of no surprise to me that when I polled several executive pastors in a large Colorado city, that they gave a very diverse set of challenges heading into 2022.

Let’s look at just 10 challenges they are facing in 2022:

Hiring and keeping staff Staffing structures with reduced/limited budget Working to encourage our people to focus outwardly Engaging in discipleship across multiple platforms Stable giving, yet with smaller in person numbers Organizational health—building diverse, healthy teams Staffing up volunteers in rapidly growing care and rescue areas Budget tools to take a deeper dive into our numbers Determining if all the subscription platforms are worth what they’re solving Digital and social Strategy

A Community of Peers I’m sure all of us can relate to those challenges and none come with an “easy button.” But there is an eleventh one that really stood out to me. The majority of the executive pastors were looking for a community of peers to process with and learn from. We all know that what God has called us into was not a “go-it-alone” leadership model. If we want to remain healthy, we have to journey with others who understand.

The tension comes when we know we need community, but we also need to grow our skills, our expertise, our leadership selves. Can we find both together? Imagine being asked, “Pick the one thing you want to have this year as a leader: health or growth.” That’s nearly impossible to answer. We need both.

Many of us then turn to local gatherings of XP’s, but local gatherings are problematic. Have you ever tried to stay in town and get a ton accomplished? Interruptions arise. Everyone, including your family, knows you’re still in town. Texts. Emails. Calls. So, how do we solve that? How do we continue our education, find community, but actually get tangible and executable means to build into the future of the churches we are serving? Learning Communities Leadership Network, under the leadership of new CEO Carrie Williams, has created these communities to take forward-thinking leaders, like you, and give you an opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer learning. If you ask me, there’s nothing better than being surrounded by people who know your pain and your world, and understand those challenges.

Not only are you learning with peers who are in ministry, but each cohort is grouped by role. That means executives with executives, campus leaders with campus leaders, worship leaders with worship leaders. Your cohort is truly dialed into your role! No more listening to five issues your role will never experience! And…check out these leaders…talk about experience and expertise! They’ve been there and they’ll help you get to your NEXT!

Executive Leaders, facilitated by Tim Stevens Campus Leaders, facilitated by Geoff Surratt Worship Leaders, facilitated by Nancy Beach

I also know that we’re all busy and that’s why I love what Leadership Network is doing. They’ve made this commitment EASY! These communities consist of three separate gatherings in three different cities over a seven-month period. In the spirit of not disrupting your leadership pace and schedule, each gathering is ONLY a day and a half.

Check out these dates:

1.5 days during the week of May 9, 2022 @ Lakepointe Church (Dallas, TX area) 1.

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Have you ever worked with someone in ministry who had all the necessary credentials and background but never seemed to jive with the rest of the staff and get things accomplished? Hiring the wrong person can be a significant drag on the effectiveness of an organization and ends up draining precious time and resources.

In my experience, cultural fit is critical when it comes to hiring a successful team—and it’s even more integral when it comes to the church. A campus pastor can have all the skills, organizational disciplines, and experience in the world, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to added value for the team. You Can Always Train Skills Don’t get me wrong. A campus pastor needs skills and the ability to function well with their team. But when push comes to shove, which should you prioritize? Do you take the person with the ideal resume, or do you choose the person that seems to align with everyone else?

The truth is that you can often help someone develop new skills, but it is not always possible to alter someone’s wiring or cultural fit.

It can be very tempting to hire someone who can hit the ground running with little to no training. But sometimes this can hurt you more than help you. The damage that a single negative person can do to your team can be devastating. They can affect the entire team’s attitude and drive, costing your church much hurt, conflict, disruption, downtime, and money. Don’t Ignore the Value of Skills Obviously, expertise is still essential. If all of your employees lacked the skills they needed in their roles, the ministry initiatives would go undone. So we don’t want to completely ignore competence when hiring. But while we look for the right skill set, we need to check for cultural and missional fit. Why Cultural Fit Is Vital Research demonstrates that the people who are aligned with their organization and fit well with their teams end up enjoying their job more, performing better, and staying longer with their organization.

A good fit ensures that your teams collaborate and use their skills in a way that support one another. The difficulty lies in the fact that cultural fit is not easily trainable. It is part of who they are. It is how they are wired, how they see the world, and how they react in specific situations. If your church culture does not connect with a pastoral candidate innately, the connection will be difficult to manufacture later.

Here are some steps to consider before you start the hiring process to help you find the candidate who will mesh with your church’s culture. 1. Know what makes you tick. Hiring should flow from a deep understanding of the church you are creating. You should be able to articulate your mission and values clearly. You should know what draws people to your church. Is it your location, your size, your demographics, or your leadership? What are your absolute musts when it comes to hiring? What character traits are essential (humility, enthusiasm, optimism, etc.)? 2. Describe what you’re looking for. When posting the job description online or in denominational spaces, save yourself some time and clearly define what you are looking for. Use words that attract the right person to fit your position. Focus not just on describing the skills you want, but make sure applicants understand the kind of person you are looking to hire.

If your campus pastoral position is not going to require preaching, make sure you don’t attract someone who wants to teach each week. With clear language, you will eliminate any false expectations on what is required in the position. 3. Ask the right interview questions. Naturally, you’re going to want an understanding of a particular candidate’s skills and experience. But do not neglect the importance of discerning whether their attitudes and perspectives fit your culture.

Ask questions like:

What gets you excited about coming to work?

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Paralysis by Analysis We live in a society of increasing technology and fast-moving information. This can cause information overload which can lead to analysis paralysis. Analysis paralysis can lead to decision fatigue, which leads to indecision. This is why people like Steve Jobs wore the same clothes every day to save mental capacity for key decision making; moreover, this is the state of many churches and leaders when it comes to engaging the next generation. Many are overwhelmed and don’t know what to do. Where Do We Begin? Pursue relationships with the next generation. One drawback about generational research is that it’s easy to make generalizations. That can cause us to project things onto people and place people into categories instead of seeing them as individuals whom Christ loves. That’s the exact opposite of Jesus’ approach to ministry. He found the one and individualized rather than looking at the whole and generalizing. Listening to and empowering Millennials and Gen Z in your church leadership will act as a bridge to further serve the next generation. How Do Millennials and Gen Z Feel Heard? Much of the challenges faced in churches across America can be improved through one simple step: improving the representation of Millennials and Gen Z in church leadership. Inviting them into leadership and listening to their voices will help guide churches in reaching those in the next generation who want to follow Jesus. This requires an intentional approach, but one that does not patronize them. Here are three ways church leaders can engage the next generation:

Listen to and empower Millennials and Gen Z Adjust to the lives of Millennials and Gen Z Address social justice as one of your church’s central concerns

Why Are Millennials and Gen Z Needed in Church Leadership? Increasing the presence of Millennials and Gen Z in church leadership brings perspectives that older leaders may not be aware of or consider. When our lived experiences are drastically different from another’s, it often prevents us from viewing society, culture, and the world from that person’s perspective and their needs, wants, desires, and challenges. Having a men’s breakfast at 7:00 a.m. may work great for older church members, but it is not appealing to college-aged guys or young dads with kids. A women’s brunch on a Wednesday afternoon may suit retired women or stay-at-home moms, but many millennials today work full-time jobs. Facebook groups are great ways at getting people connected; however, much of Gen Z is not on Facebook or they use it for narrow purposes.

Takeaway: When Millennials and Gen Z are involved in church leadership, it becomes easier to identify the challenges and obstacles to getting this generation involved. How Do We Empower the Next Generation? Rather than resisting ideas, adopt the attitude of “Let’s try it!” Much of the resistance to change stems from worrying about “what could go wrong.” Many times, we anticipate the worst. No one likes to fail, and no one wants their church representation to suffer. Resistance also is a result of worrying that “the younger generation” doesn’t have much experience, wisdom, or knowledge to lead at a certain capacity. There is a lot to learn from both ends of the spectrum.

Takeaway: If your church can adopt a “let’s-try-it” attitude and trust God, then you’re on your way to empowering the Millennials and Gen Z in your church. Conclusion If Millennials and Gen Z feel unheard, they’ll wonder why they’re even sitting at the table. Eventually, they’ll decide to spend their time elsewhere. Making them feel heard and valued is relatively straightforward: focus on solutions instead of problems, open up to trying ideas and seeing what happens, and trust God through it all.

Micah Davis is an Entrepreneur, author, worship leader, and speaker. He is the author of a youth devotional series “Born for Greatness.”

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It’s very possible that I’ve learned more about the nature of spreading the Gospel from watching zombie movies than going to seminary. True story. At the very base level, the zombie apocalypse occurs because infection infiltrates relational networks. Friend bites friend, wife bites husband, zombie-dog bites neighbor (I’ve seen weird zombie movies). People within relational networks pass the infection from one person to another in the places where they interact and live their lives. Don’t push the metaphor too far, but hopefully, this humorous intro will help us connect to Jesus’ strategy. Jesus’ Strategy of Pressing into New Networks Levi and His Tax Collector Friends (Mark 2:13-17) One day Jesus is walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and he sees Levi, also known as Matthew, and he says the two words at the heart of being a Christian, “Follow me.” So Levi immediately gets up, leaves his business and his money, and follows Jesus. After a quick scene change, suddenly Jesus is at a legit dinner party with Levi and his buddies. And let me tell you, Levi was no Mother Theresa, and neither were his friends. This was a dinner party full of tax collectors who essentially were the most hated crew of people among the Jews. They were traitors (working with the Roman government), extortioners (overcharging people to get rich), and straight-up sinners. And it’s not like they were misunderstood; tax collectors were not known to be good people. So the Pharisees get wind of this so-called holy man eating with these people and they ask his disciples, “Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Hearing them, Jesus said, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I came for the sick” (my paraphrase).

Did you catch his multiplication strategy? Jesus finds a dude on the margins who responds to the call of God, and then presses into his relational network so that those who would probably not seek out “church” on their own initiative are suddenly discovering Jesus together. The Demon-Possessed Man from Gerasa (Mark 5:1-20) Another time Jesus turns to the disciples and says that they should cross the Dead Sea. After almost getting dominated by a huge storm, they land in Gerasa, which is one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis (10 autonomous cities of the Roman Empire, predominantly gentile). There Jesus meets a man who is possessed by a whole legion of demons.

After some back-and-forth with the trembling demons, Jesus casts them out and they go into some pigs. Word started to spread like crazy, and people didn’t know what to do with this. They were afraid and pleaded with Jesus to leave. But the formerly possessed man, the one who is totally transformed and restored after encountering Jesus, pleads with Jesus to go with him. The text says he begged Jesus. He begged him! And Jesus says no. He tells him instead to go home and go to his family. He was to proclaim to his relational network all that Jesus had done. This word spreads like the aforementioned zombie apocalypse, because the demons are gone!

Why would Jesus tell someone who desperately wants to leave his network to follow him “No”? Because Jesus is being strategic. In fact, if you take a step back and look at the whole story, you see that this was the entire point of going across the lake in the first place! Who saw that coming? Who would have figured that the best dude to reach this whole other group of unreached people would be the man filled with demons who lives in a cemetery and cuts himself?

That’s Jesus’ strategy of multiplication. He “infects” this dude (in zombie terms), and then tells him to go infect others. Jesus often told the Jews he healed not to tell anyone about him, because it will be revealed later. But to this gentile, he says, “Go and infect.” Growing Socially Jesus pressed into networks. He knew that the best way to spread a message is to allow it to travel through natural, relational connections.

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I’ve long believed that successful leadership depends more on good communication than it does on making all the right decisions. Many leaders fail not because of bad decisions, but because they didn’t take the time to communicate their decisions to the right people, at the right time, in the right order. In my experience, 20 percent of good leadership is about making the right decisions; the other 80 percent is appropriately communicating those decisions.

During the depths of the recession, I had to entirely eliminate eight positions at my organization and reduce hours for fifteen part-time staff. For a significant change like this, appropriate communication is vital. We had people who walked into work on a Monday morning and left minutes later, unemployed. We had remaining staff members who just learned they would no longer be working with their best friend. We had family members who were hurting for their dad or mom or spouse. We had eight people we loved and cherished now entering an unfavorable job climate where one in six people were unemployed and looking for work.

Great communication is needed for challenging leadership transitions, but it is also needed for good changes like adding products, expanding distribution, or relocating your offices. You can make a lousy decision but do well with communication and implementation, and it can be a success. On the other hand, you can make a great decision and lose the battle because your communication is weak.

Communication isn’t an exact science. It requires strategy, assessment, execution, reassessment, more execution, and finally, evaluation of what worked and what didn’t. Strategies for Great Communication Here are three very important strategies in becoming an effective communicator for your organization. 1. Don’t forget “the meeting before the meeting.” I learned this tip more than 20 years ago from John Maxwell while sitting in a conference in Anderson, Indiana. With any change, there are only a handful of people in the room you need to convince. Chances are, you instinctively know who those influencers are; the change is going to go well if those people are on board, and it’s going to go poorly if they aren’t.

Such a person may not be the positional leader. She may not have authority over anything or anyone. But she is a major influencer. Perhaps this is because of how long your influencer has been in the organization, or the strength of her personality, or who she is related to. For whatever reason, that person influences many other people, and you need to meet with her before you meet with everyone else. You must have what Maxwell calls “the meeting before the meeting.”

This one principle will help you so much. It is timeless and overrides tenure. Anytime you want to start something new, make a change, add a program, or expand the budget, don’t skip the meeting before the meeting. Be sure to meet with every key influencer ahead of time. Tell them you need their insights, ask them what questions they have and what additional information they need. Not only will you rally each of them to your cause, you will also learn valuable information about how to better communicate with the rest of the team or organization. 2. Pay close attention to sequencing your communication. The second important principle to remember is that with any big change, you need a plan for communication. Who should you tell first? Who should you tell next? Who would be hurt if they found out about it from someone else in your organization?

Think about this in your own family. Let’s pretend you are the dad and you just found out you are being transferred. You are going to move your family of six from Minneapolis to Philadelphia.

If this happened, you would think very carefully about sequencing your communication. You wouldn’t tell your kids before you tell your wife. You wouldn’t tell your third grader before you tell your teens.

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Recently, in our house, my youngest daughter started doing two things that had her worlds collide a little bit. She began watching the TV Series House. During this time, she also was told to watch Dead Poets Society. For those of you who don’t know why watching those two things had her worlds collide, I encourage you to watch the movie and watch a few episodes of House, and it should come to mind quickly!

As you can imagine, my daughter really liked Dead Poets Society, and this sparked several conversations around the phrase “carpe diem” and what it meant. Robin Williams plays John Keating, an English teacher who takes a different approach to study than what was commonplace in that private school. Dr. Keating unpacks the concept of “seize the day” when he says, “We are food for worms, lads. Because, believe it or not, every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die.”

Just over a year ago, we embarked on a cancer journey. I was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer and given only a small promise of three to five years if I fell into the average expectancy rate. A dear friend and mentor of mine, Rick Clapp, recommended a book to me shortly after my diagnosis. That book, Chasing Daylight by Eugene O’Kelly, changed my life. It forced me to think about my own death, which inevitably led to thinking about my life. There was a very stark reality I had to accept: I was in the final stage of my life. Nothing in my power could change that. Today, I’ve had 4 major operations, 27 rounds of chemo, and countless more scans. Some of you may know what I’m talking about.

But Chasing Daylight, written by a man who had been diagnosed with cancer and given three months to live, set me on a mission very similar to the aspiration of Dr. Keating. I could relate to O’Kelly, whose wife had to write the remaining chapters after Eugene died, because I was staring down a journey of the unknown as he did and I refused to live the remainder of my life as a victim of a disease. I determined that I would go down as a fighter.

My conversations with my daughters, wife, friends on the journey with us, and even with our worship pastor, dove deep into what I was learning from looking at Jesus’ life with a new perspective. I mention my worship pastor because I believe that our worship is derived from what we truly believe in our hearts. This drove me to look at Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

If you are diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and you have a community of friends, you will no doubt hear many (if not all) say, “I’m praying for healing for you…” or something to that effect. We see a similar prayer by Jesus in the garden. “Father, if it is your will, please let this cup pass from me…” is a prayer that in essence is saying much the same thing. When I pray for healing for a friend, I am literally asking God to allow that cup, that disease, that imminent death, to pass from them. Yet, it is what follows in Jesus’ story that caught my eye when I approached that narrative with the perspective of “carpe diem” in mind.

The book of Hebrews tells us that from that moment forward, Jesus’ focus or perspective became myopic. It said that he looked forward into the promises of His Father and saw the day when he would be seated at the right hand of his Father and that sin and death would be destroyed; and because of that joy, that hope, Jesus was fueled with “carpe diem” and turned his face towards the cross and all the shame and warred to the end. He fought off every obstacle, every thought, every temptation, and died willingly. He had accepted that journey.

In the short time he had left, he packed so much teaching and challenge into the lives of his disciples. Not that he said a lot of words, but Jesus spoke through his life, through his sacrifice, through his love even for those who were putting him to death. His life crescendoed in its ability to impact the lives of his followers for t...

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I was having a conversation the other day with a friend (at a Starbucks, not in the Metaverse) and we ended up talking about books that really impacted us throughout our lives. As a former Christian Bookstore Owner, I could rattle off a ton of influential books throughout my lifetime. However, the books that are still impacting me today make a very short list.

Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby, is one of those books. When I read it as a teenager it really shattered my worldview and opened up my eyes to a better understanding of God, really the Holy Spirit and His role in my life. Truthfully, before I read Experiencing God, I don’t think I understood the Holy Spirit’s purpose in the Trinity, and I definitely didn’t understand what my purpose was in the Kingdom. Earth-shattering is a word I don’t use lightly here. Thirty years later, I’ve gone back through the book several times either by myself or with a group, and even today the book still carries weight. When I need a reminder of the power of God, and a better understanding of who I am, I either go to the Book of James, or I read Blackaby’s Experiencing God.

Which is why, when I started talking about Experiencing God with my friend, and found out he had not read the book, my head and my heart exploded. Hurriedly I started hurling quotes at my friend. Quotes like, “The truth is that God can do anything He pleases through an ordinary person who is fully dedicated to Him.” Another favorite says, “Look and see where God is moving, and join him in His work.” And this mic drop quote, “There are far too many people who settle for practicing a sterile religion rather than enjoying a growing, vibrant, personal relationship with the living God.“

The sterile religion versus a growing, vibrant, and personal relationship with God stuck with me. Much of the criticisms of Metaverse Church are surrounded by perceptions of a lack of a growing, vibrant, and personal relationship. The truth is that people on the frontlines of Metaverse tell testimonies that demonstrate this perception is not reality.

God is moving in the Metaverse, and I would encourage anyone to heed Blackaby’s wisdom and look and see where God is moving, and pray about joining him in His work.

“What would Henry Blackaby think of the Metaverse?” I asked my friend over coffee. I started to once again dive into “Experiencing God’s Seven Realities” and started wrestling with that question. Now, I wanted to compare that ideology to these new Meta-realities.

So here are my observations. Experiencing God, Metaverse Edition:

Reality #1. God is Always at Work Around You. Okay, it’s easy to draw comparisons here to the Metaverse. I would suggest God is always at work in the Metaverse. Blackaby wrote this book back in the 70s, and I think the term Metachurch wasn’t a thing until 1991, but are we, as Christians, really ready to put a qualifier on this? Is God prevented from working in a virtual world or a digital community? Is God put in a box there? I know that change is daunting and the idea of a virtual experience is a BIG change, but I don’t believe the Metaverse surprised God. Will we deny the call on brothers’ and sisters’ lives who are willing to become all things to all people so that they may by all means save some?

Reality #2. God Pursues a Continuing Love Relationship with You that is Real and Personal. Can God’s love go into the Metaverse? I could see people disagreeing or even arguing that Metaverse relationships are not capable of a real and personal love. For some, they don’t see the authenticity of the Metaverse, or even digital for that matter. Here’s what I would suggest: this is a contextual concern. Can God send His love in real and personal ways, even into the Metaverse? The contextualization is with us. Are we capable of receiving love from God in a virtual environment? Many of us have gone through personal challenges with health, mental health, loved ones and more. We shared those things in a social/digital environment and many friends loved us with their words, their continual check-ins, prayers, and we received God’s love through them while they lived across the country or in different parts of the world. Is the Metaverse so different?

Reality #3. God Invites You to Become Involved with Him in His work. There are really two challenges to this reality: Can God/Holy Spirit speak into the Metaverse? Is God working in the Metaverse? I’m going to be overly practical here. Does the Holy Spirit convict us when we surf to a website we shouldn’t, or remind us to be forgiving of that troll on social media? If God can speak in those circumstances, then what’s different when we wear a headset? Then, can’t God work through us within the Metaverse?

Reality #4. God Speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, Prayer, Circumstances and the Church to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways. Let’s break down how God speaks to us: Bible. Prayer. Circumstances. The Church.

Can scripture transcend into the Metaverse? Well, 500 million of us have downloaded the YouVersion Bible App on our phones? Scripture already exists in the Metaverse.
Can God hear prayers from the Metaverse? We’ve all seen God work through written word prayer, phone calls, now Zoom or Skype… Why would prayer not cut across the Metaverse? Reality is even people in the Metaverse are in Physical Space too.
Can God interact with the Metaverse? If for some reason you believe that God cannot interact with the Metaverse because He doesn’t have an Oculus Quest 2, my response would be I believe that God uses us in Metaverse spaces to be used by Him to create circumstances (see Reality #3). This can lead us to engage with people in the Metaverse Mission Field, and can lead people to be receptive to God, even in the Metaverse.
Can God speak through the Metaverse Church? Believe it or not, there are pioneering churches right now in the Metaverse. When you talk with them, they’ll tell you stories about how God is using their ministry to do incredible things. Over on THECHURCH.DIGITAL we have plenty of stories and interviews with Metaverse Churches, and how God is changing lives through metaverse ministry. The takeaway here is that the mission field is ripe in the metaverse. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Reality #5. God’s Invitation for You to Work with Him Always Leads You to a Crisis of Belief that Requires Faith and Action. “Crisis of belief” resonates with me, having experienced these several times recently as God led to some career moves. Moving aside from that, I can say publicly here I get more than 10x negative comments on Metaverse Church than any other religious/technological topic I speak on. In 2022 there are lots of church leaders that question the legitimacy of Metaverse Church. Let’s not even make this about Metaverse.

When was the last time God led you to a crisis of belief that required faith and action? This crisis is meant to challenge us. Faith and action drive us to change, allowing God to move through us into this new place that He is leading us to.

Reality #6. You Must Make Major Adjustments in Your Life to Join God in What He is Doing. I already hear the naysayers. Jeff, Blackaby says “major adjustments”. What you’re asking people to do is to stay at home and talk on a headset in a video game. That’s not a “major adjustment”. That’s just lazy! You’re right, it can be lazy. But if we hung out in these communities and talked with these people, and prayer walked these worlds, weeping for the souls in these communities, I believe we would feel the Holy Spirit leading us to make major adjustments in our lives. This would be especially true in the area of real, personal relationships in the Metaverse. This begs the question: What adjustments need to be made in our lives for us to embrace the Metaverse Mission Field?

Reality #7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. Can the Metaverse bring you closer to God? The Metaverse by itself? Surely no. Yet, the faith required to bring ourselves to a crisis of belief by challenging our worldview in growing our perception of those searching for something to fill their emptiness within the Metaverse could empassion the best of us! Right? That may challenge the tradition and heritage we were given. That is not dissimilar to the process that thousands of missionaries through the years experienced when they left their homes because their worldviews were changed through conviction. Couldn’t this find some of us heading into the Meta Mission Field with a heart of action to represent God’s love to real people in personal ways, walking alongside others in the Metaverse who are doing the same thing? And if we did this, then, through our obedience, could it not bring us closer to God as He accomplishes His work within us?

Not sure if Henry Blackaby ever experienced the Metaverse, but I believe His words would ring true of the Metaverse: “Look and see what God is doing, and join him in His work. If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them. the world would be turned upside down.”

What does the Metaverse Mission Field look like? Let’s meet someone who’s made major adjustments in his life to truly reach and engage the Metaverse Mission Field. Episode 4 of Metaverse Church NEXT will feature Jate Earhart, Twitch Streamer and Founder of LoveClan.net, talking about how he’s dedicating his life to be a missionary in the metaverse.

Oculus Quest 2 — Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset — 128 GB

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Cornerstone Yuba City is a pioneering example of what a church can look like if it multiplies into the Metaverse Mission Field. Pastor Jason Poling leads this relatively small and older church located in Northern California. Within recent years, Jason’s volunteer leadership approached him about launching a church in the metaverse.

After praying, and exploring what the metaverse is, Jason led Cornerstone Yuba City to first launch a metaverse campus in a metaverse world called AltspaceVR (owned by Microsoft). Some months later, this small church in Northern California opened a second church in a different metaverse world called VRChat.

Cornerstone Yuba City, as a church, fully engaged in the metaverse mission field. But what does this mean? What are the tangible results of a church embracing the metaverse mission field?

Here is Jason Poling, Lead Pastor at Cornerstone Yuba City/VR, on the math of a metaverse church:

Friends, let me help you understand the missional power of the Metaverse as a tool.

(Note: it would usually be viewed as inappropriate to share attendance numbers from the physical church world because it tends to display the ego of the pastor. I am breaking with this convention in this post by sharing attendance numbers from our metaverse churches. I hope it is not for ego-sake. I’ll admit though, I am pretty excited about what these numbers appear to say God is doing through Cornerstone. But, I really do want to share these numbers for the purpose of encouraging more churches to at least consider exploring the possibility of doing Christ’s mission in the Metaverse.)

Cornerstone VR, our first campus in Microsoft’s Altspace, which is one of the least-trafficked VR platforms (but easiest to use), began on April 12, 2020, and has had over 16,000 join at least one event over 21 months (that means they at least popped in for a moment in one of our services or life group meetings).

Our second Cornerstone VR campus in VRChat, has about 2 times the attendance of Altspace, as seen in the final photo: about 7,300 have joined over 9 months. We launched in April 2021.

Since both of these metaverse campus launches, we have had over 23,000 “joins” to our church events where the truth of Christ has been proclaimed!

This is the power of the metachurch. Very rarely will even the largest megachurch have this many visitors in a 1- to 2-year timeframe. And they will usually not have this many completely unchurched visitors, certainly not the quantity of atheists, “nones,” Muslims, satanists, and Wiccans, etc., we have seen come to us in the metaverse.

But let me break down the numbers a bit for those of you who are interested. Of those joins over the past 21 months, 11,000 instances have been registered as staying in the Altspace events to more fully participate. [VRChat does not offer this kind of granular data, unfortunately. My best guess based on the 7,000 number above is that about 3,000 instances are from those who have stayed and 4,000 who have just popped in briefly.]

So about 14,000 total instances of what we might call in the physical church, “regular attendance,” have occurred in all events across our campuses, and 9,000 instances of brief “joins.” And this is totally different from livestream numbers because the personal engagement is more enriching and real in VR. Most of these 14,000, and a good number of the 9,000, are not just “watchers,” but are “engagers.” They are greeted, asked about their week, and invited by a regular to sit next to them, etc. And even some of these “brief joiners” will ask sincere questions about religion and God at the end of our services.

When the numbers are annualized, we find that little Cornerstone Church of Yuba City is sharing the truth of Christ with over 8,000 completely NEW people each year. And many of these have absolutely NO connection to Christianity or the Church! (Just look at my second picture that shows the more popular channels in Altspace. It is definitely a mission field and not a museum for the already churched.)

Also, it is important to note that approximately half of the regular attendees were unchurched when they stumbled upon CornerstoneVR. There are few church migrators and rechurched folks. (Even more incredible: this 50% number is just for Altspace. In VRChat, a very different “new tribe,” nearly 80% come in unchurched!)

But again, let me bring you back to the big story: 8,000 new, and very likely unchurched, visitors are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ in our Cornerstone metaverse church campuses each year! And now, we are among a growing group of churches doing the same. The gospel impact is becoming incalculable! (Which is an ironic thing to say, I know.)

So, for the price of an Oculus/MetaVR headset of $300, our little church of 300 people in Yuba City has been able to plant gospel seeds in over 8,000 souls each year among some of the most unreached people on the planet! (Note: we have begun to spend more than the initial $300 as we have increased our efforts to reach the worlds of the metaverse.)

Pastors, Evangelists, Christians… are you ready? It’s go time!

Thanks Jason! We’re going to unpack some of these stats, throw in some stories, and dive into what it’s like to pastor a church in the Metaverse on Metaverse Church NEXT. Catch Jason and me on Episode 2, coming Wednesday 2/23 at 12:30pm Eastern.

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Genesis 12:2-3, “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

This passage was a revolutionary moment in history. In a world of tribal, violent, exclusive polytheism, the voice of the one true God speaks and introduces universal, loving, inclusive monotheism.

God says, “I have a mission. I am going to bless every tribe, every tongue, and every nation. My people will join me in this mission to bless.” God’s strategy for reaching and restoring the world is simply this: to have His people bless the world.

We are blessed to be a blessing.

The blessing God gives us is a missional blessing. When God pours blessing into us, it has a mission inside of it. We join God in His mission by being BLESSers.

KC Underground’s mission is to fill Kansas City with the beauty, justice, and Good News of Jesus. We believe there are five incarnational rhythms that when lived consistently among an unreached pocket of people; they cause the beauty, justice and good news of Jesus to fill that network.

We remember these five rhythms through the acrostic of B.L.E.S.S.

BEGIN IN PRAYER
LISTEN AND ENGAGE
EAT
SERVE
STORY

BLESS is five simple rhythms; it isn’t a program or a series of linear steps. BLESS isn’t about adding something; it’s about infusing everyday activities we’re already doing with new gospel intentionality. The rhythms are simple enough for a five-year-old to understand, but robust enough to create missionaries in every neighborhood in Kansas City…and every city. We desire to see a missionary on every street and a microchurch in every network living these simple missionary rhythms in one primary context, or a network of relationships.

The goal is for these rhythms to become like breathing, natural and almost unconscious. For each of the BLESS rhythms, we must learn how to breathe in and breathe out. In other words, with BLESS, for each of the rhythms, there is an in and out motion

Of course, Jesus and the early church are our examples at breathing the BLESS rhythms.

BEGIN IN PRAYER: Breathe In and Breathe Out Prayer Dave and Jon Ferguson in their amazing book, BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love. Your Neighbor and Change the World, say “Prayer is both how we discover mission and do mission.”

Breathe In: We discover our mission by listening for Jesus’ voice through prayer. That is “breathing in” prayer.

Breathe Out: We accomplish mission by praying for people and places. That’s “breathing out” prayer.

We breathe in and breathe out prayer. In other words, prayer is not just a monologue, but also a dialogue. Begin in prayer by breathing in, this is a listening type of prayer.

Jesus said, “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given…what to say and what to speak” (John 12:29).

We start with a listening-type of prayer by asking questions in prayer: (1) God where are you already at work, where I live, work, and play? (2) How can I join you? God is at work all the time. Jesus said, “My Father and I are always at work” (John 5:17). He is already at work in your network of relationships. You don’t have to start anything, just join Him!

Prayer is also the first step in how we do mission. “Breathe out” by praying for people in your network of relationships by name and by praying for Jesus to restore the place you’ve been sent to. In the KC Underground, we have 2–3 simple tools to equip people with both forms of prayer. You can discover some of those in The Missionary Pathway.

That’s our first rhythm. Our next is Listen and Engage.

LISTEN AND ENGAGE: Breathe In and Breathe Out Relationship Do most people see the church as a megaphone or a listening ear? Sadly, Christians have become more known for yelling than listening. Before we can ever reach or restore a community, we’ve got to have a relationship with them. Relationships start with listening.

We “breathe in” by listening to the people and places God has sent us to. Then we “breathe out” by engaging in relationships with those people and places.

Here’s what is fascinating about Jesus. If anyone had all the answers, if anyone had the right to do all the talking, it was Jesus! But, if you read the gospels, you’ll find his conversations absolutely saturated with questions…with listening.

In the first gospel to have been written, the gospel of Mark, there are 67 episodes in which there is any sort of conversation at all. In those 67 episodes, Jesus asks 50 questions.

Jesus was a listener. Why? People listen to people who listen.

What was Jesus’ standard approach? He didn’t have one! To the fishermen he talked about…fishing. To the woman at the well he talked about…water. To the farmers he talked about what? Farming. He listened to the story of the person in front of him and engaged them in a way that was meaningful to their story.

Histories. Hopes. Hurts. Heart-Passions.

Listen for people’s histories. Listen for people’s hopes. Listen for hurts. Listen for people’s heart-passions. As we take a posture of listening internally, not only will we hear them, we will hear the voice of Jesus guiding us. Out of that posture of listening, we then engage. Engage in deeper relationships with the people and places we are listening to.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds” (Matthew 11:19).

Our Lord Jesus…he was a friend of sinners, to those who acted differently and believed differently than He did. He was a friend to those who did not yet know how much they matter to God. How inclusive is our friendship circle? What sinners call us friends?

We begin in prayer. We listen to people and places with the hope of engaging deeper relationships. Then, this may be your favorite part…we eat! One of the best ways to deepen relationships is by eating together.

EAT: Breathe In and Breathe Out Meals Jesus did much of his ministry around meals and the table. Jesus literally ate his way through the gospels! Jesus ate his way into people’s lives and hearts. In the book of Luke alone, we have accounts of ten different meals. Furthermore, even the second coming of Jesus is conceived as a meal—the wedding supper of the lamb. Jesus is showing us that there is something about sharing a meal that reveals what his kingdom is like, a display of flavor and feasting, family, and fullness.

Jesus “breathed in” meals with his inner circle of disciples.

We breathe in by eating with our extended spiritual family. This is both immediate family and microchurch family. Meals aren’t just about caloric intake, but spiritual and relational intake.

Then Jesus and his disciples “breathed out” meals with people that the religious people of his day saw as outsiders—the tax collectors, the pagans, and prostitutes.

We breathe out by partying, creating joyous, social inclusive spaces for where everyone is welcomed, including strangers. The Greek word for hospitality in the New Testament makes this perfectly clear. It is the word philoxenia, which is a combination of two words: love (phileo) and the word for stranger (xenos). It literally means love a stranger.

The table is where strangers can become friends, and through the Gospel, they become family. Everyone has a table. Activate the table with biblical hospitality! We begin in prayer, we listen, and then we eat with the people in the places He is sending us to. Over those meals, you will discover how it is you can serve them.

SERVE: Breathe In and Breathe Out Blessing We “breathe in” by letting our neighbor serve us. This might surprise you. In Luke 10, Jesus instructs us to let the “person of peace” serve us. So when your neighbor offers to serve you, receive it. This affirms equality, mutuality, and builds trust in that relationship.

Then, we also “breathe out” by serving our neighbors and those in our network. Those acts of service make the kingdom tangible to folks who might not know yet how much they matter to God.

We Begin in Prayer, we Listen and Engage, we Eat, we Serve, and through this we have earned the right to share our faith story and the story of Jesus.

STORY: Breathe In and Breathe Out Stories First, we “breathe in” story by speaking the gospel to ourselves. We apply the gospel to our own warped image of God and warped sense of identity. We speak the gospel to our deepest needs to confront our own idolatry. We let the gospel become our deepest motivation for all of life. We do this in Kansas City by equipping people with the simple set of tools outlined in the fantastic book Gospel Fluency by Jeff Vanderstelt.

Then, we “breathe out” story by sharing the story of Jesus and how He has changed our story. Once people learn to speak the gospel to themselves and live in obedience to it, they are filled with the Spirit. They become good news. They are naturally supernatural and begin to relationally share the good news in specific and Spirit-led ways, often accompanied with signs and wonders, big and small.

With one of our neighbors we’ve led to Jesus, she remarked to my wife and I afterwards, “Every time I was with you two—just chatting by the curb or wherever—I felt this strange peace. A peace I hadn’t known.” That supernatural experience of shalom is what drew her to surrender her life to Jesus at our kitchen table.

Another neighbor, while hanging with me in my garage during a rainstorm, began to open up about an area of deep pain in his life. I began sharing the gospel through three passages of Scripture. At the end of reading each passage of Scripture—three different moments spread out over 30 minutes or so—there was an exact coordinated crash of thunder. After the third one, which shook the garage, the fear of the Lord was so thick, this young man asked in awe, “Is God speaking to me?” I asked in return, “What do you think?” He shook his head yes and began to weep. We prayed then and there.

Let me share a secret with you. If you truly pray regularly for people by name in a specific unreached network Jesus has sent you to, if you then listen to them deeply, eat with them regularly, and serve them consistently, and let them serve you, you will always have the opportunity to share the Gospel and the story of how Jesus changed you. If you stay long enough in one context, if you continue with these rhythms, Jesus will draw people to himself.

Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life

BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World

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In 2019, about 80 followers of Jesus left the prevailing church structures to be the seeds for a grassroots movement in Kansas City. They believe God’s people are made for more. It is the birthright of every child of God to be a loving missionary and disciple-maker where they live, work, learn and play. Their aim was to plant the gospel in networks of relationships across the city, see disciples made and witness the church emerge in new contexts.

At KC Underground, they function with a two-entity structure, a mission agency and a network of microchurches. The mission agency equips everyday people to be loving missionaries and effective disciple-makers in new contexts. As new disciples are made in a new context, a microchurch emerges.

Microchurches are extended spiritual families, that live in everyday gospel community, they’re led by ordinary people, not paid professionals, and they own the mission of Jesus in their network. For some, this is a very specific pocket of people or corner of culture. For other, this is a geographic network of relationships often defined as a neighborhood.

Listen to Episode 15 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

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Future Church Insights: 1. Rob explains “microchurch”Rob says that a microchurch is a spiritual family led by “ordinary people who live in everyday gospel community and own the mission of Jesus in a network of relationships.”

2. Rob talks about the way they structure KC Underground:Rob talks about “Hubs” – an equipping team – and how those team then include teams of people. For example, he mentions the “Personal Discovery” team that help others to discover their personal calling. He also talks about Startup Coaching, the seven week pathway, financial services and the ongoing coaching they provide micro churches.

3. Rob speaks to the differences in a traditional model and what KC Underground is doingFirst, he talks about planting the gospel where people currently are, not extracting them out for a professional sermon or service. Then he talks about discipleship and evangelism coming out of relationships that have already been built and established. Finally, he speaks about seeing every person as a disciple maker.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of KC Underground 1. The activation of a new Hub in north Kansas City Kansas that is focused on gospel saturation among all the ethnic groups in our city (90+). This particular part of the city has great diversity in ethnicity in a relatively small geographic region of the city. A Kingdom breakthrough here would be a microcosm of the coming Kingdom, where every tribe, tongue and nation is gathered into the global family of God. 2. The activation of a new Hub in the heart of Kansas City Missouri, a few blocks from Troost Avenue. Historically, Troost Avenue has been a racial dividing line in Kansas City. A Kingdom breakthrough here would speak a story of Hope to our whole city. 3. The activation of new missionaries, new Discovery Bible Studies, new disciples, and new microchurches in those two regions of the city. 4. We are intentionally pursuing a full embodiment of all of Expo’s key frameworks. The Kansas City Underground is pioneering a sustainable and multiplicative approach to Gospel Saturation in a city via mobilizing all of God’s people God’s way as missionary disciple-makers in every sector of society who are living out their Masterpiece Mission. Therefore, we are likely a particularly interesting case study for the Expo community, as we are boots on the ground.

Links: www.kcunderground.org

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Rob Wegner: “Jesus said Go, but most churches are built around Come.” (21:06)

“I think the other main thing is instead of seeing people as volunteers, attenders, inviters, members, you need to look at every single person and go, they’re a disciple maker.” (24:02)

“It’s not actually less meetings, it’s life together.” (26:53)

The post FCP 15 | Rob Wegner, KC Underground appeared first on Exponential.

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I’ve said a lot of controversial statements in my life surrounding church and technology. Comes with the territory. Truthfully, I’ve seen probably 10x negative feedback on the idea of a metachurch compared to anything I’ve said before. That being said:

“The heresy of one age becomes the orthodoxy of the next.” – Hellen Keller

To be honest, there are some decent arguments against metachurch, primarily being: we don’t know the mental health impact of living virtual lives. (Whether or not the church is in the metaverse space, this is still a problem by the way. I’d rather work to solve the problem than ignore the problem, but that’s just my opinion.) But for the few valid arguments I’ve heard, the majority of arguments are grounded in bad theology and misunderstanding of the technology. * “Jeff, you know that all new technology comes from fallen angels. It’s in the Bible!” – No actually, I didn’t know that. So, the Gutenberg Press was from fallen angels too? The Radio and Television that Billy Graham used so well? The Roman Roads were from Satan? * “Jeff, the metaverse will be the birthplace of the antichrist” – Sounds like a great movie for HBO Max, but I would love to understand the biblical context here. * “Jeff, everyone knows the metaverse is of Satan because God didn’t make it. Man made it. It’s authentically not God.” – Interesting. So let’s talk about the Biblical Temple (made by man), and all these man-made church buildings open on Sunday mornings.

I shouldn’t make fun. Forgive me. If nothing else, people are passionate on this topic. I would argue, that in 2022, their passions are misaimed. For a hot second here let’s stop and take the church in the metaverse off the table. Maybe in 2022, the majority of our churches should not focus on launching churches in the metaverse. A New Way to Engage the Metaverse Just recently I had a conversation with Tommy Prater, Digital Pastor at Church on the Rock in St. Louis. COTR has been streaming their church services online for years, even streaming their services with 360 cameras, so online audiences can engage in the service like they’re actually in the building. This Christmas, though, Tommy found a new way to engage the Metaverse. He got an Oculus 2 headset for Christmas, set up an account in a world called Alt VR, and found himself casually walking around the Metaverse. He started meeting people in the Metaverse, which led to casual conversation with people in the Metaverse. On Christmas Day, 2021, Tommy casually found himself talking about Jesus with someone he didn’t know in the Metaverse. The world didn’t come to an end. The person was not a Christian, and did not cuss at Tommy for talking about Jesus. In fact, others came around Tommy, and asked questions. Tommy, on his first day in the Metaverse, shared Jesus in real ways with people who needed to hear. This life-altering event for Tommy revolutionized his view of ministry in the Metaverse. Tommy had his first experience on the Meta Mission Field. How Today’s Church CAN Wield the Metaverse We’ve talked about this before. Just like buildings are a tool, and digital is a tool… the metaverse is also a tool. Your church needs to decide how it is going to utilize the metaverse tool. Questions you should be asking yourself: 1. META DISCIPLESHIP: Can I disciple someone in the metaverse? What does discipleship look like in the metaverse? Does the metaverse allow for the healthy disciple-making relationships? 2. META MISSION FIELD: What does evangelism look like in the metaverse? Is viewing the metaverse as a mission field a valid approach? What are effective ways to share Christ in the metaverse? 3. META CHURCH*: Can an ecclesiologically stable, Biblically solid church exist in the metaverse?

How Today’s Church SHOULD Wield the Metaverse As controversial as #3 exists, I’m not sure the ecclesiology of the meta church, or even digital-only churches, can really be resolved in 2022. I’ve actually had pastors and scholars tell me that the ecclesiology of a metachurch may take 30 years to develop. We may not even get a solid answer on this until 2050! Why? Because while God is the same yesterday, today and forever… culture changes. As culture changes, so does our strategy. Church, historically, has been adverse to cultural change. Just look at how quickly churches are pushing for butts in seats again, post-COVID. This is actually why the Helen Keller quote rings true: The heretical struggles of today will be orthodoxy tomorrow. (Churches will struggle to be on the bleeding edge. Ecclesiological conversations are almost always reactionary instead of assuming the best and being proactive.) So passionate metachurch supporters out there wanting to die on the battlefield of metachurch ecclesiology… trust me, don’t die on that hill. That is not today’s battle. As fun and frustrating as the meta ecclesiology conversation is, the meta as a mission field is far more beneficial for today. Tell the stories of the life change from the meta mission field. Celebrate the disciple-making and releasing that’s happening utilizing meta tools and resources. Because while people can argue ecclesiology all day long, they will never be able to argue what God is doing through you personally and those you’re reaching in the metaverse. Naysayers of the Church in the Metaverse: take a moment. Breathe. Redirect your passions against the Church in the Metaverse and focus that intensity on reaching people in the Meta Mission Field. Maybe the time in the Meta Mission Field will give you a better understanding of the meta ecclesiology. As an aside, Church, maybe give some grace and understanding to those people, those missionaries, those churches that are experimenting in the metaverse. Lets pray that they are successful in better understanding the metaverse today, so we can effectively reach the people that our buildings are not reaching.

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Spiritual Family The theme of family weaves throughout the narrative of Scripture. Jesus himself instituted and affirmed the biological family. He called people to be faithful in marriage (Matt. 19:1–9) and honor their parents (Mark 7:9–13). Similarly, Paul thought it wisest for most people to marry and have children (1 Cor. 7:8–9; 1 Tim. 5:14) and provide clear instructions for how families can flourish (Ephesians 5).

And yet, according to Jesus, the biological family is not our primary family. First and foremost, we are “members of the household of God.” (Eph 2:19). In cases of conflicting loyalties, Jesus made it clear, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

We understand the Gospel when we see it through the lens of family. Although we have sinned and become illegitimate children, God sent his Son so that we could be reconciled to the Father. Through Jesus, anyone can join the family by faith in him (John 1:12–13; Gal. 3:6–9). Because our God is the perfect dad, because Jesus is our reconciling Savior, and the Spirit is the very presence of God within us, we are now a part of an eternal family.

What is Microchurch? It is for this reason that within KC Underground, our working definition of a microchurch is “An extended spiritual family, led by ordinary people, who seek to live in everyday Gospel community, and own the mission of Jesus in a network of relationships.”

The church is first and foremost about identity, not activity. We have a deep ache in our hearts for people to understand that church is not a building or a program or an event. The church is not built around one or two influential voices. But the church, at its core, is family.

If we understand this fundamental truth, the people of God are free to live with passion, love, and purpose. We are open to living with new rhythms that mirror the ways of the early church. Perhaps the most concise description of these rhythms is portrayed in Acts 2.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Acts 2:42–45 (NIV)

Furthermore, readers of Acts get a glimpse of where and when these rhythms played out.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying all the people’s favor. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved

Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)[2]

In Jerusalem, the believers gathered both in the temple and in the home. In the larger setting of the temple courts, the apostles taught, performed miracles and evangelized. The early believers learned, worshipped, prayed, and fellowshipped together in this corporate space.

In the houses, however, is where the church functioned as extended spiritual families. It was in this setting that they lived in an everyday gospel community. These spiritual families were led by ordinary people who owned the mission of Jesus in their relational network. These microchurches in Jerusalem had everything in common, sharing possessions, meals, laughter, and conversations. They celebrated together as new people joined the family daily. Stories of life with Jesus were shared with openness and honesty. Dinner was prepared with many hands, and the eating was accompanied by more laughter and stories, for they were sincerely glad to be together. Each would say, “These are my favorite people!” The conversation always moved to the apostle’s teachings’ rediscovery, each retelling what they heard about Jesus and His ways. And the discussion was catalytic. They had been “taught to obey (Matthew 28:18-20),” so the conversation moved to practical obedience. Prayer flowed continually.

And it was challenging to figure out who was “in charge,” as each person brought “a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation (1 Cor 14:26)” to share.

What a beautiful picture of the family of God!

Microchurches Emerge out of the Oikos The Greek word used in the New Testament for the family is “Oikos.” This is a robust word that went beyond the immediate family’s idea to include extended family, household slaves, and their network of friends, neighbors, and business associates.

According to Michael Green, author of Evangelism in the Early Church, “Christians… made a deliberate point of gaining…households as lighthouses…from which the Gospel could illuminate the surrounding darkness.”

As the Gospel spread, more and more households flipped their allegiance and became part of the mission of God. The Gospel, therefore, took “Oikos” and transformed it into something more significant. What was once merely an earthly family had now been transformed into an eternal, spiritual family on mission. And church planting was directly related to new disciples produced within previously existing networks of relationships.

For this reason, within the KC Underground, we say that microchurches emerge rather than are planted. As new disciples are made, natural networks of relationships (Oikos) are transformed into spiritual families. We do not plant churches; instead, we plant the Gospel. As the Gospel is planted, disciples are formed from the ground up, resulting in new microchurches. We believe the order is important. Gospel planting and disciple-making that lead to churches’ emergence is the model clearly present throughout the book of Acts. To understand church formation in this way is the difference between redistributing Christians into smaller groups and birthing new microchurches out of new disciples.

Oikos is at the core of Gospel planting. Instead of extracting individuals from their families and friends to attend services at the Temple courts, the early church infiltrated and transformed existing houses to become new spiritual families. In this sense, form follows function. A microform of church is the natural setting for a group to function as a family.

Why is this important? The honeymoon phase of early believers in Jerusalem would not last long. A nimble form of church, rather than the bulky Temple form they knew so well, was essential as the Gospel spread “throughout the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Microchurch as the Primary Expression of Church

“…On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”

Acts 8:1 (NIV)

Following Stephen’s martyrdom, the church experienced severe persecution, resulting in the complete shutdown of public gatherings at the temple courts. What happens next is not the church’s death, but instead, a multiplicative scattering of God’s people. The persecution and shutting down of the temple resulted in an increased disciple-making rate across the Roman Empire.

And the form of church that endured was the microchurch.

Microchurch is not the trendy next thing. It’s not a program that will attract the masses. Microchurch is not a JV church that’s secondary to a larger congregational meeting. Microchurch is not a small group that merely seeks to learn new spiritual truths together. Instead, Microchurch is the primary expression of God’s people. It is the form that best houses the essential functions of the spiritual family. It is a form that can change, adapt, multiply, and thrive regardless of the environment. In many ways, the book of Acts and the Epistles is the story of Jesus living in and through a movement of microchurches.

Our vision within KC Underground is to see Gospel Saturation in Kansas City. We want to see a missionary and microchurch in every neighborhood and network in our city. This vision cannot be done with expensive and heavy structures but can only be done by returning to the Scriptures and remembering the role of the extended spiritual family.

Here’s the truth: as an organization that operates as one-part missions organization and one-part network of microchurches, we sit in an interesting place of tension. On the one hand, we simply desire to see the people of God live as a network of spiritual families, led by ordinary people, owning their particular mission. We want to see a simple model of church that will help followers of Jesus flourish in every part of life. We want to validate these micro-expressions for what they truly are: church.

On the other hand, we have no desire to merely re-form Christians into smaller groups and relabel them as “microchurches.” The goal is not to retreat and go small, but instead, it’s to be nimble and replicate. Our collective heart beats for creating new disciples within new networks that will eventually, like a Gospel virus, slowly take over the entire city. It’s not division; it’s multiplication. It’s disciple-making that leads to church planting, not the other way around. We agree with Mike Breen, who said, “If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”

We aim to simultaneously validate the microchurch as the primary expression of the church while always training towards Gospel planting, leading to the transformation of the already existing Oikos. We believe that the form of microchurch is essential, but the form alone will never reach the goal Jesus gave to us in the Great Commission: to make disciples of all nations, all people groups, in every corner of the earth (Matthew 28:18).

This grand mission, simply put, is the purpose of the family business. And microchurch, the extended spiritual family, is the form best set up to house a mighty move of God.

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Back in the early 2000s, leaders began traveling from all over the world to join us in Tacoma, Washington to engage in a full immersion learning experience we called Soma School. We had been piloting Missional Communities for several years and had found significant success in missional living and disciple-making practices. We discovered over time that many people had concluded that a Missional Community was no different than a small group or a community group. Over time we learned we needed to clarify how different they actually are.

MicroChurch is at the fore-front of the conversation for many in light of the changing cultural landscape we find ourselves in…

In our present moment, MicroChurch is at the fore-front of the conversation for many in light of the changing cultural landscape we find ourselves in, coupled with the ongoing deconstruction and reform back to what many believe is a return to a more biblically faithful expression of church. Call it Missional Community or MicroChurch (MCs for short in this article), there really is a big difference between typical small groups and MCs.

First, those committed to MCs believe MCs are the most irreducible form of church, whereas most small groups are considered a program or part of the local church but not a church in themselves. Similar to the church in Pricilla or Aquilla’s house (Rom, 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19) or the church in Nympha’s house (Col. 4:15), MCs see themselves as the church in a particular place with a particular people.

“What about the gathering together in a larger group?” some have asked. “Do MCs gather in a regular gathering?” The answer is generally yes but in a variety of rhythms and forms. The reason for gathering is a second distinction made between small groups and MCs. In most churches, the gathering is central and small groups serve as the connection strategy. Since the gathering is too big to really experience the one anothers, deeper community, and the practice of spiritual gifts, small groups provide the place to experience and express these very important realities of church life together.

For some churches, the most important reason for small groups is retention. It’s the way to close the “back door” of the church so the church gathering can continue to grow bigger in attendance. On the other hand, the goal for bringing MCs together for a larger gathering is not to grow a larger gathering but to encourage one another toward ongoing good works in everyday life (Heb. 10:24-25) and to equip for ongoing ministry through an equipping team (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers) leading to each disciple and MC expressing the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).

In light of that goal, small groups often attempt to fulfill one or two aspects of Christ. For example, some small groups primarily express the teacher aspect of Christ through doing a Bible study or sermon discussion (teacher). Other small groups express more of the shepherd aspect of Jesus by becoming primarily a care group. Some express the more prophetic aspect of Jesus through works of mercy and service. At times you see more than one of these expressed in a small group. However, MCs aim to not only express the shepherd, teacher and prophet aspects of Christ but also Christ as evangelist and apostle as they look to love and reach the lost and multiply and send new MCs as an extension of the church into new places.

And finally, a clear distinction between small groups and MCs can be seen in the administration of the sacraments. In most churches, baptism and Lord’s Supper are limited to the larger gatherings and administered by centralized leadership. Whereas most MCs administer these sacraments in their homes and neighborhoods embracing the priesthood of the believers to the fullest expression of being the church together.

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Common Thread was born out of a desire to rediscover the historical DNA of church as family, church as movement and church as city. While Common Thread is an organization, it passionately believes that the church is a living, breathing, unprecedented, unstoppable movement, and cannot be contained within a building or a brand. A movement made up of poor and rich, mothers and fathers, thinkers and dreamers, innovators, entrepreneurs and addicts, prophets and poets… all of which are sinners.

Common Thread simply serves the movement. Whether it’s through missional innovation, business incubation, justice work or foundational life together, we do not seek to be another “church”, but rather a thread that unifies all who follow Yeshua and are working for His Kingdom to come to earth.

Listen to Episode 14 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Nick speaks about the purpose of Common Thread

He notes that a group started Common Thread with the desire to “do life together”. The goal was to try to bring Jesus into the spaces they lived and worked in. Common Thread serves missional spaces, people, businesses, and ministries through administrative pieces, networks, resources, connections, or being a sounding board.

2. Nick talks about how people get involved with Common Thread

He points out that there are lots of different avenues to get plugged into the organization that has LLC’s operating under its 501(c)3 umbrella. He talks about businesses recruiting employees through Common Thread; people giving materials; volunteers giving their time to teach technical classes; or others giving monetary donations. Common Thread sees all of these as ways to contribute to build God’s Kingdom together.

3. Nick encourages others to start something in their local community

Nick says that the path hasn’t always been easy, but to anyone who desires to begin something in their communities, “start with the next right thing”. Organizations and ministries can’t start huge, so the best way to approach this type of thing is to take it step by step and build what God is calling you to accomplish.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Common Thread * Move our current business into the next phase of growth. * Build an infrastructure that promotes more sharing together by building a culture of being interconnected. * Launch a new initiative yearly. * Move a multiple number of our businesses and initiatives from their current locations into our new hub in the center of Titusville.

Links: commonthread.org

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Nick Crawford: “It’s been hard. It’s had really great things to it and it’s been hard. So it’s a joy. There has been so many incredible things that have happened that we’ll cherish forever and be able to take to the Kingdom with us one day, and then there’s just been great disappointment to hurts. I think that’s just life, and so thankful for Jesus.” (7:33)

“And so whether that’s you attend somewhere on a Sunday or do home church, that’s not really important to us as far as something that we’re just attacking. We’re saying if you’re connected with Jesus, you have some capacity, you want to be involved, how do we help you live a life that’s thriving and near to God? If you want to use that in mentoring someone or if it’s your giving or if it’s leveraging your business or if it’s hiring someone, that everyone has a capacity that they can give and they want to give. But we feel like that we have to identify what that capacity is and bless them in it.” (8:30)

“And so trying to get on people’s schedule what works best for them, and just saying, “Thank you so much. This is a huge part of building God’s Kingdom together.” People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” (12:03)

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In January of 2021, Trellis began with a hub of apostolic leaders in the greater Knoxville area, which is currently working to mobilize an army of local missionaries in order to train, equip, and empower them to plant the gospel in areas and among people that current church models are struggling to reach. Leader Josh Armstrong and his team believes that 3 startup hubs are necessary to get the ball rolling. While the greater Knoxville area is the first, there are 2 other areas that they see as strategic, which are the Tri-cities area in the northeast of TN, and the greater Chattanooga area in the southeast of TN. The Tri-cities hub is already in the process of forming.

Listen to Episode 13 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Josh talks about why Trellis.

Josh says that after he and his wife served as missionaries internationally, they returned to the United States and were searching for what was next. They felt convicted that God wanted to show them how to do what we learned overseas in East Tennessee.

2. Josh introduces the idea of a “HUB”.

Josh talks about using Disciple Making Movements to look at how Jesus made disciples. He talks about the importance of going into others’ contexts and learn from them and understand their culture, identify persons of peace and slowly disciple people to Jesus and then allow them to do the same within their own social network. And see the gospel go away from us rather than coming to us, coming to our church buildings. And so there’s a lot more I can say about how that looks and what that looks like. But the long story short is you make disciples and see the church emerge from that. So, a HUB is a missionary sending and equipping team that would function within a county to launch Disciple Making Movements with normal everyday believers. So indigenous missionaries, if you will, that are living in their counties that are going to schools and going to their workplaces and how do we equip and train and mobilize them to live as missionaries in their everyday context.

3. Josh explains the structure of the HUBs.

And by extension, none of the HUBs govern the network of missionaries and micro churches, the movements, if you will, that are launched within that respective county. The HUBs don’t govern. And there’s no HUB of HUBs that govern the hubs. And so it’s very decentralized and it allows people to use creativity while having some shared language and resources and things of that nature.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Trellis Gospel saturation through a disciple-making movement (DMM), rallying dormant missionaries, and hubs that empower missionaries and micro-churches in every county of East TN are among the goals that we have identified thus far.

Links: thetrellisnetwork.org

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Josh Armstrong: “And so rather than saying, we’re going to go plant churches and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that at all, but that was the mentality that at one time had, let’s get a group of people and go plant the church rather than go into the harvest, make disciples and see the church emerge from not yet believers, which is a little bit counterintuitive to a lot of people. But it makes a lot of sense when working amongst unreached people groups and increasingly here in North America, even it’s necessary, and a lot of people are kind of shunning and turning away from prevailing model churches, unfortunately.” (5:23)

“And it’s also a big challenge, because a lot of times when you do something like this, you attract people that are just burnt or bitter toward prevailing models. And we said from the beginning, we don’t want that to be our MO, that is some of our stories, but God very early on made it clear that we are to be honoring of all expressions of the church, that he is still using each and every expression that has been used in the past.” (15:35)

“The good thing about that is I’m finding that the people it resonates with the most are people who don’t have a lot of prior church experience or maybe even experience with Jesus at all. This whole idea of decentralization and social networking and all that kind of stuff. It’s the language of our times. So there’s challenges, but there’s some good things along with it as well for sure.” (16:23)

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There are thousands of pioneers sitting in congregations across North America. They need to be mobilized. The Pioneer Training Center provides online coaching and training for pioneer leaders. Groundswell works with pastors to identify the pioneers in their congregations and then enrolls them in the Pioneer Training Center. The center is designed to help pioneers discover their calling, develop the tools necessary to fulfill that calling, and then works with pastors to deploy them on mission.

Listen to Episode 12 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Jon explains what the Center for Pioneers is.He explains that there felt like a gap between helping people connect with others, and make disciples of others – a disciple maker – and becoming a church planter. And that gap is where they put pioneers. The center is a training program that helps pioneers fill that gap.

2. Jon also speaks to a uniqueness of being called to be a Pioneer.So a disciple maker is really zeroed in on a handful of individuals, whereas a pioneer has in their heart, a group of people. So a pioneer is a missionary disciple, called to engage and reach a group of people that are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the established church. And that’s just a key delineator, that pioneers feel called to a neighborhood. They feel called to network. They feel called to a group. Whereas a disciple maker, it’s that person you’re working with, or that neighbor across the street; it’s usually more of an individual.

3. Jon explains the process of the Center for Pioneers.They have step one, step two, step three; we build relationships with districts and local churches. Those pastors go through a really simple module, called Building a Pioneer Pipeline. They learn kind of how to spot pioneers in their congregation. We work on kind of what that vision looks like. The pioneers that they find have to go through an application process. It’s not super hard, but it’s just, we want to have some references. We want to know these pioneers are connected to a local body, and have the spiritual ability to do this. They get accepted into the program. They enroll, and there’s then the Basic Training Module, which is the nine month, initial engagement.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Center for Pioneers 1. Develop a tool “Characteristics of Effective Pioneers” to help pastors identify and select pioneers from their congregations. 2. Establish a partnership with 50-100 pastors/churches that send pioneers to the Pioneer Training Center. Our goal is to train 100+ pioneers in the first year of training. 3. Develop 20 sessions of content (Pathwright and Zoom) that helps pioneers move from the “discover” to “develop” to “deploy” phases of ministry. Each online session will be half teaching and half interaction and coaching. Sessions would occur online every other week from September 2021-May 2022. 4. Mobilize at least 75% of pioneers to actively engaging a project in their community. 5. Provide in-person regional gatherings around the country with alumni and for the sharing of projects/testimonies/worship.

Links: groundswellmovement.net

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Jon Wiest: “And we’re seeing, just as our culture continues to change over the last few years, this growing sense that if we don’t go and make disciples, if we just wait, so many groups of people are going to be missed.” (13:48)

“So, part of this whole process is working with pastors to discern, “Who are the pioneers in your congregation? What’s your vision for the ministry? Do you have a vision for launching out multiple, like a network of micro churches? You have a vision for different pockets of outreach? Is it more of an urban vision, to do ministry in the city, and start outreach events?” That’s kind of the process we see.” (14:21)

“So, look for people that oftentimes are not that happy with the status quo. They wonder, “Why don’t we see this group of people? How come we don’t see that group here?” So missionary-minded.” (11:21)

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Seven years ago, Steve Pike was the founding leader of the Church Multiplication Network for the Assemblies of God. CMN was assisting the start up of about 400 new churches a year. The logical thing for him to do was to stay in that role and ride it out to retirement.

However, his vantage point gave him a front row seat to the church’s general lack of missional intentionality to the residents of city neighborhoods. He sees the problem in a nutshell—as the density of the population goes up, the presence of the Church goes down. This should not be. How could we set in motion a need appropriate response to the missional need of our cities?

Steve felt compelled to devote his entire attention toward “cracking the code” being the Church in the city. The journey led him to an unexpected discovery—cities are where the general culture is being created. If we can figure out how to be the vigorous church in the city, we unlock the keys to being the vigorous church of the future everywhere—dense urban neighborhoods, struggling public housing projects, first ring suburbs, forgotten rural communities and yes, even suburbs.

Listen to Episode 11 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Steve talks about how the conventional model of church planting doesn’t work everywhere.

Steve noticed that conventional church planting didn’t work as well, or maybe not at all in the harder places and especially urban places. He felt troubled by this – particularly as urban populations were starting to grow.

2. Steve walks through his process of identifying and obeying God’s call to start Urban Islands Project

Steve says he felt called to urban places, but he really took time to confirm God’s call, seek wise counsel from friends and associates, and pray together and separately with his wife.

3. Steve addresses the way church plants in urban areas can become sustainable outside of relying on tithes.

Steve talks through different funding models and the importance of having a business plan in place in order to sustain a church plant three to five years out.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Urban Islands Project * Complement sending organizations (denominations, networks, churches, etc.) who want to activate in hard urban places but are unsure how to proceed. * Facilitate at least 10 cohorts per year. * Identify emerging models that can serve as a framework/guideline for future church starters in similar contexts. * Develop an online community of 1000+ individuals exploring or acting on a call to an urban place.

Links: urbanislandsproject.org

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Steve Pike: “I started to see trends and something began to really trouble me. And that was the conventional approach, which I believe in. I’m not against starting churches, the way that it became sort of the dominant methodology back in the day, which was kind of the big launched model, go in, go strong. That was how we started most of the churches. But what I noticed was that that didn’t work as well, or maybe not at all in the harder places and especially urban places. And it was troubling to me at the same time that urban populations were starting to grow.” (3:28)

“I think the big contrast is when you think of about the conventional approach to starting the church, it was based on some assumptions that are not generally present in an urban community or even a rural community. I mean, what we’re discovering, I’ve started calling it the hard places, the places where the conventional doesn’t work. And for the conventional to be effective, it requires a leader who’s able to lead that kind of an approach which it’s generally more complex. It requires a leader who’s wired a certain way.” (22:18)

“It’s the three self church self-sustaining, self-governing, self propagating. That’s sort of the golden principle is like, that’s how you do a church. But the idea self sustaining got narrowed down to it’s got to be tithes and offerings. That’s the right way for a church to be done. Well, we started realizing, “Wait a minute, that is actually limiting the potential, the financial potential of a church and it’ll never work in an urban community.” And so, we suggest that there are five categories of potential revenue that need to be cultivated in order for a church to be sustainable. And those need to be cultivated upfront early on, not after thought.” (27:33)

“And the idea, I like co-vocational because I was always concerned about bi-vocational because it’s sort of implied, you’re going to split yourself in half. The word bi is actually one, it’s two halves. And the idea that somebody could give like 40 hours a week to a job and 40 hours a week to a church. I mean, you got to burn it out later, pretty fast, but co-vocational is doing something that is cooperative or complementary to the effort of starting a faith community that generates some revenue to increase the financial security and sustainability of your family and your church.” (31:36)

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Is it possible that churches have spent the last twenty years teaching people and training pastors to think about missions, but failing to give them a process built to discover, develop, design, and deploy that mission. We don’t need new ideas, we need a change in production. We need updated factories that are capable of reproducing the dream already inside of each believer.

Ben Hardman and Kingdom Dreams Initiative trains pastors and entrepreneurs in that process. The Four Doors, a four part training for churches, helps implement a four step process to find the kingdom dream in the heart of every believer in a church. Not only does the process help articulate those dreams, but it will also turn those dreams into a plan, with a team ready for implementation.

Listen to Episode 10 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Ben gives some background as to why he felt called to start Kingdom Dreams Initiative Ben says he feels called to “ways that we can wreck the roof to get people to Jesus.” So, out of Ephesians 2:10, there is a Kingdom assignment for every follower of Jesus. They have a passion for the priesthood of all believers, and activating and unleashing the Kingdom Dream that’s in the heart of every believer in the church.

2. Ben gives insight into the process that Kingdom Dreams Initiative uses

They start with a six-month cohort/incubator every year, where they gather leaders and take them through all four parts of the Launch Sequence. Next, leaders walk through a design sprint that helps them launch their project. Then, they will do some online coaching with Ocean and gather once a month. Kingdom Dreams Initiative holds Launch Labs every month, where they bring in thought leaders from around the world, to help stir up inspiration and action.

3. Ben talks about the hope of having other churches create something similar

Ben says it would make an impact if every church in America had an incubator, where they were raising up Kingdom leaders, to go out into the workforce to make a difference in the world.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Kingdom Dreams Initiative 1. Launch 100 Dream Factory churches teaching and training in the dream factory methodology 2. Watch thousands of new kingdom dreams launched in these communities 3. 10 pastors and 10 entrepreneurs signed up for first official rounds of cohorts 4. Develop Hybrid coaching model for the pastor and entrepreneur with a busy life – In person coaching, video coaching and retreat model

Links: www.kingdomdreamsinitiative.com

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Ben Hardman: “But, the idea is there’s a Kingdom Dream that’s unlocked inside of all of you and we want to help unleash and unlock that. And, get it out into the world.” (05:29)

“The only way that I know how to make disciples is long obedience in the same direction and it’s to actually do the work. Often times, we think that discipleship is just cognitive, it’s just knowing. But, it actually is so much about doing, and it’s about learning along the way and action.” (09:44)

“One of the things that’s been so fun for us, locally and here in the Grace family, is so many of our entrepreneurs and dreamers have just started saying things like, “I’ve never had the church care about what I do on my own time, apart from what I’m doing on Sunday. The invitation has always been to help me build the church, rather than you guys helping us build our dreams and helping us launch our things.” (11:27)

“And, if we want to talk about a real exponential move of discipleship, man, start dreaming of what happens when every person in your congregation awakens to their dream and starts living into that calling.” (15:26)

“I think scripture talks about it, “moving from glory to glory.” We move from one thing to another. I don’t think our Kingdom assignment is static and I don’t think it lasts for a lifetime. I think it’s changing as we change, it evolves as we evolve. I think our context plays a huge part in it. Who are our relationships, where has God placed us? I really believe in just bloom where you’re planted. Wherever God has placed you, what are the opportunities that are there?” (18:10)

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Jason Poling is creating the first hybrid Virtual Reality and In-Real-Life church. As he is learning how to do hybrid discipleship, he is paving a pathway for both digital and in-real-life disciples being together in the same trainings and experiences via Discord and Zoom. In the past year, God has enabled Jason and his team to plant 4 churches in 4 distinct Metaverse continents: AltspaceVR, VRChat, Discord, and Twitch.

Listen to Episode 9 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Jason explains what a VR Church is.

He explains that the “Metaverse” is a new world with continents and different platforms. Sometimes it’s an on-line game, sometimes it’s a chat feature or streaming platform. He notes that there are a lot of unreached people and continents within the Metaverse that a VR Church is able to reach

2. Jason notes that people show up to VR Church because they want to connect, not to stay anonymous.

He says that most people assume that the Metaverse is populated by people who don’t want real relationships or don’t want to connect. But, they have found the opposite to be true – people often attend the VR Church in more authentic ways than a traditional brick and mortar church.

3. The VR Church is able to reach unreached people.

Jason points out that many who show up to the VR Church would never set foot in a traditional church. But, the VR Ch

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Hybrid VR/In Real Life Church 1. Reach more of the lost, Nones, Zer, Millennial yet-to-believers often found in abundance in the Metaverse by planting church communities on all “continents”. 2. Develop creative and relevant, yet biblical and historical, methods for discipling and deploying new believers from the Metaverse. 3. Connect Metaverse and IRL believers in a genuine “hybrid” community of Christians for mutual encouragement and missional efforts.

Links: cornerstoneyc.com

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Jason Poling: “I have shared the gospel over my time as a minister and I love sharing, but I have shared the gospel more in this last year and a half in the Metaverse than maybe I have in my ministry.” (16:31)

“I mean, and the thing is because this is anonymous, a lot of people… And “”it’s low threat. So when you come to a brick and mortar church, if you’re not a believer, it’s threatening, it’s nerve wracking. They’re not stuck in a building. And so I think that allows a lot of people to come. So we’ve had satanists, we’ve had new age people with Wickens, we’ve had a Muslims, we’ve had the gamut.” (17:33)

“And we’re on this together, reaching all worlds for Jesus…And what’s also too is, we do want to see people get involved in IRL ministry too so a number of them, they came to the VR church and because it was safer, they didn’t understand, they were nervous to go, but anyway, through this, they’ve got an exposure church saying, wow, church is beautiful. I love this.” (31:26)

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JR Rushik and the 1000 Church Initiative has created a simple and reproducible strategy for deploying church planters and starting new churches in creative spaces and places. The core environment is an encounter weekend followed by seven months of mentorship. The innovation of this work is a simple system of training followed by personal mentorship.

Listen to Episode 8 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. JR explains that they just plant churches.1000 Church Initiative’s goal is to plant churches no matter what style, size or designation. They really try to encourage churches to move away from having “size” be a goal – he mentions a church of 4 women meeting in Florida and points out that they are a church.

2. JR talks about the idea of the church being “conceived in Heaven”He speaks of all heaven rejoicing over a church happening here on earth – they make a big deal about that milestone. And then they help move the planter to give ‘birth’ to the church here on earth, ‘the gathered church.’

3.The 1000 Church Initiative walks church planters through four steps for planting churches.First, they have Jumpstart – a vision casting for their church. Second is Encounter – a weekend focused on God’s call and prayer for their church. Third is Launchpad – a time for gathering other planters together to be in relationship and encourage/pray for one another. Lastly is Sense Summit – a time to celebrate big wins across the network.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of 1000 Church Initiative * Increase our trainers from 2 to 8. We have potential trainers in mind and are working on equipping and deploying them. * Mentor 40 to 100 new church planters. This goal is dependent on #1 above. * Build the support team to expand storytelling from the front line church planters. Specifically, stories of salvation, baptism, and new church starts. * Clarify a support raising model for new trainers and team members. * Celebrate God’s goodness at every step!

Links: https://churchdevelopment.network/

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from JR Rushik: “There is something about gathering together that is just holy and divine and right. So size of gathering doesn’t matter so much, but the gathering of God’s people does matter.” (33:22)

“So there will always be, I think, a need for and a rightful place for a larger, gathered, established church building. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I think our communities need those, and they reach a different segment, but I think there is an increase, an exponential increase in people that are saying, “I need something closer, simpler, more authentic,” all those things. And we’re seeing that happen. There is a hunger for it.” (31:36)

“So if there’s someone that wants to start, something starts in a living room and grows to a community center and then to a rented space in a big building, we’ll celebrate that just as much as the person who has four people meeting, both are churches, and that’s what we’re about.” (5:34)

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The Robloxian Christians was founded in 2011 as a place for kids on the Roblox gaming platform to pray for one another and talk about their faith online. Over the course of a decade, it transformed into a youth-led virtual church ministry serving upwards of 40,000 young people from over 85 countries.

When TRC was founded, it was the first “online church” on Roblox, and one of the first totally virtual churches in the world. In the time since, for different reasons, many young people have split off to form their own churches and worshipping communities. Today, there are over 120 youth-led online churches on Roblox.

Listen to Episode 7 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Daniel explains what Roblox is and how the church formed.

Roblox is an online gaming community that has grown immensely. It mainly attracts Middle and High School ages, but has also recently begun to draw in older Elementary age youth. Daniel and his friends started the Roboloxian Christians as a space to talk about their faith when online playing different games.

2. Daniel talks about how the Robloxian Church formed from the vulnerability and leadership of young people.

He notes that it was really remarkable that there hasn’t ever been an “older person” leading the church, but it’s all been youth-led. The church experienced incredible growth through the vulnerability and honesty of the youth who participated.

3. Daniel speaks about the impact and importance of online church, pre and post COVID.

He points out that an online ministry is able to reach people that a brick and mortar church wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise. That despite the hesitation that some have regarding online churches, there are people an online church reaches that would ordinarily never experience the gospel.

4. Daniel emphasizes the importance of letting youth lead.

Daniel notes that this church has allowed and encouraged young people to interact and explore faith and church in a way that is most comfortable to them. Church is changing and young people interact and have community in ways that the current church structure can’t always reach them.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of The Robloxian Christians 1. Our project is first going to build a new virtual space for The Robloxian Christians Church that is up-to-date with Roblox technology, easy to use and update for seasonal events, has strong run-performance for mobile, tablet, console, and pc-users, and is functional for different types of virtual events.

The new virtual space will have API-integrations between our roblox group hub and our community Discord server. Creating a new space for TRC is important not only because the current space is several years behind, but also because as we look towards future leadership transitions, having a steady virtual space will smooth it out.

Links: https://www.therobloxianchristians.org/

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Daniel Herron: “Churches have young people that are brilliant. Young people are digital natives, they have been on these social platforms that, no offense to older folks, but older folks struggle sometimes to use and use effectively. So, my first thing that I would say is that churches and church leaders should listen to the young people that are in their congregation already.” (19:03)

“I think the thinking is we should empower young people and we should listen to them and hear their voices and equip them to take this upon their themselves to go into these spaces where they are already spending their time and making friends and talking to people and we should equip them and empower them and just support them as they do this and encourage them. I think that all of that really can have an impact, a much greater impact than someone who’s not familiar with the platform coming in and trying to artificially start something.” (21:51)

“I think many churches have learned this during the pandemic that when you’re online, you’re reaching a group of people that you otherwise cannot reach, whether it is your geographic boundary or ability or disability or internationally, there’s a group of people who’s never going to show up in person, who either can’t or won’t or doesn’t want to. You’re able to tap into that online. And, I think that’s something that’s special about our Roblox church is that there are people on here that have made this place their home, their home church, their home community, it’s where their friends are at.” (24:27)

“There is a lot in the media these days about declining numbers in the church, the church broadly evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, all of them, and all of them experiencing decline especially in youth and younger people. And I know that these numbers can be really discouraging and I’ve talked to a lot of people that it is discouraging and they don’t know the magic solution because there isn’t one, but I would end with a note of encouragement that the future church isn’t going to look the same, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not still going to be a church.” (34:08)

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Pursuit Live Church was birthed out of the truth that God leaves no one out. He loves, accepts, and welcomes everyone. He has given us technology as a gift to reach every corner of the world with the message and hope of Jesus. Since its inception in 2017, PCL has grown to nearly 16,000 followers on Facebook, serving 47 countries in 48 languages, and over 2500 individuals in small groups.

Listen to Episode 6 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

Future Church Insights: 1. Angela felt called to lead a church online to reach those who would not typically come to a physical church building.

Pursuit Church Live started on Facebook as a way to reach the unchurched, de-churched and those who couldn’t attend due to a chronic illness or being housebound. Angela pointed out that a Barna study revealed that 65% of people would not attend a church.

2. Angela explains how having a team to pursue people online has helped to reach those who engage with Pursuit Church online.

Their “Impact Team” is the group of volunteers who move people from engagement on the platform to a discipleship circle. This team is the first to see people and make sure they know they are cared for a loved. From there, leaders of discipleship circles begin the discipleship process.

3. Angela gives guidance on how to lead and plant an online church.

Angela has a small booklet called “Online Jesus” that is available on Kindle. The book talks about their discipleship strategy and how their church has grown. She hopes it’s a way to prevent burnout and the current struggle many pastors are facing right now.

Goals and Desired Outcomes of Pursuit Church Live 1. Digital Outreach/1 million people 2. Daily Discipleship 3. Multiplication through small groups and micro-communities 4. PCL School

Links: onlinejesus.info

Online Jesus group on Facebook

More of a reader? Download the transcription here.

Key Quotes from the episode from Angela Craig: “People are online to be seen, not to see you.” (7:58)

“We want to make disciples that make disciples.” (16:33)

“I know so many leaders that want to be a pastor, a teacher, and they cannot get any training because there’s one pastor on one stage. And so that’s the great thing about social media is you can really empower and train up leaders in their strengths and in the vocation that God has called them to.” (29:27)

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In this episode of the Future Church Podcast, Carrie Williams (Special Projects Director for Exponential) talks with Patrick Holden of Nuvo Church. Nuvo began as a church plant with 3 families living in different parts of the country who wanted to launch in Columbus, OH. By utilizing social media, Nuvo was able to launch during the Pandemic through digital services, digital groups, in person groups, and pop-up gatherings in different parts of the city. Their “hope is to create a scalable model of in person gatherings, partnered with a unique digital presence to reach agnostics and people de-constructing their faith”....

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In this episode of the Future Church Podcast, Carrie Williams (Special Projects Director for Exponential) talks with Arman Sheffey of Unshackled Network. Unshackled Network is a decentralized network of microchurches that are innovating ways to help those on the margins of Lake County, IL to experience freedom in Jesus by exploring new ways to develop a presence among the poor and vulnerable. Since March 2019, they have launched four microchurches: one reaches those in their 60s and 70s on fixed incomes, one reaches gang-related and at-risk youth, another reaches middle-class, justice-minded Jesus seekers looking for ways to engage the church...

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In this episode of the Future Church Podcast, Todd Wilson (President & CEO, Exponential) talks to Tami Lakey of the So Shine Foundation. So Shine Foundation is a nonprofit that exists as a co-vocational opportunity. Their approach through their initiatives is to be practitioners that can then teach out of their experience. In 2017, the nonprofit purchased an existing coffee bar and used it as a co-vocational opportunity for mission in the community. They launched using the proceeds to fund an after-school program that has now reached hundreds of families in their town of 20,000. Since then, the So Shine...

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In this inaugural episode of the Future Church Podcast, host Todd Wilson (President & CEO, Exponential) talks to DJ Soto about Virtual Reality Church. The immersive capabilities of virtual reality have created a unique opportunity to create loving spiritual communities for a new type of mission field the world has never seen before. In 2016, DJ Soto experimented with church in VR. In 2017, he established the first church to exist in VR. The heart of his ministry is church planting, therefore they continue to plant churches in various “virtual reality cities.” It is important that the Church is...

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It makes sense that a lot of churches are reshuffling staff.

Many churches are doing this for budgetary reasons, many for strategic reasons (which seems like excellent leadership), and many for both.

A few weeks back I blogged about the need to have margin on your staff team—and in your budget—to allow you to be nimble as you look ahead to 2021 and beyond.

That may mean some tough decisions and conversations about what parts of your ministry are thriving and what parts are not. Sometimes those conversations will lead you to shut down an entire ministry division, other times you may keep the ministry in place and, instead, make leadership changes over the ministry.

All leaders struggle with the idea of letting a staff team member go. Well, at least I think all good leaders do. Letting staff go seems very unpastoral. It’s for that very reason that I’m writing this blog. You see, when you’re part of a church, you’re part of a family. When you’re part of the staff, you’re part of a team, too. That does not mean that you cease being part of the family. It just means that there is now a set of goals and objectives you need to meet from a performance perspective. Teams have scoreboards that measure their success. A lot of church leaders conflate team and family.

A lot of church congregants conflate team and family.

When we conflate these issues, we are, in all likelihood, inadvertently (and often subtly) shifting the mission of the church toward our staff becoming the mission instead of doing the mission. I’m certainly not recommending summarily letting staff go. Rather, I’m stating that in a decade of coaching, I’ve seen a lot of churches plateau and decline because they focused on the wrong metrics for success.

One of the very key things leaders need to be acutely aware of is what parts of their organization are building and growing and contributing to the fruit of ministry and…what parts are not.

If you pause right now, at a gut level you could likely list the top 1-3 parts of your ministry that are thriving and several parts that are not. Leaders must be honest with themselves. Let me encourage you to be honest with yourself.

Are the struggling ministries of your church struggling because there is no life left in the ministry program? Or is it a people problem, where the ministry is valid and vital but it’s not being led well?

If it’s a program issue, this can be a great opportunity to get a team of your creatives together and dream how to relaunch the ministry program with new life. Dream big! Take risks! Ask: In what other ways can we achieve our intended outcomes? On the other hand, if it is a people problem, you know you have to have some tough conversations because performance is required of a team.

In sports, your players only make the team if they can contribute to the scoreboard. Ministry staff teams also need to contribute to your scorecard for ministry success. As a supervisor of others' performance, you can help them by being honest. Of course, this can be done in a loving way.

This absolutely can be done in a generous and open-handed way.

Building great leaders and holding them to a high-performance standard is what the best teams do!

Until next week, Grace & Peace.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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By Darren Young

In 1986, Jon Bon Jovi released a song entitled Livin’ on a Prayer. I grew up listening to it. I don’t remember most of the lyrics, but I remember the chorus. I can hear it in my head, ‘Woah, livin’ on a prayer …’

I’ve been thinking about those lyrics this week. Livin’ on a prayer. Not in terms of the way that Jon Bon Jovi uses them, but rather the way that the Bible does.

From the beginning to the end of His Word, God makes clear that he intends for us to depend upon Him in prayer for all of our needs. And not simply to generally depend upon him, but rather each and every day. Uniquely.

The people of God in the desert (after living in slavery in Egypt) were required to trust God every day for their provision. Manna from heaven. It would arrive fresh each day (except the Sabbath). When Jesus taught his disciples (and you and I) what it meant to walk with God, he taught us to ask God each day, ‘Give us today our daily bread.’

This prayer has had unique relevance and power in my life and leadership this week. Each day I’ve prayed uniquely for what I need that day. Some days those prayers have been very weighty. Wisdom. Finances. Mental health. Each day I’ve prayed uniquely. And each day as I put my head down on my pillow I spent time reflecting on how God answered that prayer for me that day. It has not always looked how I hoped, but each day He has been faithful. He promised he would be.

There is no doubt in my mind that in this season, God has been requiring us as followers of Jesus and as leaders to be daily dependent on Him. We’ve no doubt lost some of that in our North American culture.

I want to encourage you to two things this week:

Establish a rhythm of daily dependence. Set aside focused time to ask God for the bread you need that day. Join me and others on a National Church Leader Prayer Call this Friday at 8 am PST/11 am EST.

Our partners at Exponential are hosting this prayer call focused on the needs and opportunities facing the Church during this pandemic. I’d love for you to join me.

I’m praying for you. That God would grant you today (and every day) your daily bread. No more. No less.

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Are you living in the same tension as I am right now? The tension (in this COVID-19 season) of leading strongly yet also abiding deeply.

Every day I confront challenges that I can’t solve or keep up with. Unique challenges that this unexpected reality has thrust upon us as leaders. It’s 24/7. Yet, I also know that in this space of isolation, God has been beckoning me (if not demanding of me) that I slow down. That I spend extended time with Him.

The tension of these two (doing and abiding) is creating within me a crisis that is as significant as the crisis around me!

Yes, there is a great opportunity in this season to shape our world and see the church reshaped. Let’s not miss that But there is also great opportunity in this season to step back and be shaped by God. While we do the former, let’s not miss the latter.

I want to encourage you to take extended time with God. In His Word, yes. In prayer, most definitely. But also, I want to encourage you in this season to take time to grow as a learner and leader. What if, as leaders, we dusted off a few of those books on our shelves that we’ve been anxious to get to? What if we took the time to open them up? To reflect. To evaluate. To receive fresh insight.

This month my friend Dan Reiland is releasing a new leadership book. Dan is the Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY. He is a leader with a pastor’s heart and a coach’s instinct. He and I have partnered together on Executive Pastor Leader Groups for the past four years.

Dan’s new book Confident Leader is coming out later this month. Every leader needs to pick it up!

I’ve had the opportunity to get an advance look at his book. It’s relevant for our moment of leading. In a season of fear and uncertainty, Dan writes this in his book:

“Fear robs you of confidence and prevents you from leading at your best. Ashely Evans wrote, “The most destructive power of fear is found in its subtle ability to redirect your attention from God to something else.” This is because it distracts you from what you were meant to accomplish and focuses your attention on something unproductive like worry or doubt. In addition, Evans wrote, “People allow themselves to be ruled by fear because it is more predictable than freedom.” In other words, we are creatures of habit and our habits feel comfortable and safe. These may include our favorite people, our favorite coffee, or our favorite programs. As leaders, we, too, can become captive to our routines because they are more predictable than the uncertainty that comes with the unknown. In effect, you can trade freedom for fear, which then lessens your ability to believe in yourself. Fear makes us want to control, so at times we prefer what we can control rather than leading into the unknown. This gives the illusion of power but it’s actually captivity because we end up chained to a world of artificial authority. This position of protection is one that lacks confidence.”

I encourage you to pick up Dan’s book, sit back, create some space, and read and reflect on what God wants to show you in this season as a leader.

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We're each experiencing the weight of isolation and uncertainty in the midst of this leadership challenge. It's unlike anything we've seen before. The people in our churches are experiencing uncertainty and anxiety as well. We all need to connect, engage and deepen community through this. That’s why we’re inviting you to participate in a new initiative we have been working toward, in partnership with Barna and Gloo, our research and technology friends. They are offering a suite of 4 simple surveys for checking in with your people at a consistent cadence. Our hope is that this would assist you in connecting with your people while continuing to weave together the common thread around creating digital connection and community.

In addition, Barna is extending an invitation to participate in its new Weekly Pastor Poll. By taking part in this poll weekly (it’s effortless, we promise), you can see how other leaders are responding, week by week. We need to learn from one another in this Kingdom moment.

Here’s how to get started: 1. Register your church. When you do, if you still have questions about how these tools can assist you in this season, head here to learn more.

Take the Weekly Pastor Poll
Deploy any of the other assessment offerings to your leaders, people, or community that can be found upon registering.
View results on an interactive dashboard nationally and specific to your region or denomination.

We hope that this will be a great resource for you. Take some time to explore its potential.

We are standing with you in this. Below are other great resources and links to serve you. Let us know if we can assist in any further way.

More resources to help: COVID-19 Church Survey Summary Report Chemistry Staffing offers coaching for COVID-19 staff change decisions Ed Stetzer Leadership Podcast and free resources Information on the CARES Act from Vanderbloemen Search Group US Chamber of Commerce Foundation's briefing on funding for non-profits

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In partnership with Billy Graham Center, Exponential, Catalyst, Discpleship.org, and ARC, Leadership Network conducted a survey of church leaders and pastors' responses to the COVID-19 epidemic and quarantine. The purpose of this polling is to help church leaders get a feel for where things are regarding the state of the Church and significant challenges as they adapt to their new reality of remote ministry.

Watch the webinar here

Download the full report here These will provide:

Review the results from this national survey of over 1,500 pastors and church leaders about their response to COVID-19 Provide perspective on what the results mean for the future of the American Church

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Pivot. When I was in high school, ‘pivot’ was simply something I needed to do when playing basketball. Keep your pivot foot. If you didn’t pivot, the referee blew the whistle. Traveling. Turnover. To play the game, you had to pivot. (Except NBA players who often get away without pivoting.) Every leader is quickly realizing that if you want to lead in 2020, you better learn to pivot. And quickly. COVID-19 is demanding that we rapidly shift, turn, and redirect - rethinking models, reallocating resources, and reengineering our organizations and churches. If we don’t, well, no whistle will blow, but we won’t be leading for very long.The article below by partner for theology and culture at Praxis,Andy Crouch, was forwarded to me by two leaders in our XP leadership collaboratives (Beth and Dorothy). The article struck me in regards to what it means to pivot and lead in unprecedented times. This is a provocative read. An aggravating read. A necessary read.As summarized by the Praxis Journal, Andy’s article provokes us to consider five important realities for leaders in this moment:

The novel coronavirus is not just something for leaders to “get through” for a few days or weeks. Instead, we need to treat COVID-19 as an economic and cultural blizzard, winter, and beginning of a “little ice age” — a once-in-a-lifetime change that is likely to affect our lives and organizations for years.

Due to the complex and interconnected nature of our society and economy, the majority of businesses and nonprofits are “effectively out of business” as of today, in that the underlying assumptions that sustained their organization are no longer true.

The priority of leaders must be to set aside confidence in their current playbook as quickly as possible, write a new one that honors their mission and the communities they serve, and make the most of their organization’s assets — their people, financial capital, and social capital, leaning on relationship and trust.

The creative potential for hope and vision is unparalleled right now — but paradoxically this creativity will only be fully available to us if we also make space for grief and lament.

We write this out of love for Christian organizational leaders and their work, with humility in a time of considerable uncertainty, and a prayerful hope that we are proven wrong by God, in his gracious providence, working miraculously through human ingenuity in this season.

I encourage you to read Andy’s full article. Discuss it with your team. Identify your pivots. I also want to encourage you that there is no place that I have seen leaders more effectively problem solve COVID-19 for their churches than in virtual collaborative. If you need a collaborative to help navigate this season, let us know here. We’re standing behind you and praying for you.

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To best serve you as a church leader during this uncertain time, we are asking that you take a few minutes to fill out this short survey. By doing so, you will help us understand the greatest needs of churches, as well as the top ideas of what churches are doing. We will then issue you a summary of the findings.

Also, we have additional resources to help you advance the mission of Jesus amidst the confusion and uncertainty of our present reality. This page includes recently release articles, upcoming webinars, and more.

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Bobby Harrington with Discipleship.org, Online Campus Pastor of Saddleback Church, Jay Kranda, and Third Drive’s Christian Ray hosted a webinar to give guidance on how to disciple people online. You can register now to get the recording later - or better yet, join live.

In this free webinar you will learn:

Best practices for online services. Learn especially how to use Zoom and Facebook Live. How to use Facebook “watch parties.” Host these online parties in small groups and allow everyone to invite friends. How to facilitate weekly online small groups. Move people, including newcomers, from “watch parties” to weekly groups. Best small group practices for using Zoom and Google Hangout. Pick the best online platform for your groups, including creating breakout sub-groups on Zoom. Key insights for meaningful digital discipleship. Take with you four keys to meaningful online disciple-making.

More about our two guests:

Jay Kranda has served as Online Campus Pastor at Saddleback Church (where Rick Warren is Lead Pastor) since 2012. For several years, Jay has been overseeing 1,000 online groups. Jay is a young, tech-savvy leader who understands how to connect with those who live in cyber reality. Plus, he knows how to translate what he does for other church contexts. Christian Ray is a pastor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Third Drive. He helps churches take their Sunday services online and set themselves up in cyber environments.

We will send a recording to everyone who registers.

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson share one of the biggest opportunities in the life of churches today: social media. They talk about how churches can train and empower volunteers to lead social platforms, define their roles, tools to use, and generally, ways to best represent Christ online and grow the church not only numerically but also spiritually.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Empowering Volunteers on Social Media: Podcast 285

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson talk about dealing with haters, bashers, and critics on social media. Listen as they share their thoughts on the importance of addressing negative comments, handling controversial issues, and creating general rules for your church’s social media engagement.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: How to Handle Haters on Social Media: Podcast 284

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By Darren Young

One of the things I love to do is run marathons. Don’t stop reading! Let’s go somewhere important, even if you despise running.

When I started pastoring, 14 years ago, God gave me marathon running. It sounds strange to say that God ‘gave me’ marathon running. I’m not sure that anyone asks God if He will let them run 26.2 miles over and over again. But it was a gift.

Leading takes a toll on you. Relationally. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually.

Running became my sanctuary. The place I go to be alone. To be with God. To block out the noise of leading (or at least try) and listen only to the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. The exertion of long-distance running, surprisingly, refreshes and restores me. Most days.

My love of running (or more accurately, my need for it), is maybe why I love any biblical references to running.

Hebrews 12:1-2 …”Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8 … “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Several years back I heard someone comment on these verses (I can’t remember who it was). But, they reminded me that many men and women have run this race before us. This race that God has given us. They also reminded me that many BETTER men and women (and leaders) have run it before us … and not finished; or not finished well.

You and I, as leaders, will not finish this race because we’re strong, fast, determined or talented. We simply won’t. The only way we will finish our race is because we are captured by God’s Spirit and live in the dust of Jesus’ steps.

This week I’m gathering with leaders from all over North America at the Exponential Church Planting Conference. 5,700 leaders are gathered together! We’re being challenged to reach farther and believe God for more. It matters. But as leaders, our desire to reach farther must be matched by our priority to root deeper. Year after year we see men and women - who are more qualified and gifted than you and I, stumble in their race ... fall out or burn out.

Root deeper. That’s my encouragement for you today.

Pete Scazzero spoke Tuesday morning at Exponential on this very need - to not let our leadership get beyond our emotional health. I encourage you to read Pete’s book, The Emotionally Healthy Leader. As well John Mark Comer’s book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry has been a blessing to me over the last month. It’s encouraged me to guard DEEP as much as I’m driven to go WIDE.

Pickup Pete or John’s book. Or simply pick up the Bible today and immerse yourself in the way of Jesus.

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Next week, our very own Kadi Cole will be on the mainstage at the Exponential Global Conference sharing with thousands of church planters and leaders. God has positioned Kadi with influence and insight into how churches can multiply a movement of female leaders. This issue must matter to us in our moment in time.

At Leadership Network, our commitment is to identify and help ignite the conversations that matter most for the Church. We have loved being a part of Kadi’s ministry and what God is doing through her.

Last year, Kadi released a book with us entitled Developing Female Leaders. It has been transforming the perspectives and practices of church leadership teams across North America. Why has her book been so impactful? Well, as Kadi describes it:

“The research for the book includes interviews with over 30 high-level female and male church leaders and surveys from over 1200 female ministry leaders. The book highlights The Eight Best Practices for developing female leaders and recommended steps that are eye-opening, encouraging and practical to implement.“

Kadi has been directing a Developing Female Leaders Group with us over this last year and we are preparing for additional initiatives in 2020. If you would like more information on developing female leaders, click here.

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson talk about crowdsourcing and repurposing content for your church’s social media platforms. Listen as they share their thoughts on how the church community and other groups of internet users can help share meaningful content from your organization online.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: How Transparent Should You Be On Social Media?: Podcast 283

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Dan Reiland is the Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY.

Dan is one of many outstanding mentors for our Leader Groups - leadership collaboratives for senior leaders of large churches, focused on helping leaders break through their toughest challenges and leadership lids.

THE ART OF HIRING GREAT LEADERS by Dan Reiland

Hiring a staff member can be stressful.

It’s a big decision, and you never know for certain how it will work out.

Smart leaders will do everything possible to make a wise choice when hiring, not the fast choice. When it comes to hiring, fast seems expedient, but more often than not, it’s expensive in the end.

It’s been my responsibility as an Executive Pastor for many years to make good hires and to lead a team that makes good hiring choices. I’ll admit that on occasion, this process keeps me awake at night. It matters that much. Building a great team is an art. You will make mistakes, I have, but there is much you can do that will help you choose wisely.

Of course, there is much more to it, but if you are on the go today, here are eight Quick Tips that will help keep you out of hot water when hiring.

1. Know what you want.

When I’m coaching leaders in hiring, I hear this phrase far too often. “I’ll know the right person when I meet them.” That may indicate good instincts, but it’s not a good strategy. Be very clear on what you are looking for before you begin your search. If you don’t know exactly what you want when hiring, you’ll be tempted to change your mind in the moment based on emotion.

Stick to your hiring criteria

When it come to hiring, never lower your standards. It’s easy to lower your standards when you are under pressure and need some help. But hold steady and wait for the right leader. It’s better to continue with an unfilled position, even with some extra work to do.

After you write a clear, concise bullet point job description, write a list of criteria (standards). Here’s an abbreviated example: 7 years experience, at least 2 years in a church of 500 or more, college degree, carried primary responsibility for a minimum of 40 volunteers, strong people skills, etc. Write down what you desire and stick to it.

Always make team-based hires.

Hiring staff was never meant to be a solo endeavor. We all have blind spots, personal biases, and favor certain personalities. We like who we like!

You can easily remedy personal bents and hiring biases by working with a team of 3-5 people who will do all the interviews. Each person then interviews the candidate with a specific set of questions.

Always interview more than one good candidate.

A good rule of thumb for smart hiring is make it a goal to have at least three viable candidates to interview. By viable, I mean leaders that you would seriously consider hiring. Not one sharp leader and two that you would never consider. This practice dramatically enhances your process because with three great candidates, you quickly see which one is best for your team.

Make your reference calls. I know not all reference calls are fruitful, but make them anyway — touch base with friends who might know the candidate. Sometimes that one call can seal the deal or save you from great heartache.

Use personality testing. There is no need to bombard your candidates with several tests, but one or two is a wise practice.

Invest maximum effort in matching people to your staff culture.

You can’t overestimate the significance of team culture when hiring a new staff member. The candidate may be a sharp leader and have an amazing track record, but that doesn’t mean they will be successful on your team. Take plenty of time to get to know them as a person and a human being, not just someone filling a position.

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A Shownotes to: Should Your Church Crowdsource Social Media?: Podcast 282

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The new year is underway, and I’m sure that you are eager to see God do some great things in your ministry context. As a leader, you will likely experience joy, frustration, encouragement and anxiety at some point this year. So, as you continue to lead faithfully in the sphere that God has given to you, I wanted to pass along some thoughts from our friend Steve Cuss. Steve is a pastor and the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety, and I know that his words below will help you.

By Steve Cuss I was 24 and a week into marriage when I walked into my first intensive care unit as a trauma chaplain. I had never seen a dead body before, and had never experienced deep grief before. To say I was green doesn’t begin to describe it. Multiple times a day I would walk into rooms of extreme emotion; people dealing with some of the worst moments of their life. My job was to help them navigate those moments and I quickly learned just how much my own internal triggers were influencing my ability to be present to people. Their anxiety was infecting my own. In family systems theory, this is known as ‘chronic anxiety’ and all faith leaders carry a large dose of unaddressed chronic anxiety.

Chronic Anxiety isn’t just worry – it is any response, anything you do when you don’t know what to do, or any response when you aren’t getting what you think you need. An anger outburst can be an anxious response, so can cynicism. But also, laying on a couch and binge-watching TV shows can be an anxious response.

Chronic Anxiety is a combination of triggers, false beliefs, and pressures we all face that stop us from being fully human, fully present to people and to the God who loves us.

As a chaplain I also learned how to pay attention to how chronic anxiety spreads in a group – how it is contagious and how sometimes the most anxious person in the room can hold the most power. That experience combined with a deep dive into Systems Theory has served me for years – I use these tools every day of my leadership. The journey from being managed by anxiety to managing it is a long, slow journey but the first step is to increase your awareness through these two simple questions:

1) Where does anxiety start for you? 2) How do you know when you are anxious?

Where does anxiety start for you? Anxiety always starts physiologically, we first feel it in a spinning mind, a racing heart or a tightening gut. It might manifest in all three for you, but it usually starts somewhere. If you can figure out where it starts, you can intervene earlier and begin to manage it. Early intervention is everything in anxiety management. Once you know, you can move through it.

How do you know when you are anxious? We are way too tolerant and patient with the anxiety we all carry. I believe we should approach it with much more suspicion because anxiety is a spiritual dark force that competes for the space where our awareness of God resides. It is very difficult to be present to your anxiety and to God at the same time. So knowing when you are anxious can become an asset in helping you encounter God in more profound and freeing ways.

You can also notice group anxiety. We spill our unaddressed anxiety onto each other and suddenly people are interrupting, needing to have the last word, feeling shut down, having the meeting after the meeting. Think about the team you lead: who always has the last word, who never speaks up? What recurring, predictable patterns can you identity?

Finally, pay attention to process. Looking for recurring, predictable patterns in your relationships and then learning how to break free of them can be a game changer in anxiety management.

I travel nationally and internationally hosting workshops on internal and group anxiety. What if we could actually break free of some individual and organizational patterns? What if we could experience God’s grace as a leader, rather than mostly sharing it with others? That is why this coming March 10th and 11th in...

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson delve into the importance of real-time church updates to increase engagement on social media and connect with the audience in a more personal way. Listen as they share their thoughts on the advantages of going live, highlighting events, and sharing impactful church moments.

This and more on the SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Real-Time Social Media for Churches: Podcast 281

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Jonathan Malm talk about how social media has been changing through the years and what they see on the horizon for churches. Listen as they share their thoughts on integrating digital communication with physical engagement to better serve churches in 2020. These topics and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Talking Social Media with Jonathan Malm of Sunday Social: Podcast 280

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson talk about developments and challenges in the world of social media in 2019 and new opportunities for churches and organizations at the start of 2020. Listen as they share their thoughts on different social media platforms they are looking to invest their time and effort in this coming year. This and more on this SMC podcast. Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Churches and Instagram in 2020: Podcast 278

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A Shownotes to: Recapping Social Media in 2019 and 2020 Predictions: Podcast 279

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Mark Venti talk about leveraging technology to help connect people and build healthy church relationships. Listen as they share their thoughts on the Churchome Global app, a mobile technology where people can watch church services together and get connected with groups based on their location. This and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Learning from Churchome Global with Mark Venti: Podcast 277

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In this podcast, Nils and Katie Smith talk about helping church leaders to better engage moms and women on social media from a female perspective. Listen as they share their thoughts on finding a safe place for moms to discuss their personal struggles, seek prayer partners, share church content, and celebrate victories. These and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Connecting with Moms: Podcast 276

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Aaron Magnuson talk about Kanye West’s newest album “Jesus is King,” and his Sunday Services. Listen as Nils and Aaron share their thoughts on what churches can learn from the virality of his latest artistic project that has gained various opinions on social media. This and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: What Churches Can Learn from Kanye West: Podcast 275

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Casey Fulgenzi talk about connecting churches and ministries with creative and faith-based freelancers through a project called ChurchLancer. With the rising demand for workers specializing in graphic design and content, do churches need to outsource to a larger agency? Listen as they share their thoughts on outsourcing freelancers, podcasting and developing websites. These and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: ChurchLancer with Casey Fulgenzi: Podcast 274

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Justin Dean talk about this extraordinarily popular video app called TikTok, where users can shoot, edit, and share 15-second videos filled with filters, music, special effects, animation, and a lot more. With millions of followers that are mostly teens, is TikTok more than just a fun social app for a particular audience? Listen as they share their thoughts on how church leaders can reach young people through this new platform. These and more on this SMC podcast.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Talking TikTok with Justin Dean: Podcast 273

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In this throwback podcast episode, Nils Smith and Gary Vaynerchuk talk about social media and the church. While this may be a past episode, we’ve come to realize how relevant this is and how the forward-thinking Gary Vaynerchuk is still spot on on some of the things the church can do to be more accessible, not only in the age of new technology, but in having the skills to provide content people are interested in. Listen to this episode to learn more about it.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Talking Church and Social Media with Gary Vaynerchuk: Podcast 272

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In this podcast, Nils Smith and Jeff Reed talk about online church and how relying on technological advancements can help churches connect, share, and reach more people. Listen to this podcast to learn more about online church, how it can change the way we share about faith, and how important it is for churches, big or small, to adapt to this.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Discussing Digital Church with Jeff Reed: Podcast 271

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This is the final post in this series on accelerating giving in your church. If you missed the first two posts in this series, click or tap on the links below:

Accelerating Giving in Your Church Through a Culture of Radical Generosity | Part 1

Accelerating Giving in Your Church Through a Culture of Radical Generosity | Part 2

In this final post, I wrap up the last two questions you and your team should work through together to build a strong culture of generosity in your church.

Here goes. Questions #5: Are we nailing the offering time? Don’t underestimate how important this is. I spent 18 years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. I did major donor development. I did a lot of fundraising. Of course, in order to do that work, I had to go to the people who funded the work that I was a part of, writing letters, visiting. In the church, the people that fund the work of our ministry come to us every single week and sit down to listen to what we have to say, and yet we squander those opportunities. Especially on the weekend when we do the offering. For so many of us, that offering time is just an afterthought: “Now's the time in our service when the blah, blah, blahs will come forward. We're going to continue to worship God by giving back to him a portion of what God has entrusted to us.” Typically, there is some rote language that you do without thinking about it.

I want to really encourage you to take the time to make the offering moments in your service as impactful, as powerful as they can possibly be. It's so critical that you use those moments to tell stories, to share scripture, to use statistics to give people access to what they need to understand, to teach them about generosity and stewardship and giving instead of just collecting an offering. Use the offering as a moment to inspire, to encourage, to inform, and to engage people in this area of generosity and stewardship.

One of the cool ways to do it, believe it or not (again this is a tip I picked up from Dave Ferguson at Community Christian) is to do a monthly theme. At Community Christian their offering time (they call it the “giving back to God time,” which I think is kind of cool) might go something like this: “Hey, all during the month of April as we get to our giving back to God time, we're talking about how giving produces faith in the giver.” Then maybe they'll share a verse. Maybe the next week, they'll show a story of someone whose giving helped grow them in their faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe another time, there'll be some sort of an opportunity for people to give and step out in faith. They keep reiterating and rehearsing the faith theme each week during that month. Then the next month, they do a new theme.

That may seem kind of cheesy, but I think it's brilliant because what it does is it allows you to really intentionally focus your people on some specific things. The best thing you can do for your offering is to evaluate it. Set somebody up in the back of your auditorium with an iPhone or a camera, record what's happening during the offering. If you're a multisite campus, record it on all of your campuses. Put together a loop, get all the people in the room that are involved in the offering or who help planning the worship service and start playing those offering times and evaluate them, give them a grade. “Wow, that one was really, really good. It was engaging. I was encouraged. I was inspired.” Next one. “Yes, that one was terrible. There was nothing there, blah, blah, blah.” You know that's happening sometimes. Here’s the point: the offering time will never get better if you don't intentionally focus on making it better. Question #6: Are our staff and leaders growing in giving? Generous churches are led by generous leaders. If you have people in your church in leadership positions who are not intentionally growing in this area of generosity and stewardship in giving, you got problems. Here’s what it looks like.

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If you missed the first post in this series on radical generosity in large churches, click or tap on this link to read: Accelerating Giving in Your Church Through a Culture of Radical Generosity | Part 1. In this post, I unpack the first of the 6 questions you and your team should work through together to build a strong culture of generosity in your church.

Let’s dive into the next two questions. Question #3: Are we modeling good stewardship? This is so important. It is so important for pastors to realize that generous churches are led by generous leaders and we need to model that we are also being generous with the resources that God has entrusted to us. That modeling goes in a couple of ways: 1) how we are spending the dollars that God is entrusted to us and then 2) how we are releasing them into ministry elsewhere.

Are you spending money in a way that is wise and is good stewardship? Do the people in your congregation know that and see that?

It's possible that you're spending money wisely and well but you're not telling anyone. You're not providing information or reports or data that can show them a model of good stewardship.

It's also possible that there may be some spending going on in your church that is kind of hard to explain or that people don't get. I was working with a large multisite church and talking to some of their largest major givers and I asked this question of one woman who was in the room: “What keeps you from giving more than you do now?” She was already a pretty generous giver. “What keeps you from giving more than you do now?” When she gave her answer, it floored me. She basically said “Well, I just feel like if I give more money, they'll just buy more flat-screen TVs.”

What?

Her response communicated that she did not fully get why the leadership was spending resources on technology in the church. Now, I know that church had a good reason for why they were spending money on technology, but they were not communicating that well so it didn't look like good stewardship to the congregation, at least in this woman's case.

Another thing to keep in mind is your staff. I think Andy Stanley put it this way,

“Never use your payroll for benevolence.” In other words, do you have anybody on your staff team that you are spending God's money on who is really not doing their job or doing the job the way they could? Are you simply keeping them employed because they're a “part of the team,” they're connected, you love them? You really have to be very, very thoughtful about how it is that you are spending money in your congregation because your stewardship models for others the kind of stewardship which causes them to want to be more (or less) generous with your congregation.

So you are modeling generosity in the way you’re spending inside the walls of our church. Are you also modeling generosity in the way you're releasing dollars outside the four walls of your church? Is your church generous? Is your church raising funds to spend only inside the four walls of your church, or are you sending dollars out and communicating that to your church in a way that is understandable and compelling?

I'm so blown away by some churches that model generosity outside their own walls. I think the very first time I heard about this was from Dave and Jon Ferguson at Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois. Basically, they budget their year on 51 weeks and they give one full week of offerings away every single year in something they call the Celebration of Generosity. I love that. It's amazing and in fact, listen to this: that weekend is one of the highest attended weekends of their church year all year. It's like Christmas and Easter for them because people say “Listen, you got to come to our church. You're not going to believe what's going to happen this weekend. Our people are going to give all this money away.” So what they're doing is they are communicating “We're not holding on tightly just for us to the resour...

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If I were to ask you for an example of the most generous person you've ever encountered, no doubt somebody immediately comes to mind who has modeled for you generosity and stewardship and giving in a very compelling and even contagious or magnetic way.

For me, when I'm thinking about who in my life has modeled generosity for me, it's somebody that my wife Susan and I met many, many years ago when we were raising money to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. We met a man, his name is Mr. Johnson, who was a rose grower. He had a huge rose-growing outfit. In fact, he would always give Susan a couple of dozen roses whenever we would meet him (which is a little bit weird when someone gives your wife roses, but he was 85. So I thought if it came to that, I could probably handle myself with him).

Having a conversation with Mr. Johnson was very memorable for me because I asked him why it was that he was so generous. His answer was compelling. Mr. Johnson sort of sat back and said, “It seems to me that the Lord has been very good to my family and me.” Then he said, “The more I give, the more the Lord blesses me.” It wasn't like he had made some sort of quid pro quo prosperity gospel deal with God. It was more a genuine, sincere recognition that God is a generous God and that he has been blessed to be a blessing to others. It was really a cool moment for me.

For the past 10-plus years, I've worked with leaders to try to help them understand what it takes to create a culture of generosity and stewardship and giving in their churches. Through this series of blog posts, I want to share a few of the things that I've learned from working with hundreds of churches over those years. I’ve framed these as six questions that you'll want to ask yourself or ask your team as you are working to cultivate generosity and stewardship in your church.

Also, at the end of each post, I’ll recommend resources and experiences that could benefit you as you lead your church along this journey of generosity. Question #1: What do we believe about giving? One of the things we need to get straight is that generosity and stewardship are not exactly the same thing. Have you noticed that the word “generosity” has become kind of the flavor of the month? Everybody's using the word generosity but no one is using the word “stewardship.” I believe this is really unfortunate because, frankly, they don't mean the same thing. They're not synonyms for one another.

Gunnar Johnson, who was formerly on staff at Gateway Church, was the first person who taught me this. He sort of describes generosity and stewardship as two sides of the same coin, which I think is a nice little pun frankly. You can't have generosity without stewardship, right? You can't be truly generous unless you're a good steward or else you'll run out of money. You can only be truly generous once, then you'll be out of money because you're a bad steward, right? To be a steward without generosity is to be a hoarder of sorts, to be selfish, to be greedy. God wants us to manage our money and then be generous with it to balance both generosity and stewardship with one another.

Once you have defined those two ideas for your church, the question I'm asking you to consider at your church is this: What do you all believe about giving? You ask a typical pastor, “Hey, what is your model for teaching the Bible to your congregation?” Normally, they have an answer. “Pastor, what's your model for discipleship or for local and global ministry or outreach?” Normally they can explain to you, “This is how we do it, this is our strategy, this is our plan.” Ask them “What is your model for teaching what the Bible says about generosity and stewardship?” and a typical pastor might say “Well, we take an offering” which frankly just isn't enough, right? One of the key things that I want to encourage you to think about is to sincerely ask what do we believe about giving in our church,

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Do you ever get frustrated that what happens on Sundays doesn't necessarily translate into an increased impact on Mondays (and throughout the week)?

Every church leader does.

We call that the 'gap'... the ability to send your church out every weekend to make a difference in the community where they live... as teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, students, business owners, moms and dads... wherever God has them planted in your community.

I am excited to invite you to a free online event Wednesday, July 17 at 1:00 pm Eastern that will help you in this area. We'll address the topic of Faith, Work, and Economics in the church with some great speakers and some great help to help you bridge this gap. Here are the speakers and topics:

David Kinnaman: "How to Vocationally Disciple Millennials"

Skye Jethani: "How Faith, Work, & Economics Turns a Pastor's Job Inside Out"

Andy Crouch: "Encouraging the Entrepreneurs in Your Church & Community"

Amy Sherman: "The Vital Role of Vocational Stewardship for Discipleship & Mission"

Nancy Ortberg & Kevin Palau: "How to Lead a Holistic Gospel Movement in Your City"

Katelyn Beaty: "How Church Leaders Can Lead Male & Female Relationships in the #MeToo Era"

Reggie McNeal: How Faith, Work, & Economics Displays Itself in Church Culture"

We've partnered with Made to Flourish to help bring you this great content that will help you increase your impact and empower your attenders go make a measurable difference in their Monday through Friday spheres of influence.

I wanted to personally invite you to join us for this special three-hour online event. In fact, please bring your team. It's free and totally online. We just need you to tell us you're coming!

RSVP NOW!

We're looking forward to sharing some time (and great learnings) with you Wednesday! You won't want to miss this one-time online event. It all starts at 1:00 PM Eastern and will run for about 3 hours.

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In this podcast, one of our favorite guests, Kenny Jahng, joins host Nils Smith to delve into how pastors can take advantage of LinkedIn’s renaissance. Over the years, LinkedIn has evolved with features that can help nonprofit leaders and pastors alike connect and communicate with their congregation in ways other social media platforms cannot. Listen as they talk about this and more. Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: LinkedIn for Pastors with Kenny Jahng: Podcast 269

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I was recently with a church staff in an affluent, well-educated East Coast suburb. They were trying to shift their church model from "hired staff" managing volunteers to where staff's primary role would be developing members to lead in ministries inside and outside the church.

As we worked together on this shift, we discovered the staff had been basically operating by asking congregants to help them do the ministry. As inevitably happens, many of the volunteers got tired of being “helpers” and the staff would run around trying to find someone else to replace them.

The staff was also growing tired and felt that they were employees at Nordstroms serving consumers, struggling to get some of their “customers” to help get their jobs done. As we met together, the church leadership, who desperately wanted things to change, asked what things they needed to do to help shift their model.

Here are the top 5 things we worked on to help shift to a leadership development culture.

1) Re-imagining staff roles. While it may be a small thing, we added leadership development as the first item on all their job descriptions and the first thing that would be on their performance reviews. We had to get staff's attention that this was going to be a shift- from primarily doing to "discovering, developing and deploying spiritual leaders". They were now going to be evaluated on how they did in shifting the culture that they had created and allowed to foster.

2) Re-equip the staff for a new approach to recruiting. Staff had to shift from recruiting doers to recruiting leaders. What we have discovered is that doers respond to tasks, but leaders respond to vision. If you wanted to recruit a leader, you have to approach them with a particular vision and ask them if they wanted to step up to own and give leadership to that vision. The staff's role would shift to equipping them to lead rather than primarily equipping them to do. We asked staff to work on a 1-minute pitch that would help them frame the vision of what their ministry was all about. They had to pitch the kingdom impact someone could have through their ministry, asking them to take ownership of that vision.

3) Frame what good potential leaders look like.

The staff needed to know "What does a good potential leader look like in our context? What are the raw materials you look for when fishing for leaders?” What I encountered as I asked that question were blank faces followed by 5 different ideas from 5 different people. Churches that do a great job in recruiting, developing and retaining leaders have effectively determined together what they're looking for. Once you do that, your staff have a better chance of identifying good potential leaders.

4) Outline the development process. This church didn't have a clear process for developing and nurturing leaders. They had to through some questions:

Do we want to have an apprenticing/coaching model? Do we want a class model? Do we want quarterly leader development meetings? What's our content we're going to use to supplement our apprenticing and coaching? Why that content?

5) Start Tracking Results. Most churches don't measure leadership development. Churches that have anchored leadership development in their culture have figured out how to count to know if they're making progress. Some churches set goals on the number of leaders needed in each staff area. Some churches track the percentage of their staff that has at least one volunteer leader they're developing. Once this church started measuring staff, departments and themselves as a whole, they began to see significant progress.

Do you see your church in this story? As a leader are you challenged to discover, develop, and deploy the quality of volunteers necessary to accomplish the vision of your church? Is your staff growing tired of “doing” rather than leading the ministry of the church?

Here's how I can help...

I'm inviting you to join a FREE webinar titled “Latest Trends in...

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Here are the top 5 things we worked on to help shift to a leadership development culture.

3) Frame what good potential leaders look like.

4) Outline the development process. This church didn't have a clear process for developing and nurturing leaders. They had to through some questions:

Here's how I can help...

I'm inviting you to join a FREE webinar titled “Latest Trends in...

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Updated content, originally posted January 2016

Ever wonder why some churches ministries grow and multiply rapidly and others don’t? While there are many factors, one of the key accelerants to planting more churches, starting more campuses, or deploying more people to impact a city is how diligent a church is in leadership development.

In the past few years, Leadership Network has run seven different large-church cohorts in leadership development. Each cohort has had a dozen large churches learning from one another’s models. To learn more about our latest group starting, click here.

I’ve had a chance to have a ringside seat learning from the best models that have reproduced leaders for kingdom expansion. In my first short blog, I laid out the first five factors that contribute to “fruitfulness” in leadership development. This week, we’ll look at the next five. Taken together, these ten principles form some of the best thinking in the church today on leadership development.

The first five were:

Each church has a vision so large that it cannot be accomplished with the current paid staff and volunteer leaders Someone on the senior team wakes up each day thinking about leadership development Each church has embraced the idea that building multiplying leaders for the kingdom is their kingdom work. Each senior leader and his/her team have agreed on a single definition of the attributes they want their leaders to possess- at each level of their church leadership Each church evaluates staff and promotes staff not on their individual contributions alone, but on their ability to develop and produce leaders.

Now to factors 6-10:

6. Each church focuses on building leaders from within.

At one time, large churches operated like the New York Yankees. They preferred to “buy” talent on the free agent market rather than grow their major league roster from their farm system like the St. Louis Cardinals. Many times, large-church staffs are made up of those who “cut their teeth and made a name for themselves” someplace else. Years ago I heard a senior pastor of a church of over 10,000 say, “We want to look for leaders who’ve performed well at other places. That’s who we want to hire.”

The problem with this strategy is easy to see. As another large church executive pastor said to me, “In an interview, everyone agrees with our vision, our values and our DNA. Its only 6 months after we’ve hired them we find out that’s not true. Now we’re in trouble.” Just like the Cardinals, churches with great leadership development pride themselves on having staff that are almost entirely built from within. When you take that approach, you know the person, their commitment to your DNA, and their commitment to your vision and values. You know their track record. When you hire from outside, you hope it works out and they buy in and do well.

If you believe “everything you need to reach your city is already in your church,” you focus on a homegrown strategy.

7. Each understands that apprenticing the right people is more important than the right curriculum.

Great churches in leadership development realize that formal classroom content plays a small part in developing leaders. I would suggest content should contribute no more than 10% of someone’s development. Seventy percent of a leader’s development comes from giving people hands-on experience. Twenty percent of a leader’s development is learned from being in an apprenticing relationship with an existing leader. These churches have thought through, “What characteristics are we looking for in leaders we want to apprentice?” and “What’s our apprenticing strategy?” Lastly they ask, “Are all our staff driving apprenticing down through every leadership level of their ministries?” One simple model of apprenticeship is used by Community Christian Church of Naperville, IL. It has five steps:

I do, you watch, we talk. I do, you help, we talk. You do, I help, we talk. You do, I watch,

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Updated content, originally posted January 2016

Over the past several years, Leadership Network has run many different large church cohorts in Leadership Development. Each cohort has had a dozen large churches learning from one another’s models. To learn more about our latest group to launch, click here.

I’ve had a chance to have a ringside seat learning from the best models that have reproduced leaders for kingdom expansion. In this short blog I’d like to lay out the first 5 factors that contribute to “fruitfulness” in Leadership Development. Next week, we’ll look at the next five. Taken together, these 10 principles form some of the best thinking in the church today on Leadership Development.

Each church has a vision so large that it cannot be accomplished with the current paid staff and volunteer leaders.

Churches with big visions dream about planting other churches or developing multiple locations. Others are looking to broaden and deepen their impact on the city around them—such that their “fingerprints” are all over the community. A big dream heightens the need, energy and focus on developing enough leaders to accomplish the vision. If a senior pastor wants to reach more people, open new locations or plant more churches, they will quickly discover that an increased footprint can only happen if there’s a significant focus on developing leaders.

Someone on the senior team wakes up each day thinking about Leadership Development

It’s best if the passion for leadership development resides in the Lead Pastor, who is shaping the overall church culture. The passion could also come from the “second-in-command,” but someone on the lead team needs to assume responsibility for leadership development across the whole church. This person gives energy and passion towards the development of leaders. Without this person, the focus of leadership development tends to get lost in the business of preparing for the weekend and the myriad of ministries that happen throughout the week. Leadership development never screams. It is quick to “fall off the table” in the midst of competing voices. The best leadership development churches have someone on the lead team that is ensuring the multiplication of leaders remains a key organizational focus.

Each church has embraced the idea that building multiplying leaders for the kingdom is their kingdom work.

“Sundays come along with alarming frequency.” It’s easy to be caught up in preparing and leading services, ministries and running the church. It’s easy to let weekend worship attendance become the key measure for success. The weekend, while important, is one of the easiest distractions from developing leaders. Even during his “ministering to the masses,” Jesus constantly poured into his leaders (disciples), so that those following Him were ready to carry on the ministry after his death. Jesus didn’t lose focus that a cornerstone of his ministry which was reproducing spiritual leaders who would lead the masses. Paul, similarly, was never without an apprentice (the scripture often reads “Paul and…”). In 2 Tim 2:2, Paul commanded Timothy, “What you’ve heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men that they would be able to teach others also.” That’s 4 generations of leaders! Great churches pay special attention to their culture by what they reward and what they tolerate—both of which shape culture. It’s one thing to aspire to value leadership development, and another to really value it. Teams should ask themselves, “Do we have a value of leadership development? Are we rewarding it? Or is its absence something we are tolerating?” In his recent book,

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Leadership Network has been a pioneer in helping church leaders pass the leadership baton to a new generation.

Almost 20 years ago, a pioneering Leadership Network book gave thought leadership, inviting greater discussion to begin. It was aptly named Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions. More recently, I conducted surveys for Leadership Network, sadly documenting on how few church leaders had gone so far as to develop a succession plan. I summarized what we learned in a Leadership Network report named "Succession Readiness." I also used the Leadership Network database of large-church lead pastors to calculate an average age (see graphic below). Just as the US population is aging, so also are large-church pastors.

The most-quoted statement in the book Next: Pastoral Succession that Works by William Vanderbloemen and myself, is this: "Every pastor is an interim pastor." The idea is that no matter how long we're privileged to serve in leadership, someone else will follow us. And just as our Lord Jesus himself placed a huge emphasis of time and energy on preparing those who follow him, wise leaders will do likewise. The case-study based book, drawing from more than 200 interviews, zeroes in on how to do pastoral succession well. Leadership Network addresses this and other issues in its Leadership Development Accelerator. Check it out.

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In this podcast, Samford University’s Social Media Manager, Charissa Carnall, joins host Nils Smith and shares her journey as one of the early adopters of social media. Having worked as Global Community Management Lead at Western Union, a Fortune 500 company, she recalls the struggles of introducing social media, and learning the importance of branding, authenticity, and being relational on different platforms in the process. Charissa and Nils also discuss valuable insights and strategies for ministry leaders today.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

https://leadnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Podcast268f-1.mp3

A Shownotes to: What the Church Can Learn from Western Union with Charissa Carnall: Podcast 268

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Whether you're a blog writer, a social media strategist, a small business owner, or a small group leader, engagement is what you're looking for. Engagement is the Holy Grail of sales, marketing, and e-commerce, and it is no different for the church. No matter if you're trying to reach more people in your community or grow the people in your pews, leaders must find ways to increase engagement if they hope to fulfill their God-given mission.

For the past two or three years, Leadership Network has been pointing churches toward the use of data as a means of increasing engagement among its members and future members. A growing number of pioneering church leaders have participated in our Engagement Accelerators in order to learn to leverage data effectively to address mission-critical opportunities and obstacles in their churches and communities. These premiere experiences have produced some remarkable results!

For those of you still sitting on the sidelines wondering how to dip your toes in the data-informed waters of church engagement, we have an opportunity for you that launches next week!

The Engagement Mini Accelerator is a 6-week, online experience designed to help church leaders understand how to use first-party data to make better decisions that increase engagement in their churches. Understanding and responsibly utilizing first-party data - the data you already collect and own - is the starting point for all leaders on the path to becoming data-informed. Our online Mini Accelerator will help you and your team get started on that journey with a simple yet highly insightful data experiment guided by our team. Throughout the six weeks, you will:

Learn to use data - Understand how to use first-party data to make better decisions in your church. Know the value of engagement - Appreciate the strong correlation between engagement and the future of your church. Build a customized plan - Develop a unique plan to take engagement in your church to the next level.

The cost of the 6-week experience for your team is $299. There are only a few spots left and we launch next week. Click or tap the button below to learn more and reserve your spot today!

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“The gospel of self-reliance is always bad news because it always leads to more anxiety.” - Steve Cuss

Does anxiety get in the way of your ability to be an effective leader? Is your inability to notice when you and those around you are anxious keeping you "stuck" in chronic unhealthy patterns? In Managing Leadership Anxiety, from Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, pastor and spiritual growth expert Steve Cuss offers powerful tools to help you move from being managed by anxiety to managing anxiety.

You'll develop the capacity to notice your anxiety and your group's anxiety. You will increase your sensitivity to the way groups develop systemic anxiety that keeps them trapped. Your personal self-awareness will increase as you learn how self gets in the way of identifying and addressing issues.

Managing Leadership Anxiety offers valuable principles to those who are hungry to understand the source of the anxiety in themselves and in the people with whom they relate. Readers will be empowered to take back control of their lives and lead in mature and vibrant ways.

The following is an excerpt from Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs I believe leadership anxiety is generated when we think we need something in any particular moment that we don’t actually need. When I began as a hospital chaplain, I would get anxious walking into a room because I believed I needed to know what to say or what to do. As much as I believed I needed that, it wasn’t true. As I progressed in my awareness, I was able to walk into a room not knowing what to say, not even knowing what I was walking into, because there was a larger truth at work beyond what I believed. I believed I needed knowledge to be okay; I believed I was required to say just the right thing to make things better. As I dug in deeper, I later learned that I believed I had to appear smart to be okay, so when I didn’t know what to say, I was managing my own feeling of inadequacy rather than connecting with the people in the room. The greater truth was that God was present in those situations; God was in the room before I walked in, and God would guide me. I did not, in fact, need to know what to say. The more I depended on needing to say the right thing, the less effective I was as a chaplain.I was managing my own anxiety rather than paying attention to God. What is this dynamic, and why did I believe I needed it so strongly? Of course, I write in the past tense, but I still get anxious today in leadership contexts, and much of the time it is because the situation is putting pressure on what I think I need that I do not actually need. The situation is also blocking my capacity to notice and trust God in those moments. Anxiety shrinks the power of the gospel because it presents a false gospel—one of self-reliance rather than reliance on God. The gospel of self-reliance is always bad news because it always leads to more anxiety. But if I can learn to notice it, eventually name its source and triggers, and move past it, I encounter the actual good news of Jesus, the gospel of grace, which always leads to freedom. The consistent witness of the New Testament is that freedom and life come when we deny, crucify, and are wary of something inside us that shrinks the gospel. What is it inside us that gets in the way? Order your copy of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs today.

After growing up in Perth, Western Australia, Steve eventually moved to the United States for where he married his wife Lisa. Together they have two sons and a daughter. He currently serves as Lead Pastor of Discovery Christian Church in Broomfield, Colorado, where he has been since 2005. He holds a Master of Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary and has a varied and accomplished ministry background.

“Talking about it brings transformation faster than just reading about it. Before MLA was a book it was a class where people interacted, shared stories,

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Caleb Stanley

Ministry/Vocation - Co Founder and Author of The Alternative, Producer

Why commit to becoming an LN Associate -

Leadership Network has been a crucial in pushing the church forward and continuing to reach more people for Christ in new places, and in new ways. As a young leader, it’s truly an honor to sit and learn alongside so many others as well as continue to push the conversation forward and pioneer new ways the Church can reach and impact the world.

What do you envision your contribution to be for churches -

I want to help the Church strive for authenticity in its approach. Doing this means we all have to be in tune with what Christ is speaking to us. God is speaking to his leaders across the country and across the globe - downloading new dreams and new approaches in our hearts. Leaders need the courage to follow those dreams. Methods change, but the message never does.

We've asked Caleb to share his perspective on engaging the millennial generation. Here's what he wrote:

Concerts and Communities

A couple of weeks ago the father of a twenty-year-old called me. He asked me something I’ve been asked several times, “Do you know of a place that my son can get involved with?” By place, he means Church. I asked him why he wasn’t involved at the Church they were currently attending, there was a great young adults program, lots of energy, and his son was on fire for the Lord. He said his son just didn’t connect well and was seeking community.

I hear this word all the time, “community”. It’s no doubt that my generation is hungry for authentic community and connection. I’ve often wondered if that has been heightened by the growing number of failing families, by the lack of present fathers, or if it’s just a trend. Over the last few years, I have even noticed the conversation shift from concerts to community, from events to gatherings, from the amount of people attending to the depth of the conversation. Young pioneers that once set out to create the next biggest thing are starting to wonder if the next greatest thing isn’t bigger, it’s smaller. Millennials want a place to belong and they want it to feel organic.

The Church has leaders like Francis Chan and Dale Partridge (among many) who are advocates for smaller organic communities while, on the other hand, leaders like Louie Giglio and Brian Houston have pioneered large gatherings and movements that have helped, saved, and resourced thousands of people across the globe. As the big "C" Church, how do we steward our influence well in large gatherings like Louie and Brian, but also build communities that are retaining young adults like the son of the father who called me? How do we build systems and structures that combine the millennial generation’s passion to be a part of something bigger than themselves, yet also create spaces that are not too big for their gifts and talents. Churches often say, “You Belong Here” or “You Matter Here” But are we really creating opportunity for people to be apart of what God is doing in our communities? I believe it’s less about which side we are on, the large scale outreaches, or the intimate discipleship programs, and more about discovering how we can bridge both sides of the conversation, working together and effectively. Millennials need a place to belong and connect, but they also need a cause bigger than themselves to engage with...

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Will Chung

Ministry/Vocation - Founder of The Meeting Place TMP

Why commit to becoming an LN Associate -

Leadership Network has been one of the leading voices and partners to further the mission of the local church. It is an honor to be invited to sit, learn and collaborate with other church leaders to continue serving the body of Christ. By becoming an LN Associate I hope to grow in my personal leadership but also contribute with my unique experiences and strengths.

What do you envision your contribution to be for churches -

I want to see the restoration of true intimacy and love for God back in the Church. A community of believers who are truly living their entire lives for the glory and pleasure of God. I hope to accomplish this by raising up spiritual leaders and pastors to lead these churches.

Will's thoughts on engaging the millennial generation are below:

Millennials & Mentorship

Smart phones changed everything for us. If we had any questions, Google had all the answers for us. The phone gave us access to information, when in reality what we really needed was mentorship. We thought information was going to help us achieve our calling and passions, but what we really needed was impartation from mentors.

I am fortunate and blessed. I have had several older men sit me down and mentor me. These men of God have poured into my life face to face. Not from Youtube and not from Google, but actual time together. My mentors didn’t just teach me how to be a leader but they showed me how to live. Their investment in me is what has made me who I am today.

I attribute all of my success today because older men who took the time to pour into my life. Their goal was my personal and spiritual growth. Their agenda was to see me become all that God has called me to be.

However, for most of my friends, they have never experienced this. More than ever, every time I travel and speak, young people ask me, “How do I get a mentor? How can I find older men and women who will pour into my life?” I found that many of them did not have the same opportunities as I had.

Based on my experiences, I want to share what I believe these older men did for me.

They saw POTENTIAL in me. These men of God saw a seed in me. This seed of potential is what they watered and cultivated in me. This potential is what they decided to invest into. I was not experienced or gifted enough to contribute to them in any way. However, they saw my potential and called it out of me!
They were PATIENT with me. These men of God were patient with me. They spent time with me for years and not just weeks and months. The two specific mentors that have impacted my life have spent years pouring into me. They saw that I was going to make many, many mistakes. However, they did not use my mistakes against me, but walked with me through it.
They were PROACTIVE with me. These men reached out to me. While I did my part in being receptive, I credit much of my growth to their proactive attitude towards me. In many ways, they approached me as a father and not as a teacher. They cared for me. They loved me. As they were proactive in their relationship with me. I received an impartation from them. I learned not only from what they said, but also from how they poured into me.

Today, we need mentors. Young people need mentors who have gone before them. We are waiting for you. We are waiting for older men and women to make themselves available. The greatest problem for young people is not information and passion, but impartation from men and women who have gone before us.

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Rashawn Copeland

Founder of Without Walls Ministries/ Frontier Creative OKC

What fascinates me the most about Leadership Network is their heart for the local church. I love how they annually serve hundreds if not thousands of churches through in-person events which include more than 1,500 leaders. They are all about equipping the body and impacting the next generation. One of my favorite things about the Leadership Network is that they invest in the digital space. They have online conferences reaching thousands. I hope to bring my passion for social media and my knowledge of digital marketing to the team.

In a world that is glued to a screen, and fails to keep its eyes fixed on Christ, my hope is to meet them on the screen with the Gospel message. We are currently living in the single largest communication shift since the printing press. My heart is to encourage, equip, and to educate the church on the importance and the power of evangelism through the social media and the digital space in the local church. I would like to see more churches engaged and involved with what God is doing through it. The church must bring the truth of God’s word where the peoples' eyes are fixed. Look no further than social media.

When asked about engaging the millennial generation from his perspective, here's what Rashawn wrote:

Mentoring into Momentum

Starting them young will change everything.

I recently spoke at a youth gathering at a church in Oklahoma City. After the conference a young man who is currently a senior in high school. Johnny began to tell me how he recently found his way back to God, and how he’s now taking his walk with Jesus serious. Rashawn, I’m just hungry and longing for more,” He exuberantly states.” Rashawn, I have been having so many dreams. My dreams have been crazy but in a good way. I have seen myself doing huge things for God’s kingdom, but I continue to hear the same things from my leaders. “No, and Not yet.” I feel so small to hold such a big dream. I don't think my pastor is meaning to, but honestly, I believe my gifts are reduced and restricted. There’s no one I can call a role model; I have no one challenging me, nor affirming me.

By the time young Johnny finished pouring out his heart, I began searching God’s heart for him. I simply asked him to take a seat with me let’s talk. He immediately said, “You see, this is the problem. That’s all leaders ever want to do is talk. After almost every conversation I have with potential mentors and my church leadership they always reference me a few books to read, and their favorite lectures to see.” I could hardly believe the passion of this young man. I could deeply sense his frustration.

Here’s what I got from the conversation with him that day.

1). The next generation is longing for genuine mentorship, and not just to be tasked to read a book. Books are really informative, but they aren’t as transformative as genuine face to face affirmation.

2). The next generation is longing to make a positive difference rather than just mere talk. Let’s take our ideas and turn them into items.

Let’s applaud youthful exuberance and not disregard it. Let’s continue to be a church that affirms and activates the gifts and callings within our congregations. God may send you just two, or maybe even twenty-two church planters. And he may send you a flock of Gospel loving entrepreneurs that may start thriving nonprofits. The discovery will only come when we as leaders tap into the untapped potential of our church.

God has enabled and promised to make you a difference maker, as Jesus promised His disciples, God will use you to influence the next generation to make an eternal difference in the world. Mentoring becomes momentous when we encourage, and challenge our young leaders to do “even greater things” (John 14:12.)

How can you bless the world changers of tomorrow, today? Here are two practical things you can do.

1). Openly encourage them by laying your hands on them as...

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Monica Zuniga

Founder of We Are Unveiled & Nxt Gen Advisors

Leadership Network is passionate about equipping the body while leading conversations and initiatives facing the Church today. I am so honored to join the team and provide a millennial female perspective. I hope to contribute not only knowledge and experience but passion for women in leadership and the church.

The rise of women in our culture today is at an all-time high and it has been beautiful to see so many women break barriers across so many sectors. Yet our culture’s narrative has been that ‘as woman rise, men must be put down and shamed on our way up.’ My heart is to see the women of my generation rise up, but not of this world. I desire that they be rooted and grounded in the truth; united, not divided with the Body of Christ, and women who pull others up with them as they are elevated.

Below, Monica shares her perspective on engaging the millennial generation.

Empowering Women

I’m a small town girl from Hereford, TX. If you know where that is, then you know that we have more cows than people. I’m also a daughter of second-generation immigrants from Mexico and Spain. Growing up, I learned a lot about hard work, character and what it means to be a woman of faith.

As a minority and a millennial, I have watched and personally wrestled with the mostly accurate stereotypes on our generation. The entitlement, laziness, lack of respect, inability to commit, and the handful of other things you’re thinking.

I never imagined that the Lord would burden my heart so much for my own people and grace me with the gift to love them and influence them into their true identities as His children. But here I am, writing to you about one of the areas I am most passionate about seeing God redeem in this generation.

Women empowerment.

We live in a day and age where the rise of women is all around us. The old phrase, ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ has never rung more true with the female voice. From Nike commercials featuring women who are brave to be called ‘crazy’, to Bumble, where women are now empowered to make the first move on a guy, to the Kardashians who have build multi-million dollar empires all centered around a skewed body image. The list is endless but the underlying message is the same.

Women today can do anything a man can do. As a woman rises, a man must fall. Time’s Up- Women have the power now.

This world is opening up so many doors for women in leadership; in roles and positions that most women have never been in before. Women in my generation are seeing this and gaining a hunger to rise up like never before. They are seeing a world full of opportunities and are distracted. I see my generation full of passion to join in on the rise in women but are doing so at the expense of their true identities.

We are influenced by culture; letting the world tell us what a woman is vs. what the Word of God calls us to be. What’s worse is I’ve watched many of my friends and colleagues leave the church in search of a place where they can truly “grow as a woman today.” It’s all a lie, but the enemy won’t win.

I believe that if we as a church body begin to bring these women into our Churches as leaders, into our business’ to be groomed, and into our homes to learn, we will see a shift in who and what defines a woman today. We need a fresh wind of true identity for women. Our generation needs the church to be the ones to empower us BEFORE culture does. Woman empowerment is using your platform to disciple women by showing them who they truly are in Christ. My hope is that together we can change the story on Women Empowerment.

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In this episode, Nils Smith and Nick Runyon are together to talk about one of the most confusing, overwhelming, yet exciting topics today–cryptocurrency. Nils and Nick address questions about why blockchain technology should matter to nonprofit organizations, especially churches, and share its advantages and disadvantages to a church’s mission, and more.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to: Cryptocurrency for Churches: Podcast 267

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Grant Skeldon

Founder of Initiative Network & Nxt Gen Advisors

Leadership Network is convening and accelerating some of the most influential churches in the nation. I just wanted to join where God is already moving while bringing my unique perspective to the table.

I hope to contribute by diversifying the network, normalizing discipleship, and emphasizing the importance of Sunday to Monday.

We've asked Grant to share his perspective on engaging the millennial generation. Here's what he wrote:

Make the Commission Great Again

Over the years, many leaders have become frustrated with millennials because they’re not as cause-oriented as they were sold to be. I remember someone once complaining to me, “Millennials aren’t activists. They’re slacktivists!” (Someone who’s an activist…..only on their computer.)

I see his point. Young people can talk a big game, but not always back it up. Still, young people do have a higher propensity toward causes than generations before. But what many leaders don’t understand is this: Millennials aren’t drawn to causes. They’re drawn to cause communities.

Communities, Not Causes

Millennials don’t volunteer as individuals. They volunteer as groups. It’s not unheard of, but it is rare that I meet a young person who faithfully serves alone for a long period of time. For example, here are some causes everyone jumped on:

Remember when everyone was looking for Kony? Remember when everyone put ice buckets on their head? Remember when everyone was rocking LiveStrong bracelets?

Yet you probably won’t see anyone jumping on them today. Why did they stop?

Was Kony captured? Is ALS no longer an issue? Has cancer been cured?

No. The need hasn’t gone away, but the community has. Therefore, the millennials have too. I think we can all agree that one of the most well-known activists to ever live was William Wilberforce. When your cause takes more than 25 years to accomplish and successfully puts an end to the British slave trade, you’re no slacktivist. But what many forget is that Wilberforce didn’t accomplish this alone. His community was crucial.

He joined the Clapham Sect, a diverse community of pastors, mathematicians, brewers, writers, artists, and members of parliament. It was a joint effort. It was a cause community. When things got tough—when their cause wasn’t trendy, when they had nothing going for them—they had each other and their convictions. Sounds a lot like the disciples and the early church.

Millennial Disconnect

If young people are looking for a cause community, they should look no further than the church. The church is the hope of the world. It’s the only institution Jesus built. So why is the world’s most cause-oriented generation not connecting to the world’s most cause-oriented organization?

I think they’re neglecting the cause-oriented organization (the church) because the organization is neglecting its cause (discipleship). Christ called us to make disciples of all nations, but the reality is most Christians don’t disciple anyone. Only 17 percent of Christians say they meet with a spiritual mentor as part of their discipleship efforts. It doesn’t sound like Jesus’s last words have been our first priority.

In Jesus’s last words, he gave us the Great Commission to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20). I know there’s a lot of talk these days about making America great again. But what Christians really need to do is make the commission great again. (I may or may not have a red hat with this on it.)

The church doesn’t have a millennial problem. It has a discipleship problem.

Making disciples is the core of what the church needs to be about. I believe it’s our failure to do this that has turned off many millennials to the church. It’s not because the church played the wrong music or the pastor didn’t wear skinny jeans or have a big enough social media following. It’s because many churches stopped taking discipleship seriously.

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“Christians have a bad reputation in this arena, and sadly, in many cases it is well deserved. We do not have a good track record of showing love and pursuing justice for LGBT+ people who have commonly suffered ridicule, condemnation, rejection, exclusion, discrimination, and even violence.” - Bruce Miller

In a time when sexual norms are changing rapidly, how can a local church be a place of grace—a loving community for all kinds of people—where everyone can flourish and disagreements are overcome in a Christlike spirit while at the same time stay true to biblical standards?

In a way that appeals to pastors and lay leaders alike, Bruce Miller’s Leading a Church in a Time of Sexual Questioning, from Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, offers a biblical theology of sexuality and provides practical wisdom for how a church can approach ministering to, and alongside, people who identify their sexuality in diverse ways: LGBTQ+. Here is a church-tested program full of wise pastoral insights to help church leaders think through day-to-day decisions, such as how to handle baby dedications, small groups, who can serve, membership, baptism, retreats, the Lord’s Supper, weddings, funerals, teaching, hiring, and caring for those caught in sin. If you are a leader who is facing any of these challenging issues and decisions, then this practical, grace-filled book is for you.

The following is an excerpt from Leading a Church In a Time of Sexual Questioning:

As church leaders, we’ve all sat across from someone in the middle of a difficult, even heartbreaking situation.

“Pastor,” in tears, “my daughter just came home from college and told me she thinks she is a lesbian. We don’t know what to do.”

You know these stories. And you have tried to help as best you could.

“Pastor,” with downcast eyes, “I’m over thirty and not married. Am I doomed to a life of singleness?”

You have tried to encourage her.

“Pastor,” in anger, “my son just put on Facebook that he is gay and dating some guy—for all the world to see. We are so ashamed. People will ask me about it. What do I say?”

You have seen this pain and given your best spiritual guidance.

“Pastor,” in confusion, “a seventh-grade girl told her small group she is bisexual and has a crush on another girl in the youth group. Should we let her come on the overnight retreat next month?”

You have counseled this youth pastor and sought wisdom from your leaders.

“Pastor,” in hope and trepidation, “my partner and I would like to dedicate our beautiful one-year-old daughter, Charis. Would the church let us do that?”

You have wrestled with how to show grace and stand for truth, and you have agonized over potential perceptions of the congregation and the meaning of a baby dedication.

“Pastor,” with evident frustration, “it has been more than a year since my wife and I have been intimate, and I have no idea what to do. Do I have to stay married to her?”

You have offered all the solutions you know to try.

“Pastor,” in fear and concern, “I think one of the children’s workers is gay. Should we let him continue to volunteer in our children’s ministry?”

You have prayed hard over how to appreciate the servant’s heart of this dear children’s worker while being sensitive to your church member’s concerns. You’ve also worried about the precedents you might set no matter what decision you make.

It would not be hard to list dozens more “Pastor, . . .” questions like these that test our spiritual discernment on how to lead our churches well through this time of sexual questioning. If you have been in church leadership for long, you have already had to address complicated, sensitive, and soul-wrenching issues arising out of sexual differences, orientations, and dysfunctions. These come up in youth groups, small groups, children’s classes, newcomer classes, and leader meetings.

Our responses to such sexually charged questions are amplified,

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“You have the opportunity to give women the clarity they need to lead fully and confidently, for the benefit of your entire church.” - Kadi Cole

What would your church look like in the future if it were to maximize the dormant gifts of the women God has brought there? In Developing Female Leaders, Kadi Cole, twenty-year veteran in leadership and people development, offers a practical strategy to help church and organizational leaders craft cultures that facilitate the development of women as volunteer and staff leaders.

Kadi’s career in ministry leadership had a shocking, but not all that uncommon beginning. In Developing Female Leaders, she shares her story along with interviews and surveys of more than one thousand women in key church and organizational roles, combined with current research, to create eight easy-to-implement “best practices” that help accelerate a woman’s organizational contribution.

The following is an excerpt from Developing Female Leaders: Navigate the Minefields and Release the Potential of Women in Your Church.

Usually when I speak at a conference or lead a training at a church, it is the female leaders who are excited to connect and talk about my personal journey, especially how I ended up leading at high levels in churches that were not publicly open to having women in positions of leadership. But more and more lately, I have been approached by male senior pastors and executive leaders asking me questions about what they can do to help develop the young female leaders on their staffs and in their congregations. I talk about pipelines and training, getting women leaders out of administrative/secretarial titles, and how to cast vision and provide clarity about the issue with their teams. As we talk, they will typically nod and take notes. Usually, they will have a couple of follow-up questions, and sometimes offer a description of the existing women on their team and an explanation of what they have done so far to help them grow as leaders. That’s when it will get weird. I actually hear things like: • “I promoted her to my assistant so she can sit in on the executive team meetings.” • “I assume we will only have her for a couple more years until she starts having kids.” • “I asked my wife (who does not work at the church) to start mentoring her.” • “She comes on a little strong, which makes our team nervous.” • “I talked with her husband to see if she’d be willing to increase her hours.” • “I didn’t want her to feel awkward being the only girl, so we didn’t bring her.” • “We have a big women’s ministry, so she gets what she needs spiritually there.” • “We were going to give her a promotion, but she became pregnant, and we didn’t want to overload her with a baby on the way.” It always takes me by surprise. These are really amazing men— the highest-level leaders in their churches. They are intelligent, love the Lord, have great people skills, and are trying like crazy to make a way for the female talent they see on their teams. But here’s what I have come to realize: they meant well, but they simply did not know what they did not know. I am calling it “lovingly ignorant.” How could these leaders be expected to do things differently if they did not understand why these perspectives and actions are not helpful? Order your copy today and start developing female leaders in your church.

Kadi Cole is a strategist with a passion for developing people and teams. As an organizational consultant, leadership coach and LifePlan facilitator, Kadi helps individuals and teams uncover their God- given purpose and develop a plan toward fulfilling it. With over 30 years in ministry leadership and a life-long student of what it takes to move, motivate and manage teams, Kadi provides a down-to-earth approach to equipping leaders, building ministry teams and developing effective systems.

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In this episode, Jay Kranda, Nick Runyon, Nils Smith and Justin Murff are together for the Virtual Church Gathering to talk about what exactly a virtual church is, how ministries and organizations are handling the current digital expressions, how core principles of the church are carried out in today’s digital context, and more of the challenges and opportunities along with it.

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A Shownotes to A Conversation About the Validity and Future of Digital Church Expressions: Podcast 266

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In this episode, we’re joined by Daniel Hall, Chief Creative Officer of Echo Global, a contact center for Gospel conversations. Daniel shares his learnings from their three million ministry conversations online and discusses with Nils the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and real-life communication, as well as digital opportunities for ministries and churches today.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Show Notes to Learnings from 3 Million Ministry Conversations Online with Daniel Hall: Podcast 265

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If you found a group that would help you grow healthier as a leader and grow your church in healthy ways, would you join? How much would it be worth to you to be a better spouse, parent, friend, pastor and co-worker? What about to the people around you?

One of the premier experiences we offer at Leadership Network is our Leader Groups. For more than a decade we have been gathering hundreds of leaders – seasoned Senior Pastors, up-and-coming “NextGen” Lead Pastors, Executive Pastors, female leaders, and more – in year-long experiences that put them in the room with true peers, trusted mentors, and select members of our team, to encourage them in their current season of ministry while giving them the tools and insights to prepare them for the next.

And do you know what these leaders say about their experiences? “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Leadership Network.” “I have had two great group experiences--both perfectly suited for my life and ministry stage. I would be poorer for having missed either and am much richer for having been part.” “Our church is positioned to reach new heights. I appreciate the partnership with Leadership Network’s and the new friends I’ve made along the way.” We even had one pastor who said: “Leadership Network saved my life.” Wow. What an amazing space God has invited us into. It’s a privilege and responsibility we don’t take lightly. We believe some of the greatest work we do happens among those groups of leaders. And whether it is with us or someone else, we want every pastor to have the opportunity to journey alongside other leaders who care about their hearts, their families, and their futures.

But here’s the thing: being in a group like this is hard.

It’s a big commitment of time. Meeting for three days, three times over the course of the year, with video calls in between each gathering…that’s a lot of time you probably don’t think you have.

It’s a big commitment of energy. Investing in the lives and ministries of 12-15 other leaders requires emotional and spiritual energy. The journey we’re on isn’t always smooth and downhill.

It’s a big commitment of resources. This level of experience requires an investment of thousands of dollars over the course of the year in fees and travel expenses. If you don’t understand the lifetime value, you probably won’t think it’s worth the short-term costs.

It’s a big commitment of yourself. Laying yourself out there in front of a group of high-caliber leaders takes guts. You may not think you have the courage to do it.

But doing the things that matter most, and doing them well, requires great commitment. And what if it changed your life? Your marriage? Your family? Your church? Would it be worth it?

Let’s be honest: being in a Leader Group isn’t for everyone. You must be willing to be open, to be transparent, to invest deeply in the lives of others and to allow others to invest deeply in you. You have to be humble, hungry, and real.

If you could join a group like this, would you?

We have 7 new groups launching this year. Groups for:

NextLevel Pastors - Lead/Senior pastors 45 and older leading churches of more than 2000 average on the weekends. NextGen Pastors - Lead/Senior pastors under 45 years old leading growing churches of more than 1000 average on the weekends. XPs - Executive Pastors leading in churches averaging over 1000 on the weekends. Female Leaders - executive-level women leaders in churches of all sizes.

These groups are filling up fast. If you’re ready to invest in yourself as a leader, and in the health and growth of your church, complete the form below and we’ll help you determine if a Leader Group is right for you.

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Over the years, mostly as a pastor, I encountered information about some of the tough places around the world in which to do church. It always made me feel very humble for the conditions where I was blessed to serve. Recently, I came across some new research about modern-day persecution and what church leaders in many countries throughout the world are facing right now, and honestly it brings me to my knees. I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians, reminding us that we are one church, one body:

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (I Cor. 12:26).

A new report from Open Doors reveals that more than 245 million Christians worldwide are highly persecuted where they live and lead their churches. Church leaders are specifically targeted. Just last month in China, two well-known house churches were closed, including arrests of Pastor Wang Yi, leader of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, and 10 of the church’s elders. More than 100 worshipers were taken from their homes and the streets for questioning. Reports are also coming out that in some parts of China police now have arrest quotas for Christians. Christian persecution is happening today.

The ministry founded by Brother Andrew (some of you may be familiar with his book, God’s Smuggler) to strengthen the persecuted church around the world just released its 2019 World Watch List—an in-depth investigative report ranking the top 50 most dangerous places to be a Christian and lead a church.

According to the report, persecution is increasing at an alarming rate (that 245 million number is up from last year’s total of 215 million). Take a look at what what’s happening in the top 10 countries where saying “yes” to following God’s call to lead a church is truly a life-or-death decision. I think, like me, your eyes will be opened.

Let’s take some time to pray today with our families and leadership teams for church leaders and their churches that are risking it all to be the Church (also, check out the specific prayers for these church leaders). 1. North Korea Ranks No. 1 for 18th Consecutive Year on World Watch List For three generations, everything in this isolated country has focused on idolizing the leading Kim family. Christians are seen as hostile elements in society that must be eradicated. There was hope that new diplomatic efforts in 2018—including the 2018 Winter Olympics—would mean a lessening of pressure and violence against Christians. But so far that has not been the case. In fact, reports indicate that local authorities are increasing incentives for anyone who exposes a Christian in their community.

If Christians are discovered, not only are they deported to labor camps or even killed on the spot, their families to the fourth generation share their fate as well. Communal worship is non-existent. Daring to meet other Christians for worship is a risky feat that must be done in utmost secrecy. Yet Open Doors estimates the number of Christians in North Korea to be 300,000 strong—believers who are defying the unjust regime and following Jesus. 2. Afghanistan—Where Christianity Is Not Permitted to Exist Photo credit: IMB.ORG

Afghanistan is once again a close second behind North Korea on the 2019 World Watch List. An Islamic state by constitution, the country does not permit any faith other than Islam to exist. To convert to a faith outside Islam is tantamount to treason because it’s seen as a betrayal of family, tribe and country. Very often, there is only one possible outcome for exposed and caught Christians: death.

In Afghanistan converts are considered literally insane to leave Islam. As a result, some may end up in a psychiatric hospital and have their homes destroyed. In addition to communal pressure, the security situation continues to deteriorate due to the influx of foreign militants who have pledged allegiance to ISIS. And the radical Islamic Taliban have also increased in strength; at...

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[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]The new official statistic is that there are more than 5,000 multisite churches in North America. That’s more than 5,000 different churches, each of which has two or more different geographic campuses – one church in two or more locations. This finding was extrapolated from a national survey of churches of all sizes, and validated by Leadership Network’s constantly growing database of multisite churches.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]What grew in popularity initially among megachurches has now expanded to churches of all sizes, especially those with attendances of 500 and larger. Back in 2001, Leadership Network looked high and low and found fewer than 200 documented examples of multisite — and we likely found almost all that existed in North America. By 2006, Leadership Network’s database had grown to 1,500 specific examples. As I researched this growing movement, and as Leadership Network created peer networks of the pacesetting churches in this embryo movement, we discovered an incredible level of interest – by church planters, large churches, and many types of churches in between. We reported the first wave of these pioneers in The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations, by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird, published in 2006.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]When I co-authored a second book on the multisite moment, The Multi-Site Road Trip, published in 2009, I suggested the subtitle, “exploring the new normal.” At that point, the research suggested there were 3,000 multisite churches. As the growth has now mushroomed to 5,000 and beyond, multisite is truly a “new normal” in cities large and small, urban and suburban and even rural. Today it's hard to find a church leadership conference that doesn't deal with some aspect of multisite.

This rapid rate of growth for the number of multisite now outnumbers and outpaces the number of megachurches (churches with 2,000 or more in weekly attendance). By 1970 approximately 50 megachurches existed in the U.S., growing to 150 by 1980, 300 in 1990, over 600 by 2000 and then doubled to roughly 1,200 by 2005. As of 2012 an estimated 1,650 megachurches exist in the United States and Canada.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1516030844407{padding-top: 25px !important;}"]Leadership Network's research has underscored many of the benefits of being multisite:

Multisite churches reach more people than single site churches.
Multisite tends to spread healthy churches to more diverse communities.
Multisite churches have more volunteers in service as a percentage than single site.

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In this episode, we’re joined by the Director for Digital Strategy and User Experience (UX) of Moody Radio. Nils and Nick discuss with Yvonne the unique work she is doing at Moody Radio and more strategies as they look into what lies ahead in the digital world.

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Shownotes to The Future of Digital Radio with Yvonne Carlson: Podcast 264

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In this episode, we’re joined by the vlogging pastor of Passion Creek Church, Arizona, Trey Van Camp. Nils and Trey talk about Trey’s humble beginnings, the creative process he uses for his vlogs, and more about the “Vlog Your Ministry” course he is launching especially for pastors. Plus, there is a FREE video training announcement at the end of the podcast!

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Shownotes to The Vlogging Pastor with Trey Van Camp: Podcast 263

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In this episode, we’re joined by long time friend of the SMC Podcast and the Online Pastor of Saddleback Church, Jay Kranda. Jay and Nils discuss online church communities, the Churchome Global app, and the opportunities and challenges that come along with these.

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Shownotes to Catching Up with Jay Kranda and Talking About Churchome Global: Podcast 262

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In this episode, we’re joined by a long-time online friend and the new Online Campus Pastor of CCV SoCal, Aaron Magnuson. Aaron shares with us the ministry opportunities made available through social media and technology, and his plans to maximize these resources in his new role.

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Shownotes to Getting Started as an Online Campus Pastor with Aaron Magnuson: Podcast 261

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As 2018 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to highlight the resources that you and thousands of leaders like you found most valuable for your ministries. We’re running this post a little early this year as some of these resources will be important to you as you make plans and set budgets for the coming year. The best part for you: 5 out of the 6 top resources for 2018 are FREE.

Without further ado, here are our Top 6 Resources for 2018!

1 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Report Executive Summary (Free Download)

It should come as no surprise that our bi-annual report on large church salary, staffing and benefits was the most downloaded resource we published in 2018. As of this writing, this report was downloaded by almost 3000 leaders across North America.

The report, titled 7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation – Findings from the Large Church Salary, Staff and Benefits Survey (whew!), outlines key insights from fresh research based on survey responses from more than 1000 large churches.

Want to stay current on large church compensation trends? Click or tap the banner below to grab your copy.

2 - Multisite Latest Trends 2018 (Free Download)

Our most recent multisite report, titled Latest Multisite Trends: How a New Generation of Pastors Is Shifting to Strategies that Reproduce and Multiply (we love long titles!), is part of a 2017 research project conducted in partnership with Portable Church. This free report illustrates the various ways younger leaders are envisioning, planning and multiplying leaders and congregations throughout North America.

To get some insight into the thinking of the next generation of multisite leaders, click or tap on the banner below.

3 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Tables (Premium Product)

Due to the popularity of our large church compensation research, our third most popular resource for 2018 is a premium product for executive level leaders: our Large Church Compensation Tables. Each compensation table package is based on an attendance range selected. It covers up to 30 top roles, but looks at those roles through three different lenses:

by church attendance by church budget by number of church staff

The data in this resource represents 13,039 employees from 1,045 large churches in the U.S. and Canada, and is the most comprehensive, large church salary table package available.

To learn more about our compensation tables, click or tap on the banner below.

4 - Senior Pastor Role in Discipling High Capacity Givers (Free Download)

Most churches struggle to engage and disciple the people of wealth in their pews. These are people in your congregation whom God has entrusted for spiritual development and soul shaping beyond the questions of how they handle their wealth. This eBook, sponsored by Empower Generosity, shows leaders 3 critical areas of focus for the senior pastor in moving high-capacity givers in your church from potential donors to fully-devoted disciples.

Download this free resource below.

5 - 10 Truths of Churches that Do a Great Job at Leadership Development (Free Download)

When we talk with or survey church leaders, leadership development is consistently one of their top concerns, regardless of the size of the church. The greatest limitation on tomorrow’s plans is the inability of churches to identify, engage, develop and deploy capable leaders today. This free resource, which began as a short series of blogs by our DIrector of Leadership Development, Brent Dolfo, is based on insights from helping more than 100 large churches develop a strategic framework for leadership development.

Want to improve your culture and strategy for developing leaders at all levels? Download this resource by clicking or tapping the banner below.

6 - Big Data Helps Churches Do 5 Things Amazingly Well (Blog Post)

Over the years at Leadership Network we’ve recognized that every thriving and multiplying church has become really good at five things.

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In this episode, we’re once again joined by my good friend, media producer, consultant and author, Phil Cooke. Phil shares with us significant steps that are key to getting the most out of creativity and has a special surprise announcement toward the end of the episode.

You can also check out Podcast 246 Leading Creatives with Phil Cooke: http://www.socialmedia.church/podcast/leading-creatives-with-phil-cooke-podcast-246

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Growing as a Creative with Phil Cooke: Podcast 260

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In this episode, Nick Runyon and Nils Smith talk about three of the biggest leaders in the technology space today–Facebook, Google and Apple, and look into whether they are “friends” or “enemies” of the church, and more about what roles they play for churches to thrive.

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Shownotes to Are Facebook, Google and Apple Friends of the Church?: Podcast 259

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As you probably know, only 20% of churches exceed 200 in average attendance. And likewise, a large percentage of staff-led and lay-led ministries within a church hit a growth cap.

Why? What needs to happen in the leader's head to develop a vision for taking a church or ministry to new levels? Then what structures and systems (such as moving from "single cell" to "multiple cell") need to be in place for people to be cared for and spiritually challenged at every organizational size?

I believe you'll find very practical insight from How to Break Growth Barriers: Revise Your Role, Release Your People, and Capture Overlooked Opportunities for Your Church by Carl F. George and Warren Bird. This is actually a newly updated and expanded version of an earlier book with a similar title, but it sold so well, and the principles remained so relevant, that the publisher commissioned a new version. In fact, when Carey Nieuwhof did a podcast on the updated book, it became his top-listened-to podcast for 2017 with over 75,000 downloads, and was so well received that in October 2018 he re-broadcast his podcast interview with Carl George and Warren Bird. You can find the podcast here.

The authors, Carl F. George, one of North America's premier church growth consultants, and Leadership Network's former Director of Research (and now senior fellow) Dr. Warren Bird, show pastors how to communicate a vision for the future and then how to lead the congregation into the paradigms necessary for potentially limitless growth.

It's designed for:

Leaders wanting to break the 200, 400, 800, 2000, etc. barriers Leaders training others in how to break those size and growth barriers

The strategies found in this book are not only tried and true, and taken from a biblical perspective of a "harvest" vision, but they're also newly updated to reflect our changing culture, including helpful charts and checklists for self-evaluation.

To learn more or to order this book:

Or to do likewise from Amazon.com:

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In our most recent FREE report “Seven Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation” (available at this link), the second finding deals with the percentage of church budget that goes to staffing.

In this post I want to elaborate on several Frequently Asked Questions I get in this regard.

First, the overall average was 52% across the 1000 plus churches that responded to the survey. BUT ALWAYS BEWARE OF AVERAGES!

The figure is the total percentage of all dollars expended divided by the total income of the church. Note below for the challenge that creates for some churches.

Previous readers of my posts know that averages generally deceive you because causal readers assign them to be normative. Averages are only one guide when looking at these types of issues. We also provide percentiles for these percentages by church size in the free report. But even those can be deceptive.

Second, notice that across all the church sizes the figure is remarkably consistent at around that number. A few size ranges are higher, and a few are lower. So, for example, the 50th percentile at a church 3000-3999 in attendance is 53%, while the 50th percentile for churches 500-1000 is also right 52% for US churches. There are slight adjustments at churches that are very large, but very little.

Third, the challenge for many churches is they look at total staffing costs = salaries (and perhaps housing), and don’t include other compensation costs such as insurances and other benefits. We attempted in the way we specifically asked questions this time around to get the TOTAL of all dollars that go to supporting staff in the church.

Fourth, the report asked for staff members: “What do you pay them all in?” (or we computed with benefit ratios for those that did not.) We then asked the previous year’s actual 12 month income to compute the figure.

In my experience, some churches look at this in a different way. They look at what they set as a congregationally approved BUDGET of income and expenses instead of actual. For example, the church may have a stated goal BUDGET income of $4,000,000 for the coming year. They then add up all the staffing costs and compare that to the total. For instance, let’s say they set all compensation at $2,000,000 making their staffing percentage 50%.

But then reality hits and that year their income was closer to $3,600,000 instead of the goal of $ 4M. Their actual percentage which makes their actual percentage closer to the 56% range.

To make matters more interesting the church leadership continues to believe and proclaim that they spend no more than 50%. Churches are funny about that sometimes.

In my next post I will state why I think focusing on these figures is a little misleading on the whole anyway. But we get asked this question a lot and did want to provide some insight to your questions.

You can get the FREE overarching report “Seven Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation” at leadnet.org/salary. Also on that page you can learn about our other reports to help your church set compensation at appropriate levels for your team.

If I can help address your questions, feel free to drop me a line at dave.travis@leadnet.org.

This article was originally posted in Leadership Network Advance. Not a subscriber? Get access to research, reports, trends, and more by subscribing to Leadership Network Advance here.

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In this episode, analytics consultant and creator of Viz.Bible Robert Rouse joins Nick Runyon as they talk about how the concepts of data visualization and business intelligence play huge roles in churches and ministries today.

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Shownotes to Intersecting Art and Analytics with Robert Rouse of Viz.Bible and Nick Runyon: Podcast 258

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The question came from one of our clients: What policies do churches put in place for staff wanting to take on “extra jobs?”

Brent Dolfo on our team began to poll a few clients to find their answers. The case Brent heard was specific and particularized to a few staff that had outside business endeavors and multiple speaking opportunities. We also began to curate thoughts from numerous conversations over the years with lead and executive pastors on this and similar topics.

This article serves to form a few generalizations for thinking about this issue. In the coming weeks we will turn this into a downloadable resource that leaders can use as a guide to develop their own policies for staff members. At the end of this post you can sign up to be notified when the resource is ready.

First, a few caveats: Leadership Network or the author is not providing any legal advice or counsel. All employment agreements and policies should be cleared with the church’s attorney. This post is merely descriptive based on a review of current churches policies and conversations with leaders. Every state/province could have rules that prohibit churches from interfering with an employee’s choice in these matters whereas other states/provinces could allow some restrictions.

Some Historical Context It is only in the past 100 years we have seen the advent of multiplication of paid staff positions, even in larger churches. While large churches had 100 years ago had building personnel and administrative staff, key positions that are now full time pastoral or director staff, were once the province of volunteers.

Let’s remember that most churches in the U.S. and Canada have a long tradition of bi-vocational ministry. I these cases ministry leaders were expected to pay their primary bills from other work and ministry was a calling that received some remuneration but not really a “full-time” job. This paper does not address the thousands of pastors who serve in this way across God’s kingdom. We support their efforts. Even today many large churches have dozens of part-time staff that do the work with gladness while employed elsewhere to provide for their needs.

We are instead addressing those larger churches of scale which have dozens of full-time staff and have asked the above question.

Today we live in a different time. Many of the larger churches we serve have large full-time staffs. Some of those are provided for with adequate salary, benefits and working conditions.

Let us assume that all churches are paying adequate living compensations for staff in line with their role, workload and comparable pay. In other words, the “extra side gigs” are not done because the compensations are inadequate to provide for a typical family.

Note: If you need help there, go to our recently released Leadership Network Compensation survey products at www.leadnet.org/salary.

Let us also assume we are talking primarily about full time pastoral staff and key ministry directors who receive full time pay and benefits from the church. In some cases, the same standards apply to administrative assistant roles as well where a full-time agreement is in place. Three Stances on Outside Work In general, after reviewing the policies and from numerous conversations over the years with Lead and Executive pastors we see three basic stances:

Discouraged: This stance holds that being on the staff of this church is an honor and privilege. Because we expect pastors and key staff to be available almost 100% of the time to conduct ministry and key functions that cannot be covered by anyone else. In these cases, the church discourages any outside income producing activity.

Permitted: This stance holds that it is allowed with proper permission and guidelines. It becomes an issue between team member, their supervisor and the leadership of the church. The guidelines vary greatly among the churches. This will be discussed later but the issues do arise when there seems to be inconsistencies...

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In this episode, innovation marketing consultant James Poulter joins Nils Smith as they take the discussion of Alexa further into the roles, opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in churches and ministries.

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Shownotes to The Future of Alexa and Artificial Intelligence with James Poulter: Podcast 257

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Leadership Network’s work with innovative pastors regularly pairs us with megachurches. Indeed, in recent years no one has done more megachurch research than us.Thought leader @lensweet recently tweeted “No one knows more about the megachurch than @warrenbird.” (By definition, megachurches are Protestant congregations that draw 2,000 or more to weekly worship.)

We are also quick to affirm the importance and strategic role of smaller churches. Many are pacesetters in evangelism, missional connections and compassion ministries. We and other researchers have much to learn from them.

But what about megachurch researchers who are not connected with Leadership Network? Do their findings square with Leadership Network’s megachurch biases? In a recent “mystery church shopper” report, megachurches fared quite well. Hard research is likewise affirming. National studies like FACT, USCLS and NCS touch on megachurches, but two others drew enough large church participants to reach significant conclusions:

Rodney Stark of Baylor University compared churches with attendances under 100 against those over 1,000, reporting it in What Americans Really Believe. He sought to determine whether large or small congregations provide a better religious experience – see the two infographics which highlight a number of his findings. He concludes that the “mile wide and inch deep” accusations of megachurches, taken as a whole, lack a research base.
Barna Research wrote “How Faith Varies by Church Size.” Its study found attenders of large churches were more likely than those engaged in a small or mid-sized congregation to give an orthodox biblical response – such as that Jesus led a sinless life, the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches, Satan is not merely symbolic but exists, God is the all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe, etc. Further, on seven of the eight behavioral measures, attenders of large churches scored substantially better than those of small churches. Activities included attending church in the past week, reading the Bible in the past week, and volunteering at their church in the past week. The average difference related to the seven behaviors was 17 percentage points.

Dave Travis, co-author of Megachurch Myths and CEO of Leadership Network, is not surprised by these findings. “Large churches and small churches are both valid expressions of Christian discipleship. But the fiercest critics of larger churches poke at them without data from those that actually attend them. Most of the data cited in this blog tends to show how literally millions of Americans find large church expressions of church life vital, renewing and life giving for their spiritual journeys,” he says. For more from Dave Travis on larger churches, see also What’s Next? A Look Over the Next Hill for Innovative Churches and Their Leaders.

For other installments in this "megachurch" series see www.leadnet.org/megachurch and www.leadnet.org/world.

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In this episode, Kenny Jahng joins Nils Smith and shares his takeaways from the recent Grow with Video Live Conference with our friend Sean Cannell in Las Vegas. Learn about the value of video and why investing in it matters significantly in the growth of ministries.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Kenny Jahng’s Takeaways from the Grow with Video Conference: Podcast 256

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(Recently featured in Leadership Network Advance.)

We were all stunned by the death of Lead Pastor Andrew Stoecklein from California. Pastor Stocklein’s wife wrote an incredible tribute to her husband on her blog and I posted it to my personal Facebook page. The response was overwhelming. I was encouraged by the compassion people shared.

I sensed, though, that Leadership Network needed to also have some sort of response. As an organization, we are all about leadership in the church and growing churches, but we consistently remind ourselves that if we aren’t growing healthy churches, and encouraging healthy church leaders, all of our work will be in vain.

I asked one of our board members, Mindy Caliguire, to put some thoughts together for us. Mindy has a long background serving the church. In 1998 Mindy founded Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase “soul health” in the body of Christ. She works at the intersection of spiritual formation and leadership. Here are a few words from Mindy: My passion for leader’s souls began many years ago as I emerged from my own confusing and ultimately life-giving journey of soul recovery amidst ten years planting a church in Boston. My husband suffered greatly as well, and in different ways. My symptoms presented physiologically, but his went deep into the mind as my “golden boy” high-achieving husband could no longer get out of bed, shake fear and paranoia, or control his anger. We had no idea back then what depression was… only that it probably shouldn’t be something that pastors and church leaders experienced. But there we were. Only a very few people were close enough to know something wasn’t right. Our family pictures looked very much like those of Andrew and Kayla. My heart breaks for them. Our recovery has been slow and studded with divine intervention along a rocky path. But we are still taking family pictures, and for this i am incredibly grateful. And humbled, as I consider how the story might otherwise have gone with either of us. Truth is, we really don’t know what to do with the anxiety we feel such scary levels of anxiety in ourselves or others. There are no pat answers, no simplistic ways through or around. We can merely create time and space to be present to other’s pain. Or even our own. But it matters that we do this simple thing. That we remain engaged. Over many years I’ve talked with many leaders about the wellbeing of their souls. Countless stories of darkness and despair in the midst of ministry. I also hear stories of light, but they are more rare. My deep prayer is that this narrative would change greatly, and soon. There is too much at stake. I am glad that the topic of mental health is gaining awareness for our population at large. I hope those who follow Jesus might lead the charge in raising awareness and offering true support and guidance, not additional shame or shallow answers to million dollar questions. Many individuals and organizations are doing this very thing, whether from a ministry, therapeutic, or spiritual formation perspective. And it’s vital that those in need reach out--sooner than later. If you or someone close to you may be struggling, there are many immediate resources. Anxiety can creep up easily, with the Mayo Clinic list of symptoms reading like a typical day in a pastor’s life. As I shared my reaction to the tragic loss of Lead Pastor Andrew Stoeckleim, my son mentioned that it reminded him of one of his favorite spoken word artists, Levi the Poet. Perhaps you are familiar with Levi’s work. I’ll admit, some of Levi’s stuff is pretty edgy, but I remember where I was when Jeffrey first played a particular track of Levi’s spoken word poetry for me in our home last year. I all but fell apart. Jeffrey tells me that Levi’s dad was a pastor, whose mental illness led to suicide. It’s raw, real, and shows us the true heart shared by many in our churches and in church leadership.

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This is the final post in this series on creating a culture of radical generosity in your church. If you missed the first two posts in this series, click or tap on the links below:

How Do You Create a Culture of Radical Generosity in Your Church? | Part 1

How Do You Create a Culture of Radical Generosity in Your Church? | Part 2

In this final post, I wrap up the last two questions you and your team should work through together to build a strong culture of generosity in your church.

Here goes.

Questions #5: Are we nailing the offering time?

Don’t underestimate how important this is. I spent 18 years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. I did major donor development. I did a lot of fundraising. Of course, in order to do that work, I had to go to the people who funded the work that I was a part of, writing letters, visiting. In the church, the people that fund the work of our ministry come to us every single week and sit down to listen to what we have to say, and yet we squander those opportunities. Especially on the weekend when we do the offering. For so many of us, that offering time is just an afterthought: “Now's the time in our service when the blah, blah, blahs will come forward. We're going to continue to worship God by giving back to him a portion of what God has entrusted to us.” Typically, there is some rote language that you do without thinking about it.

One of the cool ways to do it, believe it or not (again this is a tip I picked up from Dave Ferguson at Community Christian) is to do a monthly theme. At Community Christian their offering time (they call it the “giving back to God time,” which I think is kind of cool) might go something like this: “Hey, all during the month of April as we get to our giving back to God time, we're talking about how giving produces faith in the giver.” Then maybe they'll share a verse. Maybe the next week, they'll show a story of someone who's giving helped grow them in their faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe another time, there'll be some sort of an opportunity for people to give and step out in faith. They keep reiterating and rehearsing the faith theme each week during that month. Then the next month, they do a new theme.

Question #6: Are our staff and leaders growing in giving?

Generous churches are led by generous leaders. If you have people in your church in leadership positions who are not intentionally growing in this area of generosity and stewardship in giving, you got problems. Here’s what it looks like.

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For those of you that have already read our Free Compensation Survey Summary Report, 7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation, you noticed the findings about Per Capita Giving embedded in a discussion on whether the growth of the church influences compensation. You can check the report for the answer to that specific question. Download the report here: 7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation. The table, entitled “When Annual Growth Rate Increases, So do Pay Raises,” shows the per capita giving based on church size range. For the purposes of our analysis, the per capita figure was calculated by dividing total giving by worship average attendance. A few points to make there:

That is the most accurate way to do this to get a comparison across a wide range of churches in a survey format. Based on feedback we know lots of people measure it different ways. Some tell us they measure it by only looking at total giving divided by households that actually give during the year. In some cases that makes the per capita look like DOUBLE or TRIPLE the number shown in the survey data. You have to remember that in many churches almost half the attenders give no recordable contributions. Some don’t look at average worship attendance, but instead look at it by those that attended at any point during a year. We all feel we know people are attending less frequently on a weekend basis, and those that work it out this way calculate a different per capita. (Usually lower per capita) Some want to look at it as only examining what comes through regular giving channels that are recorded. This means those that give electronically, by check, or other means by which a giving statement can be developed and recorded. They desire to exclude “cash offerings” that are unrecorded or attributed to one person. (On a percentage basis though these tend to be small in large churches.)

Just keep that in mind as you look at the data. I had a call from someone who challenged our figures as being too low for a large church, but instead, their method of calculation was different from our survey. Don't Get Fooled in Your Giving Analysis Having briefed you on the formula used in our analysis, when you read down the right-hand column you will see that certain size ranges have slightly different “per capita” numbers. The highest tend to be in the smallest size category we studied, 500-999, almost $300 more per capita than the largest size category.

But here is the kicker for me. COMMENTARY: Per capita is the wrong way to look at this.

As to the table in the report, it has little impact on the pay raise, which is really the point of the table.

The call from a church leader helps explain the point I am trying to make:

“We are trying to set our budget and feel the best way to project what we expect next year is to take the per capita number and multiply that by our average attendance projection. But even when we do that our giving would have to grow significantly.”

In some cases that is very well true.

But in many other cases I think that per capita will fool you every time. Instead, I encourage churches to be more sophisticated in the analysis of those that give through their church. Instead of looking at totals, look at the “bands” of giving.

How many give a total of over certain thresholds throughout the year?

I will leave it to you to set the thresholds. Should they be $10,000 an up, $5000-9999, $4000-$4999, etc? Again, I will leave it to you to find what is meaningful there.

Here is one of the things you will find: A large percentage of your attenders don’t give anything, or anything that is recordable.

A good percentage gives consistently at a similar level every year. Direct quote here:

Congregant: “I started tithing $100 a week 10 years ago and I have always been consistent.”

Me: “Has your income changed?”

Congregant: “It’s higher now but at least I am consistent.”

You get the point. Think About Growth, Not Just Giving

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In this episode, Social Media Church legends DJ Chuang and Kenny Jahng join Nils Smith as they revisit what online churches were five years ago, and what they are today. Learn about the significant trends, changes and challenges in the world of online churches, and how they are valuable to you and your ministry as well.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Catching up with Social Media Church Legends DJ Chuang and Kenny Jahng: Podcast 255

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If you missed the first post in this series on radical generosity in large churches, click or tap on this link to read: How Do You Create a Culture of Radical Generosity in Your Church? | Part 1. In this post I unpack the first of 6 questions you and your team should work through together to build a strong culture of generosity in your church.

Let’s dive into the next two questions.

Question #3: Are we modeling good stewardship?

This is so important. It is so important for pastors to realize that generous churches are led by generous leaders and we need to model that we are also being generous with the resources that God has entrusted to us. That modeling goes in a couple of ways: 1) how we are spending the dollars that God is entrusted to us and then 2) how we are releasing them into ministry elsewhere.

Are you spending money in a way that is wise and is good stewardship? Do the people in your congregation know that and see that?

It's possible that you're spending money wisely and well but you're not telling anyone. You're not providing information or reports or data that can show them a model of good stewardship.

What?

Another thing to keep in mind is your staff. I think Andy Stanley put it this way,

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Last month, Leadership Network released our latest editions of the Large Church Compensation Reports. On our updated salary page you will see LOTS of choices. Those aren’t meant to confuse you, but rather to let you choose the mix of the reports that are best for you. There are three things you need to understand about our products.

First, for LARGER churches, we are the leader in providing, analyzing and supplying data for large church decision makers. We began doing informal surveys of staff salaries in 1995, and began formally collecting and publishing data in 2001 due to the high volume of requests from church leaders.

Every other year we have published summary reports and other data so that church leadership teams can make wise decisions.

When we say larger churches, we mean those that average at least 500 in worship attendance weekly. However, our data sets contains more churches over 1000, and more churches over 2000, than any other set. We have not only current year data, but longitudinal data over many years now.

If your church is below 500 in attendance, there are other, better surveys that can probably serve your needs.

Second, we collect not only compensation data, but extensive information about raises, income for churches, and other practices.

Third, and most importantly, each year we listen to feedback from prior years purchasers and users to build the current and future reports. For example, after feedback from users, we shifted to asking for “total compensation” instead of just salary. Church decision makers, governing boards and staff, wanted an easy way to look at “what this position costs the church.” This helps normalize the various levels of benefits that some churches offer.

While some professional compensation folks from industry and business may object to this method, we feel this fits better for churches who have things like housing allowances and other factors to examine. So which of the reports available now are best for you? Useful for All Churches Our FREE summary report: “7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation – Findings from the Large Church Salary, Staff and Benefits Survey.” Dr. Warren Bird found both interesting and useful findings that help give context and overarching information that are needed for understanding.

Our Most Requested Product The “2018 Compensation Tables: Are You Paying Your Church Staff too Much? Too Little? Or Just Right? Get the Right Answer!” is a paid product and you buy it by church size. It includes tables for all roles on which we gathered data not only by church attendance, but also by income and number of staff with ways you can adjust the data for your particular geography. If you purchase it now we also include an extra bonus of a bundle of campus pastor job descriptions.

The report gives you the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles for each role for the three different factors. Decision makers have 9 data points for each role PLUS the cost of living calculator for all the roles.

Our New Product – Greater Confidence for Compensation Oversight The Tailored Compensation Report is a custom report that is done in consultation with the church. It includes data from over 2000 churches and over 23,000 individual salaries across the country. Based on a data sheet provided by the church, we run a custom report with the closest data points to your church for the requested roles. Each report also provides suggestions as to how to bring your church’s compensation up to current standards, as well as a qualified letter as to reasonable tests regarding your compensation amounts.

Beyond these reports we maintain our relationship with Vanderbloemen Search Group for even more custom work. Perhaps you are seeking an analysis not only of compensation but various grades and steps within roles. Several of our friends have wanted extensive analysis and work for various multisite situations. Vanderbloemen Search is the exact right source for working with your team to figure...

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In continuation to the podcast on Learning from Facebook, Nick Runyon shares the remaining ten out of the 20 learnings he gained from his recent visits to Facebook’s California and Texas offices. Learn more about how these insights can help you and your ministry thrive.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Learning from Facebook Part 2: Podcast 254

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For me, when I'm thinking about who in my life has modeled generosity for me, it's somebody that my wife Susan and I met many, many years ago when we were raising money to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. We met a man, his name is Mr. Johnson, who was a rose grower. He had a huge rose-growing outfit. In fact, he would always give Susan a couple of dozen roses whenever we would meet him (which it's a little bit weird when someone gives your wife roses, but he was 85. So I thought if it came to that, I could probably handle myself with him).

Having a conversation with Mr. Johnson was very memorable for me because I asked him why it was that he was so generous. His answer was compelling, too. Mr. Johnson sort of sat back and said, “It seems to me that the Lord has been very good to my family and me.” Then he said this, “The more I give, the more the Lord blesses me.” It wasn't like he had made some sort of quid pro quo prosperity gospel deal with God. It was more a genuine, sincere recognition that God is a generous God and that he has been blessed to be a blessing to others. It was really a cool moment for me.

For the past 10-plus years, I've worked with leaders to try to help them understand what it takes to create a culture of generosity and stewardship and giving in their churches. Through this series of blog posts I want to share a few of the things that I've learned from working with hundreds of churches over those years. I’ve framed these as six questions that you'll want to ask yourself or ask your team as you are working to cultivate generosity and stewardship in your church.

Also, at the end of each post I’ll recommend resources and experiences that could benefit you as you lead your church along this journey of generosity. Question #1: What do we believe about giving? One of the things we need to get straight is that generosity and stewardship are not exactly the same thing. Have you noticed that the word “generosity” has become kind of the flavor of the month? Everybody's using the word generosity but no one is using the word “stewardship.” I believe this is really unfortunate because, frankly, they don't mean the same thing. They're not synonyms for one another.

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Join Nick Runyon as he shares the first ten out of the 20 learnings he gained from his recent visits to Facebook’s California and Texas offices. Learn what these insights mean especially for you and your ministry.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Learning from Facebook Part I: Podcast 253

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Larry's original interview appeared on the Harper Collins blog: Lead Like A Shepherd: The Secret to Leading Well. We are reposting with permission.

What makes leading like a shepherd so important? Why do you consider it the secret to leading well?

One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is that a leader’s ethos and attitude toward the flock he or she leads is ultimately a game changer. It’s far more important than any particular strategy or tactics used.

When Jesus contrasted the different responses to danger between a shepherd and a hireling he was in essence pointing out the importance of leading from a shepherd’s perspective. The best tactics with a hireling’s heart never works out in the long run.

What’s the primary difference between a shepherd’s perspective and a hireling’s perspective?

That’s easy. If I’m a genuine shepherd, it’s all about the sheep. If I’m a hireling, it’s all about me, my personal fulfilment, my rewards, and even my career path. Jesus said that a hireling flees when danger shows up. I’d add that a modern-day hireling also runs whenever a bigger flock shows up with a better offer.

Few of us have actually grown up around sheep. Can you give us an example of something that most of us are likely to miss when it comes to leading like a shepherd?

A real-life shepherd has to constantly navigate the tension between being a forceful and strong leader and gently adapting to the fragile weaknesses and limitations of the individual sheep. The 23rd Psalm gives a great example of that when it speaks of our Lord making us lie down in green pastures and leading us beside still waters.

Like many, I conjured up an image of an idyllic setting, the kind of place I’d grab a book or take a nap. I thought it described the abundant care and blessings the Lord provides.

But in reality, the green pastures and quiet waters illustrate something completely different. They illustrate one of the great tensions of godly leadership; the need to be both strong and tender at the same time.

When a shepherd “makes” the flock lie down, even when the pastures are green and lush, it’s obviously something the sheep don’t want to do. That’s what the word “makes” means. And no one applauds or appreciates being made to do something they don’t want to do. But a good shepherd won’t care because it’s about the sheep, not our popularity.

On the other hand, sheep are spooked by running water. They won’t drink from a moving stream even though the water is fresher and better for them. A hireling would probably berate the sheep for their unfounded and inconvenient fear. After all, there’s no way they are going to be swept away or drown when he’s standing by with staff in hand.

But a wise and good shepherd knows that sometimes it better to adapt to their fears and weaknesses than to make them do what’s convenient for the shepherd. So he either finds a spot where the water is still or dams it up himself.

You’ve said that Lead Like A Shepherd is different than any of your previous leadership books. What’s unique about this one?

I tend to alternate between writing about leadership and discipleship because I see them as two sides of the same coin. Leadership without discipleship is a waste of time. But a heart for discipleship without an understanding of leadership is just a pipedream. Which is why most of my previous leadership books focused on the tactics of healthy leadership.

But this one is different. It deals primarily with the heart and values of a healthy leader. I find that too often today our spiritual leadership resembles that of a cowboy or a CEO more than a biblical shepherd.

—Larry Osborne, Lead Like a Shepherd: The Secret to Leading Well

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In partnership with gloo. After months of surveying, collecting data, crunching numbers, and careful analysis, the latest, most comprehensive large church compensation research project has concluded and is ready for release!

Dr. Warren Bird and his team collected salary and benefits information from 1,045 large churches in the United States and Canada. Data on more than 13,000 staff was analyzed and layered with data from additional sources to provide church leaders with the most fair and competent benchmarking offered anywhere. 3 Ways to Leverage the Data There are three ways you can access and use the data from the 2018 research project:

1 - The FREE Executive Summary Report: 7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation.

The free executive summary includes insights centered around seven key questions:

What were the most recent annual pay raises? What percent of church budget goes to staffing costs, and how does that change with church size? How does rate of a church’s growth (or lack of growth) affect compensation? Does being multisite increase the senior pastor’s pay? Do founding pastors earn more than successor pastors? How does local cost of living affect pastoral compensation? Who gets paid highest? How far away is the #2 person from the top person’s pay level?

Our goal is to help church leaders, especially those of innovative larger churches, who want to learn from each other’s practices and build healthier systems for their church. This report highlights our latest landmark study of large-church compensation. This will be a useful document for pastors, ministry leaders, elders, board members, or any other key decision makers in the church.

To download the free executive summary report, click or tap on the button below to be taken to the download page:

2 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Tables

Are you paying your church staff too much? Too little? Or just right? Just as it is in the secular workplace, it’s important that churches know they are competitive, while at the same time being good stewards of valuable resources. Rather than guessing, our custom compensation tables help you get the right answer. Each compensation table package is based on an attendance range you select. It covers up to 30 top roles, looking at those roles through three different lenses:

by church attendance by church budget by number of church staff

We recommend churches and their governing bodies review this information every few years.

Each table provides information on a specific salary range for each role: 25th percentile, 50th percentile (median), and 75th percentile. In addition, we point you to census data with guidance on how you can calculate cost of living adjustments for your specific area. To learn more about our custom compensation tables, click or tap on the button below:

3 - Custom-Tailored Compensation Report

This is our most comprehensive and directly applicable resource for churches.

Every church is unique. If you are looking for compensation data that is customized for your church, we can create a special report tailored just for your situation. Your individualized report will provide your team with analysis of the specific roles you want to check against other peers. Your tailored report will draw from almost 20,000 different individual salaries from large churches in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition, Leadership Network will use several other data sources to provide your oversight team with what it needs to gain clarity in tailoring compensation packages for your unique situation. These include geography, size of ministry, and other factors necessary to do fair, competent benchmarking.

To learn more about our tailored compensation report, click or tap on the button below:

Have questions about any of our salary-related products? Email us at research@leadnet.org so we can best serve you.

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Dr. Warren Bird recently announced that he has some big news, Warren, what’s your news?

After a great 13-year run with Leadership Network, I’ve become Vice President of Research and Equipping for the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA).

How big a jump is this?

It feels like the same family. Leadership Network is an ECFA member. You and ECFA President Dan Busby have a long relationship, and you’re on ECFA’s Church Board of Reference. The two organizations have collaborated in many ways. What I did for Leadership Network, I’m excited to do with new frontiers for ECFA—and more!

You did a lot of research FOR churches and the kingdom in the last years, what do you think was your most important finding in your years of research with us?

We learned that large-church pastors tend to be 1.5 inches taller than the average person their age, and that they eat 4 out of 7 dinners with their families each week.

Seriously, beyond numerous factoids and trends (many found at leadnet.org/megachurch), we debunked a lot of stereotypes, such as the one that most large churches are a mile wide and inch deep. Instead, we found large churches raising the bar of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We documented ways they’re pushing the edges as they look for new ways to connect the timeless, unchanging message of Jesus with an ever-changing culture.

What did your research uncover about Leadership Network itself?

As I surveyed leading practices and benchmarks of pacesetting, innovative churches, especially of Leadership Network’s several hundred core clients, I found that leaders drawn to Leadership Network don’t always match the norms of all leaders, even those serving churches of similar size and budget.

Leadership Network-connected churches are more likely to be growing, more recently founded, and to be multisite—and with more campuses at that. They’re more likely to have a pastor who’s younger but has been there longer, but also to have a lower general fund budget. Yet their salary levels are a bit higher. (And by the way, Leadership Network just released my final projects—our 2018 large church salary report, with accompanying products like compensation tables.)

Looking back, what is the biggest breakthrough you feel you helped uncover, and why?

Multisite. I remember sitting in a church basement with representatives of leading churches across North America, all of whom were beginning to explore the idea we today call multisite. They were talking about how to prevent people who didn’t attend the “main campus” from feeling like second-class citizens (the actual term the person used was “chopped liver”). One pastor said in response, “We call it ‘the face with the place’ “—and he went on to describe what today we call a campus or location pastor. You could have heard a pin drop as you could imagine the idea clicking for everyone present.

We helped spread ideas like that in my research, we sponsored most of the initial multisite conferences, we published the two initial books on multisite, and we otherwise resourced and helped accelerate something big that God was up to.

What was the best research project you conducted, and why?

I usually feel that my most recent project is my best one! My favorite was our research on internships and residencies, which was our most popular download in 2017 (see leadnet.org/intern)

What’s the thing you feel will be remembered for a decade to come, and why?

We’ve had the privilege of identifying things that are about to become big, and often the research gets put into a book. Let me name two such topics. Leadership Network funded a huge study of church planting and multiplication, which became Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird. Second, we helped make discussion about pastoral succession feel “normal.” Years ago Leadership Network published Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions.

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By Eric Swanson and Matt Engel

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.” John Wanamaker Jesus, Big Data and the Church Is there something we can learn from Jesus about today's use of big data and the church? Jesus knew something about how good data works. Having access to more and better data, if acted upon, can yield great results.

Peter was in the fishing business. He knew fishing. He was trained to be a fisherman. He wanted to catch fish. What he didn’t know was where the fish were at any point in time or the necessary methodology to catch them. That’s where Jesus’ access to better data comes in.

Early in his ministry (Luke 5:4-6) Jesus gives Peter access to the data he had about the location of receptive fish. “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Though Peter argued, “But Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything,” Jesus gave him the time, location and methodology of catching fish. And Peter caught two boatloads of fish. That was a pretty good payday.

After his resurrection (John 21:5-14) when Jesus found out that Peter again hadn’t caught any fish, he said to Peter, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat.” Sure enough, Peter caught 153 fish. Cha-ching! Time to go to the fish market.

In another incident (Matthew:17:25-27) Jesus told Peter to “go to the lake and throw in a hook. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

All three situations were different—deep water…right side of the boat…nets…a hook…day fishing…night fishing. But all resulted in catching fish.

Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. That's what we want to do…its what we were trained to do. But much of the time our efforts yield little. Too bad Jesus isn’t around to tell us where the fish are biting. Big Data and the Church Truth: Better Data Means Better Fishing But that’s where data comes in. Data simply gives us access to more reality so we can actually match what we do well to people in the community who want what we have to offer or to people in our congregations who want to take their next step of engagement. It’s all about knowing and matching. The more we know the better we can match.

Something to think about:

What data do you think might be helpful in accomplishing your mission as a church? Think about it in these categories:

Attract: What data might be helpful to have to help you know who may be interested in what your church has to offer? Get: What data might be helpful in understanding how to get interested people in the front door of your church? Keep: What data might be helpful to understand what makes people want to stay and be engaged? Grow: What data might be helpful in knowing who wants to grow as a disciple? Multiply: What data might be helpful in knowing who wants to multiply their impact through giving, serving, leading, evangelizing, discipling or advocacy?

How We Can Help: Bringing Big Data and the Church Together Our new Accelerator experiences are built around helping churches leverage big data, analytics, and precision messaging to accomplish their goals. We help you get clarity on what you’re solving for, and provide you with the resources, tools, and connections to get the work done. Accelerators present a next-level approach to learning, planning, and implementation that challenges church leaders to see, think, and do in more effective ways. Accelerators equip teams through:

Leveraging targeted data, analytics, and insights Peer learning experiences, team collaboration, face-to-face mentoring from trusted church and corporate leaders, and online coaching Evaluating multiple models across various industries Rapid prototyping and experimenting Entrepreneurial “future-casting” Implementing several build, measure, learn cycles in “sprints”

To learn more about Accelerators, visit leadnet.

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While Facebook continues to grow globally, younger generations are spending more time on other platforms. Join Nils and Nick in this podcast as they share opinions, trends and tips on how social media can be utilized, especially by ministries, for the coming generations.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to Social Media Trends and the Next Generation: Podcast 252

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If you are looking to learn about multisite, why not learn from the largest multisite corporation in the world? That’s exactly what 10 churches did in May 2018, as we began the second of Leadership Network’s Multisite Accelerators in Bentonville, Arkansas, in the “World Room” above The Walmart Museum. These churches, averaging over 9,000 in weekend worship attendance, over 7 locations each and looking to launch over 50 campuses collectively in the next 5 years, spent time learning about innovation in a flagship Walmart store, hearing from the Executive Vice President and CFO and the Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs, and processing together the future of multisite in the church context.

But how does Walmart Corporation give us insight into the future of church multisite? It’s mostly about engagement--specifically digital engagement. Three years ago Walmart was spending the majority of their capital building “big-box” locations. Recently, that all changed--not by abandoning the “big-box” strategy, but by enhancing it. Another retail giant, Amazon, had been eating up the digital market. The leaders of Walmart realized that although they had mastered physical locations, they had left the digital realm virtually untouched. This year, Walmart will not abandon their store model, they will enhance it with greater focus on things like 2-day shipping, online Grocery ordering, in-store pick-up, Scan and Go checkout and by considering new things like zero-click shopping (you should Google that phenomenon).

Unlike many in the church space who have focused on the potential of digital engagement instead of physical locations, Walmart is focusing on both. People today do not just exist in the digital or physical realm--they exist in both. As church leaders we were challenged to explore what engagement looks like in both areas and how creating a greater online experience can point attenders to opportunities that direct them to their next steps in their walk with Christ or in engagement with the church. Walmart's new focus on "both" revealed how digital enhancement leads to a smoother, more frictionless in-person experience. What can churches take away from this reality? The team from Manna Church in Fayetteville, NC, recognized an opportunity for new families to use online children’s ministry check-in--making their tags available upon arrival to church and skipping the kids check-in line. A small, digital enhancement that can have a tremendous impact on a family's worship experience.

The participating teams also focused on data surrounding research Walmart has done on “The Busy Family.” In collaboration with our data insights partner, gloo, Leadership Network is providing churches in this Accelerator with the ability to leverage data to expand and enhance their community impact. In fact, my own church, Faith Promise in Knoxville, TN, will be using this data to more strategically advertise to the individuals and families surrounding our campuses, allowing us to focus on the individual needs of the families in the communities surrounding each location.

Ultimately, everyone walked away with a greater commitment to innovation, to rapidly prototype and test new ideas using the Accelerator “Build, Measure, Learn” cycle. As an example, Hope City Church in Houston, TX, a three-year-old church serving 10,000 attenders each weekend, is going to explore “pop-up” multisite locations in different communities to test the potential of multisite in areas surrounding their existing campuses.

This 3-day experience was packed with insights as the teams ended their time together by presenting their strategic plans to the Walmart Executives for feedback. Leveraging the power of the Accelerator process alongside the experience and expertise of Walmart’s high-capacity leaders proved a powerful catalyst for each team’s multisite vision. And we’re just getting started! Our next gathering for this group will be at the Fiat Chrysler headquarter...

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Instagram has made some noise this week with its unexpected launch of IG TV. Join Nils and Nick in this podcast as they talk about what opportunities IG TV provides churches with and where this might lead us.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

A Shownotes to IG TV is Here & What This Means for Your Church: Podcast 251

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For Autumn Miles, social media is home. In this episode of the podcast, Nils and Nick are joined by Autumn Miles in a conversation about how social media can be used as an avenue to reach people for Christ and meet the needs of those who need Him most.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Engaging with People on Social Media Conversation with Autumn Miles: Podcast 250

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Being in this world, but not of it – this is what well known Hollywood actor Stephen Baldwin is driven towards. Listen to Nils Smith and Nick Runyon as they talk with Stephen about how he presses forward in his 10-year ministry, charity and other Christ-centered initiatives with boldness.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Discerning Your Calling: Conversation with Stephen Baldwin: Podcast 249

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In this episode of the podcast, Nils and Nick are joined by Nona Jones of Facebook’s faith-based projects and Bishop Joseph Walker of Mt. Zion Church in Nashville. Listen as they talk about an exciting project they are launching in making technology and faith communities work together towards building the Kingdom.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Building Faith-Based Communities through Facebook Groups with Nona Jones and Bishop Joseph Walker: Podcast 248

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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The recently-concluded F8 Conference has given us a look into Facebook’s incredible innovation, improvement and features to look forward to. In this podcast, Nils Smith and Nick Runyon, together with guests Justin Dean, Holly Tate, Kenny Jahng and more talk about the future of Facebook for ministries and churches amidst these changes.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to The F8 Debrief: The Latest with Facebook: Podcast 247

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In Lead Like A Shepherd, The Secret of Leading Well, pastor, author and leadership consultant, Larry Osborne unpacks instruction for church leaders found in 1 Peter where they are exhorted to “shepherd the flock among them.”

I recently did an interview with Larry to learn more about the differences between cowboy and shepherd leadership and why he wrote the book. Check out that conversation in the video below.

In addition, you can get a feel for the book from the following excerpt: A good shepherd needs to be patient. That’s not easy. I know that from my own struggles with patience. Early on I wanted everyone in my church to be instantly mature. I loved the lost. I adored baby Christians who still swore in their prayers. I prized those who quickly raced to the front of the line. But I had no tolerance for those who lingered at the back, particularly those who kept getting out of line and wandering off into the wilderness. For some reason, I didn’t think they deserved the same kind of pursuit or forbearance that the Lord gave me. I wanted to take the stragglers behind the woodshed. I wanted to let those who kept wandering off get what they deserved—to be eaten by wolves. I thought my impatience was Spirit-led. I thought I was helping God out by refusing to accept their lame excuses. I saw no reason to slow down and stop and chase after those who wandered off the path. Constantly searching for quiet waters or damming up the stream to make it easier for them to drink seemed like a compromising accommodation to their sin and feeble faith. I was wrong and foolish, especially in light of Jesus’ warning that he will give to me the same kind of mercy and judgment I give to others. Get your copy today and learn to lead like a shepherd in your church or ministry.

Larry Osborne is a senior and teaching pastor at North Coast Church, acclaimed as one of the most influential and innovative churches in America. Under his leadership the church has grown from 128 to over 12,000 on a weekend. Built around sermon-based small groups, North Coast has maintained a participation rate of over 80 percent of its weekend attendance in small groups for over 30 years. Its growth has come by word of mouth as they do not advertise or hold any special outreach events. Also recognized as pioneers in the multi-site movement, North Coast now offers 49 worship options on five local sites each weekend plus numerous national and international venues. Larry writes and speaks extensively on the subjects of leadership, building healthy teams, innovation, multi-site ministry and spiritual formation. His books include: Thriving In Babylon, Accidental Pharisees, A Contrarian’s Guide To Knowing God, 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, Sticky Teams, Sticky Church, Sticky Leaders, Mission Creep, and The Unity Factor.

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A few weeks ago, we informed you that Bob Buford had died. The response from you was overwhelming. Every message you sent meant a great deal to us. For those that missed the official announcements, you can read them here:

Leadership Network Announcement How to Add to the Book of Days While he was buried in a private graveside service earlier, we now have plans for a service celebrating Bob Buford to be held in June. All friends, pastors and church leaders, Halftime Institute Alumni and all Bob’s fellow travelers in life are invited to be present with his family that day. Day: Wednesday, June 13, 2018 Time: 2:00 p.m. Central Location: Northwest Bible Church, 8505 Douglas Avenue, Dallas If you plan to be present with us on that day, please do us the kindness of letting us know by completing the RSVP form to help us with planning.

Those responding will get additional information about parking and other details related to activities on those days.

Thank you for celebrating Bob's life and legacy with us.

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Another edition of THE STIR - our podcast with host Dave Travis and featuring Greg Ligon

Notes from this episode:

Notes on our Accelerators Rethink partnerships – one of the keys to expansion Think about other people’s spaces – you don’t have to own in order to operate The coming expansion to prisons and jails Building projects together with other ministries Rethinking multiplication Not just adding campuses but adding resources to other churches and build broader movements The Leadership Network Portable Church Report on young pastors and multiplication – leadnet.org/portable. Digital – Cross Roads – underwear, anywhere, everywhere For more information on our accelerators – leadnet.org/accelerators/

14 minutes of goodness. 54 seconds of “meh.”

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Last week we shared the news that Bob Buford had died and now is safe in the arms of Jesus. That content and the accompanying blog article were written by Dr. Warren Bird, our highly competent research director. In case you missed it, or haven’t seen some of the updates, please see the post on our blog here:

Bob Buford Dies, Leaving a Legacy of Leadership Network, Halftime Institute, Drucker Institute and Bestselling Books

Allow me to share my own heart on Bob and his impact:

Bob believed in investing in Leaders. Bob was a believer in Jesus, trusting him as a child, without hesitation for salvation. But Bob’s heart was a big belief in the power of leaders to activate others. His heart for leaders included his investment in pastors, business leaders in the Halftime transition, and other social sector leaders. He just felt leaders matter. They help shape culture, organizations and RESULTS that come from the work of their hands and mind. As such Bob invested himself, his time, his energy and his financial resources into gathering and helping leaders. I think his favorite saying was: “My fruit grows on other people’s trees.” Bob was proud of your work. Bob enjoyed great satisfaction in past years in going to experiences we hosted with pastors and churches. He loved to hear their stories and what was going on back “on the ground” in communities. When we shifted our model in the early part of the century, Bob made it a point to get out of the office and go see what was happening in our programs and on the ground in churches. When I could not go with him, he would call and give me a report on what he saw in the churches that was working.

In his later years, when he refrained from traveling too much, he would come to those experiences held near our offices. He wanted to hear the report times when churches were reporting on their work. Many times, he would pull up a chair and patiently listen to each report.

Often our director or facilitator would ask him: “Bob is there anything you want to say?”

Bob’s universal answer would be short: “Yay God!”

Walking out the door he would say to me: “Isn’t it great what those folks are doing?”

It sure was. It still is.

Bob was proud of the work God is doing through you.

The Book of Days. Psalm 90:12 says “Teach us to number our days so we may get a heart to wisdom.”

Bob kept a series of notebooks he called his “Book of Days.” He was a lifelong learner and spent much time writing down things he was learning.

When he got a meaningful note, letter or even email from a participant in one of our programs, in a Halftime program, or some other involvement, he would have it cut, sized and placed into those books.

In recent days, even as letters kept coming to him, he would still peruse those books to stay encouraged.

Based on my email since the announcement, many readers sent me their own stories of Bob’s impact in their life.

If you have a story of that impact, would you do me the great favor of sending a copy to:

Book of Days c/o Leadership Network 12700 Park Central Dr, STE 500 Dallas, TX 75251

We will share all these with Linda Buford, his wife and partner in this work for so long.

Last week, B.J. Engle, Bob’s assistant, sent me this: Bob Buford’s Six Priorities In 1978, at age 34, Bob wrote these words to Linda and Ross. All these years it has stayed unopened in a file labeled “What If.” This week, Linda opened the files, and this is part of what she read: “In overall life satisfaction, I consider myself in the very upper tier. I am ready to go on living and looking forward to many exciting things, but I also feel that I have had a more than adequate life if it were to end today. Remember that I have just gone on to the next phase--like graduating from college. It has been fun, but what is ahead will be even better.

“If I die, my wish for you is to mourn, grieve, experience the loss fully—not repressing it—so you can be done with it.

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by Warren Bird, Ph.D.

Bob Buford, age 78, died April 18, 2018 after a lengthy illness near his home in Dallas, Texas.

Through philanthropy and personal engagement, Buford significantly contributed to three of American Christianity’s major landscape shifts over recent decades. First was the rise and proliferation of large-attendance Protestant churches led by innovative, entrepreneurial leaders. Second was the empowerment of Christian lay leaders making a second-career shift from “success to significance” through a “halftime” transition—terms that trace their popularity to Buford’s writings. Third was the formation of the Drucker Institute, a network of organizations designed to further the teachings of management expert Peter Drucker. Drucker not only extensively mentored Buford, but through introductions by Buford, also mentored several high-visibility pastors like Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren.

These three major emphases weave together under the umbrella of Buford’s later-life mission: to transform the latent energy of American Christianity into active energy.

Buford, born September 16, 1939, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, achieved considerable financial success as CEO of Buford Television, Inc., a business started by his mother. It had begun with a single ABC affiliate in Tyler, Texas. It grew it into a network of cable systems across the country. In 1999 Buford helped sell the family business interest in order to create philanthropic initiatives designed to serve churches. He often joked that he hoped the last check he wrote just before he died would bounce—because he had given away the last of his millions.

Leadership Network

At age 42 Buford began a parallel career of television and of creating a new pathway for the second half of his life. “I had resolved that if I was blessed by skill, Providence, and rising markets, I would someday turn my illiquid interests in Buford Television, Inc. into cash in order to follow my calling to serve God by serving others,” he told me in recent years.

In 1984 Buford—at age 45—and Fred Smith, Jr. started Leadership Network, along with Gayle Carpenter, as a way of trying to help the newly emerging wave of pastors who were breaking worship attendance barriers of 1,000 and sometimes 2,000 or more. During his business years, Buford had spent countless hours talking with and seeking guidance from Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, and he now tapped into Drucker’s guidance for how best to frame Leadership Network. He later remarked that Leadership Network would not be the same—in fact, might not exist at all—were it not for Peter Drucker. (Buford later developed that 23-year mentoring relationship into a book, Drucker and Me.)

Leadership Network started in 1984 with a budget of $5,000, and held its first forum with 55 churches that had attendance of 800 and higher. By 2017 the organization was annually serving more than 400 larger churches through in-person events which included more than 1,500 leaders. Online conferences reached upwards of 25,000, and Leadership Network Advance subscriptions exceeded 50,000.

“Bob continued to serve God through Leadership Network as a board member, influencer, encourager to countless pastors and a dear personal friend to me” says Dave Travis, CEO of Leadership Network since 2011.

"Bob Buford was a mega-force behind the megachurch movement,” said Robert Lewis, former chair of the Leadership Network board and himself a large-church pastor. “Bob’s unique life influenced thousands and transformed American Christianity by inspiring God-glorifying innovation and real-world results."

The Halftime Institute

In 1995, Buford wrote Halftime, a best-selling book that came out of his mind and heart on how to find fulfillment in the second half of life. The amazing response to the book led to a follow-up title in 1997, Game Plan, which presented more about the endeavors in which Bob Buford was involved as a result of his own “halftime” experienc...

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In this episode of The Stir, Greg Ligon, one of the pioneers of multisite, explains the first of the movemental shifts happening across the field.

He shares some of the key learnings happening now in the Leadership Network Multisite Accelerator.

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This article was a feature in a recent edition of Leadership Network Advance. If you're not already a subscriber, click or tap here to be among the first to learn about church innovation trends and resources for your team. At one of our recent Accelerator experiences hosted at Google, we were reminded of a couple of things regarding innovation by one of the great innovative companies of our time:

Being successful does not equal being safe. This has always been true, but never at the speed that it’s happening now. Innovation is no longer a buzzword, it is a buzzsaw! Companies (or churches) that rest on past success will be chewed up and spit out by the pace of change.

A recent article by Innovation Leader outlined the 14 most common things they see that kill once-great companies. It’s this kind of thinking, saying, and doing that turns industry leaders into declining, irrelevant has beens. It’s a good, quick read that has implications for great churches like yours.

That’s why we took the time to reframe this list based on our view of the large church landscape over the past 30+ years. Many of the same attitudes and actions (or inactions) have led toward the stagnation, decline, and eventual death of once-great churches.

Take a few moments, read the list, and ask if these characteristics are true of your church and leadership team.

All the smartest people are on our team. We don’t need to look outside for solutions, ideas, or help. Marketing is the only group allowed to communicate with the customer. (But they can run a focus group for you in six months.) Every new ministry concept needs to have an iron-clad case showing how it can get more people through our doors. We need to cut costs now, without rethinking our ministry model/building format/worship experience. That can come later. Digital channels to reach, connect, keep, and grow people are a low priority and underfunded. Most resources still go to things related to the weekend experience. We need to wait until the annual staff retreat or budget review rolls around to discuss the need for a strategic shift or any new investment. We need to wait for the new building program to be completed. Then we can focus on innovation. We need to wait for the consultant we’ve hired to finish up an 18-month review that will tell us how to innovate. It’s far more important to connect with people inside the building on the weekends than to try and be where the people are throughout the week. We already have laid out the tech road map for the next five years, and [this new thing that is obviously gaining momentum] is not on it. We can’t learn anything from unknown churches or younger pastors, so let’s wait and watch our list of well-known churches to see what they will do. The leadership team spent three days at a conference and brought back a notebook full of new ideas, so we are all set on the innovation front. Innovating is what our student pastor is doing. We know we aren’t able to hire top talent like we used to, but let’s just keep hiring the same way we’ve always hired.

Hopefully none of these sound familiar. But if they do, or if you’re struggling to figure out how to quickly move the needle on a key area of focus for your church, it’s time to see, think, and do in new ways. That’s why we developed Accelerators.

Accelerators provide a next-level approach to learning, planning, and implementation that challenges church leaders to see, think, and do in more effective ways. For leaders that don't want to wait and become a victim to the ever-increasing pace of change, Accelerators provide the peer group, process, and resources necessary to stay ahead in your mission.

When you're ready to move beyond buzzwords to measurable progress in areas such as:

Engagement Through Data, Analytics, & Precision Messaging Generosity and Stewardship Leadership Development Multisite

...complete the form below and one of our Directors will be in touch. ...

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Phil Cooke, co-author of “The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility and How We Get It Back”, joins Nils, Nick and Chad in a conversation about his newly launched book and shares some tips for creatives and Christians as they engage on social media.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Leading Creatives With Phil Cooke: Podcast 246

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Every multisite church has dreamed about a new reality. Let’s face it – the culture is changing so rapidly that our strategies need adjustment sooner. Recently, I was listening to a podcast about an organization that had to make those changes – and quickly. Fiat began in 1899, and as Reid Hoffman of the podcast, Masters of Scale, noted: “Forget being a unicorn. Learn to be a ‘Phoenix’ (a company over 100 years old that is still effective).” In his interview with Fiat’s chairman, John Elkann, Elkann shares that his company had to focus on resilience. “We had to decide which company traditions to keep, and which to leave in the past.”

Most of us are in a similar place. We recognize that trends are changing. Many people are attending church less. Issues once limited to the culture are now invading the church. And, many churches fit that “Phoenix” age – they just can’t say that there as effective as they once were. But, what if there was a new way to evaluate potential change. Consider this:

What if data could help you evaluate your current effectiveness or your future focus? Did you know that around each of your locations live people that we know tons about – we just have to have a way to access the data. In a recent partnership with Gloo, we have that access and can help you connect in a deeper way with your communities. What if the challenges that many corporations are facing could give insight into changes that your church needs to consider? We are partnering with companies like Wal-Mart, Fiat-Chrysler and others to gain insight on how each of them have evaluated the changing culture, considered their current model and made strategic shifts to gain greater levels of impact. What if re-gaining an entrepreneurial spirit gave you eyes to see a new way? Our new Accelerator process encourages you to Build…Measure…Learn and then PIVOT. Every organization has to strategically pivot over time to maintain its impact. We have a process that will not only help you, it will push you to that – and, we will hold you accountable to your pivots! What if you reconsidered What is and re-imagined what Could be? All of us need others to help challenge us to consider a new way. The strength of Accelerator is found in the quality churches that will be a part of the experience. Imagine partnering with churches of 5,000 to 20,000 with 5-10+ campuses to re-imagine what could be!

What I’ve described is an experience that begins May 8-10 in Bentonville, Arkansas with a team of Wal-Mart executives investing in churches. Multisite Accelerator is a 3-meeting, 12-month intensive to help you take your multisite strategy to new heights of effectiveness! If you are looking for that opportunity, I would like to help you get on that journey. Just complete the form below and we'll find a time to talk.

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From creating a website that featured local photography in a small town in North Carolina to now being a top innovator in social media and digital marketing, Casey Helmick reveals the ‘most important-least important’ principles and practices in social media and talks about how they can be valuable to your organization today.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Casey Helmick about Getting Started with Social Media : Podcast 245

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Host Dave Travis interviews Brent Dolfo in this 16 minute show about church leadership development.

Notes from this interview:

It’s time to rethink the process in churches. How Leadership Development has changed in churches. How to start a sound Leadership Development practice. The revival of apprenticeship. Having 80% with an apprentice. How our process helps churches. Defining the process for your church. Who do you look for? Shaping the process well. What’s missing? The Senior Pastor role. The three sites our Accelerator is visiting.

16 fast minutes to listen while you drive, workout or walk the dog.

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We have 168 hours each week with an average of one hour spent at a church service on Sunday, but how do we seize the remaining 167 hours for our churches to make a greater impact? In this podcast, Brady Shearer, creator of Pro Church Tools and Nucleus, joins us in an in-depth conversation about the practicality and power of mobile apps and church websites today.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Debating Mobile Apps and Church Websites with Brady Shearer: Podcast 244

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Who mentored you or believed in you before you believed in yourself? That person is your Hero Maker!

If you pick a recent day from your calendar, and review the ways you spent your time that day, how much were you the hero and how much did you make heroes of others? It’s easy to let the spotlight come to ourselves, but it’s so much more strategic to make heroes of other people that God is using on the front lines of ministry. Everybody wants to be a hero, but few understand the power of being a hero maker.

In Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders, you will learn how to bring real change to your church and community by developing the practical skills to help others reach their leadership potential.

Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provides strategies for how you can activate gifts, help others take ownership, and develop a simple scorecard for measuring your kingdom-building progress.

Besides rich insights from the Gospels, Hero Maker is packed with real-life ministry stories ranging from paid staff to volunteer leaders and from established churches to new church plants. A practical tool accompanies each of the five practices, with several illustrations for how to use it.

Whether you lead ten people or ten thousand, Hero Maker will not only help you maximize your leadership, but in doing so you will also help shift today's church culture to a model of reproduction and multiplication. The book, which has already made #1 ranking on three Amazon bestseller lists (see below), makes a compelling case that God's power and purpose are best revealed when we train and release others, who in turn do likewise.

Become that rare breed of leader who brings change into our world by sacrificially investing in others who become the heroes. By becoming a hero maker, you will join a movement of influencers that are impacting hundreds, thousands and perhaps millions of people around the world.

Dave Ferguson is lead author, and I got to be his co-author. Besides being a board member at Leadership Network, Dave is lead pastor of Community Christian Church with 11 locations across Chicago, visionary behind a church planting network of 1,200+ churches, and president of the Exponential church multiplication conference.

Both of us feel this is our most significant book to date. For free materials to use with the book, see HeroMakerBook.com.

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Our 2018 Survey of Large Church Salary, Staffing and Benefits is now LIVE and ready for participants!

Widely known as our “salary survey,” this research identifies benchmarks, ratios and salary numbers that have become the gold standard for compensation and financial planning in larger churches.

It’s free to participate, and if you do so, you'll receive a bunch of exclusive perks. Our logic echoes the little red hen children’s story where those who contribute their efforts get access to some of the finished products that result.

The survey’s opening page explains the many freebies you receive. One is a report named “50 Great Ways Large Churches Save Money,” uniquely created for salary survey participants. Another is an invitation for anyone in your church to a “first findings” video webcast including Q&A with the survey director – that would be me. It's open only to churches that participated in the survey.

We’ve created trusted compensation reports for pastors, boards and church HR leaders since 2001. And we specialize in keeping all participant names and churches private and confidential.

Please take a look at what our latest survey offers. Click below to look at all the benefits you receive (page 1) and the survey FAQs (page 2):

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Katie Allred shares the story of how she started the Church Communications facebook group and how she gained nearly 16,000 members just two years into it. Nils Smith and Nick Runyon also take the opportunity to discuss how Facebook groups provide a great opportunity for every church.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Talking Facebook Groups with Katie Allred: Podcast 243

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By Eric Swanson and Matt Engel

“If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.” Zig Ziglar

Big data does not help a church that has no compelling vision, unreached goals or vexing problem they are trying to solve.

As you begin your journey into big data, predictive analytics and precision messaging its important to define:

The goals you want to reach The problems you want to solve The vision you want to accomplish

We’ve found that those churches who are waiting for big data to do something for them are still waiting. The small print says that journeying into big data will actually create more work…but it's a good work for you. And if you follow the process of a scientist who practices validated learning the rewards of growth and health more than compensate for the required effort. The more specific you can define the problem or challenge the better your experiments will be. Take a look at the chart below which is a general summary of what all churches are trying to do. Maybe jot down what you are currently doing in each of these categories. e.g. What are you doing to attract young families, grow millennials, etc?

ATTRACT, GET, KEEP, GROW and MULTIPLY

Attract is simply making people aware that your church exists Get is about getting people in the door for the first time—whether for a weekend service or a special event Keep is about our ability to keep people coming back. Keeping is about closing the back door. One multisite church we work with recently noted that they have as many people leave the church each year as they have join their church. Ouch! Another church discovered they had a 40% turnover rate of their small group leaders. Grow is about engaging people in your growth model whatever that might be. For many churches the critical growth decision is to be part of a small group. Multiply is about people emotionally invested in the mission of the church. They are inviting people, sharing their faith, leading others, helping to pay the bills and are being an advocate for the church. We usually call these congregants “engaged.”

So what is it you are trying to accomplish? Are you trying to attract more people, get more people, keep more people, grow more people or multiply more people? And what kind of people? Children, millennials, young families? What hypothesis is behind your goal? Don Wilson at Christ Church of the Valley in Arizona targets “the 40-year old male” believing, with good evidence, that if the husband/father is in church the family will follow. Others like Dewey Finn (Jack Black) and our friends from Orange believe “children are the future.” Others might make the case for growing millennials. What do you say?

How We Can Help

Our new Accelerator experiences are built around helping churches leverage data, analytics, and precision messaging to accomplish their goals. We help you get clarity on what you're solving for, and provide you with the resources, tools, and connections to get the work done. Accelerators present a next-level approach to learning, planning, and implementation that challenges church leaders to see, think, and do in more effective ways. Accelerators equip teams through:

To learn more about Accelerators, visit leadnet.org/accelerators.

[1] Validated learning is a unit of progress process and describes learnings generated by trying out an initial idea and then measuring it against potential customers to validate the effect. Each test of an idea is a single iteration in a larger process of many iterations whereby something is learnt and then applied to succeeding tests.

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Every multisite church has a strategy. You considered, with great intentionality, what multisite would look like at the locations you were going to launch. You studied other successful churches and their model, you wrestled everything you do to the ground to determine if you would replicate it. Your strategy was full of “What If.” There was a lot of wonder around your campuses, their impact in the community and the opportunity to reach so many new people of Christ. You considered the “What if” of different strategies – will we use video or live teaching, will we be portable or permanent or will we launch with ministries that were present at our original location or not?

Then you launched your first campus. And your second. At that moment, “What Is” came into existence, and you were committed to it. It was your new strategy, and your team would continue to build campuses around it. No one would be able to convince you that you were not on the right path. So, you marched forward.

Now, fast forward to today. For most of us, over time, “What Is” needs to change back to “What If.” Strategies get dated, models become less relevant to the culture, but we continue to hang on to what we created – even when we sense the need for a change.

What do you need? Someone to challenge you to consider a new reality that will bring back the wonder of multisite.

Beginning in May of 2018, we at Leadership Network want to partner with you to help you consider “What if” through an experience we call Multisite Accelerator. One of our hosts, Wal-Mart Corporation, found themselves in the same place as many of us. As they aggressively built brick and mortar locations, another company, called Amazon (you may have heard of it!), was changing the paradigm. They were shipping items directly to homes – and doing it in 2 days! Recently, Wal-Mart recognized they were living well in “What Is” but had lost a vision for “What if.” Instead of continuing in their current model of building stores, they could change their paradigm and take on the 2-day model – delivering to homes or allowing customers to pick-up items pre-ordered in store.

It. Changed. Everything!

Now you have the opportunity to learn from top leaders from Wal-Mart, Fiat-Chrysler and other amazing corporations through Multisite Accelerator. In this experience, we are going to help you rediscover “What if” as we use our entrepreneurial approach and accountability to re-imagine the places where you may be stuck, lost your focus or just wonder if there’s a better way. It’s a partnership that we take very seriously!

Interested or at least want more information? Complete the form below and I'll be in touch.

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Great Leadership Development practices also include a bit of math.

In this episode of The Stir, a new podcast on Church Innovation and Implementation, Brent Dolfo talks about how churches use these numbers to conceptualize and construct their Leadership Development Systems.

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D.J. Soto, founder and pastor of Virtual Reality Church, shares with us his story on how the first VR Church came to life. Nils Smith and Nick Runyon also discuss some of the most controversial questions about the future of church in a virtual reality world.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Foundations of the First Virtual Reality Church: Podcast 242

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]Leadership Network’s two most recent research reports, both sponsored by Portable Church Industries, are below. Just click the title, and you’ll be taken to a page with more description and with opportunity for free download:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][nectar_video_lightbox link_style="play_button_with_text" nectar_play_button_color="Default-Accent-Color" font_style="p" video_url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQWwhPPKDxc" link_text="Click or tap here to watch the online briefing for the Latest Multisite Trends Report."][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/3" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][image_with_animation image_url="10020127" alignment="" animation="Fade In" box_shadow="none" max_width="100%" img_link="https://leadnet.org/download/multisite-latest-trends-2018/"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="2/3" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text] Latest Multisite Trends: How a New Generation of Pastors Is Shifting to Strategies that Reproduce and Multiply (This is the latest report to be released. Click the link above to be taken to the download page.)

Multisite churches rate themselves 82% likely to launch another church/campus than those that have never done so. Half of new congregations are in portable environments such as schools, theaters or other borrowed spaces. Those in portable environments grow 12% faster on an annual basis. A multisite campus is 2.5 times more likely to have trained future campus pastor or church planter.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/3" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][image_with_animation image_url="10019986" alignment="" animation="Fade In" box_shadow="none" max_width="100%" img_link="https://leadnet.org/8-launch-wins/"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="2/3" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text] 8 Launch Wins: A Study of 1,

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Just last week we released our latest multisite research report titled: “Latest Multisite Trends: How a New Generation of Pastors Is Shifting to Strategies that Reproduce and Multiply.” If you haven’t yet, you can download the free illustrated report at leadnet.org/portable.

In order to give additional background for the report, as well as answer questions about the findings, Dr. Warren Bird, Research Director of Leadership Network, will conduct a 45 minute online briefing covering the new report release. Dr. Bird will be joined by Jeff Beachum, Church Multiplication Specialist for Portable Church, the sponsor for this report.

While some church commentators seem to be obsessed with a narrative of decline among churches, this report highlights the renewal coming among younger generations of leaders.

Among the findings:

83% of the pastors under age 40 have a vision to plant or launch a new campus or church. Church Planters/Starters and Campus Pastors in their first five years at a church are 2.3 times more likely to have a vision to plant a church as compared to those in the same church for more than 10 years. Multisite churches rate themselves 82% likely to launch another church/campus than those that have never done so. Half of new congregations are in portable environments such as schools, theaters or other borrowed spaces. Those in portable environments grow 12% faster on an annual basis. A multisite campus is 2.5 times more likely to have trained future campus pastor or church planter.

To register for the free online briefing, click or tap on the button below: The New Multiplication Movement Online Briefing March 8, 2018, 2 PM Eastern

The report is the second in a series based on research conducted by Dr. Warren Bird with 1,621 churches and multisite churches in 2017. “This new report shows how younger churches and their leaders are remapping the views of future church leaders. It speaks of the great hope we have at Leadership Network for the church of the future” says Dave Travis, CEO of Leadership Network. Mr. Travis is the co-author of the report with Dr. Bird, longtime research director of Leadership Network.

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“Coming in we thought we were doing good at leadership development, but now we see a path to becoming a lot better.”

In their newly released research on multisite trends, Dave Travis and Warren Bird reveal some of the ‘why’ behind "the dramatic growth of church planting and of multisite," particularly among the emerging generation of leaders. According to the report, leaders are converging on a new mindset: one that values not just reproduction, but multiplication. It is a vision that involves planting churches and launching campuses that, in turn, multiply through new church starts and campus launches.

This multiplication focus has led senior and executive pastors to an increased emphasis on the development of high-end talent from within their own large churches. Churches that are having the most success in this endeavor are strategically appointing Pastors/Directors of Leadership Development. These leaders carry the primary responsibility of ensuring enough leaders are raised up so the multiplication of church plants and multisite locations can continue to flourish.

Another critical success factor for churches that look to accelerate their leadership development efforts: they choose not to go it alone.

That's where Leadership Network's cohorts have had such a tremendous impact. Over the past several years we have served hundreds of leaders who wanted to upgrade their leadership development models to increase the quality and quantity of high-capacity leaders developed from within. The ability to accelerate learning and speed up the implementation of new models for leadership development has had a profound impact on the health and growth of these churches.

Steve Hutmacher, an executive pastor at Cedar Creek Church described the benefits they saw this way:

"We really appreciated the collaboration with other churches and pastors learning from them. Coming in we thought we were doing good at leadership development, but now we see a path to becoming a lot better. With our renewed emphasis on developing our campus pastors, we're seeing them focus more on the development of their leaders and teams."

Cedar Creek, like so many large and growing churches, recognized the pressing need to continually develop enough leaders who can effectively oversee ministry teams and future campuses. But rather than try and figure it out on their own, they chose to engage in a process and experience that exposed them to effective models, engaged them in dialogue with other leaders, and encouraged their progress through coaching and accountability.

But it all starts with a clear understanding of your church’s needs.

A simple question to ask yourself to assess leadership development in your church would be: "If your church was to grow by 50% in the next year, would you have enough quality leaders to handle the influx of new members, ministry opportunities, and locations?”

For most large churches, the answer is “no.”

In May of this year, Leadership Network will launch its next experience for large churches that recognize the need for "upping their game" in leadership development. Its called the Leadership Development Accelerator, a 12-month experience that goes beyond anything we’ve offered before. The Leadership Development Accelerator will guide your team in:

Building a stronger bench of high potential leaders able to tackle the next wave of ministry opportunities ahead of you. Engaging with several of the best church models of leadership development in the U.S. Learning from some of the most dynamic, multi-national businesses about how they’re developing high potential leaders. Clarifying your church’s unique core leadership competency profile, providing a baseline to compare to potential leaders Retooling your processes for taking the raw material of high potential young staff and making them "better, faster." Using data to compare the profile of your existing senior leaders to those already sitting in your pews to de...

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Our fearless research director, Dr. Warren Bird, has done it again. By mining the great insights of the polling we did in 2017 he has uncovered more great facts that clearly show how the multiplication mindset permeates today's thinking.

The next generation of church pastors is aiming to grow via outreach by multiplying sites and congregations.

While some church commentators seem to be obsessed with a narrative of decline among churches, this report highlights the renewal coming among younger generations of leaders.

Among the findings:

83% of the pastors under age 40 have a vision to plant or launch a new campus or church. Church Planters/Starters and Campus Pastors in their first five years at a church are 2.3 times more likely to have a vision to plant a church as compared to those in the same church for more than 10 years. Multisite churches rate themselves 82% more likely to launch another church/campus than those that have never done so. Half of new congregations are in portable environments such as schools, theaters or other borrowed spaces. Those in portable environments grow 12% faster on an annual basis. A multisite campus is 2.5 times more likely to have trained future campus pastor or church planter.

These findings, and others embedded in the report, illustrate the various ways churches are envisioning, planning and multiplying leaders and congregations throughout North America. Other parts of the report focus on the dramatic increases in church starting and the explosion of multisite churches. The full report can be downloaded for FREE at leadnet.org/portable. This report is full color with lots of convenient illustrations.

The report is the second in a series based on research conducted by Dr. Warren Bird with 1,621 churches and multisite churches in 2017. “This new report shows how younger churches and their leaders are remapping the views of future church leaders. It speaks of the great hope we have at Leadership Network for the church of the future,” says Dave Travis, CEO of Leadership Network. Mr. Travis is the co-author of the report with Dr. Bird, longtime research director of Leadership Network.

Leadership Network’s research is based on growing, vital churches, not focused on average churches doing average things. As such its sample is admittedly skewed and is not representative of all churches in America and Canada.

Our clientele is not focused on being average however. Our church leader clients want to attempt great things for God’s kingdom.

This report is already being quoted widely by other commentators in pre-release versions. Download it to read and get your own sense of the report. Readers will also note the good attitudes and interest of older church leaders in these areas. They are not quite as aggressive as the younger leaders, but are still attempting great things in church planting and multiplying sites.

The survey and writing were conducted independently but the report’s distribution is sponsored by Portable Church, Inc. The company gave no direction in the findings but represents one of the many specialty companies and organizations that have grown over the last two decades and are helping make it easier for churches to start new congregations and multiply into new sites. For more information see portablechurch.com.

We are grateful to our friends at Portable Church for their support of this project.

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Vine gained so much popularity during its first release in 2013. The sensational app garnered over 200 million active users, yet, it was discontinued by 2016. In December 2017, Dom Hofmann, co-founder of the original app, has announced its comeback with him working on Vine’s successor.

In this episode, Nils and Nick talk about the possible opportunities the upcoming app can bring and how churches can prepare for its launch.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to Getting Ahead of Vine 2: Podcast 241

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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By John McGee

Jesus said that the world would know us by our love. But when you look at the church and the world, there's not a lot of difference in terms of divorce and other issues. The landscape of relationships is going through a sea of change greater than any time in recent history. Change is always accompanied by new and unforeseen opportunity. In our country, 74% of households consist of blended families, single parents, single adults, cohabitating couples, same-sex couples and couples without kids. Each group represents a fresh opportunity to experience the gospel through life-giving relationships.

Will your church be prepared to help relationships flourish?

Listen to Chad Moore the Senior Pastor of Sun Valley Community Church in Phoenix share his thoughts on why marriage ministry is more than just a nice program, why modeling grace is so important, and what their church is doing to take advantage of this opportunity for discipleship.

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“It isn’t about the leader. It never was about the leader. It will never be about the leader. It will always and only be about Jesus and his people.” - Michael Fletcher

With only a few weeks notice, Pastor and leadership consultant, Michael Fletcher was about to find himself without a large number of key staff due to several military families in his church being transferred. Uncertain of how to rebuild, he stumbled onto the solution in the way God usually works, in seemingly unspectacular fashion. Years later, not only does Michael's church have a robust leadership pipeline that mitigates the turnover of military families, but they are also leveraging their short time with these families to prepare them for leadership wherever God takes them next.

How did he do it?

Empowering Leadership, from Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, details Michael's greatest insights on how to build better leaders faster by creating a leadership development culture in your church or organization—naturally, organically, continually.

The following is an excerpt from Empowering Leadership: How a Leadership Development Culture Builds Better Leaders Faster.

The short statement “All you need to reach your city is already in the house” rocked my world! Like many pastors, I had regular thoughts, prayers, whining sessions about not having what I needed: more leaders, more money, more people, and more of the right people. But I was seeing it all wrong, because I was seeing people all wrong. God didn’t send people to build the church. He sent the church to build people. That’s the job, the real job: building people. Jesus didn’t come to earth, clothe Himself in humanity, walk among us for thirty-three years, die on the cross, and ascend to heaven just to start a new organization or a new religion. He came for people—people ravaged by sin and deceived by darkness, people who were far away from God, people who didn’t think the way He thought, whose mind-sets were all wrong, people whose lifestyles were built on bankrupt philosophies. He came to redeem them, by trading places with them—the righteous for the unrighteous, the godly for the ungodly—thus restoring them to God. It is amazing, crazy, scandalous! A perfect God trading a perfect Son for a people who hate Him, a people continually sinning against Him, a people not even seeking Him! It was an unfair trade: people who deserve punishment receiving a place in heaven (through no effort or merit of their own) and the one who deserves it giving it all away. There must be some mistake! But then a God who is perfect never makes mistakes. He knew exactly what He was doing, and in doing it, He established the worth of people and, if you have come into relationship with Him through faith, your worth too. Let that sink in a moment. He traded Jesus for you, but not just you: for all those other people who come to know Him by faith as well. The first trick is believing that ourselves. The second and sometimes more difficult trick is believing that about others! And that’s where I was stuck. I could get my head around the idea that God loved me, justified me by faith, redeemed me for Himself, and had a special plan for my life. Further, I was clear on His plan for me. I was called to build the church. Even if I did see people the way God saw people, I faced a perplexing dilemma. How could I build a great church with imperfect people? As we read the New Testament, we find that God has called leaders—pastors, elders, deacons, parents, teachers, small group leaders, friends—to aid in the cooperative process of building people. The New Testament calls this discipleship. It is the impact of one life upon another, and it is a cooperative venture between believers. Leadership, followership, teaching, correction, accountability, friendship, sharing, participation, reconciliation, honoring, obedience—the list goes on. These are all cooperative acts and part of the sanctification,

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Churches are missing so many data points and opportunities to use this data to better impact their local communities. This data can be the key to revealing unseen issues, giving a more realistic picture of the needs in your church community.

In this episode of the podcast, Nick Runyon interviews Matt Engle from Gloo sharing the benefits of a systematized process around data in both organizational and church settings.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

A Shownotes to Talking Big Data with Matt Engel: Podcast 240

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Could high-capacity givers be the most overlooked people at your church? You probably have strategies in place to coach people in financial trouble or who need of benevolent help. But what about those that God has blessed with wealth?

High-capacity givers need your coaching and encouragement, and this FREE webinar co-hosted by Chris Willard (Director of Generosity Initiatives) and Warren Bird (Director of Research) will show you practical examples of how to do just that. You will learn:

How to disciple generous people: Just because someone is giving what seems to be a significant amount doesn't mean that that person is giving generously or growing in generosity. Remember, it's not about the amount, but what the number represents. How to build peer support among high-capacity givers: It's really important to connect the potential high-capacity givers in your church with one another. They need the encouragement of an examples set by their peers. Resources like Financial Peace University are great, but usually not as applicable to people already living debt free and with financial margin. How to prevent fundraising from overtaking spiritual formation: These are not strategies to target wealthy people, but the spiritual formation of people God has blessed with wealth. It has to be about our desire to motivate them to be all God wants them to be. They can smell a mile away someone trying to get something out of them. Here’s how to pastor them.

BONUS: During this free webinar, we'll not only help you address the needs of your high-capacity attenders and members, but Chris will explain a "Generosity Accelerator" idea that offers a comprehensive strategy for every kind of giver and non-giver in your church.

To register for the webinar Inspiring High Capacity Givers in Your Church on Tuesday, February 13 @ 2 PM Central, click or tap on the button below.

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By Eric Swanson & Matt Engel

Every church that is thriving and multiplying has become really good at a critical five things. Every church that is plateaued or is slowly declining or dying has neglected has ceased to do one or more of these five things.

So what are these five things?

ATTRACT, GET, KEEP, GROW and MULTIPLY

Attract people is simply making people aware that your church exists. (Even for churches that eschew the label “Attractional Church” still take missional actions they hope will attract people to their church.) Get people is about getting people in the door for the first time—whether for a weekend service or a special event Keep people is about our ability to get people back a second or third time. (People who attend a church just three times have a 60% propensity to make that church their home church). Keeping is about closing the back door Grow disciples is about engaging people in your growth model whatever that might be. For many churches the critical growth decision is to be part of a small group Multiply disciples is about your people inviting people and sharing their faith

These five verbs were the foundation of the church as Jesus lived out his ministry:

Attract—“Come and see” (John 1:39) Get—“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19) Keep—“Abide in me” (John 15:5) Grow—“Learn from me” (Matthew 11:29) Multiply “Go make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Each of these five things is critical to the viability and growth of every church. Take just one of them away and the church begins a death spiral. A church will die if it fails to attract people, get people, keep people, grow disciples or multiply disciples. How big data can help Data is information. Big data gives us information that demographics alone can’t provide. Big data, coupled with analytics and precision messaging, along with a little practice, allows us to send the right message to the right person at the right time on the right device to help them take the step that they want to take. Big data can help identify people in your city with the highest propensity to come to your weekend service or event (like a date night, marriage seminar, or man camp).

Big data can not only help your church attract and get people from your city but can also help you keep, grow and multiply people within your congregation because big data allows us to know better the condition of our flock (Proverbs 27:23).

For the past 12 months Leadership Network has been gathering over 20 large churches who have been experimenting with the power of big data, predictive analytics and precision messaging and we are seeing such positive, preliminary results that we feel propelled to go forward to help churches expand their kingdom ministry.

If you are interested in opening your next multisite campus, growing your congregation, developing leaders, and deploying a missional people we invite you into exploring how big data might help you do these things better. Its not a silver bullet…it will take hard work but may be the most productive action you take this year.

For more information, download our one-page summary on the Engagement Accelerator Experience:

To begin a conversation about how you can engage more people inside and outside your church using data, contact me using the form below:

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Campus pastors at multisite churches have plenty of plates to keep spinning.

On top of what it takes to start and grow a thriving campus, there’s one big responsibility that might get overlooked in the middle of it all: Developing a heart and culture of generosity within the campus site.

My friend and pastor Mike Schirle, who serves as the East Campus Pastor for Discovery Church in Orlando and oversees the stewardship ministry at all of Discovery’s other campuses, offers helpful insight for campus pastors about their unique role in cultivating a culture of generosity and stewardship in a multisite campus congregation.

Recognize the role of the campus pastor

Developing a culture of generosity is not a duty you abdicate to the lead pastor or teaching pastor, according to Mike. “My responsibility is to be the spiritual leader of our campus,” Mike says. “So I have to own my role in generosity.”

I love that perspective because above all else, campus pastors are spiritual leaders and generosity is a spiritual issue. “How much did Jesus talk about the heart and its relationship to money?” Mike asks. “There is a direct connection. It’s a spiritual issue, and we have to take on that responsibility.”

Understand the value of the “offering moment”

At most multisite churches, each campus owns leadership of the offering time. It’s prime time, according to Mike, for campus pastors to cast vision and drive generosity.

“We have to put a framework around it and think ahead,” Mike says. “Am I going to give an invitation or a challenge? What’s one thing I can do to connect them to transformation? Is it a story? A scripture? A stat?”

“Then how are you going to move them to that moment when they give to your church, and they realize they’re having a part in transformation?”

The offering is also good for reminding attenders of multiple ways to give (offering, online), especially as a way to invite new givers to participate.

Giving data from your campus is important

As a pastor, you want to know how people are doing in all spiritual areas. We also need to know how they’re doing in this area of giving as part of their spiritual growth and profile.

“I’m interested in who’s jumping on board, who’s giving for the first time,” Mike says. “I’m also interested if my key leaders are giving. That’s vital. Who’s not giving? Who used to be on board who’s no longer on board?”

If your main campus leadership has restrictions on giving you names with specific giving records, maybe you can still get general information about givers who have started or stopped, or a list of 10 key leaders with their combined average of giving.

Campus pastors need to be engaged in this, not because it means more money, but because this is ministry. This is shepherding.

“I want you to thrive spiritually,” Mike says. “I want you to live in that pipeline of blessing, and generosity is part of it.”

Develop a relationship with key givers

It’s vital that campus pastors are relationally connected to givers on their campus, and that those givers are relationally connected to others.

Mike says that means hearing about their passions and heart for the ministry, helping them join a group or on a serving team. “Have you had an opportunity to envision them regarding the vision of the ministry? Because where there’s vision, there’s going to be resources,” Mike says.

Wise campus pastors do lots of listening to what people on his campus care about, so he can make connections and help them accomplish what God’s called them to.

“If they’re passionate about something, I want to fuel that flame,” Mike says. “I want to show them how life change is happening in their area of passion. If it’s children’s ministry and there is something eternal going on, I want to connect them to that and say, ‘Let me show you what God’s doing.’ “

Know the unique demographics of your campus

Our campuses in Orlando are totally different. Therefore,

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The STIR- is the new podcast from Dave Travis of Leadership Network.

What is the latest in Leadership Development in large churches?

This edition focuses on Church Leadership Development. The interview is with Brent Dolfo focuses on current trends taken from leading churches. Brent has led multiple programs for Leadership Network over the past 15 years. He helped give leadership to our European Church Planting Network project before taking on the crucial area of helping churches grow the quantity and quality of leaders they are developing.

In this episode, part 1 of a three part series, he shares some foundational thinking on the subject.

Got a question or a comment? Maybe even a pushback?

Send it in to dave.travis (at) leadnet.org

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When church leaders ask questions like this…

How much should we keep in cash reserves? How much debt is safe? What financial measures should our church's leadership monitor each month?

… They’re ultimately asking what makes a financially healthy church?

I found clear, compelling answers from Michael Batts, who is president and managing partner of a CPA firm dedicated exclusively to serving nonprofit organizations and their affiliates – whose website is nonprofitCPA.com. His latest book is titled Nonprofit Financial Oversight: The Concise and Complete Guide for Boards and Finance Committees.

Here’s an 11-minute video interview I recently held with him. More than talking about the book, he offers a lot of practical guidance that applies to churches from really large to really small. Please give a listen:

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"Expect to see more from your friends, family and groups, see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media.. encouraging meaningful interactions between people." - Mark Zuckerberg

In this episode of the podcast, Nils and Nick share their take on Facebook’s new algorithm changes and will be exploring how organizations should adjust to these changes.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Shownotes to Adjusting to Facebook’s New Algorithm Changes: Podcast 239

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Here’s something exciting to start off the year! Nils Smith and Nick Runyon break the biggest news on Social Media Church to date and shares with us their social media predictions for 2018!

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Shownotes to Big Announcement and 2018 Predictions with Nick Runyon: Podcast 238

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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"I can't wait until we are in our own building."

Not so fast. This statement is heard a lot among church planters and campus pastors who are currently in portable facilities.

It is easy to get fatigued running the week in, week out, load in and load out of using another facility.

But our upcoming research report, sponsored by our friends at Portable Church Industries, shows that those that congregations using portable facilities grow faster than those with “their own building.”

Almost half of the new sites and church plants are in portable facilities and they are growing faster than those in permanent buildings. So be careful what you wish for.

Why is this?

First, remember our bias is to survey growing and thriving churches. In this instance, we were comparing the types of facilities among growing and thriving churches in our sample.

Our hunches as to why this is happening:

Church plants and sites in portable facilities show faster growth because they are new. This is some of it. I always felt that portable churches drew more pioneers who built longer, deeper roots over time of engagement with a new campus or church. The participants felt more engaged because it appeared to be a greater sacrifice to be involved in a portable situation. I have heard stories told by many larger portable-minded churches and sites on how it helps build a cadre of people, young and old, who form permanent work team bonds over time. In fact, when the church gets into a permanent facility many of these servants disappear because their gifts and skills seem less valued in the “new place.” Churches can use multiple spaces over the years before they move into a more permanent space. Rick Warren always tells me they were in several thousand spaces before they built their first building. (He is a known exaggerator, I think it was 72 ????) And now Saddleback still uses many non-permanent spaces for its sites. But by starting in one location and rented facility, and then moving to a larger facility and perhaps then again gives the appearance in the community of momentum and vitality. “God must be doing something over there because they have to keep moving to keep up!” And those that keep changing space also tend to keep marketing and announcing their “new” location(s) which keeps outsiders noticing that church. With the great new customization options of portability, the spaces can appear fresher and are more flexible to growth than permanent facilities. And when a portable church keeps it fresh as they grown, the appearance factor stays current. Permanent facilities can feel dated very quickly. Portable is usually a bit less expensive than permanent construction, allowing new sites and churches invest more in ministries not related to a building to continue to grow the church.

There are also great arguments for permanent facilities as well when it comes to longevity and stability. I am not downplaying those. But our research study will report how portably campuses and sites tend to grow faster than those that are in permanent structures.

To read the previous five blogs in this series click here, here, here and here, and here.

To get on the list for the report when released, click below:

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[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]What did leaders from more than 1,500 new churches or multisite campuses tell us about what they’ve learned and experienced? “8 Launch Wins,” our newly released report gives you wisdom from comparing various approaches and circumstances. Here is the infographic from the richly illustrated report, which is a free download, available now. To download the full report, simply fill out the short form at the bottom of this page.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/2" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][image_with_animation image_url="10018419" alignment="center" animation="None" img_link_target="_blank" box_shadow="none" max_width="100%" img_link="http://2ejffv2nzc9yev0s73r16f09.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/images/LN_Infographic_Portable-Church_r2i5v4-1-624x807.jpg"][vc_column_text]Click the image to be taken to the full-size infographic.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/2" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]The infographic highlights only a few of the main findings. Over a dozen additional illustrations are included in the full report that look into issues that planning teams and launch teams want to know more about. For example:

Should we plant a new church or open a new multisite location? Should we initially rent and be “portable” or should we immediately lease/buy something “permanent”? How do we become more effective at making disciples of Jesus Christ, and not just at gathering a crowd?

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][divider line_type="Full Width Line" line_thickness="1" divider_color="accent-color"][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][divider line_type="Full Width Line" line_thickness="1" divider_color="accent-color"][vc_custom_heading text="Download the full 8 Launch Wins Report:" font_container="tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23f7b81b|line_height:3" use_theme_fonts="yes"][vc_column_text]

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Good words are worth much and cost little. - George Herbert

Join us in this podcast as Wes Gay, copywriter of Storybrand and Pushpay, unveils the importance of creating a communication system and more handful of tips to become an even better copywriter.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Shownotes to The Power of Words with Wes Gay: Podcast 237

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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In our continuing list of nuggets uncovered in our Leadership Network/Portable Church Industries upcoming report, this insight sounds obvious. Recall first that the churches in Leadership Network’s sample universe tend to be growth oriented. We do not focus on more “normal” churches in that sense.

We want to know what is going on in thriving churches.

The “faster growth” nugget above is based on responses regardless as to whether they are single site or multisite.

For definition, we used under 40 years of age for “younger” and founders could be any age. And our report looks at percentage growth, not absolute number.

So if a church of 1,000 grew by 100 people last year that was a healthy increase. But if a church of 100 grew by 50 people, that is a much higher percentage, while the absolute number was less than the larger church.

Why is faster growth evident in these groupings?

Our hunches:

Very young pastors could have very young church plants. A growth of a few dozen people can be fantastic percentage growth. (The opposite is also true: if a young church plants loses people, it is a dramatic drop percentage wise.) Those in church plant or new sites tend to have faster growth rates than long established churches. Since our survey was focused on new sites, they could be over represented. In existing churches, younger pastors tend to attract a younger constituency which is now coming to full flower in family formation and “settling down.” Founding pastors get to set clear vision and direction and stay with it over time. This stability in vision and direction contribute to long term trust where attenders know what to expect and have chosen to participate based on the vision and direction. Successor pastors, and those that are in a long line of pastors who have led a church, must deal with past history, leadership, direction, programs that are not of their own direction and vision.

While many of these directions and programs have positive impacts into today’s context, many also do not. Founders and younger pastors get a bit of grace from the congregation when choosing to move in new directions. Older successors are more likely to become suspicion and mistrust. “They should know better” says a long time lay leader in a church when change is announced.

In other words – change management and transitions are hard!

As you know, you can’t change the age of your pastor or whether that person is a founder or not. But it does help a leader understand why that other church in town appears to be growing faster.

See the previous four blogs in this series here, here, here and here.

To get on the list to receive the report when it is released:

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In this episode of the podcast, my good friend and regular guest, Kenny Jahng will be sharing with us his experience participating in this season’s social media trend called Vlogmas, and what you can learn from it!

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Shownotes to Talking Vlogmas with Kenny Jahng of Church Butler: Podcast 236

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Watch the video from our webinar with Kara Powell, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of Sticky Faith and Growing Young.

Kara Powell is a prominent voice today in helping the greater church understand what causes young people to engage in church and the forces that pull them away. Her longitudinal study of over 500 active youth group “graduates” has become the gold standard for understanding “Sticky Faith.” Kara will talk about the data and insight that change the trajectory of life and faith for millennials from their new research on churches that aren’t aging and shrinking, but are growing young. Like all breakthrough ideas, many of her findings and suggestion are counterintuitive. It’s not what you expect. This is not for those who think they have this figured out.

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Pastoral training models are constantly evolving. In our continuing series (link to the previous here, here, and here) of nuggets discovered in our soon-to-be released report from Leadership Network/Portable Church Industries, we found that multisite congregations are 2.5 times more likely to have trained either a new campus pastor or new church planter than a single site church.

Why is this?

Our hunches:

Multisite churches need lots of leaders. This is especially true for those with more than two sites and for those over extended geographies. As the church and number of sites grow, there is a need for more leaders to staff the church across locations. With this need has come the adoption and deployment of more robust leadership development systems to get leaders at all levels including campus pastors and church planters. In these processes, some emerging leaders are recognized more as church planters and sent out to plant new congregations independently. Additionally, as more leaders are trained, multisite churches feel more confident in launching new sites. Perhaps a small group of single-site leaders are fearful of raising up new leaders as they may challenge existing leader structures and systems. In other words, they could have a bias against leader development or development at the congregational leadership level. While there are many connectional denomination churches that are deploying multisite and church-planting models, the predominance of those streams of churches tend to depend on the denominational system and their educational systems to provide pastors and do church planting. Their systems are getting the results of that design with churches not responding to do it on their own.

This is not to say that some single-site churches do not train, equip and deploy church planters. Some leaders with theological and pragmatic biases against multisite models DO invest heavily in church-planting residencies to send out leaders.

But our latest research shows multisite churches are much more likely to do so.

Get on the list by clicking the box below to get the full report when it is released:

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Our clients pay some of the costs through their program fees. All of our programs have a fee attached to make sure they have “skin in the game.”

But those fees don’t cover the costs for the research and innovation that must take place. Fortunately we have many generous, visionary investors and donors that share our commitment to helping foster innovation movements that activate THE CHURCH to greater impact. Fill out my online form. var kb0kpdq15m7q9a;(function(d, t) { var s = d.createElement(t), options = { 'userName':'leadershipnetwork', 'formHash':'kb0kpdq15m7q9a', 'autoResize':true, 'height':'475', 'async':true, 'host':'wufoo.com', 'header':'show', 'ssl':true}; s.src = ('https:' == d.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'www.wufoo.com/scripts/embed/form.js'; s.onload = s.onreadystatechange = function() { var rs = this.readyState; if (rs) if (rs != 'complete') if (rs != 'loaded') return; try { kb0kpdq15m7q9a = new WufooForm();kb0kpdq15m7q9a.initialize(options);kb0kpdq15m7q9a.display(); } catch (e) {}}; var scr = d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0], par = scr.parentNode; par.insertBefore(s, scr); })(document, 'script');

Contributions, payable to Leadership Network, may also be mailed to Leadership Network Legacy Fund, 12700 Park Central Drive, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75251.

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I want to share a story that I sent to marriage ministry leaders as part of an email resource series.

Kirby Ferguson in his popular TEDx talk “Creativity is a Remix” argues that creativity and innovation are misunderstood. Innovation is often thought to be the domain of a select few geniuses, but instead it is actually very accessible and is nothing more that copying, transforming, or combining things or ideas.

Everyone understands the incredible opportunity marriage ministry is in the church. Where there is great opportunity, there is a need for creativity and innovation. Could your church really innovate in your marriage ministry by simply copying, transforming, or combining things or ideas? Here are a few examples that illustrate just how simple innovation really can be:

Brett Kolomyjec noticed two trends. The first was the popularity of monthly subscriptions to physical products delivered to the front door. The second was that couples like to have dating experiences that are fun, different, and worthy of posting on Instagram. He combined those two simple trends and came up the wildly popular datenight box where couples get a creative new date idea delivered to their door every week.

Erik Hanson at First Presbyterian in Boulder observed the wildly popular format of TEDx talks. He copied the format with marriage content and created a new event for the church called WEDx. It proved to be an event that not just church members, but the broader community, were interested in attending.

Watermark Community Church in Dallas noticed the incredible life change that was coming out of Christian recovery ministries. They took some of the best practices and transformed them into re|engage. It is now a core part of the marriage ministry at Watermark and is being used in 150 other churches, both nationally and internationally.

If we think of creativity and innovation as the exclusive domain of the brilliant mad scientist, we don’t bother trying to enter in. When we see it as simply copy, transform, and combine, it becomes as accessible as rearranging your kids' Legos into endless possible new creations. Innovation in areas like technology can be cool. Innovation in marriage ministry can have eternal impact.

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What does it take to drive deep the message to your church that generosity is about so much more than money and what people give? How can you help people understand that stewardship and generosity are part of a journey in growing their faith and discipleship?

In the latest generosity podcast from Leadership Network, church leader Sherri Adams of Christ Church of Oak Brook in Illinois shares some vital components of a generosity-as-discipleship focus—including important focus points such as staff buy-in, the primary goal, communication and the optimal teaching settings.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

When your church is kicking into its next generosity campaign, you might assume your paid staff is gung-ho.

But that might be a false assumption for your generosity initiatives, according to my friend Sherri Adams of Christ Church of Oak Brook in Illinois.

“If I had to do it over again, I would put more time and focus and effort in bringing the staff along early,” says Sherri, the Executive Director of Stewardship and Generosity at Oak Brook. “It was a little disappointing at first; I thought all the staff would be on board because this was going to benefit their ministries.”

“But then I realized we’re just like everybody else. We all wrestle with what God says about money. I don’t know why I thought staff would see it differently.”

That’s one of Sherri’s “aha!” moments after serving in this unique ministry role for two-plus years: Paid staff, and especially senior leaders, must understand the vital nature of generosity as part of spiritual growth. But they also need to live it in front of people, or it won’t take hold.

“We don’t want to ask our congregation to do something we’re not doing,” Sherri adds. “So it’s important not only that senior leadership and staff buy into it, but that we’re living it. I can’t stress that enough.”

Sherri is spot-on. You and your staff may struggle with generosity-as-discipleship issues. But the last thing you need if someone in your church complains about “the church talking about money again,” is for a staff member to side with them and not get the big picture. Your staff needs to be able to confidently say, “This is about so much more than that. This is about growing in Christ and being the people God wants us to be.”

Sherri has three more discoveries she shared with me recently that will help your church build a culture of generosity:

The primary goal is to cultivate discipleship, not to generate more funding

Stewardship and generosity are spiritual disciplines, so that makes this whole discussion about discipleship—building stronger and more passionate followers of Christ who are generous because of the bigness of their faith.

“The focus needs to be on cultivating the faith of people in the church, and generosity is an outflow,” Sherri says. “That naturally happens. The key is that we see that it’s all about discipleship.”

Christ Church is in the middle of a two-year initiative with two goals. The secondary goal is the amount of money they raise for kingdom work. Their primary goal as the church states on its initiative website, www.takerootccob.org, is to “root our lives more deeply in Christ for the sake of others.”

Sherri says, “Our primary goal is not raising money but rather it’s to help people grow in their discipleship and because of that, generosity becomes one of the outflows of that transformation.”

A communication plan is key to changing culture

Christ Church has a multi-pronged communication strategy that includes testimonial videos and regular updates on the work that’s being funded by people’s generosity. Video stories highlight peoples generosity journeys, and are shown in weekend worship services , on social media and on the church’s website.

“We can stand upfront and talk about generosity and stewardship, but it’s really the stories that inspire people to take the next step in their journey,” Sherri says. “People identify with the stories they hear. And they think if that person can do it, and I see myself in that person, then I may be able to do it, too.”

Christ Church also uses compelling stories to show the congregation where their money is going. “That’s another way to inspire people to be generous when they know their money is being used wisely for good purposes,” Sherri says. “When we’re talking about stewardship, we need to be great examples of how we use the resources people are entrusting to us.”

Sherri says thank-you letters are big, especially for first-time givers.

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As we near the end of 2017, givers will once again be looking for ways to be generous while maximizing their tax benefits associated with charitable giving. ECFA’s blog "7 Deadly Sins of Year-End Gift Receipts" can help your church achieve both goals. Click here to read the blog.

For a limited time, also get a FREE eBook – Charitable Giving Guide for Acknowledging and Reporting Cash Charitable Gifts.

Access your eBook in 3 easy steps:

1) Connect to ChurchEXCEL.org – ECFA’s new FREE resource community to help manage your church’s finances with excellence. 2) Sign in and click the “eBooks” icon 3) Download “Charitable Giving Guide for Acknowledging and Reporting Cash Charitable Gifts”

Questions? Email Tracy@ECFA.org.

ECFA is the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

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As the Christmas season is upon us, I wanted to share a special hope and prayer for you. Click or tap below to watch:

https://youtu.be/WzLba5g6mGM Let Us Pray for You and Your Church At Leadership Network, we are for you and the work you do as pastors. During this busy holiday season, we would love to pray for you and your church. Leave a note on our Facebook page to let us know how we can celebrate with and pray for you.

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Multisite churches rate themselves 82% more likely to be multipliers than a church that has never launched a new campus or site.

We continue to unpack some of our findings uncovered in a new national report produced by Leadership Network and Portable Church Industries to be released later this year. To get on the early release list, click here to be added. And our previous posts here and here describe some of the findings.

Our research tends to focus on practices and habits of growing, thriving churches not the a random sample of typical or average churches. So the respondents to our survey here have a bias towards growth.

The above 82% nugget illustrates that multisite churches see themselves as continuing in the path of multiplication. They are MUCH more likely to launch a new site or campus.

On the other side, those that are single site and have never planted a new church or a new site see themselves as less likely to try. Why is this?

These are my hunches:

Some are in geographical contexts not resonant with planting new sites or churches. (Though they could help plant somewhere that’s friendlier, such as a fast-growing underchurched area.) Some have theological bias against multisite, and pragmatic reasons for not wanting to plant a new church. We would not question their theological bias, and perhaps planting is not the call of God for that church. It takes energy and intentionality to plant another site or church. Some leaders would see this activity as a distraction to their current work and direction (athough we will show in a future post how planting may even help the single site church).

Admittedly this is how these leaders view themselves, not a measure of activity beyond planting at least one site or new church. But the fact they see themselves in this mold implies they have vision to stay on that path.

To get on the early release list for the whole report click below:

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Millennials are leaving the church in droves. Can evangelical Christianity survive without them? Through a unique and brilliant synthesis of theology and sociology, David John Seel argues that millennials can show us the way forward to a more authentic faith in Christ.

In The New Copernicans, releasing January 2018 through the Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series:

Pastors will find resources for reframing their ministry. Parents will find resources for understanding their millennial child. Millennials will find a language to speak out with wisdom and renewed boldness.

The American church is in survival mode. Now is not a time to retreat. The New Copernicans is a timely call for strategic cultural engagement. Seel’s call to listen to the haunted spiritual longings of millennials will help us join in their intuitive, holistic way of experiencing God and sensing his spirit moving among us, and hopefully lead us all to discover a way forward

The following is an excerpt from The New Copernicans:

FUGITIVES IN THE PEW Many evangelical parents are well aware of the challenges of transferring their faith to the next generation. Many of their children are in various forms of disengagement with the church and their parents’ beliefs. Church leaders are well aware that the future of the evangelical church in America is closely tied to reaching millennials. They are now the largest demographic cohort in America and the most influential in terms of commercial brand success. The church cannot hope to survive without grappling with reaching millennials. Researchers refer to those who reached adulthood around 2000 as millennials. Currently, they are the largest single grouping of Americans and the most powerful consumer group with purchasing power that will exceed boomers’ this year—approximately $1.3 trillion in direct spending. At 23.4 percent of the American population, millennials are 75.4 million strong. Compounding their influence, this generation will receive a thirty trillion–dollar wealth transfer from boomers over the next twenty years. Because of this, they have been the subjects of extensive market research. Not only are they economically significant, but culturally and religiously as well. However, there is a subset of this generation that bears special attention: the millennial children of churchgoing evangelical parents. These children feel trapped. David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group and bestselling author, describes them as nomads, people who have a mix of positive and negative feelings about their faith. Most are disenchanted with religion but have not cut all ties to their faith or to their church. They have one foot in and one foot out. Perhaps a better word than nomad, which suggests their freedom to drift from their faith, would be fugitives. They are trapped, stuck, imprisoned—conceptual slaves. Typically they have not been given the freedom to express their confusion and frustration out loud. Institutions that assume true faith and correct thinking are two sides of the same coin are not usually safe places to express doubt. When belief and doubt are binary rather than a fused experience—as preferred by New Copernicans—the stakes are too high to be honest about doubt. The church is not a safe place to voice confusion. Consequently, many independent-thinking teens keep these doubts and disenchantments bottled up until college. Under these intellectual, emotional, and spiritual conditions, it is hardly surprising that close to 80 percent of children who participated in high school church youth programs abandon their faith during college. We have created conditions that leave many of these children spiritually frustrated and eventually homeless. By failing to understand this frameshift we are literally pushing them away from the church. If we would listen and understand, if we would engage on the basis of a comprehension of this frameshift,

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See below for the most important webinar you’ll attend this year.

Nehemiah asked his brother for two key data points after his brother returned from Jerusalem (Neh.1:2): “Tell me about the city and tell me about the people.” The answers he received changed the course of Nehemiah’s life and the life of a nation.

Such is the power of data. For many pastors, a good statistic or a salient piece of data serves simply as a curious illustration (think percentage of “nones,” unwed couples living together, etc.). However, when understood, data leads to analytics, which leads to insight, leading to ideas, implementation and impact as we have never seen before.

To understand the power of big data we need to understand three terms—big data, predictive analytics and precision marketing.

What Is Big Data and Where Does It Come From? Most everything we do, everything we buy, every place we go, everything we search for on Google, every email we type, every text we send, everything we view on TV or the Internet, everything we buy with a credit card, every place we go when carrying a smart phone along with every quiz or IQ test we take online and every “like” and comment we make on Facebook leaves a digital trail of our lives. Companies that scoop up this data have over 5,000 data points on virtually every person in the U.S. These data points create a psychographic profile for every person. How accurate is this information?

With just 10 “likes” Facebook knows more about you than your co-workers. 70 “likes”—Facebook knows more about you than your friends know 150 “likes”—Facebook knows more about you than your parents know about you 300 “likes”—Facebook knows more about you than your spouse knows about you 300+ “likes---Facebook knows more about you than you know yourself

Imagine what can be done with 5,000 data points. This information is so valuable that Facebook and Google sold just their information in 2016 for over $60 billion.

Predictive Analytics Predictive analytics works like this: People who are taking a certain action tonight (say “taking a shower”) were doing these sets of behavior (say “playing in the mud,” “mowing their lawn,” “jogging,” etc.) earlier today. Based on those data sets we can look at what groups of people who, right now are playing in the mud, mowing the lawn and jogging and determine with high accuracy that they will be taking a shower before the day ends.

In business it might look like this: Target has a baby registry that expecting moms can join. Registered expecting mothers buy the same predictable products in each trimester of their pregnancy. So when non-registered women buy the same products, Target is able predict with 87% accuracy not only that the woman is pregnant but also her due date.

Predictive analytics can tell, with an uncanny degree of accuracy, not only who will buy what products, but which people are open to the gospel or who in your neighborhood is heading for divorce. A bit creepy but totally accurate.

The magic of predictive analytics goes far beyond the obvious illustrations above. After analyzing 35,000 couples OkCupid discovered that the three questions that best determine the longevity / permanence of a relationship were far from the questions you might ask. OkCupid scrutinized over 275,000 match questions and more than 776 million answers and discovered that how a couple agrees on the answers to these three questions have the greatest chance of success:

Do you like horror movies? Have you ever traveled around another country alone? Wouldn't it be fun to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat?

Now we’re really talking creepy!

Precision Targeting Precision targeting is the ability to send the right message to the right person at precisely the right time. So instead of targeting everyone with the same message, precision targeting allow one to craft a slightly different message to different audience segments (based on actions they have taken in the past or are curren...

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

I call it “The Sermon on the Amount.”

Everybody knows it’s coming: ”Turn in your Bibles to Malachi." Veteran Christians can predict that it’s time for our annual sermon about how we’re not meeting the church budget and everybody needs to “give until it feels good.”

This is a big issue we need to resolve in our churches when talking about money and giving. If we’re not careful, as my friend Kenny Jahng, founder of Generositylabs.org, says, we become “opportunistic” and talk about money only when we need something.

A recent survey found that 84% of churches are at or below the giving level needed to meet their budgets. That means only 16% of churches have margin to respond to ministry opportunities or community needs.

“When your budget is tight and you don’t have any margin, you feel like you’re forced to talk about money because people aren’t giving enough,” says Kenny. “Then you lose control of the message.”

Kenny and Generosity Labs help churches and cause-related groups develop online and digital donor strategies. He advocates taking a holistic approach that makes generosity only a part of the full picture of spiritual formation.

“Then you start to understand it’s not just about filling your budget,” Kenny says. “It really is about what it means in people’s heart and not in their wallets.”

Kenny hit the nail on the head. Teaching stewardship and giving is not a fund-raising strategy. It’s how you grow Christians, not how you grow budgets.

“When you shift that perspective, it opens up so many options for how you talk about money,” Kenny says. “One of the core things I say is, ‘Stop talking about what you need money for. And start talking about what your church is for.’ What does your church support? What is the vision for flourishing your communities?”

With that in mind, Kenny gives some great input for developing digital giving strategies that allow people to exercise this act of the heart:

Offering Multiple Platforms is a Must

There are now so many online, mobile and text giving options, it can be overwhelming. But churches must get in the digital game to maximize how God may move in a person’s heart.

“When people want to give their hard-earned money to the church, checks and cash just aren’t doing it anymore,” Kenny says. “When was the last time you wrote a check? It was probably in church, because they don’t take credit cards or mobile gifts.

Get Past the 3% Fees

The biggest objection Kenny hears from pastors about offering credit card giving is the 2-3% fee that “should be coming to us.”

Kenny says that’s a short-sighted objection when you consider the increase in giving that almost always accompanies a credit card option. Kenny recently talked with a church finance director who wanted to credit 3% less on congregant’s giving records to make up for the charges. “Even though you dropped $100 on your credit card, they wanted to take $3 away,” he says.

Add to the equation that it costs money to process every type of donation, such as for staff labor including to oversee volunteers. When people give cash or checks, someone must manually count it, drive to the bank to make a deposit and reconcile the account.

“Let’s compare apples to apples,” Kenny says. “If we’re going to play that game, let’s be fair and call a foul on both sides.”

Get in the Text-Giving Game

Mobile and text giving is common to people in our churches, with Venmo, Paypal and other digital money exchanges. When you add text and mobile giving, Kenny advocates showing a step-by-step process on Sunday mornings, on your website, on emails, or in an instruction video.

One church launched a “Dollar Campaign” during weekend worship services, and asked everyone to pull out their phones and donate a dollar to demonstrate a new mobile giving platform. “Now they’re ready to use it anytime,” Kenny says.

Tell Transformation Stories

Kenny says our most important move is telling compelling giving stories.

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Recently, I sat down with Alan Briggs, author of Everyone’s a Genius: Unleashing Creativity for the Sake of the World, a recent release through Leadership Network’s NEXT series.

Alan, through his work as the director of Frontline Church Planting and pastor at Vanguard Church, has seen the consequences of “running at full speed” outside of your individual gifting, calling … your God-given “genius.” And his passion for healthy leaders led significantly to the themes of the book.

In our conversation, Alan explains what he means by “Everyone’s a Genius” and how and why to unleash creativity and leadership in the church.

Check it out and then go and grab a copy of the book. You’ll be glad you did.

Your fellow genius,

Greg Ligon

https://youtu.be/5t9nQGaeCNw

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How much cash should our church have set aside in reserve? If you’ve ever been guilty of asking this question (and you should be!), you’ll love this short blog from our friends at ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).

Get your FREE eBook – 9 Essentials of Church Cash Reserves

3 Easy Steps:

1) Connect to ChurchEXCEL.org – ECFA’s new FREE resource community to help manage your church’s finances with excellence. 2) Sign in and click the “eBooks” icon. 3) Download “9 Essentials of Church Cash Reserves.”

Any questions? Email Tracy@ECFA.org.

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What does it take to develop generous givers in your church, and address people’s hearts more than their wallets?

Churches need to shift the conversation from obligatory tithing and meeting budgets to giving and generosity being part of the full picture of spiritual development. While we’re at it, we can also make it easier for people to exercise this act of the heart by providing up-to-date options such as text and mobile giving.

In the latest generosity podcast from Leadership Network, Chris Willard and generositylabs.org founder Kenny Jahng discuss how to make it happen.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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In this special edition of the podcast I will be sharing my recent experience at Museum of the Bible. I also have a special guest (my wife!) joining us for the first time sharing from her perspective as well. This is so much more than a museum and we hope you enjoy our perspective and take our advice!

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Shownotes to A Conversation About Our Experience at Museum of the Bible: Podcast 235

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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by Jenni Keller

See below for the most important webinar you’ll attend this year.

If you could identify every single person in your community who would respond favorably to an invitation to your church, would you? Now you can.

We live in a time when the question is no longer if you can access this information, but what your church will do with it. “Big data” makes all of this possible.

Target Market

Big data allows retailers like Target to surface pregnant mothers before they register for gifts.

How?

Target collects data on the women who sign up for their baby registry. They analyze their spending habits over the course of their pregnancies and have learned that women who are pregnant will buy vitamins and supplements in their first trimester, unscented lotions and soaps in the second, and in their third they buy washcloths, cotton balls and hand sanitizer. Looking at the same spending habits over a similar time frame, Target can predict with 87% accuracy that a woman is pregnant, along with her due date. That’s the power of linking data.

This enables Target to send the right message at the right time to the right person to nudge them in a certain direction.

Where Does Big Data Come From?

Every activity leaves a digital footprint. This results in 3,000 to 5,000 pieces of information collected on nearly every person in America. Motherboard magazine (January 2017) explained it like this; “Every purchase we make with our cards, every search we type into Google, every movement we make when our mobile phone is in our pocket, every ‘like’ [on Facebook] is stored. Especially every ‘like.’”

With a ten “likes,” Facebook knows you better that your work colleagues. Seventy "likes" outdo what a person's friends knew, 150 what their parents knew, and 300 "likes" what their partner knew.

These “likes,” along with other information Facebook gathers, form a psychographic profile known as an OCEAN score. OCEAN is as an acronym that stands for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. (To find a general idea of your OCEAN score, go to https://applymagicsauce.com/ and see what Facebook knows about you by looking at less than 30 of your “likes.”)

What is this data worth? Google and Facebook expect to sell this information for $116 billion this year.

Predictive Analytics Big data is valueless without insights. When analytics are applied, we can predict the likelihood of future behaviors. Analytics makes predictions about what people will do in the future, based on what others have done in the past. Think of it like this: If we know that a group of people are currently engaged in an activity we call “A,” and the data tells us they have also done “B”, “C”, “D” and “E” in the past, then based on that information, we can predict that a person who is currently doing “B”, “C”, “D” and “E” now, will do “A” in the future. The accuracy of predictive analytics gets stronger and better based on data that learns over time.

Just using Facebook targeting you are only getting half the picture.

Precision Targeting

Profiles are now developed with churches in mind and who will respond favorably. It is now possible to send the right message to the right person, at the exact right time. Imagine the potential for growth if your church had the names and addresses of all the people in your community who had recently searched for churches online.

A relationships message series and could find the people in the neighborhoods surrounding your church based on the current climate of their marriage. You can create different ad messages for the same series with targeted messages to each person.

Some get a digital ad that stresses making marriage stronger. Others on how to save their relationship from being a bust. The church can alter the focus of the outreach to each person based on their needs.

Precision targeting is sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

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Here’s a collection of interesting, thought-provoking articles from around the web from recent weeks. For more links, check out our Flipboard magazines: Leadership Network Today, Leadership Network Deep Trends, and Ideas to Implementation to Impact, where we curate the best in innovative ideas for church leaders.

Leading Effectively When You Inherit a Mess (Hbr.org) A 10-year longitudinal study on executive transitions that my organization conducted found that more than 50% of executives who inherit a mess fail within their first 18 months on the job.

Evaluate the Connection Potential of Your First Step out of the Auditorium (Markhowelllive.com) Most churches have already adopted, adapted or developed a “first step out of the auditorium” that is regularly promoted and held on a regular basis. It may be Saddleback’s CLASS 101, an adaptation of some other first step class, or a class completely of your own design, but most churches have this strategy in play (and let’s just say, if you don’t yet have a “first...

Inside the Church Building of 2017 (Christianitytoday.com) In church architecture, there are important movements that church leaders should consider before embarking on a church building project, a renovation, or a remodel. Here are the top trends...

Is $100,000 Middle Class in America (Washingtonpost.com) The majority of Americans — 62 percent — identify as “middle class,” according to a Gallup poll conducted in June. It’s the highest percentage of people feeling that way since 2003.

How Black and White Christians Do Discipleship Differently (Christianitytoday.com) Black believers are more likely to position their growth in Christ in the context of community and fellowship, while white Christians take a more individualized approach, according to a study released from Barna Research.

Pastors What Could a Sermon Rehearsal Do For You (Philcooke.com) On Thursday afternoon, Pastor Champion comes into the sanctuary with some members of his leadership team, including wife and co-pastor Lori. They fire up a single video camera, and he literally preaches full speed ahead from the pulpit. Aside from the staff leaders, he’s facing an empty sanctuary. He preaches the complete message to the camera, and afterwards the leaders give him their critique.

Americans Are Retiring Later, Dying Sooner and Sicker In-Between (Bloomberg.com) The U.S. retirement age is rising, as the government pushes it higher and workers stay in careers longer. But lifespans aren’t necessarily extending to offer equal time on the beach. Data released last week suggest Americans’ health is declining and millions of middle-age workers face the prospect of shorter, and less active, retirements than their parents enjoyed.

College Professors Aren’t Killing Religion (Fivethirtyeight.com) Of all the many criticisms weathered by institutions of higher learning, none has been as difficult to shake as the claim that a college education adversely affects religiosity. Colleges and universities have long been accused of subverting the religious commitments of their students. One of the most prominent early critics of college...

10 Steps to a Better Offering (Churchleaders.com) “Just as we get going in worship, we have to stop and take up the offering!” That was the comment a staff member made a few years back when asked about the offering time at their church. It might not surprise you that with that attitude, giving had declined the year before at this church. That attitude permeates the church today. To increase giving and givers, we must recognize that the offering IS worship!

Houses of Worship Do Some Soul Searching As Their Neighborhoods Change (Usatoday.com) First Baptist East Nashville is in a time of transition because the neighborhood has changed around it. Next door is a high rise apartment building and behind the church is Section 8 housing. Larry McCormack/The Tennessean

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How much help is social media for a church planter?

In this podcast, lead pastor of New City Church, Dylan Dodson shares with us his story in planting a church from scratch. From the financial challenges to the nerve-racking discouragements he has faced and how having an online presence has become a must for churches to connect better with people in their community.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to A Conversation about Social Media and Church Planting with Dylan Dodson of New City Church: Podcast 234

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Being a couple in ministry is a daunting and difficult task.

Many couples find that ministry is all-encompassing, time with your spouse is hard to prioritize, the pressure is overwhelming and balance seems impossible. It’s a unique calling with unique challenges and often comes with less-than-adequate preparation, training, or even warning. In their new book from Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, Together: A Guide for Couples Doing Ministry Together, Geoff and Sherry Surratt share vital lessons they’ve learned in over 30 years of experience that helped them thrive in ministry and in marriage.

Whether you are both in vocational ministry or just one spouse is in ministry, Together will encourage you to continue serving side by side and help you maintain the fulfillment of helping others while being drawn closer to God as a couple.

The following is an excerpt from Together: A Guide for Couples Doing Ministry Together.

"We’ve always wondered what life is like for ministry couples who always seem to be pursuing the same dream. They are both focused on the same church, the same ministry, and the same goals. Some couples both work for the same church, and sometimes one works at the church while the other one stays home, but they see themselves as walking the same path. If that describes you, we envy the clarity that must bring. That has seldom been our story.

While we’ve always supported each other’s dreams, those dreams have often been in different arenas.

Thirty-plus years of marriage and ministry together is a long time. We have learned, and are still learning, a lot along the way, and we have had some incredible experiences. We are amazed we’ve had opportunities to teach thousands of leaders, meet world leaders, and lead ministries that impact tens of thousands of people. We are very average people whom God uses in spite of ourselves.

One of our biggest struggles as a couple in ministry has been that of comparison. We are jealous of ministry couples we see on Facebook with perfect churches, perfect kids, and perfect hair. We wish we had their lives, but we don’t. We wish it hadn’t taken us twenty-five years of marriage before we learned to pray together. We wish we had taken our kids on amazing memory-making trips on their milestone birthdays instead of to dinner at Applebee’s. We wish every day was a new experience of spiritual insight and revelation instead of budgets and board meetings.

What we are realizing after doing ministry together for so long is that we will never be the Facebook couple, but we can fiercely love each other, our family, and the people we minister to. Something else we’re learning is that there are more ministry couples like us than the perfect couples on Facebook.

Most of the couples we talk to struggle with the same questions we do.

How do you prioritize your spouse when ministry is all encompassing? How do you raise kids who are semi-normal and love Jesus in the fishbowl of ministry? How do you discover whether God is calling you to be faithful or move on when ministry knocks you down?

We don’t pretend to have all the answers to all the difficult questions, but we believe we are learning some important principles along the journey that might help other couples like us.

Our new book Together is our conversation with you about these important questions. The image we have is sitting down together at our favorite Starbucks and talking about the ups and downs of doing marriage and ministry together. We’ll be as transparent and authentic as possible. We’ll share our mistakes and foibles and the lessons we’re learning. We’ll talk about the unstated expectations we brought into marriage, the difficulty of raising preacher’s kids, and the times when we both thought our marriage was over. We’ll discuss the thrill of seeing God use us to change people’s eternal destinies and the challenge of working together and working apart.

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Why is social media ministry unappealing to some churches?

There are many reasons that some churches stay away from being fully immersed in social media. For some, it’s a lack of understanding and for others, it’s the lack of resources to invest in yet another form of communication. In this podcast, Seth Muse defines the purpose and benefits of social media in church communications and the different roles it plays that will help any church get connected to people on a more personal level.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Seth Muse from Hope Fellowship Church and Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast host: Podcast 233

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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What if your church could make significant progress in the next thirty days in a key ministry area? Every leader wants to see results. And Leadership Network's new Implementation Lab will help you go from ideas to implementation to impact in the next month!

Not only will you sharpen your skills as a leader, but you'll make great progress on your ministry plan and goals each month. Plus, you'll learn from our experienced and knowledgeable Implementation Lab faculty around a specific ministry theme each month. The goal is simple: we want to see you move your marker -- to see significant progress in your ministry plan and goal in the next month. Then we'll 'rinse and repeat' each month in a different area. Bite-sized, actionable steps each month that are designed to make a real difference in your ministry! And all from the people you trust at Leadership Network!

Why Should I Be a Part of the LAB?

Every leader wants to get better, and every leader wants to see results. The LAB will help you do both. Here are some specific ways that being a part of the monthly LAB sessions will help you as a leader and your church as a whole...

Greater Impact in a Shorter Time - Our focus is simple — what can you do in the next 30 days to actually see some movement? What are concrete, tangible steps that you and your staff can take to move the needle in the next month? Each month, we’ll look at a key ministry area (like generosity, leadership development, small groups, vision and more) to help you develop a game plan that will help you see some real results. The goal: a greater impact in a shorter time. Experienced Faculty - You’ll learn from some great leaders and have access to excellent content. Imagine sitting in a room with some of the greatest church leaders every month — people like John Ortberg, Carey Nieuwhof, and Dave Ferguson. You’ll have the opportunity to learn solid, proven ideas that will help you implement a real plan of action at your church. The content you’ll receive is amazing, and the impact this can have on your church is substantial. New Topics/Plans Each Month - Each month, we’ll tackle a topic that will help develop your church into a healthy community. Over the course of the first year of the Implementation Lab, you’ll learn how to grow your church younger, minister better with your spouse, better utilize your financial resources, how to dream big and reach your city better, and how to lead change better. The topics and speakers are designed to be practical and implementable. After each lab session, you’ll walk away with a smart plan of action that you’ll set in motion immediately. Live “Office Hours” Connect You With Experts - Each month, you’ll be able to join Leadership Network’s Research Director, Warren Bird, for a live ‘office hours’ call. Dr. Bird will take your questions on that month’s topic and you’ll be able to really drill down, along with other lab members, into the topic of the month. Ask your questions… give some input… bounce off ideas. Our monthly office hours will be a great asset in moving your implementation plan forward. Execution Templates Keep You On Track - A plan is always better when it’s written down. So each month, we will provide you with an Implementation Plan Execution Sheet that will help you organize what you’ve learned into a precise 30-day plan of action. This execution sheet will help you keep on track and ensure that you hold yourself and your team accountable as you implement what you’re learning each month. Private Peer-Learning Facebook Group - When you’re a member of the Implementation Lab, you’ll also have access to our private Facebook group that will allow you to connect with other members of the Lab to share ideas, ask questions, and collaborate together. Short-Form Videos Give Extra Ideas - Each month, we’ll also include a number of brand new resource videos on the monthly topic. These are great content pieces by leaders and pastors like Matt Carter and L...

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Chris Surratt talks about Small Groups ministries, their awkwardness, their challenges, and most importantly, their effectiveness for spreading the gospel.

Want to learn more? Check out the new book by Chris Surratt, Small Groups for the Rest of Us. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Which pastors are more likely to have visions for planting new churches or new sites?

In an upcoming major research report from Leadership Network and Portable Church Industries, we found that pastors in their first 5 years at a church are 2.3 times more likely to have a vision to plant a new church or launch a new site than those who have been at the same church for more than 10 years.

First our caveats – Leadership Network’s research is not a sample of all churches. We focus on growing, thriving churches as opposed to a random-sample group of “typical” churches.

Still the differences between aspirations of pastors “new” to a church vs. longer-term pastors is dramatic. Why is this?

Here are my hunches:

Newer pastors could be younger. Our first post here shows how younger generations think multiplication before growing to mega size. New pastors bring new vision to many churches even if they are not “younger.” Since church planting and multisite have been rising trends over the past 20 years, this vision is being implanted from God through these new pastors into these congregations. It’s possible that longer-tenured pastors have concluded that the congregation they serve is just not ready for this type of ministry. Perhaps they had a vision to plant or launch a site in the past but it was rebuffed and they moved the church in other directions.

We continue to believe that church starting – through either independent plants or new sites – is an effective way to extend God’s kingdom work. Each leader should be faithful to God’s call on their heart through the church as to whether this is effective for their context.

But longer-tenured church leaders should be encouraged to consider this direction in the future. Many long-tenured pastors would have much to contribute to training and mentoring new site pastors and planters.

Get on the list by clicking below for early distribution of this report.

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83% of Pastors Under Age 40 “Have a Future Vision to Plant/Launch” a New Church or New Site

In an upcoming major report that Leadership Network and Portable Church Industries are producing, we have uncovered several interesting new trends. The statement above is an astounding statistic, even with the caveat that Leadership Network’s response rates tend to favor growing, healthy churches and not a random sample of typical churches.

The dream has changed.

Let me write as an older man for a minute. When I joined Leadership Network in 1995, senior pastors of the larger churches of that era desired to grow a SINGLE site and hoped for 3,000 seats in one venue where they could do two Sunday services to meet the demand. Many of them eventually did.

Now when I meet with our Next Generation Pastors Leader Groups, the dream has changed. Now the question is: How do we add our second and third sites to reach more people?

These younger leaders now aspire not for a larger congregation on a single campus, but for a church that reaches more people across a wider geographical stance.

Those who love multisite head this direction.

Those that are planting right now also want to see more church starts catalyzed.

This is a hopeful sign for future generations.

Get on the list here for early distribution of this report when released.

Click the image below for more information on the Implementation LAB:

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Yes it does, but not exactly how you might guess. The reality is that most Protestant churches in North America are smaller, as the visuals illustrate below. Further, about 80% are plateaued or declining. In those churches where attendance inches downward year after year, salaries typically do not likewise inch downward. Instead they're more likely to stay relatively level. If any portion of remuneration is the first to get trimmed or frozen, it's often the benefits. Then major reductions in compensation tend to happen when the church faces a financial challenge or when a staff member is replaced, sometimes by a part-timer or a strategy of combining positions in order to save even more money.

For growing churches, salaries do change, but not quickly in most cases. Significant "growth bursts" in attendance or giving rarely translate into significant salary bursts or even a change in . However, our Leadership Network research has not only documented a long-term relationship in larger churches between growth and salaries, but we can put a number on it: For each $1.00 of annual increase in churchwide giving per attender, the typical executive-level annual salary increases by $15.49.

Our report, "12 Salary Trends Every Church Leader Should Know," a free download for the executive summary (or fee for the complete report), brought to you by Vanderbloemen Search Group, looks at churches with attendances from 500 to over 30,000. It offers many fascinating insights on the financial dimensions of larger churches, whether or not they are growing. Do take a look!

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What is a secret shopper’s job in the field of ministry? How can this improve a church’s overall effectiveness in ministering their communities?

In this episode, author of Secrets of a Secret Shopper, Greg Atkinson, provides us with practical wisdom on how to maximize your church’s online resources, ways to attract newcomers to your congregation and helpful advice in dealing with ministerial burnout.

Share your thoughts using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Greg Atkinson of ExPastors.com about Social Media Secrets from A Secret Shopper: Podcast 232

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Leadership Network's Implementation LAB makes its debut in just a few weeks. Today, we are excited to announce some of our speaker line-up and topics:

November 2017 - Kara Powell - Strategies to Help Your Church Grow Younger

December 2017 - Geoff and Sherry Surratt - Ministering as a Couple (Without Killing Each Other)

January 2018 - Steve Stroope - Going Farther with More

February 2018 - John Ortberg - 3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Tell a Great Story this Sunday

March 2018 - Dave Ferguson - Reach Your City: How to Dream Big and Start Small

April 2018 - Kevin Penry - 5 Ways to Measure Where You Are and Where You're Going

May 2018 - Dan Reiland - Beating the Three Inner Battles of a Leader

June 2018 - Chris Willard - Cultivating High Capacity Givers in the Next 30 Days

July 2018 - Jenni Catron - 6 Steps for Responsibly Stewarding the Power of Vision

August 2018 - Janet McMahon - 6 Coaching Questions that Move You Forward

September 2018 - Carey Nieuwhof - 7 Ways Otherwise Great Leaders Blow it When Leading Change

October 2018 - Chris Surratt - 5 Steps to Transform Your Community for Christ in 2019

November 2018 - Choco De Jesus - 5 Things You Can Do This Week to Improve Your Senior Leader Team

In addition, we'll be joined each month by additional speakers like Larry Osborne and Matt Carter to further drive home our monthly theme.

Each month, the Implementation LAB will feature a one-hour online lab session that will help you develop a ministry plan that can easily be implemented in the next 30 days. The idea is to help take you and your church from ideas to implementation to impact in one month!

We're offering a special preview of what you can expect from the Implementation LAB on Tuesday, November 7 at 1pm Eastern. You can join us online for free... we just need for you to RSVP right now here: Register for the Implementation LAB Free Preview

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by Chris Surratt

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way from the beginning: to the normal church outsider, small groups are weird. Those of us who are tasked with convincing people in our churches that joining a small group is something they should do have an uphill battle. Here are just a few of the perceptions that come along with signing up for a small group in a church:

Carve out two to three hours a week from your already impossible schedule. Spend those two to three hours with strangers in someone’s home. Be prepared to confess all of your internal struggles to those strangers. Don’t forget to stop by the store every week to pick up a cheese-and-fruit tray for the group.

Sound like fun? It didn’t to me. My journey to being a small-groups pastor was not an easy one. In fact, I pretty much came to it kicking and screaming.

My Journey to Groups

I will never forget my first experience at an early morning men’s breakfast. I will admit that I am not by nature an early morning person. At that point in my life (early twenties and a musician), I had no clue there were two five o’clocks in the day. So I was not in the best frame of mind when I walked into the back room of the restaurant at 5:30 a.m. for the breakfast. Everything about the meeting was great until it came time for the small-group discussion with the guys sitting around my table. The assignment was for each of us to confess to the table our biggest current struggle in our walk with God and then spend a few minutes praying for one another to overcome the sin. I had never met any of the men at my table, so there was no chance I was going to open the vaults to my deepest, darkest struggles. Instead, I silently prayed that no one would look at me to go first. We started going around the table, and it quickly became evident that a couple of the guys did not have the same inner boundaries that I did. They were confessing sins I am pretty certain were illegal in a couple of states. By the time it was my turn to speak, the confession bar had been set pretty high. I could feel disapproving stares burning through me as I looked down at my plate and muttered something about not reading my Bible and praying enough. You know, the adult equivalent of when I ask my kids what they learned in their class at church and they answer, “Jesus.” We finished the confessions, and I quickly left the restaurant, pretty certain that I did not want to have anything to do with any future men’s small groups.

Fast-forward twenty years and discover that I am now such a big believer in the power of community through small groups that I lead a groups ministry at a church that has over 90 percent of our adult members attending a group somewhere in our city.

Did a few men’s group experiences get less awkward? Nope.

Did people’s lives get less messy? Nope.

What happened is very simple: I discovered the power of real life change when I dropped the facade of being a Sunday Christian and began to live the raw truth of life with people as messed up as I am.

Until I decided to become vulnerable with a group of people I trusted, I thought I was the only one:

The only one who sometimes questioned if God was real. (I am a pastor.) The only one who didn’t always feel like reading my Bible and praying. (Did I mention I am a pastor?) The only one who dropped the ball with my family. The only one who started with a smile on Sunday morning and finished with anger on Sunday night.

C. S. Lewis defined friendship this way: “The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one.’”

That is the secret sauce of a small group. When we help create environments where messed-up people like us are able to look at each other and say, “You too?” it frames the message of the gospel in a whole new way. Suddenly people understand grace in a context they never knew before. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are that brought them...

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Ron Jones was doing pre-marital counseling with a young couple when it became clear they were on very different pages regarding finances.

“He had many years of running his own financial life, and he wasn’t trusting enough to open up his finances,” says Ron, the lead pastor of Atlantic Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach. “I strongly encouraged them to work that out before they got married.

“We all learn about money in different ways, and we bring that into a marriage relationship.”

Ron has seen many married couples struggle in this area over the years. And he’s not alone, as money issues are still cited as the #1 reason for divorce in America—even among Christ-followers.

“My wife and I have learned that you can become financial soulmates or financial inmates,” Ron says. “When I say that in a group, I always get a mixed response of smile, laughter and concern on people’s faces. There’s a lot of financial pain and stress in marriages.”

For that reason, Ron and his wife Cathryn have dedicated part of their ministry to helping married couples talk about money—and more importantly, become "one" financially. Here’s a few principles they apply and teach:

What’s Mine is Yours

The Joneses have developed common language that drives their pursuit of biblical stewardship.

“We just said to each other, ‘What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine, and what’s ours is God’s,’ Ron says. “That was the starting point when we merged our married lives and our finances together.”

Ron has known many couples who lived separate financial lives, sometimes even with secret bank accounts. “That’s a roommate, that’s not a financial soulmate,” Ron says. “We encourage couples to be transparent, which takes most married couples years to work out.”

God Owns Everything

This is foundational, as couples move from an “ownership” mentality of it’s mine—to a “stewardship” mentality that says it’s all God’s and we are managers.

“That’s hard for a lot of people,” Ron says. “They are pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps kinds of people who have made their own way in life and then become followers of Christ.”

“It’s a big shift to the biblical perspective that everything I have comes from God and belongs to Him.”

As Ron explains, if you hand me your wallet with your money and your credit cards, I probably will spend those assets very differently as I remember that they are not mine.

Every Financial Decision Is a Spiritual Decision

Ron observes that when married couples grasp this big idea, it changes everything. Viewing every financial decision as a spiritual decision makes us “think twice about how we might spend resources the Lord might give,” Ron says. “It’s also a reminder that I will be accountable to the Lord for how I managed His resources.”

Ron says this also helps couples prioritize their finances. He and his wife have lived a simple plan for 23 years of first giving God 10%, then paying themselves 10% in saving and investing for the future, then living off the rest. Ron encourages couples to give to God as soon as they get paid.

“You can’t say God is first in your life if he’s last in your budget,” Ron says. “People make major financial decisions like houses and cars and other fixed expenses, and they don’t consider God.”

“Make those decisions early in your marriage, and the rest will fall in place as time moves on.”

Finding Financial Freedom

The world defines financial freedom as having money to do whatever you want. But Ron’s study of Scripture has given him a four-fold definition of financial freedom:

Free of debt— Couples will never be financially or spiritually free if they’re in bondage to past financial decisions. “Debt always makes you a prisoner to your past,” Ron says. Free from the love of money— "A lot of people misunderstand the Scriptures (1 Tim. 6:10) and think that money is the root of all evil,” Ron says. “It’s not. It’s the passion for,

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In this episode of the Social Media Church Podcast, Nick Ovalle, a former colleague and a good friend of Nils, shares with us how Sandals Church boldly stripped themselves of their trademark and started marketing their ministry through storytelling and funnel marketing. Putting focus on what really matters while challenging the norm.

Find out more about their noteworthy journey in this new episode. Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Nick Ovalle from Sandals Church about the Storytelling Church: Podcast 231

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Find out more about their noteworthy journey in this new episode. Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

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It could take years of conversations, lots of patience and hard work for married couples to move from financial “roommates” to soulmates who are pursuing biblical stewardship together—but it’s worth it.

In the latest Leadership Network generosity podcast, Lead Pastor Ron Jones of Atlantic Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach shares some of the principles that have helped couples in his church move toward financial oneness.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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How effectively do we use social media and other web-based technologies today?

From recording the very first podcasts of the Social Media Church Podcast to battling depression through utter dependence on Christ and now as a guest himself. Join us in catching up with DJ Chuang as he provides wisdom and practical ways to maximize social media today, online privacy security and top-level domain marketing.

Learn more in this new episode. Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.

Shownotes to Catching Up with DJ Chuang about Social Media, .Bible, and MultiAsian.Church: Podcast 230

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Are any of these questions your questions?

Why doesn't our church seem as “hot” as we used to be? What has always been successful for us doesn’t seem to work as well anymore? I wonder if we need to change some things, but what/how? Do we have the right leaders in the right roles? What’s the best organizational structure for our future growth? How do I re-energize our people and our community to passionately engage?

These questions and more are discussed in the new Leadership Network Roadmap for Growth e-book. One of the nine foundational areas of church growth is Leadership, Staff and Volunteers: Designing Your Organization Model for Hyper-Growth.

Modern organizational design has remained unchanged for more than 100 years, until recently. Industry disruption has ignited the change, causing leaders of high capacity organizations to realize an important truth: either disrupt your own model or be disrupted!

In 1602, the Dutch East Indies Company became the first modern corporation. But it wasn't until the 1850s that U.S. corporations created the first organizational chart. More than 50 years later, in 1906, a former seminary, Harvard University, created the first Master of Business Administration (MBA) program to equip leaders to run large organizations. Thus over 300 years passed between the advent of the first modern organization and the development of processes and tools to manage such organizations.

Fast forward to present day, the pace of change and the need for new models has increased. Leaders of today's large organizations understand that without tools and structures for innovating, their chosen business models are vulnerable to disruptive market and cultural forces of change. The way people engage with organizations, like the local church, has changed dramatically and the pace of this change is accelerating.

For the evangelical church, we’re thankful for Bob Buford and Peter Drucker, along with a host of entrepreneurial pastors, supporting organizations, and consultants who saw dramatic movement in the model of the church, leading to the development of megachurches and, ultimately, multisite and multinational churches.

The pace of change continues to accelerate, shortening the time between each new model in business and ministry. In the near future, the model for any large organization, regardless of domain, may have a lifecycle of 18-24 months or less. The large organization of the future will need to be ambidextrous: possessing both a component that manages, implements and operates, and a component that continuously searches, prototypes, tests, and pivots to create an evergreen portfolio of new models of ministry poised for implementation. This new organizational model, already adopted by the largest and highest performing organizations in the world, is sustainable and enduring and more invincible to disruption. Your church will need to adapt continuously and at speed.

Marriott International is a great example of the new ambidextrous business model. Marriott is the largest hospitality company in the world with 5700 hotels in 110 countries across 30 distinct brand experiences. Fortune Magazine ranked them the #1 Most Admired Hotel Company in the World for 2017. Fast Company Magazine ranked them one of the Top Innovators in the World. For the last 90 years, Marriott has continuously adapted their business model and organization to deliver sustained market growth. As with other public corporations, their growth and impact are measured quarterly in the “court” of investors, analysts and business partners called the “Quarterly Investors Conference Call”.

So how does Marriott’s organization design allow these two seemingly different ambidextrous parts of their organization to influence its direction? In other words, how can the largest hotel company in the world be BOTH admired as an operator AND admired as an innovator? There are 3 primary components to Marriott’s structure and governance model that ...

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Who are the youngest leaders of large-attendance churches across North America?

One fascinating discovery from Leadership Network's extensive research database is that they're from all over! The map above depicts churches served by this continent's 20 youngest large-church pastors, taken from in the table below. They cover 18 states and 1 province, affirming that gone is the day when the Bible Belt was overwhelmingly dominant. Gone also is the limitation to cities like New York, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Akron or Chicago where North America's earliest megachurches emerged -- see this blog for more megachurch history.

According to our research database, the average lead pastor is age 55 across the several thousand churches with weekly worship attendances (not membership) of 1,000 or more adults and children. However that average almost obscures the amazingly wide range from oldest to youngest.

Among megachurches -- by common definition, a megachurch draws 2,000 or more weekly attenders -- the “most senior” department includes Charles Stanley who came to Atlanta’s First Baptist Church in 1971. Born in 1932, he's in his 80s. Chuck Swindoll was born in 1934, Ed Young Sr in 1936, and John MacArthur in 1939. (All these dates have been published in newspapers and other media, so I’m not letting out any secrets!)

Meet the Up and Comers

What about the youngest large-church leaders? They start at age 30. Below are two tables with Leadership Network research on today's youngest pastors -- first those in the 1,000-1,999 attendance range, and then those in the 2,000-and-up range, again taken from published reports, and most confirmed by me interviewing or emailing them.

Honorable mention goes to Pastor Tara Beth Leach at First Church of the Nazarene, who would be #12-youngest by birth order in the 1,000-1,999 list if I had continued it to that point. She would also be the first-named female solo senior pastor on that list. She was born in 1982.

Naming the youngest female megachurch senior or lead pastor is a bit harder to do: Willow Creek's Heather Larson, born 1975, is one of two people (the other one male) named in 2017 as the lead pastor there. All other women who are the sole senior/lead pastor of a megachurch are older than Larson, but several women who are co-pastor with their husbands are younger.

O Canada! Many large and fast-growing churches are developing in Canada. Our 1,000-1,999 table below features one Canadian to watch. And had our 2,000-and-higher table continued just a bit longer, it would have mentioned another Canadian: Mark Clark, Village Church, Surrey, BC. For our research on large Canadian churches see leadnet.org/Canada.

NOTE at very bottom that Leadership Network loves younger leaders, and offers lots of opportunities for you to hang out with each other!

PLEASE alert me to corrections or additions, writing to DrBirdAssistant@gmail.com

For more blogs in this “megachurch” series, see also “World’s First Megachurch?”, "Megachurch Languages?", "Biggest Megachurch Sanctuaries?" , "Megachurch Books?" and "How Many Megachurches?". For global megachurches, see leadnet.org/world.

RESEARCH NOTE: This blog was last updated October 2017.

For more information on our Leader Groups, just click on the picture links below:

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Multicultural Churches Are Addressing Racial Divides in Trump’s America (Thinkprogress.org) As widespread reports of racial harassment and white supremacist activity continue across the country, the small, but growing, number of racially integrated churches are organizing. They’re organizing workshops, serving immigrants, and vowing to stand in solidarity with Muslims. In this difficult political climate, they contend that they are uniquely qualified to foster dialogue about race and advocate for marginalized groups — and bring diverse groups of Americans together in faith. The Large Parts of America Left Behind by Today's Economy (Axios.com) U.S. geographical economic inequality is growing, meaning your economic opportunity is more tied to your location than ever before. A large portion of the country is being left behind by today's economy, according to a county-by-county report released this morning by the Economic Innovation Group, a non-profit research and advocacy organization.

The Extraordinary Case of Mr Yamazaki (Medium.com) What happened when a Japanese head teacher imported his ‘Hitaisho’ teaching method to a rural Cornish primary school?

It’s Not a Problem to Solve, It’s a Polarity to Manage (Organizationalphysics.com) As a leader, being able to discern the difference between a problem and a polarity will help you to build a culture that makes the right decisions about the right things. This is true even if, from an uneducated eye, those efforts can sometimes appear to be in support of “old” ways of thinking. But they are not old ways of thinking! You are just boosting up an aspect of a polarity that is needed in your organization at this period in time. Later on, you may boost up “new” ways of thinking, depending again on what’s really needed. Let’s see how to do that…

Life In a Fishbowl Survey Gives Voice to Pastors’ Spouses (Religionnews.com) The vast majority of U.S. Protestant pastors’ spouses say ministry has had a positive effect on their families but many report being isolated and under financial stress. A new LifeWay Research survey, released Tuesday (Sept. 12), finds that most spouses are directly involved in the work of their churches, with 1 in 5 holding a paid position and two-thirds serving in unpaid capacities.

What Would Jesus Disrupt (Bloomberg.com) “The most successful startup in history!” Of the parable of the talents, in which two servants are lauded by their master for turning a profit with money he staked them: “The first recorded instance of venture capital and investment banking in history!” Of ancient business elites: “A church is the oldest marketplace in the history of the world.” Of the promised land of angel investing, where divinely inspired entrepreneurs dwell: “Because God creates things, too!” Mark Burnett, the producer of The Apprentice and Shark Tank, shows up to remind everyone that “the Bible is full of merchants and people doing work.”

The Turquoise Table Movement Wants You (Christianitytoday.com) As she sat outside every morning praying, she began to meet people she had lived next to for years. “I started learning the difference between entertaining and hospitality,” Schell says. “Entertainment… you can’t do all the time, you can’t do that at every opportunity. Hospitality is a way of life. It’s not what we’re doing; it’s who we are.”

Survey Spotlights American Views on Sin (Bpnews.net) As America becomes more secular, the idea of sin still rings true, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Nashville-based LifeWay Research. "Almost nobody wants to be a sinner," he said. The survey question about sin was inspired in part by an exchan...

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What does it take to be a “Digital Missionary”?

Well at least that’s what ‘That Christian Vlogger’, Justin Khoe calls himself. When talking about missions, we usually think of spreading the gospel in some remote area in a third-world country. Justin, however, considers YouTube to be his mission field. This week’s podcast is filled with useful knowledge from Justin Khoe as he shares with Nils Smith all about pastoring an area where God called him to be.

What are your thoughts on YouTube as a mission field? Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with That Christian Vlogger Justin Khoe: Podcast 229

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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A question came up in an online church leader string I follow: “With Christmas Eve on a Sunday this year, how are you planning to handle it?”

First – I was glad to see some teams thinking ahead.

Second – I was disheartened with some of the responses.

The first replies, from some good-sized churches, were in the vein of “we are cutting back that day to allow staff to be with their families. We are reducing the schedule of Sunday programs.”

A part of me died in reading that.

Thankfully a few responded with plans to INCREASE the number of services that day and make it a focal point of outreach.

In my view, this is the correct response.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve Eve, and even Christmas Eve Eve Eve is the new Good Friday/Easter opportunity for outreach. You can reach more people in those three days than you will next Easter season. This is a critical time to reach people in your community and build engagement with many sectors you may not be reaching now.

I get push back from some that have by that point in the year exhausted many staff and volunteers. Some of those had special outreach events earlier in December and believe those were the most crucial investments of time and resources.

Some of those are surely worthwhile endeavors. Some are not.

But I think with Christmas Eve on a Sunday you now have an ideal scenario for multiple opportunities in the run up to Christmas Day to help non-attenders celebrate Christ’s birth AND get to know your church.

I encourage you to plan services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Advertise and ticket them. Make them the focal point for December.

If you are an “identical programming” type church – meaning that all services are always the same – then carry on with that for that entire weekend.

If you are “tailored option” type church – make most of the auditorium services similar and layer on a kid “birthday party for Jesus” in a venue that can handle groups with reduced volunteer steam.

But don’t feel like the spectacular is needed: Simple, straightforward, designed for outsiders, warmth and familiar music. Communicate to regulars – “this is going to be 65 minutes of pure goodness of sharing God’s good news to the world so invite everyone you can.”

I know most of our clients don’t do Christmas Day Services when Christmas falls on a weekday. With Christmas Day on Monday, I would agree if that is your custom.

And if you want to give staff a break, then take the next Sunday and cut back on service times and format. Or choose not to have services that day.

But don’t miss out this year on this fantastic opportunity.

--Dave Travis

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Good news - You're a Genius!

We recently told you about Everyone’s A Genius: Unleashing Creativity For The Sake Of The World, the latest release from author and pastor, Alan Briggs.

In the video below, Alan himself gives us a glimpse into the book’s themes and concepts and the reason he believes everyone is a genius. Enjoy!

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It all started on September 9, 2009.

The concept was simple. (And it contained A LOT of nines!)

9 minutes

99 speakers

And it started at 9:09 on 09/09/09.

It was a grand experiment we called The NINES. (Don't ask me how we came up with the name!)

The concept was simple: We'd gather church leaders from all over the world online for a live and unprecedented internet conference on church leadership and innovation.

Back in 2009, what we were trying to do had never been done before. Online conferences weren't yet a thing. YouTube was just four years old. Internet speeds were much slower. Many people were either adoring or hating the long-awaited replacement to Microsoft Vista (which turned out to be Windows 7 by the way). And it would be a full seven months before the first iPad was released from Apple.

I remember that first NINES like it was yesterday. It was a combination of inspiration, unreliable technology, and duct tape. What we thought might draw 1,000 church leaders drew about 30,000.

And each year since Leadership Network has produced an annual version of The NINES.

But this year, we wanted to take The NINES to a whole different level. This year The NINES becomes Leadership Network's IMPLEMENTATION LAB. And we couldn't be more excited.

Instead of being one or two days of great leadership content, we're doing a different event (we're calling them 'labs') each month. Each month will feature a different topic and speaker (as well as a host of contributing speakers) with one goal in mind: taking what you learn and actually implementing it in your church.

Here's our goal for you and your church: We want you to be able to take an IDEA (that we'll introduce and explain) and IMPLEMENT it in the next 30 days (we'll provide step-by-step actions and templates to help you make it happen), so that you can have a great IMPACT in your community. We're also introducing a community around the lab that will help you ask questions of the speakers, and interact with everyone else involved in the lab. It will be a great way to collaborate and innovate together each month.

Ideas to Implementation to Impact in 30 days. A new topic every month.

The Implementation Lab has the potential to change up everything in your church.

We'd like to invite you to a special preview of the Implementation Lab on Tuesday, November 7 at 1pm Eastern. It will only last about an hour... but we'll give you some great content and unpack what the lab will look like for the next 12 months. You won't want to miss it. We hope you'll register for this free preview now!

If you have any questions about the Implementation Lab or how your church can be a part, contact me at Todd.Rhoades@leadnet.org.

And I'll see you on Tuesday, November 7 at 1pm Eastern for our Implementation Lab preview!

Todd Rhoades Implementation Lab Director Leadership Network

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - September 26, 2017

In this Issue...

Keys for Developing High Potential Millennial Leaders Pastoring: Giving It the Personal Touch and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read Podcast: How to Help Couples Have Conversations About Giving

Features You May Have Missed

Tips and Trends for Launching Your Next Church New Book Release from Alan Briggs: Everyone's a Genius 9 Fascinating Facts About People Who Attend Megachurches The 400 Gathering: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience in Silicon Valley

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How does your online church fit with your local church?

In this week’s podcast, we are joined by James Eaton, Online Director of Highlands Fellowship. James provides us with some wisdom on how to lead an online church and what the end goal for their online church is. James also shares how an online church can cater to small groups and the services he uses for live streaming.

Is your local church considering going online? Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with James Eaton of Highlands Fellowship: Podcast 228

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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It may be one of the most awkward conversations a couple can have. One or both has been inspired by their church leader’s latest message on financial giving, and they would love to talk about it with their spouse. But how do you start a conversation like that? What do you say? And how does a couple follow up with each other and make financial giving decisions they feel God may be leading them to make?

In the latest Leadership Network generosity podcast, Pastor Clay Smith of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter, SC, gives practical tips for helping couples have conversations about giving and generosity.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - September 19, 2017

In this Issue...

Tips and Trends for Launching Your Next Church Should We Kill Our Saturday Night Service? Listen: A Conversation with Jason Caston from iChurch Method about Social Media and New Technology

Features You May Have Missed

New Book Release from Alan Briggs: Everyone's a Genius 9 Fascinating Facts About People Who Attend Megachurches The 400 Gathering: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience in Silicon Valley Learn from Large Growing Overseas Churches

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What is the future of virtual reality? Will Amazon’s new social network compete with Facebook?

Our regular guest, Kenny Jahng, answers these questions and more in this new podcast with Nils Smith. Together, they share their experience and insights from their immersive virtual reality (VR) experience at VR World in New York City. Kenny and Nils try to predict the future of VR in churches, like having a quiet time with a VR tour of Jerusalem, or attending an actual worship service through VR in your own home. They also discuss how Amazon’s new social network revolves around and with their actual products for sale. Is this a threat to Facebook?

Find out more in this new episode. Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Kenny Jahng about Virtual Reality World and Amazon’s New Social Network: Podcast 227

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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If the following story grabs your imagination, be sure to see the webinar opportunity below.

Lee Kricher took on a nearly impossible task. In 2003, he became pastor of Amplify Church in Pittsburgh. It was a declining church of less than 200 aging parishioners.

Early in the process Lee cast vision for a “New Generation Church,” one where the attendees’ average age is at least as young as the average age of the community served by the church. Year after year, they focused on reaching and developing the next generation.

Fast forward to today: Amplify is a vibrant multisite church of over 2,000 people meeting in 3 locations. The average age of attendees is now 35 years old. Lee is in the process of handing over the reins to a younger leader, Jason Howard (25 years younger), to be his successor.

A number of key principles shaped Amplify and contributed to their success at reaching and developing younger leaders (which our webinar will unpack further).

1 The leaders of tomorrow are already here

Rather than assuming that they need to recruit new leaders from outside of Amplify Church, they assume that future leaders will emerge from those who attend the church. Every leader is always looking for new leaders to mentor and build the kind of genuine and healthy relationships that allow those they are mentoring to develop their God-given potential.

Leaders at Amplify are particularly determined to proactively give young adults the opportunity to grow into leadership roles. As a New Generation Church, they practice the “75% Rule”: 75% of those in visible leadership during any given weekend service must be the average age of or younger than the community which they serve. That requires them to identify a lot of young people who have leadership potential!

2 The primary role of every leader is to develop other leaders

Leaders at Amplify do not just make sure that their responsibilities are fulfilled with excellence. They are also committed to mentor others to do the same. Every leader at Amplify Church commits to mentor at least two people who can effectively carry out each of their key roles. That allows them to be “three-deep” at every key role in the church. There is no room at Amplify Church for indispensable heroes, and leadership effectiveness is best demonstrated when the leader is not present. If a person is told, “I am so glad you are back from vacation. It went badly without you here”--it is not a compliment. It is an indictment of poor leadership skills.

3 Leaders grow while doing

While leaders can and will learn valuable truths through many avenues, they learn best when in action. That is why “shadowing” current leaders is the primary way of developing future leaders. After watching and experiencing how a current leader fulfills their role, future leaders try it themselves with the support and coaching of the current leader. Positive feedback coupled with feedback for improvement prepares the future leader for excellence in fulfilling their roles – and models for them how to develop others.

Want to Learn More?

Join us for a free Oct 18 webinar at 12pm Eastern, 11 am Central, 9 am Pacific. On it, Lee Kricher will be joined by Jason Howard, Lee’s named successor as senior pastor. The webinar will focus on keys to developing millennial leaders.

Lee and Jason will discuss foundational principles that have become a way of life at Amplify such as “The primary role of every leader is to develop other leaders” and “The leaders of tomorrow are already here.”

Lee is the author of For a New Generation: A Practical Guide For Revitalizing Your Church (HarperCollins), the Leadership Network-endorsed book that focuses on the transformation of Amplify Church from an aging, dying church to a healthy, growing church with all ages well represented.

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We Can Be Hopeful For Houston The Church Is There (TheGospelCoalition.org) The devastating floodwaters have displaced thousands of Texans. But volunteers are also flooding into Houston, as Americans link arms and demonstrate already a remarkable spirit of resilience and grit. Those of us watching are in awe at the catastrophe, but also at the character of ordinary people who inspire us with acts of heroism and kindness. The Quiet Comeback Of The Middle Class (TheWashingtonPost.org) On this Labor Day, the American middle class survives. Indeed, it’s expanding. That’s not the conclusion of some arcane scholarly study. It’s the judgment of Americans themselves, though it hasn’t received much attention from politicians or the media. Most Americans have moved beyond the fears bred by the Great Recession. The middle-class comeback may be the year’s most underreported story. Mythbuster Louisville pastor triples attendance in 6 months by knocking on doors (Kentuckytoday.com) Mark Bishop has knocked on about 200 doors a week since he arrived six months ago at Highview Baptist Church – Valley Station Campus. In that time, he has baptized 37 new believers and has seen attendance triple to nearly 300 people.

American Churches Have a Better Reputation Than Higher Ed or the Media (ChristianityToday.com) According to Pew Research Center, Americans view the impact of religious institutions more positively than colleges, labor unions, banks, or the media, and their reputation has changed little during the political shifts over the past few years.

A Study Finding a Huge Increase in Alcoholism May Have Been Seriously Flawed (Vox.com) According to several researchers, the survey data behind the study is seriously faulty.

The Changing Face of Adoption in the United States (Ifstudies.org) The racial and ethnic composition of the adopted child population in the U.S. has changed dramatically in less than a generation. This IFS research brief compares adopted children in two large national studies of kindergarten students conducted a decade apart by the federal Department of Education. The proportion of adopted kindergartners being raised by a mother of a different race or ethnic group rose by 50% between 1999 and 2011. The proportion of adoptees with Asian backgrounds nearly tripled over the same time period. Paradoxically, the fraction of adopted students who are African-American seems to have fallen. What has not changed is that a large majority of adoptive parents are white, older, well-educated, and relatively affluent.

Pastoring: Giving It the Personal Touch (Joemckeever.com) This pastor gave a personal touch to reaching portions of the congregation on another level.

Five Leadership Axioms That Shape Your Ministry (Christianitytoday.com) Here are five leadership values that help make more effective leaders.

Here’s How Wealthier Americans Spend Their Free Time Compared to Those Who Earn Less (Cnbc.com) The size of your Friday paycheck can have a big effect on how you spend your weekend. According to the American Time Use Survey produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans who earn $50,000 per year or more disproportionately spend their free time doing activities like playing racquet sports and attending performing arts events. On the other hand, Americans who make less than average are more likely to spend time watching television and listening to the radio.

10 Mistakes Churches Make in Evaluating Pastors (Chucklawless.com) Here are some mistakes churches make regularly in this process of evaluating pastors

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

You never know what happens with couples on those car rides home after a church pastor or other leader has just presented their latest inspiring talk on financial giving.

God may have moved one or both partners in the couple to take a step toward generosity, and they would love to talk about it with their spouse. But how do you broach a subject as sensitive as money? Having a talk about sex might be easier!

“As pastors, sometimes we think if we can just motivate people to give, then we’ve given them what they need,” says Clay Smith, Senior Pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter, SC. “But having this conversation is a skill that usually needs more than motivation. People need a place to start.”

So Clay wrote a great blog with some tips on helping couples have productive, faith-moving conversations about giving. We discussed some of this blog along with other wisdom from Clay in our latest Generosity Podcast.

Somebody Must Go First

Somebody must swallow hard and start the talk. Clay says this is a great place for husbands to step up and lead with, “I felt like God spoke to me in the message today and I would like to talk about that.” But it’s certainly OK if the wife breaks the ice, and often the likelier option since they bring up about 80% of marriage issues, according to relationship experts.

Clay says whoever wants to get the ball rolling can start the conversation with something like this: “I sense God is saying something to me. I noticed during the service that you were engaged, and I wondered if we could talk about it.”

Don’t Reach a Conclusion Yet

This is the stage in the conversation when a couple explores options about what God might be leading them toward. Maybe it’s going from giving nothing to $20 a week. Maybe it’s moving toward tithing 10%, or going beyond to give generously. The key here is not to rush to a solution too quickly.

“It’s important to stick with ‘I’ statements,” Clay says. “This is what I sense God is saying. I’m not saying this is what you ought to hear from God.”

Tentatively Explore Next Steps

When both people are on the same page with what God might be saying, it’s time to identify a next step—but hold it loosely and try it on for size. See how it fits.

“The difficulty will arise when a couple doesn’t see the same next step,” Clay says. “One person might be saying ‘Let’s step all the way up to a tithe.’ And the other might be saying, ‘I just don’t see how we can afford that.’

“My best counsel to couples here is, don’t push.”

Pastors and church leaders need to especially tune into this step, and give people “relational space” to decide, Clay says. “Give them steps to move forward—wherever they are. Then people will say, ‘We might not be able to do that, but we can do this.’ “

Commit to Pray

In committing to pray, couples are seeking what God wants, and looking for confirmation. That confirmation might come in God speaking to one or both people.

Clay and his wife once thought God was asking them to give half of their parting salary from a church as a gift. But after Clay preached a message on giving, his wife felt God saying to give it all. “That’s a real mixed moment,” Clay joked. “That must have been a great sermon. But really, all of it!”

Clay says it works best if couples can set a specific timeframe to pray—say three days—to keep life from getting in the way of moving on God’s call. “A lot of times when a couple sets aside to pray about it, that becomes a way to let our fears take control,” Clay says. “We never get back to it.”

Close the Loop

This is when couples write down what they are going to do. It might be as simple as a Post-It note that reads “$100 a week.” Especially now, when people manage money virtually, there is something life-changing about putting the decision on paper. Then figure out the logistics—who’s going to pay it, what method will they use. “Decide together how it will get done,” Clay says.

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - September 12, 2017

In this Issue...

New Book Release from Alan Briggs: Everyone's A Genius Don’t Be Fooled: Big Gifts Don’t Always Equal Spiritual Maturity Upcoming: Multicultural Worship Leaders Conference

Features You May Have Missed

9 Fascinating Facts About People Who Attend Megachurches The 400 Gathering: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience in Silicon Valley Learn from Large Growing Overseas Churches What Kind of Churches Get the Most Volunteers

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In this day and age where time is the most valuable commodity, more and more people are starting to appreciate podcasts.

Today, Nils and Jay Kranda tell us how podcasts are becoming more relevant and creating greater opportunities for churches. In this episode, we will also get to know the podcast opportunities beyond just the weekend sermon.

TVApp.church is also giving away free Amazon Alexa Skills for ministries. Just sign up at TVApp.church/alexa.

Find out more in this new episode and share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Jay Kranda about Podcasting and Alexa Skills: Podcast 226

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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How many of these questions are your church’s senior leadership team asking......

How will you identify and develop internal leaders for your next church plant? Will going multisite exhaust your church’s leaders and staff? Should you build new or use existing space for your next church or campus? What can you learn from other pastors and leaders who are multiplying effectively? How can you inspire Millennials to engage more, including financially?

You’ll find answers to these challenging church expansion questions at Aspen Group’s 2017 Alignment Conference on October 17.

For a quick glimpse into some of the trends happening within the multisite and church planting movement, listen to (or read the transcript of) an interview with Alignment keynote presenter Dave Travis, CEO of Leadership Network

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We get a lot of great questions (one way to ask us is through our new Implementation Lab), and here's a great one I recently received: "Is there a recommended amount of administrative assistant hours for a staff? I am trying to figure out what our church of 2,000 should have invested in administrative assistants. We are seemingly overstaffed but want to find some data or a resource to back up that claim." Whatever the church size, this is an important issue. I don't have hard research for an answer, but I do have recommendations.

My answer starts like this: It depends. Why? Here are some of the variables:

What level of staff are you? Typically the lead pastor gets more support help than the men's ministry pastor or next gen pastor. For example, the lead pastor, executive pastor, and other executive team leaders often have a 1:1 ratio, while other departments/groups in the church may each share an administrative assistant. I'm not saying that's right, but it is reality. The more people you're serving, the more help you get.
How good are you at working through others? A lot of people haven't learned how to truly use an assistant. Some don't want to. Some haven’t been challenged to do so. Others haven't done it well in the past, so they don't get much backing to obtain help now.
How fast is your church or specific ministry growing? The more growth, the more chaos-making, and thus the more need for support people to organize the clouds of dust, and to make sure people and details don't fall through the cracks. The faster the church is growing, the more likely you feel understaffed. Declining churches tend to be overstaffed.
What economic level does your church serve? If your congregation is largely people, typically middle class or upper middle class, with lots of managers and executives who depend on executive assistants, then the more likely your church's culture will value and fund support for church staff. By contrast, if everyone in your church is a do-it-yourselfer -- a worker for others, or a one-person operation -- then the expectation will be stronger that church staff should lead likewise.
How old is your church? Typically the more established the church, the more routines your church has developed which can be managed by administrative support, rather than a staff member. Typically the older the church, the more staff heavy it is.
How much of your staff is on-site vs virtual? At Leadership Network we use (and love) the virtual assistant approach provided by Belay Solutions. Belay reports that when they replace an on-site assistant in a church, who is working 30 to 35 hours per week, it's often done with a 15-hour per week virtual assistant. Why? The nature of the off-site relationship is more task focused. The trade-off is someone offsite won’t have the in-person flexibility to pitch in and help others, be part of a staff meeting, pause to pray with someone, etc. They tend to wear fewer hats (church member, friend of others in the office, etc.) than those onsite.

I have two additional suggestions:

Here is advice of Shannon Miles, CEO and Cofounder of Belay Solutions, "We recommend a church client start with 10 hours/week of executive assistant support per pastor (lead pastor, executive pastor, etc.). Over time and with intentional training, the hours tend to grow as the pastor delegates more responsibility to the assistant. The key idea is ensuring the assistant takes the aspects of the ministry that must get done so the pastor can focus on what should be done, such as growth, outreach, programming, etc." Take a look at Leadership Network's groundbreaking collection of ratios and benchmarks in the report, "12 Salary Trends Every Church Leader Should Know: 2016 Large Church Salary Study – COMPLETE REPORT." It deals with many questions similar to yours, but it uses research to tell you what other churches are doing, and how that changes with church size.

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The recent disaster in our country proved one thing true, our churches weren’t prepared on how or what to communicate in the midst of the storm. While some churches communicated beautifully, others over communicated and some didn’t communicate at all.

When megachurch pastor Joel Osteen seemed to be silent for a moment in the midst of tragedy, people on social media were quick to attack him for not opening his facility in Houston, Texas to those in need. It turned out only to be not true as it was nothing more than a lack of communication between him and the public. His church was also flooded and he wasn’t able to immediately open the doors and risk doing more harm than good. Everyone has an opinion on what he should have done and I’m sure if he had a do-over he might have done things different. This podcast is not about Joel Osteen, but it is about what every pastor faced in the midst of this storm when you feel speechless, but the world is looking to your words for comfort and direction.

Needless to say, public relations or PR, can be critical in times like these.In this episode Justin Dean, author of PR Matters: A Survival Guide for Church Communicators, shares with us about the importance of church PR today. Nils and Justin also talk about how churches should respond to disasters and how church leaders should handle crisis situations.

Share your thoughts or questions with us on social media! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Justin Dean about Church PR in the midst of Tragedy: Podcast 225

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - September 5, 2017

In this Issue...

9 Fascinating Facts About People Who Attend Megachurches How Do Great Churches Develop Their Leaders? Stewardship, the Missing Link in Many Discipleship Programs

Features You May Have Missed

The 400 Gathering: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience in Silicon Valley Learn from Large Growing Overseas Churches What Kind of Churches Get the Most Volunteers The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership

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Many people in our churches are heading toward burnout in the areas they serve, but they still feel like no one has invited them to do anything challenging, exciting, or creative for the sake of the world. Their passion meter is low while their frustration meter is high. What if, instead, churches trained and released people back into the vocations, careers, and ideas they already have? We can make inroads to join them in their neighborhoods and in their relationships to utilize the creativity they already possess to bless the world. If we dig a little, we usually find incredible dreams and ideas for impacting people.

In Everyone's a Genius, his latest release in the Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, Pastor Alan Briggs explains his belief that church leaders need to recognize and empower the gifts in others.

The following is an excerpt from Everyone's a Genius:

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with a shovel in my hand. I dreamed of digging up an ancient city or dinosaur bones. I even tried to dig and get to China. One day I learned about gold at school. After the bell rang I came home and started to excavate. My shovel became my tool. A few days later I finally found some. From the hard Virginia clay, I unearthed a chunk of (fool’s) gold. After digging around it and lifting it out with all my might, I ran to show my mom the treasure. She told me it wasn’t real. Obviously, she was no prospector.

Christian leaders wield a shovel. We must become archaeologists seeking to uncover the precious gifts buried below the surface in those around us. Sometimes the ground is hard and requires a pickax to start to unearth the shimmer of something beautiful inside others. It can be hard, slow work, but it’s worth it. As church leaders, we often become so focused on dictating things to our people that we don’t take time to unearth and uncover their unique fingerprint and creative makeup. There is a space inside all of us where the image of the Creator rises to the surface. Sometimes we do things both naturally and skillfully, and it even blows us away.

One year a winsome couple went through a learning track I led. When we started the journey, they were considering leaving their church, joining a church start-up, or launching into global missions. The husband seemed antsy, ready to delve into a new avenue to serve God. After a few sessions, they began to invite people to their home for lunch. Many of our young single leaders were more than happy to consume their homemade cuisine. The group would spend hours in their home with their family, eating and talking about the ups and downs of life. One snowy Saturday my family joined the group for some hot soup next to a fire as we consumed their amazing hospitality. During their commissioning time, we all recounted stories of moments in their home. For the previous ten months they had cracked open their lives and invited us in.

God used this time to shift their trajectory from what they wanted to be doing toward what they were already doing effectively. We clearly communicated to them: this hospitality counts as ministry! You don’t have to do anything else. Just keep doing what you’re doing!

How many people around us are just like this couple? How many people are aspiring to find an area of greater impact while they are already making a big impact?

If you are a Christian leader, you need to function as a creative spy and a human archaeologist. We should constantly be following the trail of creativity in others and affirming what we find in them. The fourth chapter of Ephesians talks about some crucial but different wirings of Christian leaders. Apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, shepherding, and teaching wirings are not just for the sake of infusing those in the church; they are also for recognizing and equipping others to function in these ways. We are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

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Talking about money inside the church can be awkward for some but that doesn’t make the topic less important.

There are many lessons in the Bible about giving money to the church and about being generous. But how does a church and their leaders encourage the congregation to be more generous without sounding like extortionists? Listen to this new podcast with Trent Dunham, president at Dunham+Company, as we discuss how to create a culture of generosity in the church.

Find out more in this new episode. Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Trent Dunham about Creating a Generous Church Culture: Podcast 224

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - August 29, 2017

In this Issue...

The 400 Gathering: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience in Silicon Valley Fresh Perspectives on All Things Multisite PODCAST: Stewardship, the Missing Link in Many Discipleship Programs

Features You May Have Missed

Learn from Large Growing Overseas Churches What Kind of Churches Get the Most Volunteers The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership The Secret to the Success of the "Most Admired Organizations in the World" Pt. 2

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That’s a question we were asked by a large, prominent church in a large, major city.

Their feeling was that the longstanding Saturday evening service drew only 600 people in regular worship. Additionally, they felt it attracted an older adult constituency. Instead they wanted to add a new Sunday evening format that was identical to their Sunday morning services.

Let me speak in the voice of the "old man," consultant Lyle Schaller, who processed this question many times and often in my presence.

First, cutting service options always means cutting several things:

a. People b. Money (sometimes that service could represent the highest giving per capita)

Anytime you eliminate options, especially longstanding ones, you lose. Almost never a wise idea.

Remember that 600 is not 600. It is closer to 1,500 because of attendance-frequency patterns. In some cases (not knowing this particular church that well), breaking up a worship service also means cutting several groups of people that tend to clump in this service.

Usually the let's-kill-this-service option the church presents is preferred by three primary groups:

The preaching/worship team. The staff that is assigned to work in that service (assuming they have to double up instead of one for Saturday and one for Sunday). Kids ministry volunteers.

Total all those up and it is still much smaller than 600.

Saturday is most preferred option for:

Former Catholics, and current Catholics looking for a change. People sneaking away from current church to check out another church. Those people that now work on a Sunday but originally attended on Sunday. Those that work an early-morning shift at a hospital. People who don't like crowds and prefer a smaller feel. Younger adults who prefer to have Sundays wide open for team sports, grandparent visitation, brunch with friends, and other activities.

That was almost Lyle's speech to the letter. But personally, I recall two large-church examples I know from the past few years:

In one the new pastor didn't want to do Saturday where they previously had two half-full services. Then there were two Saturday afternoon/evening and two Sunday. He killed Saturday because it interfered with his family time. They lost 2/3 of Saturday's crowd immediately along with their giving. Biggest loss I heard was young families. Two reasons: 1. Those who had full Sundays with other things. 2. They hated the crush in kids ministry on Sunday and felt it was a better experience for the kids on Saturday night. Another church had long tradition of Saturday in the largest worship center but only filled half of it. It almost served as dress rehearsal for the fuller Sunday services. In addition, that service always had communion served. A few years back they said "we are taking a summer break" and didn't restart for the longest time. They lost people. It served an older constituency that loved communion and didn't like crowds. The elders rose up because of what they were hearing in the people. They restarted the service using a smaller venue. The service now has a slightly different feel but has recaptured some of the loss they experienced. In addition, it made the Sunday experience better by allowing improvements to be made after the worship experience on Saturday.

ALL THAT TO SAY: Do what you want but I would personally never advise it. It communicates the wrong message about the church and its future.

If you really feel a Sunday night experience will capture a new constituency – why not start that one in addition to the other services?

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How do great churches develop their leaders?

At Leadership Network, we hear this question all the time. Every growing church needs to constantly be identifying and training up leaders. But how? We asked 100 of the country’s largest churches this very question: How do you identify and train leaders? Last year’s NINES online conference shares their answers and strategies.

In case you missed it, we still have the videos and program book available! You’ll need to purchase our 24/7 video access pass that will allow you to watch all of the videos from the 2016 NINES on-demand (including all of the breakout sessions). You can purchase a 2016 NINES program guide that includes notes, speaker bios and contact information, discussion questions and more. Here you can purchase both of them at a bundled price!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions!

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Here’s how Wikipedia defines a “keystone species”:

“A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the types and numbers of various other species in the community. The role that a keystone species plays in its ecosystem is analogous to the role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone is under the least pressure of any of the stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it.”

National Geographic identifies several keystone species—beavers, prairie dogs, elephants, sea otters, hummingbirds, mountain lions, sea stars, etc. Each of these species is critical to the future of their environment. Is there a keystone species in the church?

Millennials (in this blog, the generation born between 1980 and 2000) may very well be the keystone species of the church—of your church. Their presence or absence will inordinately affect your future. After surveying over 32,000 people in 4,436 different congregations the Hartford Institute for Religion Research released their Engaging Young Adults report and discovered that:

Millennials comprise 23% of the U.S. population but… — Only 10% of congregations have this percentage reflected in their congregations — 18% have NO Millennials attending their church
Fifteen percent of Millennials attending is considered a “critical mass” of Millennials (1/3 of churches surveyed had this critical mass of 15%).
Thriving Millennial ministries mean thriving congregations
Critical mass of Millennials mean almost twice the likelihood of having a ethnically diverse church
Critical mass of Millennials is linked to high Internet and social media presence
Critical mass of Millennials enhance a congregation's community engagement as well as prayer and Bible engagement
Critical mass of Millennials is connected to a thriving children and youth ministry
Churches with a critical mass of Millennials increase attendance (36.1%), and maintain attendance (49.6%) over time
Churches with a critical mass of Millennials are — More spiritually vital and alive — More caring and supportive of members — More willing to meet new challenges — More social justice oriented — More intentional about maximizing the number and variety of small groups the congregation has to offer

So what do churches that understand Millennials as a keystone species do that we could also do? Here is what our friends at Hartford Institute discovered. Churches with thriving Millennial ministries:

Made reaching, retaining and growing Millennials a top priority (those churches who prioritize engagement with Millennials are twice as likely to have a critical mass of Millennials compared to those who do not) Had a strategy for reaching, retaining and growing Millennials Have (paid or unpaid) staff leading the initiative to engage Millennials. Simply put: “No leader—no engagement with Millennials”

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Standard discipleship programs train new believers in the basics of how to study the Bible, pray and share their faith. But there is another vital building block that may often go missing.

“Money is such a big part of our lives; if we don’t disciple people in it, then we’re by default saying the Lordship of Jesus doesn’t permeate the most basic parts of their lives,” says Dr. Bobby Harrington, senior pastor of Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN. “We have to teach people how to deal with their money in godly ways, or we aren’t discipling.”

In his church and in his work as Executive Director of national disciple-making organization Discipleship.org , Bobby makes sure financial stewardship is always part of the discipleship package.

“There is a clear relationship between stewardship and discipleship,” Bobby says. “Of course, money is a big deal in the Bible, so it’s going to be a big deal in disciple-making.”

Bobby offers four principles for ensuring discipleship always entails developing a heart of financial stewardship and generosity:

Start with the Lordship of Jesus

For Bobby, the ancient confession of Romans 10:10--“Jesus is Lord”—is the starting point of any discussion of stewardship as discipleship.

“Jesus as Lord means He is more important than anybody, anything or any aspect of our life,” Bobby says. “We’re saying He’s King—of our money and everything else.

“There is so much pressure to make money our God, rather than Jesus our Lord and God. We want to help people surrender that issue first and foremost.”

One of the first things Bobby does in disciple-making related to finances is to help new believers acknowledge that everything comes from God, and we’ve been entrusted with it to serve His purposes.

“The whole concept of tithing in the law of Moses was to help people acknowledge they were giving back only a portion of what is all God’s in the first place,” Bobby says. “We’re managing everything God gave us.”

Teach People More Than Just Giving

Many times as church leaders, we think “If everybody just gave, it would be so good,’ ” Bobby says. “But most people haven’t been discipled in how to manage their money God’s way.”

Bobby knows when he’s talking about being generous in his church—probably just like in yours—so many people are struggling with debt and are stretched so thin financially that they have little or no financial margin. No matter how motivating we may be, they have a hard time saying “yes.”

“We have to teach people the discipleship fundamentals of debt and savings and budgeting,” Bobby says. “We’re teaching people all these things so they can live a well-managed life, then you will be able to teach them about giving.”

Something FOR Them, Not FROM Them

As church leaders, we may well need to shift our goals when it comes to stewardship as discipleship. Our aim is not to get people’s money for the church or our projects.

“Our goal has to be that they would have a relationship with money that honors God so they can be used by God,” Bobby says. “It’s what we want to do for them so God can work through them.”

Bobby wants to raise up disciples who give the first 10 percent to God, save the second 10 percent and live a well-managed life with the remaining 80 percent. They have financial margin, and they’re making good money decisions.

“There is a freedom to be generous,” Bobby says. “A freedom from anxiety, freedom that you’ve prepared for the future. We are doing people a favor.”

Be Mutipliers of Good

Bobby knows there are two types of people listening when he teaches about generosity: One group doesn’t give, so they don’t like that teaching, and the other group loves it because it encourages them to keep it up.

“They get to partner with God in multiplying the benefits of good stewardship,” Bobby says. “In the words of Paul, they can ‘be generous in every way at all times (2 Cor. 9:11).’ They’re going to see the impact of their life multi...

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Imagine you’re the leader of a church with a healthy contingent of high-capacity givers, and some of those givers are blessing your church with generous financial contributions.

There’s a temptation in those cases that Dr. Stacy Spencer, Founding and Senior Pastor of New Direction Christian Church in Memphis, has learned to avoid.

“Sometimes you’re lured into thinking that if the gift is big, the heart is big,” says Stacy. “Don’t be fooled by big gifts and assume they always equal spiritual maturity. Sometimes that might not be the case.”

Stacy thinks that was one of the big lessons Jesus taught when he told about a group of temple givers—many were bringing big gifts, and a widow gave what looked like a meager offering.

“Remember, it was the widow who had the heart that pleased God, because she gave everything she had,” Stacy says. “All the other people were high-capacity givers who brought big gifts, but their hearts weren’t conditioned like the widow.”

Stacy says when people give big gifts, it can be tempting to hand them more leadership and spiritual authority than they may be able to handle. Jesus wrote the book on this one, too, with how he challenged a young, high-level leader.

“The rich young ruler couldn’t write a big check and walk away free and clear in his relationship with the Lord,” Stacy says. “Jesus knew his heart, and knew he needed to grow in some areas, even though he claimed to do all the right things.”

It’s About Discipleship

Stacy and others who pastor high-capacity givers say the key to helping them develop a pure heart to go with big gifts is to foster a genuine mentoring/discipleship relationship that goes far beyond accepting their generosity and assuming all is well with their soul. Every giver has areas that God wants to further develop, even high-capacity givers.

“High-capacity givers are inundated with sales pitches, so they don’t need another one of those from us as church leaders,” Stacy says. “They need somebody who is going to care about more than their wallet, and invest in helping them grow in their relationship with the Lord.”

Stacy has developed deep discipleship relationships with high-capacity givers that have included professional athletes, actors and high-level wealthy business leaders. There were no shortcuts in developing friendships that had an impact on the spiritual formation of these high-capacity givers.

“We do life with these people and some have become our friends,” Stacy says. “God has been gracious in many instances to allow me the opportunity to cultivate a genuine relationship that allows us to know our givers deeply and to actually have an impact.”

That kind of relationship, with a focus on addressing the heart issues that God reveals and challenging high-capacity givers to give more than money, helps church leaders keep a healthy perspective on substantial donors.

“A lot of big givers write big checks and think that should be enough,” Stacy says. “But they’re not attending worship, or they aren’t part of a small group, or they aren’t serving in any way. You can’t continue to receive their big gifts without holding them accountable for being discipled.”

“Don’t be captivated by the big gifts, and fail to work toward true discipleship and fellowship, ” he adds

Get Past the Dollar Signs

Leadership Network’s Chris Willard, who helps church leaders around the country develop a culture of generosity in their churches, agrees 100 percent with Stacy. He encourages pastors not to be shy about knowing their high-capacity givers and initiating a relationship with them.

He suggests pastors should get a list of the church’s top givers, and reach out to them to begin building a potential discipling relationship.

“There might be a lot of names on that list you don’t recognize as being plugged in anywhere else,” Chris says. “You have a unique opportunity and probably the best platform of anyone in your church to reach out and connect with them.”

“In many cases,

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By Mark Johnston with Ryan Hartwig

Editor’s note: In our research for Teams That Thrive: Five Disciplines of Collaborative Church (recently named Outreach magazine’s Leadership Resource of the Year), Ryan Hartwig and I got to meet a lot of great leaders and thriving leadership teams. One of those was the directional leadership team at the Journey Church in Newark, Delaware. Journey’s lead pastor Mark Johnston actually gave us the final line of our book when he stated during our interview with him: “I used to lead our church. . . . Now I lead our team and they lead our church.”

We asked Journey’s directional leadership team to tell us the principles that guide their work as a leadership team. Here’s what they told us (along with some commentary from Ryan Hartwig on what the research says about why this works so well). – Warren Bird

Principle 1: We live by this mantra: “This team is my team. Its success is my success. I win if this team wins. I lose if this team loses.”

Our directional team has adopted this mantra as a philosophical umbrella for how our team will operate. It’s a saying that reminds us of the importance of collaborative decision-making and perpetuates our “best idea wins” culture.

We recognize that silos begin to develop as an organization grows, and using a shared risk and reward approach to ministry helps minimize silos so we can move our mission forward. (Our definition of a “silo” is when a ministry area has three attributes: the leader is or feels like he is operating alone; there is competition instead of cooperation with other areas; and communication is fragmented, resulting in team members lacking a clear picture of what’s happening outside of their little world.)

So, how do we disrupt the silos phenomenon? We probe beyond our own expertise -- asking good, hard questions about any ministry area without feeling intimidated because we’re not the “experts”. We’ve created a culture where people share knowledge, and we’re not afraid to lend our gift set outside of an area we’re not directly responsible to manage. For example, we have a team of people who meet every week to provide feedback on the previous weekend’s gathering, as well as to plan for the coming weeks. Each member of that team has various operational responsibilities, but they are all encouraged to come prepared to share feedback about all areas, not just their own. When silos are disrupted, a natural synergy occurs, ideas flow freely back and forth, and everyone recognizes that there is really only one big team at the end of the day.

Action Step: In your next meeting, ask good, hard questions beyond your expertise and note the response/openness of your team members. If they’re surprised (or suspicious) that you care, you have silos to disrupt.

Ryan’s Research Comment: Too many teams are built through representation, like a representative democracy, where each member is chosen to represent a certain group (such as youth) and then believes their role is to advocate for their particular area (such as the youth group). But those aren’t great teams. In fact, one of the chief predictors of team performance in our Teams That Thrive study was the amount of time team members adopted a church-wide perspective rather than a narrow, position-only or area-based perspective. Creating avenues for your team members to think beyond silos makes great sense.

Principle 2: We commit to five “Will Do’s.”

In addition to our mantra, our directional team has adopted five “will do’s” based on the writings of Patrick Lencioni. We review these “will do’s” regularly when our team meets:

We know and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We pay attention to the day to day realities and results of each other’s leadership and know when someone is operating either within or outside their gift set. We engage in constructive, ideological conflict. Simply put, we fight; but we fight fair. Because we’re all deeply committed to the mission,

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - August 22, 2017

In this Issue...

Learn from Large Growing Overseas Churches How to Understand Your High-Capacity Leaders LISTEN: Social Media and Evangelism - A Conversation with Joel Southerland

Features You May Have Missed

What Kind of Churches Get the Most Volunteers The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership The Secret to the Success of the "Most Admired Organizations in the World" Pt. 2 Five New Reasons Why You DO Want to Launch that New Church or Campus

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The Bible is currently used by more than 30,000 church organizations and denominations in the world. It would seem like presenting the Bible in it’s barest form is impossible without raising theological debates.

Our friends from Museum of the Bible, however, believe they can engage the people with the Bible in a fun, innovative, and educational way. Museum of the Bible invites people to engage with the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Jeremy Burton, Director of Communications for Museum of the Bible, to talk about Bible engagement for all faiths and all walks of life, while using innovative methods to boost social media efforts.

Museum of the Bible is located 3 blocks south of the US Capitol in Washington D.C. and is currently under construction. They will open in November 2017.

Show Notes to A Conversation with Jeremy Burton from Museum of the Bible about Bible Engagement and Innovative Technologies: Podcast 223

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When you hear the word “rebranding” it usually signifies that something needs to be changed.

So if people want to rebrand the Bible, does it mean there is something wrong with the Word of God?

We know that there is nothing wrong with the Bible in itself, the real problem lies on how people perceive the Bible. Many people tend to see the Bible as an archaic text with rules and laws that are harsh, judgmental, and impossible to follow. Others view it as a book that has a lists of do’s and dont’s in life; and when you violate enough of them and you get a ticket to hell. There has been too much familiarity of the Bible in the Western world that it has lost its real meaning to them.

In this week’s episode, Arthur Satterwhite from the American Bible Society joins us in sharing all the reasons why the Bible has to be rebranded and how important it is for people to know the real message of God’s Word and enjoy the goodness it has to offer.

Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Shownotes to A Conversation with Arthur Satterwhite from American Bible Society about Project Magellan and Rebranding the Bible: Podcast 222

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We train disciples of Jesus to study their Bible, pray and share their faith. But where does teaching on stewardship and generosity fit in?

That may be the most vital missing link in our discipleship efforts, as we explore in the latest generosity podcast from Leadership Network with Dr. Bobby Harrington, lead pastor and executive director of Discipleship.org.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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By Warren Bird

With the tremendous growth and expansion of large churches in the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to speculate that “we” are leading the way as pacesetters. That would be very wrong.

In fact, great things are happening literally in every corner of the world, from Japan to Germany, from Kenya to Korea. It’s been my privilege to visit the largest-attendance church in each of these countries: Australia, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, Hungary, Kenya, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. I've also compiled the world’s only active, sortable list of some 500 global megachurches at leadnet.org/world – which, by the way, is perennially one of Leadership Network’s most-visited webpages.

Under the sponsorship of Leadership Network, I write an every-issue column in Outreach magazine titled “Leadership from the Global Church.” The goal of each column is to share an idea of something innovative and helpful that an overseas church is doing that “we” back here in North America might learn from. Some 20 of those columns are online here. To whet your appetite, here are a few of the article titles and topics:

New Life Assembly of God, Chennai, India.

El Salvador: Plan, Pray, Coach and Grow Small Group Attendance Exceeds Worship Attendance in This Salvadoran Church. Why? And How?

India: Learning From New Life This church in India launched in the regional language of Tamil, and later added separate English services. What are the unique challenges of one church in two languages?

6 Global Examples of Pastoral Succession These six examples show the wide variety of sources for a pastoral successor, each of which has its pros and cons.

Damansara Utama United Methodist Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Korea: Why So Many Megachurches? Today, Korea has one of the highest concentrations of megachurches, far more than neighboring countries like India, Japan or the Philippines, or than European countries where the gospel has been established much longer. Why?

Six Congregations as One Church In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this church draws 5,000 people on any given weekend, but it's distributed across six congregations, each having a different language.

Multiplying Global-Minded Leadership: Global Residencies Two megachurches from Indiana, United States and Kenya have formed a partnership to plant new churches in five gateway cities. How did this multi-cultural vision start? And how did they implement their plan?

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - August 15, 2017

In this Issue...

What Kind of Churches Get the Most Volunteers Meet Our Valued ENGAGE! Partners; Connection Pointe Christian Church and Others LISTEN: A Conversation About Technology and Millennial Engagement

Features You May Have Missed

The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership The Secret to the Success of the "Most Admired Organizations in the World" Part 2 Five New Reasons Why You DO Want to Launch that New Church or Campus How Do Large Churches Become High-Performing Organizations?

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - August 8, 2017

In this Issue...

The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership WATCH: Missional Engagement Update - Christ the King Bellingham, Washington What Generosity Experts Know that Most Pastors Don't (Part 2)

Features You May Have Missed

The Secret to the Success of the "Most Admired Organizations in the World" Part 2 Five New Reasons Why You DO Want to Launch that New Church or Campus How Do Large Churches Become High-Performing Organizations?

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If there is one thing that we keep on hearing from our church leaders who use social media, it’s that “Social media is a tool for evangelism!” - and it’s something that most of us agree with. The rest of the details, however, often do not follow. How exactly do we use social media for evangelism? Do we bombard Facebook with John 3:16’s? Do we create inspirational content and insert hints of the Gospel in them? Or do we just put selfies of our senior pastors on Instagram?

It seems easy to answer but laying out a blueprint for social media use in our ministries isn’t as simple as it appears to be. Joel Southerland joins us in this podcast to answer these questions about social media and evangelism.

How does your church utilize social media? Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to A Conversation with Joel Southerland about Social Media and Evangelism: Podcast 221

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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By Warren Bird, Research Director Our newest report, “8 Launch Wins” (free download below), explores fascinating discoveries about new churches and new multisite campuses. One of the many questions we surveyed involves the percentage of adults who “volunteer regularly.” We learned: - How does volunteer involvement compare? - What types of churches get the most volunteer involvement? - If you send people out to a new campus or church plant, are they more likely to go as spectators or volunteers? The graphic is one of 14 different visuals in the informative report, covering everything from discipleship practices to attitudes about multiplication. Together they raise new understanding on issues that planning teams and launch teams want to know. For example:

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By Dean Niewolny

Sometimes as leaders we must be the first to do the uncomfortable thing. Whether leading a church, a ministry, a business, or a family, the leader must go out on the limb first.

In my new book, Trade Up: How to Move from Just Making Money to Making a Difference, I share how as a young person I set out to make as much money as possible and by the time I was forty I had done exactly that. And yet, there was something missing, something more that I just couldn’t put my finger on.

As a leader you know that you lead people every day who are in the same bind where I found myself. How does this happen? Let me hazard some guesses.

First, there is work to do and you as a leader need someone—anyone—to do it. It’s as simple as that. If you wait until you find the perfect fit for the role, the job will likely never get finished.

Secondly, helping people find their sweet spot seems to be loaded with danger for you as a leader. What if your quest to help them leads them to a job outside your church, or to another role within that’s a better fit for them? How will you get your work done?

So, here’s what happens. We all settle. We’re just doing stuff and many leaders are fine with that. No one has to complicate things by asking a lot of probing questions and figuring out how we tick. It’s an endless loop: work gets done, we go home and come back tomorrow and more work gets done, and so on, and so on.

It’s not good for any of us to do it this way, but it continues, sometimes for a lifetime without any kind of intervention or change.

Ephesians 2:10 says, in essence, we are uniquely wired by the hand of God to do work that He has already predetermined for us to do. If that’s true, then it seems like at least one of the primary goals of a leader should be to define your specific purpose and then to help your people find that predetermined role, their sweet spot, no matter the cost to us or our organization. What if the process ends with us helping them find a role in our church where they don’t just survive, but thrive?

Thirdly, for the members of your team, it takes a lot of bravery to question all of this. People will have to stop to take stock, to learn what their strengths, weaknesses and gifts really are, along with what that means for them going forward. It’s true that knowledge is power, but it’s also true that knowing the truth requires us to act upon it.

The combination of these three issues have produced what can best be described as a comfortably numb workplace and community where everybody knows it could be better but nobody wants to take the time or risk to fix it.

I was lucky and blessed. Though I had people telling me how “successful” I was, and though I had achieved a great deal, my real calling was, well, calling to me.

To find it meant that I had to leave what I was comfortable with and strike out into the unknown in search of it. I’m sure there were people in my circle of friends and business acquaintances who thought I was crazy.

But a funny thing happened when I stepped out on the limb that day. I found joy and peace and a sense of purpose every day that had eluded me in my previous role.

I am guessing you love your team members. I’m here to tell you that the greatest thing you can do for them is to encourage them to take some time and get to know how God has made them.

Taking on this leadership challenge will require a tremendous amount of trust in God and his plan for your church. It will not be easy, but it will be worthwhile, and He is trustworthy. Just imagine what He can do with a community of believers, each living out his or her calling and using his or her gifts for His purposes.

Bottom line: We’re all better as churches and as individuals when everyone has found their one thing.

To order your copy of Trade Up: How to Move from Just Making Money to Making a Difference

Dean Niewolny is CEO of the Halftime Institute. He spent 23 years in executive roles with thre...

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Standard discipleship programs train new believers in the basics of how to study the Bible, pray and share their faith. But there is another vital building block that may often go missing. “Money is such a big part of our lives; if we don’t disciple people in it, then we’re by default saying the Lordship of Jesus doesn’t permeate the most basic parts of their lives,” says Dr. Bobby Harrington, Senior Pastor of Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN. “We have to teach people how to deal with their money in godly ways, or we aren’t discipling.”

In his church and in his work as executive director of national disciple-making organization discipleship.org, Bobby makes sure financial stewardship is always part of the discipleship package.

“There is a clear relationship between stewardship and discipleship,” Bobby says. “Of course, money is a big deal in the Bible, so it’s going to be a big deal in disciple-making.” Bobby offers four principles for ensuring discipleship always entails developing a heart of financial stewardship and generosity:

Start with the Lordship of Jesus

For Bobby, the ancient confession of Romans 10:10--“Jesus is Lord”—is the starting point of any discussion of stewardship as discipleship.

“Jesus as Lord means He is more important than anybody, anything or any aspect of our life,” Bobby says. “We’re saying He’s King—of our money and everything else.

“There is so much pressure to make money our God, rather than Jesus our Lord and God. We want to help people surrender that issue first and foremost.”

One of the first things Bobby does in disciple-making related to finances is to help new believers acknowledge that everything comes from God, and we’ve been entrusted with it to serve His purposes.

Teach People More Than Just Giving

Many times as church leaders, we think “If everybody just gave, it would be so good,’ ” Bobby says. “But most people haven’t been discipled in how to manage their money God’s way.”

Something FOR Them, Not FROM Them

As church leaders, we may well need to shift our goals when it comes to stewardship as discipleship. Our aim is not to get people’s money for the church or our projects.

“Our goal has to be that they would have a relationship with money that honors God so they can be used by God,” Bobby says. “It’s what we want to do for them so God can work through them.”

“There is a freedom to be generous,” Bobby says. “A freedom from anxiety, freedom that you’ve prepared for the future. We are doing people a favor.”

Be Mutipliers of Good

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We train disciples of Jesus to study their Bible, pray and share their faith. But where does teaching on stewardship and generosity fit in?

Dr. Bobby Harrington, Senior Pastor of Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, Tennessee says this may be the most vital missing link in our discipleship efforts in the latest generosity podcast from Leadership Network.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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Lately I

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Jay Kranda, a good friend and a great leader, has been our co-host since 2015. He’s been quite occupied with a couple of things, both in church responsibility and his personal resource "Healthy Online Church."

One of the updates Jay has for us is their new product offer in TVApp.church: Amazon Alexa Skill. They also have a Free Amazon Alexa Skill Giveaway through their TVapp.church Facebook Page.

Nils and Jay also share a conversation about trends and what they do with their social media profiles.

Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to Catching up with Jay Kranda: Podcast 220

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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By Greg Ligon

People are different. They think differently. They have different desires. Thankfully—many times—they have different ideas. The way they process and share those ideas are different from other people on the team and from the leader. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is to forget that not everyone thinks like they do.

Don't miss this.

When you fail to remember this principle of leadership— people are different—you frustrate the people you are trying to lead. You get poor performance from the best leaders on your team, and worst of all, your team fails to live up to its potential.

In The Mythical Leader, his latest release in the Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, Pastor Ron Edmondson explains why he believes that many leaders are ineffective because of seven common misunderstandings of leadership. Edmondson brings a wealth of leadership experience, as pastor of the historic Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, KY, as church planter and as former business owner.

The following is an excerpt from The Mythical Leader.

I try to implement ways to intentionally remind myself that people think differently. The first thing I do is intentionally surround myself with diverse personalities. For example, I try to have good friends who stretch me as a person, even outside of my work. I have some extroverted friends, for example. And I mean some of these friends do not know how to be quiet—ever. But I love them. One friend seems to never need to take a break from talking. He could carry on a conversation with anyone all the time. When we are together, he stretches me. He reminds me that everyone is not introverted as I am.

One of my closest friends has witnessed racism and prejudice and rejection far more than I have. We have been through so much life together. I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood. We have been friends for many years, and we did a radio program together for almost seventeen years. His influence is important because he has a library of experiences I have never had. Over the years he has helped me see people differently—and probably more like the way Christ views people.

On any church staff I have led, I want different personalities to complement mine. I want people who are different ages, have different backgrounds, and who come from different demographics. Surrounding myself with these people in my personal life helps me welcome it even more in my professional life.

We will all share a common vision if we are on the same team, but we should have some unique approaches to implementing it. Ask yourself, Have I surrounded myself with people who think just like me?

Another leadership principle is the power of asking questions. Great leaders ask questions. Lots of them. One of the best things a leader can do is ask the right questions. The leader can often be the last to know where there is a problem or what others are thinking, so asking questions is critical to good leadership.

Personally, I ask lots of questions. I give plenty of opportunity for input before a major decision is finalized. We do reviews of completed projects as a team. I have regular meetings with direct reports. We have frequent all-staff meetings. I end almost every meeting the same way: What questions do you have for me? Over time, I believe the team has come to know I am serious about wanting to know the questions they have about any issue.

I periodically set up focus groups for input on various issues. I want to hear from as wide a range of people as possible. I try to consistently surround myself with different voices so I receive diversity of thought. I place a value on hearing from people, especially those who I know respect me and are not afraid to be honest with me.

I love a quote attributed to Jack Welch: “When you are an individual contributor, you try to have all the answers. When you’re a leader, your job is to have all the questions.”

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Generosity expert Jim Sheppard had a question for a church planter during an era when money was a taboo subject in churches.

“There had been some abuses in the church with money, so there was a reactionary movement and pastors just said, ‘OK, we won’t talk about money,’ ” says Shawn Lovejoy, who founded and pastored Mountain Lake Church, Cumming, Georgia from 1999 to 2015.

Jim’s question for Shawn then, and to other pastors who currently resist talking about finances and addressing the discipleship value of biblical money management, was this: “How’s that working for you?”

“I was about to starve to death, and I was starving my staff and programming to death,” Shawn reflects. “The whole movement was slow because we didn’t have the resources to fund it.”

That is just one of many valuable lessons Jim and Shawn are relaying to pastors about building a culture of generosity in their churches. They shared a few more of those lessons with me recently:

Normalize the Conversation about Money

It takes money to get things done in churches. Talking about money is not the issue; the issue is talking about money only when you need it.

“People are listening for someone to cast a bold vision they can get excited about,” Jim says. “Can we just talk about the money it takes for that vision more often and make it something that’s normal about how we do business?”

Other ways to normalize the money conversations include maximizing the offering with consistent and clear messages, preaching on money as part of the whole of Scripture and addressing the personal debt problem of many people.

“That’s when it becomes fun,” Shawn says, “when you help free people to get in a better financial position.”

Prepare for Growth Without Presuming on Growth

Jim has seen it countless times in churches, and Shawn was tempted to do it: Presume upon a current wave of growth to continue or even increase, and not leave room in the church’s systems if the growth doesn’t come. “Especially in finances, if it doesn’t happen the way you planned, you need enough margin that it won’t impact the entire ministry,” Jim says.

Shawn says senior leaders get in trouble when they cast “2020 visions” that presume their church will be a certain size by a certain date. “I always tell pastors, ‘If you say the Lord gave you a number, he better have given you a number,’ ” Shawn says. “I can’t presume God is going to bring 10,000 people, but I can prepare if he chooses to do so.”

“The Lord will never bring us more people than we can effectively steward, so get prepared in the event God wants to bless you.”

The Borrower Is Servant to the Lender

There are no hard and fast rules or biblical mandates about churches taking on debt. Jim says financing has a place in helping churches grow ministries—but there are limits. “Debt’s not a sin, excessive debt is,” Shawn says. “You just need to know that if you go in debt, the lender is boss, as Proverbs 22:7 affirms.”

Both guys stress keeping watch over the percentage of debt in the church’s budget. Shawn worked with one church that tied up 60-70% of budget in a facility. “Don’t ever think, ‘If we build it, they will come,’ ”

Shawn continues. “If you don’t have the leadership and infrastructure in place to use that facility, the building will be a noose around the church’s neck.”

Jim said some churches can operate with debt equaling the amount of the annual budget but when debt reaches two times annual income and beyond, problems escalate. “You can’t continue to spend more than 100% of what’s coming in,” Jim says. “You end up with less for staff and for programming.”

Stewardship Is Discipleship

At the end of the day, developing good stewards and generous people is good discipleship. “It’s always good to remember, when people are writing checks to your church, first and foremost those are spiritual transactions,” Jim says.

Shawn adds that church leaders are taking people on a spiritual journey...

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - July 25, 2017

In this Issue...

The Secret to the Success of the “Most Admired Organizations in the World” Part 2 2016 Large Church Salary Study–Complete Report Work on Your Leadership Pipeline at Innovate:Now!

Features You May Have Missed

Five New Reasons Why You DO Want to Launch that New Church or Campus How Do Large Churches Become High-Performing Organizations? Ministry Matters: Mentor Groups and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read Bigger Faster Leadership by Sam Chand

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Back in the day, our early Christian ancestors only had a few manuscripts and pages of the Bible which they could only effectively use when they were together. Thanks to advancements in technology, the few rare scrolls became mass-printed books that are now available to everyone who wanted to own and read the Bible. Technology has played an important part in spreading the Gospel of Christ. If it benefited us in the past, why do some people and churches still fear embracing technology? Are we over-digitizing the church? How far is too far? In this new podcast with Nils Smith and Jason Caston from iChurch Method, we’ll be talking about technology trends, social media, and how they have affected the church before and how they are essential today, more than ever.

Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to A Conversation with Jason Caston from iChurch Method about Social Media and New Technology Trends: Podcast 219

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Five Leadership Axioms That Shape Your Ministry (christianitytoday.com) Here are five leadership values (adapted from her lecture) that help make Jenni Catron (and those she coaches) more effective leaders. The Decline of Marriage Is Hitting Vegas Hard (bloomberg.com) Nevada’s marriage rate has plummeted in recent decades, an extreme version of a pullback happening across the U.S. The forces that have reshaped the nation’s economic life since the 1970s have helped make marriage an institution increasingly reserved for the well-educated and more affluent. A spate of recent research suggests America’s marriage gap is cementing disadvantage. Five New Reasons Why You Do Want to Launch that New Church or Campus (leadnet.org) What did leaders from more than 1,500 new churches or multisite campuses tell us about what they’ve learned and experienced? Do Churches Have a Positive Impact on America? (deseretnews.com) Six in 10 Americans (59 percent) say churches and religious organizations have a positive effect on the way things are going in the country, but people's responses vary widely depending on political affiliation, educational background and attendance at religious services, according to a new Pew Research Center report. Seven Reasons Why Some Churches Should Consider Being Acquired (thomrainer.com) This post is not about a pleasant topic. It’s about churches that have declined to the point where their near term future is in doubt. And it’s about churches seriously considering allowing another church to takeover their property. It’s about churches going down the difficult but noble path of being acquired by another church. Why Warmth Is the Underappreciated Skill Leaders Need (KelloggInsight) When it comes to success in leadership, there has never been just one playbook. Some leaders are extroverts, natural mentors, and charismatic speakers; others prefer to lead by example and take a more hands-off approach.There is, however, one simple fact that leaders ignore at their peril: those who demonstrate high levels of “interpersonal warmth” have a better chance at long-term success. Good Deeds Done by Christians Often Go Unseen (lifewayresearch.com) LifeWay Research’s survey of 1,000 Americans looked at 13 service programs often run by churches—from tutoring kids to teaching job skills. They asked Americans if they’d heard of churches or church members being involved in those activities in the past six months. Six in 10 say they know churches feed the hungry. Half say they know churches give clothing to the poor. Beyond that, acts of service by churches often appear to go unnoticed, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. Methodist Congregation in Delaware Sets Up New Kind of Church Without Church Building (dispatch.com) The vision is for the new location to be a community center — a place where people want to go, and where they can do the things they love. The hope is that once people participate in activities at the church, New Beginnings will “get the chance to show what God has done in our lives,” Carter said. The U.S. Birth Rate Hit Another New Low, and Fewer Teens Are Having Babies (slate.com) The U.S. birth rate fell again in 2016, marking a new all-time low, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is that the decline is largely attributable to a continued drop in teen births, which also hit a historic low in 2016. The bad news, if you listen to some alarmists, is that the U.S. could someday fall below the population replacement rate, leading to a contracting workforce and a stalled economy.

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At Innovate:NOW! – Leadership Pipeline on August 17th, experts and church leaders will share key elements of successful leadership development, as well as challenging issues that they are currently navigating. Through our innovation process, we will help you evaluate your current model, explore new ideas, collaborate with other churches and discover the best next steps for your church. Meet the thought leaders who will join us for this exciting and productive one-day gathering.

Jon Ferguson Designing a Pipeline to Engage, Invite and Equip Leaders Author & Pastor - Community Christian Church, Chicago

Jon is the co-founding pastor of Community Christian Church in Chicagoland where he provides leadership in new ventures. Community has grown from a handful of people to a church with hundreds of leaders and thousands of people celebrating at locations throughout Chicagoland. He also leads the team of staff champions for adult, student, children’s, creative arts, and restore ministries across all Community locations. Jon is also one of Community’s Lead Teaching Pastors. He has co-authored Finding Your Way Back to God, The Big Idea: Aligning the Ministries of Your Church Through Creative Collaboration and Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement. Jon holds a BA in Christian Education from Lincoln Christian University and an MA in Spiritual Formation at Wheaton College Graduate School where he is an adjunct professor. He also serves on the Exponential Conference and Thrivent Financials boards. He resides in the Lincoln Park Community of Chicago with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Graham and Chloe.

Julie Pierce The Valley Creek Leadership Development Model

Director of Leadership Development - Valley Creek Church, Denton

As Director of Leadership Development, Julie has helped guide the creation of a 4 week leadership class, a leadership conference and their one year Leadership Academy with a second year program currently in development. For almost a decade, She served pastors and teams at Irving Bible Church. Much of that time she served as the Communications Pastor leading the team responsible for shaping the message and culture of IBC. For eight years, she led the ministry to women at IBC helping build on the foundation of leadership, excellence and empowerment for women there and beyond. Julie perviously led communications and marketing efforts for Insight for Living, Prestonwood Baptist Church and Nokia Mobile Phones.

Julie currently serves as an advisory board member and contributing writer for both Gifted for Leadership and Today’s Christian Woman Magazine.

Brent Dolfo Elements of a successful Leadership Development Culture

Director of HUB:Leadership Development - Leadership Network

Brent Dolfo has more than 30 years of experience in senior ministry leadership and has consulted worldwide with movements such as Alpha as well as with churches in the US, Canada and Europe. Brent served with Campus Crusade for Christ of Canada as the Chief Operating Officer and overseeing its National Ministries.

Brent gives oversight to HUB: Leadership Development where he leads a cohort of churches on a one year journey of learning and collaborating together to build their leadership development models. He also serves as a facilitator to various Leadership Network gatherings in the US.

Brent is married to Diana and they have three high children—Braedon, Keynan and Tanika. In his spare time, Brent is the President of the Langley Mustangs Track and Field Club, in Langley British Columbia.

Kadi Cole Creating a Multi-Generational Development Strategy Director of HUB:Multisite - Leadership Network Kadi has been involved in local church ministry for almost 30 years including 15 years in full-time ministry at Christ Fellowship Church (South Florida) in a variety of roles including the Creator/Director of their School of Leadership and the first Executive Director of Multis...

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The days seem to be gone when churches can fund big visions without sounding a clear call for how people can play a significant role in helping accomplish God’s big picture. And besides, developing a heart of generosity is just good discipleship.

How can you make money conversations more normal? How do you prepare a church for growth without presuming upon growth and getting in deep financial waters? Jim Sheppard and Shawn Lovejoy, coaches to hundreds of pastors around the country, address these and other questions in the latest Leadership Network generosity podcast.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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Are you ready to be a person of influence across cultures and ethnic groups?

Whether you lead an existing multicultural ministry or you desire for your ministry to become multicultural, the challenges that you will face are unique. Conventional leadership principles don't always translate from mono-cultural to multicultural environments. Where can you go to be equipped for success in our ever-changing cultural environment?

The Multicultural Worship Leaders Network is hosting a conference in Columbia, MD, on November 2-3, 2017. This conference will be a hands-on workshop for those worship leaders already in diverse settings, for leaders who are looking to transition from mono-cultural to multicultural worship, or for those curious about what something like that would look like.

Come be a part of this hands-on conference, where we will have meaningful discussions around race and culture, creatively solve existing problems within your ministry, and share ideas to help you move forward in bridging cultural divides through worship.

The Multicultural Worship Leaders Network exists to inspire, equip, connect, and resource this growing and courageous group of leaders. The conference is designed to INSPIRE and INFORM leaders, and help you IMMEDIATELY APPLY what we learn in our time together.

Watch the following short video to see who needs to attend:

Watch Nikki's discussion about Culture Coaches in this next video:

For more information on the conference:

Nikki Lerner is a cultural coach and translator and a gifted musician whose primary instrument is voice. Bridging divides between people of different cultures through music and conversation is Nikki’s passion. In addition to being an artist and songwriter, Nikki is also a sought-after speaker, worship leader coach, and co-author of the book Worship Together: In Your Church As In Heaven. She currently serves as the Worship Director at Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, MD, an intentionally multicultural church. You can connect with Nikki at www.nikkilerner.com

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - July 18, 2017

In this Issue...

Five New Reasons Why You DO Want to Launch that New Church or Campus The Role of the Megachurch Executive Pastor Has Changes What Generosity Experts Know that Most Pastors Don't (Part 1)

Features You May Have Missed

How Do Large Churches Become High-Performing Organizations? Ministry Matters: Mentor Groups and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read Bigger Faster Leadership by Sam Chand 3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus

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Before the general public came to understand the concept of blogs, “vlogs” suddenly came out. This left a lot of people confused and uneasy. What is a vlog? What is it about? How is it different from a blog? In this new episode, we have Sean Cannell of Video Influencers join Nils Smith to tell us that vlogging is not merely converting your written blog to a video format, it opens up a lot more opportunities to connect with people on a personal level and touch lives– one key goal for every ministry. If you’re thinking about starting a vlog, this podcast will be extremely helpful.

Should your church or pastor start a vlog? Should you start one? We’d like to hear from you, use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to A Conversation with Sean Cannell of Video Influencers about Vlogging: Podcast 218

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Join us August 17th at Leadership Network - Dallas, Texas

Developing leaders is one of the most critical needs of a growing church. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every organization must consider their own unique resources, calling and needs, in order to determine their best strategy for leadership development. At Innovate:NOW! – Leadership Pipeline, experts and church leaders will share key elements of successful leadership development, as well as challenging issues that they are currently navigating. Through our innovation process, we will help you evaluate your current model, explore new ideas, collaborate with other churches and discover the best next steps for your church. Join us at our Dallas headquarters on August 17th, for this exciting and productive one-day gathering. THOUGHT LEADERS & TOPICS

Jon Ferguson Designing a Pipeline to Engage, Invite and Equip Leaders Author & Pastor Community Christian Church, Chicago

Julie Pierce The Valley Creek Leadership Development Model Director of Leadership Development Valley Creek Church, Denton

Brent Dolfo Elements of a successful Leadership Development Culture Director of Leadership Development Leadership Network

Kadi Cole Creating a Multi-Generational Development Strategy Director of Multisite Leadership Network

Leadership Pipeline is August 17th and will run from 9am – 3:30pm with check-in opening at 8am. Lunch and snacks are provided, so come prepared to stay for the duration and make significant progress with your team!

Innovate:NOW! is most productive when experienced as a team, but individuals are welcome.

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - July 11, 2017

In this Issue...

How Do Large Churches Become High Performing Organizations PODCAST: A Conversation About Innovation with Kent Woodyard How to Reach More Hispanics in Your Community

Features You May Have Missed

Ministry Matters: Mentor Groups and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read Bigger Faster Leadership by Sam Chand 3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus

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For some people, hearing the word “bots” scares them. Others, however, see this innovation as a relief and an opportunity to make life easier. In this new episode, Chad Hugghins from CV Outreach joins Nils Smith to discuss how Facebook Messenger Bots can add a whole new array of functions to Facebook's messaging app and how this change relationships between ministries and companies with their users.

Do you think your ministry would benefit from using Messenger Bots? We’d like to hear from you, use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to A Conversation with CV Outreach’s Chad Hugghins about Messenger Bots: Podcast 217

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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Leadership Network is constantly working to bring together learnings and innovations from leading churches across North America. These ideas can have great Kingdom outcomes for your church and the people in your community when implemented with wisdom and creativity. Our desire is that your church will be a great church having great impact!

One of the things we've learned is a great marriage ministry can help create a great church. High Point Church in Memphis is thriving and growing and has made marriage ministry a core part of their church. Recently Teaching Pastor Andy Savage created a short video and shared his top 10 learnings and best practices about marriage ministry. You can hear Andy talk about:

Why you should play offense first How the culture of your church shapes your marriage ministry Why you should start with your strengths The currency of successful ministry The value of saying the hard thing How to link your marriage ministry with your discipleship ministry

Andy’s practical thoughts will be a great help to you if you are starting your marriage ministry or looking to improve the one you have. Complete the form below to download this free resource.

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"What is the common secret to their success? The answer is their organizational culture. Their unique cultural imperatives provide a clear 'roadmap' for exceptional individual and organizational success." In our previous blog on the secret cultural imperatives of the most admired companies in the world, we learned about the first cultural imperative: The Power of Compounding.

The second cultural imperative of these 50 elite companies is an organizational shared value of continuous Innovation and Adaptation.

Low-performing and even moderate-performing organizations quickly become enamored with early innovation or clever adaptation. Leaders of these companies fall in love with a model that works, taking their focus away from the continual need to invent and improve. The culture of these organizations becomes almost exclusively inward-focused, causing them to lose touch with evolving trends in their markets and changing needs of the dwindling pool of customers or clients they should be serving.

High-performing organizations do things quite differently.

The philosophy of these organizations is “get out of the building, there are no facts to be found in the building.” This statement was first coined by Stanford professor Steve Blank, the author of Lean Startup. High-performing organizations are successful in getting their people out of internal offices and conference rooms to talk with current and potential clients, building industry and community relationships. They are rarely surprised by ever-changing external trends while they continuously innovate and adapt their model to stay relevant.

Accenture, a member of the Most Admired Companies in the World list for the past 15 consecutive years is greatly admired for Continuous Innovation and Adaptation. This cultural trait is also recognized by their customers as they serve over 80% of the Global 1000 largest companies in the world as an advisor and service provider in achieving high performance.

So what specifically does Accenture do differently?

First, Accenture measures the amount of time every member of the organization spends in the marketplace on a bi-weekly basis. From the brand new employee to the most senior executive, all are accountable to invest significant amounts of time “out of the building”. For most employees, that equates to 80% of their time. And for the most senior executives, some with multiple billions of dollars in scope of responsibility, a minimum of 40% of their time is spent in the marketplace. In fact, most of these senior-level leaders are significantly exceeding this time investment.

Secondly, Accenture’s nearly 400,000 people in 120 countries are provided leased space for the small amount of time they spend in an internal office or conference room. The space is operated like an “office hotel” where employees reserve internal space if needed for collaboration, otherwise are expected to be in the market at a client site. The way they think about and utilize space supports this cultural imperative.

Thirdly, Accenture invests significant energy in innovation, prototyping, market testing, and pivoting based on early market trends. This strategy puts Accenture in a position to provide a continuous new pipeline of offerings to assist clients in achieving high performance relative to their peers. Success is always measured in delivered outcomes as opposed to activity and participation.

One application for the church is perhaps identifying the balance between being “in the building” and “in the community.” Continuous innovation and adaptation occur when church leaders expect and inspect the amount of time they, their staff, and their members spend interacting with the unchurched, the people in their communities, business owners, and government leaders, listening, meeting needs and building enduring relationships.

What is the right balance for your church body? Is your church spending sufficient time in the community to ...

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - July 5, 2017

In this Issue...

Ministry Matters: Mentor Groups and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read How Do Leaders Speed Up Learning? PODCAST: What Generosity Experts Know that Most Pastors Don’t (Part 1)

Features You May Have Missed

Bigger Faster Leadership by Sam Chand Correcting Media Statements About You and Your Church 3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus Eight Major Changes in Churches

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Growing your church and your people in generosity is important to you and us. That's why Leadership Network has developed HUB:Generosity for larger churches who want to accelerate generosity and stewardship. For more information, go to leadnet.org/generosity-hub.

Shawn Lovejoy vividly remembers when he was a young pastor and a $10,000 Saturday-night offering went missing.

“I gathered the team and said, ‘OK, our financial systems are about to be checked,’ ” Shawn says when recalling that punch-in-the-gut night.

The missing money was eventually found in the church safe where it was supposed to be. The experience was a lesson for Shawn then, one that has influenced his coaching of hundreds of pastors since. “You better know what’s going on with the finances in your church,” Shawn says, adding “You’re ultimately responsible, and you lose credibility as a leader if you don’t.”

A successful church planter and pastor, Shawn has spent the past decade-plus coaching pastors across the country. As the founder and CEO of couragetolead.com, Shawn also wrote Be Mean About the Vision: Preserving and Protecting What Matters. I listened in recently as Shawn and Jim Sheppard, CEO and Principal of the church generosity consulting company, Generis, and co-author with me of Contagious Generosity, discussed some lessons learned beneficial for church leaders in giving and finance: things generosity experts know that most pastors don’t.

Here’s Part 1 of the highlights of that conversation, with Part 2 coming soon:

You Can’t Build a Generosity Culture with Non-Believers

When Shawn started Mountain Lake Church in Atlanta at 28 years old and it rapidly grew to megachurch status, he built the church with people who were disconnected from Christ and the church. The only problem with building a church where your first 10 people look like your first 100 and then your first 1,000: Non-Christians and new believers don’t give at significant rates.

“Dave Ramsey says those folks are spending 127% of their income,” Shawn says. “To get them to a place of living off 90%...that’s a big swing,” Shawn explains. “We had so many non-believers, we had a financial stewardship crisis. We hit a wall.”

Shawn had to play catchup, and began developing leaders to eventually build a generosity culture.

There’s a Fine Line Between Faith and Foolishness

“I’ve found over the years that what men call faith, too often is actually testosterone,” Shawn says with a laugh.

Entrepreneurial, driven, hard-charging pastors of either gender have to keep an eye on the fine line between exercising faith in God’s calling, and rushing into something head-strong and foolishly.

“Driven leaders, even if we’re not sure what the Lord wants us to do, sometimes we’ll just pull the trigger anyway,” Shawn says. “If God’s not making something happen, we’ll make it happen.”

Shawn says he learned the hard way in his spiritual and financial leadership journey that God talks much more about wisdom than he does faith when addressing money in Scripture.

“Jesus said, ‘Who sets out to build a building without first estimating the cost?’ So I tell pastors all the time when it comes to budgeting, there’s faith and then there’s foolishness,” Shawn says. “Budget based on wisdom, and then add faith so you make sure you’re not a fool.”

Someone on the Team Needs to Be Great with Numbers

Jim has worked with scores of pastors who are gifted with many skills and talents but managing money is not always one of them.

“They think they’re supposed to good with numbers along with everything else,” Jim says. “It’s not necessary for the pastor to be good with money, but somebody needs to be able to interpret that for the senior leader. Numbers tell stories.” Shawn emphasizes having somebody on the team who is strong with financial forecasting, and who lives and breathes spreadsheets, and can paint a clear picture of your church’s financial situation.

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Has your church become culturally irrelevant in your community?

Many churches today have accepted the challenge of doing the Great Commission but many are stuck and don't know how to do it. In this episode, Rob Peabody of Awaken My City, discusses with Nils the importance of leveraging technology for discipleship instead of traditionally fighting against it. Rob emphasizes how it is important for us to identify the culture and strategize from there; in this case utilizing social media and technology to engage with millennials.

Have something to share? Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.

Show Notes to A conversation with Rob Peabody of Awaken My City about Technology and Millennial Engagement: Podcast 216

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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On June 8th we hosted Innovate:NOW! - Generation Next. Church leaders from across the country gathered to learn, collaborate and plan how to better reach young adults. Thought leaders included John Poitevent/Leadership Network, Grant Skeldon/Initiative Network, JP Pokluda/Watermark Church and Mingo Palacios/Saddleback Church. At the end of the day, each church team created their own action plan with next steps to implement some of their learnings. Below is an overview of the talks from Generation Next.

John Poitevent - Our Future, Our Calling With millennials making up 50% of the workforce, and 75% by 2030, the future of the Church is here. What do you know about them? Statistics show that the are less engaged in church than any generation in modern history. And yes, we know that they love social media and live on their smart phones, but who are they really? What do they desire from life? Rather than merely identifying how they are different, what if we focused on the values that we share with the next generation? If you look at trends in consumer culture, it’s clear that millennials tend to be attracted to authenticity, community and purpose; three core values of the early church. Authentic, christian community that impacts the world around it is the very foundation for the book of Acts! If the Church returns to our roots, seeking to excel in these three areas, we will naturally attract and connect with the next generation. Grant Skeldon - A Millennials Perspective Although it’s important to be relevant, simply rebranding is not the answer to reaching young adults. Most millennials aren’t just looking for a hipster church or the latest young adults program. They are longing for something real, where they can be honest about their struggles, learn and grow. Starting with Jesus and the disciples, the Church grew and spread around the world through “come and follow me” relationships. These were life-on-life, relational disciples who invested in others who went on to do the same. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Tim 2:2) The Church must return to a New Testament discipleship model if we hope to capture the next generation. Contrary to what you might think, young adults desire multi-generational relationships and value the wisdom that comes from elders. Create an authentic “follow me” culture rather than a program driven or “meet with me” culture and millennials are more likely to be interested in your church. JP Pokluda - Keys to Ministering Through, Rather Than to, Millennials Be real: Young Adults want to hear from someone who is honest. Authenticity is actually an advantage in ministry. Share your struggles. Model what you want them to be and do. Teach the whole truth: Show them how the Bible addresses the issues in their lives. Don’t run away from the hard stuff. Know your people and culture and make the Bible relatable to them. Hold traditions loosely: Each church has a unique culture; many traditional elements are likely not mandated by Scripture and may not resonate with millennials. Be willing to change anything that isn’t mandated by the Bible; don’t change anything that is. Get feedback to see your blind spots. Create a path forward: Call people to full devotion to Christ. Define next steps – help them see what’s ahead in their spiritual development. Have clear on-ramps, progressions, and handoff points in your ministry. Give the ministry away: Empower leaders and volunteers to create and do ministry. Minister THROUGH people, not TO people. People own what they help create. If you don’t empower and delegate, you will be the limiting factor! Mingo Palacios - Making Room for Next Gen Leaders The emerging generation doesn’t want to just work FOR you, they want to work WITH you. Who will give them a chance to use their gifts and pursue their dreams? As a young adult with dreams about new ways to do minist...

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As we continue to introduce more and more large churches to our RoadMap process, we've found this introductory content to be extremely beneficial to leaders who are looking to understand what it takes to grow and lead high-performing organizations. Over the next few weeks we will be republishing this series of content in hopes that it will be useful to you and your leadership team.

Every year an annual competition is held by Fortune magazine. From a sea of more than 700,000 companies in the world, a scant 50 companies are chosen and annually recognized as “The World's Most Admired Companies.” They are unquestionably without peer in the industries and communities they serve. Their measured performance and impact are standard deviations above the rest. They possess an enduring advantage that continuously propels them to new heights.

My previous firm, Accenture, has been on this list for the last 15 consecutive years. In my role, I had the privilege of serving in an advisory capacity to the senior leadership of many of these companies. That position gave me a front-row seat to the qualities and practices that made these organizations the best of the best.

What is the common secret to their success? The answer is their organizational culture.

Each of these companies bears a distinct organizational culture with unique cultural imperatives that provide a clear “roadmap” for exceptional individual and organizational success. I want to share two of those cultural imperatives with you and challenge you to consider whether your own cultural imperatives are driving high or low performance across your church.

Cultural Imperative #1: The Power of Compounding.

In high-performing companies, everyone in the organization is consumed with compounding. All levels of the organization are focused on daily, quarterly and annually multiplying themselves and their scope of impact. There’s excitement and passion at all levels to multiply new customers, new services and new markets that drive exponential growth and impact. If are responsible for serving 5 customers, you find and serve 5 more. If you have responsibility for 5 markets/communities, you have the responsibility to develop and grow another 5 markets. The annual compounded impact at an individual and organization level of this continuous culture of compounding extends from the newest member of the organization to the tenured executive leadership.

But here's the key: the cultural focus is on compounding and the outcomes from compounding, not activity. This was true at Accenture, and it is true of the other organizations that reside on the Fortune magazine list.

Let me give you an example:

Google, another perennial member of “The Most Admired Companies” list, is essentially an 18 year old teenager in their organizational life cycle. They are a compounding culture and have been since birth. In 2015 Sergey and Larry got together to further enhance the compounding nature of Google. They sent a strong message to everyone in the Google organization, their suppliers and market they serve when they launched their new holding company, Alphabet. All members of the 18 year old Google organization, a mega company by any definition, became the “G” in the new Alphabet structure. Essentially the compounding challenge to all in Google was, “Yeah, it’s great that we’re Google, but all of us are now challenged to create and multiply new enduring companies, A-F and H-Z. We’re one mega company today, we will continually innovate to create 25 more.” As of this date, they have already created several new companies with a clear cultural roadmap defined by the Alphabet.

For the church, making disciples who in turn make other disciples is a great example of the “power of compounding” at the individual level. Churches who are planting other churches or are expanding through a multisite strategy are also organizational “compounders.” But these two things only scratch the surface of what leaders and...

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By Darren Young

As I interviewed Kadi Cole (a former XP of one of America's largest megachurches), she made a statement that caught my attention: "The Executive Pastor of today's megachurch has to have more emotional intelligence than any other leader in the church. They are responsible for understanding everything that is happening and what needs to be done about it. There is no other role quite like it."

As we sat before a room of executive pastors of large churches, that one statement from Kadi captured for me exactly why we began this journey with these leaders. The growth in the megachurch movement has created significant changes and immense demands for the role of the executive pastor. Executive pastors often carry primary responsibility in leading staff and implementing vision across neighborhoods, cities, regions, and even the world; and all for the most critical mission in the world.

That’s why we launched the Executive Pastor Leader Group.

The breadth of responsibility of an executive pastor makes learning and development needs unique. In working with executive leaders of large churches for more than 30 years, we’ve learned that what pastors like you often need most is a relational network of true peers and seasoned mentors to journey, grow, and thrive with. Information, ideas and understanding are plentiful, but connecting with a small tribe of the right leaders who can challenge, encourage, and support you along your leadership journey is a rare and critical find.

Here is what some of the current participants in our Executive Pastor Leader Group had to say about their experience:

"My time with the cohort was encouraging and eye opening. It helped me realize that many of the issues I face are common in other churches. The time with the coaches helped me simplify our leadership development strategy and make it more tangible and practical for our staff."

Filipe Santos (South Bay Church)

"My experience within Leadership Network so far has been excellent. The role of Executive Pastor changes from church to church and oftentimes it can be hard to find a singular resource that answers the questions that I have in my role. The ability to interact with mentors who are several steps ahead and the rub shoulders with peers make it immensely beneficial. Further, with such a large amount of talents and skill-sets represented in the room, almost any challenge I'm walking through or struggle I'm experiencing is quickly met by a conversation with someone else present." Matt Adrian (CrossPointe Church) "The church I serve is a turnaround formerly Congregational Church that is changing its culture from staff dominated to encouraging and equipping the ministry of the people. The XP Leader Group gave me a lot of helpful information in the area of leadership development to begin constructing the new leadership model for our church. Just as important, however, are the relationships formed at our first meeting that allowed for follow up on this issue as we further develop and fine tune our model. The group time also allows me to think critically of my own XP work and how to accomplish goals critical to the life of my church."

George Cladis (Faith Community Church) "Learning about the nuts and bolts of how multisite works in different contexts, hearing the journey other churches have taken as they made the shift to a multisite model and the realities of what worked and didn’t has provided vital information as we form our own multisite strategy." Graham Greenwood (Mill Woods Assembly)

"I significantly increased my effectiveness at leading and managing our 5 campuses with the insights I gained this year."

Scott Lothery (The Orchard Evangelical Free Church)

Are you looking for a group of true peers and experienced mentors that can help you raise your leadership lid? Are there challenges in your role that have proven difficult to overcome, or opportunities for your church that you are unable to fully leverage?...

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 27, 2017

In this Issue...

Bigger Faster Leadership by Sam Chand Announcing the First Senior Fellow of Leadership Network, Reggie McNeal Two Unseen Gaps that Are Threatening Your Church

Features You May Have Missed

Correcting Media Statements About You and Your Church 3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus Eight Major Changes in Churches Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physical Location?

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In my previous blog post, “How Do Large Churches Become High-Performing Organizations?”, I highlighted one of the key differences between high and low performing organizations. The leaders of enduring high-performance companies regularly use a process to measure and assess the organization’s leadership alignment and capacity to achieve the vision on at least an annual basis. The question becomes, “What exactly are they measuring?”

In 30 years of advising leaders of high-performing companies, I’ve observed there are nine foundational areas of operational capacity that enable highly effective organizations to thrive over the long term. These 9 foundations of organizational capacity were first developed through a collaboration between McKinsey & Company and Venture Philanthropy Partners, based on insights from hundreds of highly successful organizations. The outcome was the creation of the Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool which has been used repeatedly by some of the strongest companies across the globe.

© 1996 - 2013 McKinsey & Company (edited for use by Leadership Network) This survey tool has also been custom-designed and tailored to the non-profit social sector that comprises churches, ministries and other social enterprises focused on changed lives. In fact, Leadership Network and McKinsey are collaborating on behalf of large churches on a RoadMap process for large church leadership teams that utilizes the highly proven McKinsey assessment tool and Leadership Network's capabilities in facilitating ideas to actions and outcomes for your church leadership team.

In order to grasp the significance of this assessment for large churches, I want to dive deeper into each foundational areas of organization capacity and vision alignment. Through two blog posts and a 7-week email series, we’ll discuss examples of what high performing organizations have done to thrive in each of the above 9 capability areas, and how each of these applies to your church.

How well is your church doing in the 9 organizational capacity areas? Do your leadership team and key volunteers have clarity and strong alignment with your vision?

The Roadmap Process can help you find out!

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Ministry Matters: Mentor Groups (TheGospelCoalition) Ever ask yourself "what am I supposed to do as a mentor", or "how do I find someone to mentor"? Follow these practical principles for mentoring in the church.

2. Why Warmth Is the Underappreciated Skill Leaders Need (KelloggInsight) When it comes to success in leadership, there has never been just one playbook. Some leaders are extroverts, natural mentors, and charismatic speakers; others prefer to lead by example and take a more hands-off approach.

3. Figuring Out the Millennial Christian Giver (ChristianityToday) Here's what an ECFA survey of 16,500 donors to 17 evangelical ministries learned about generosity.

4.Don't Play with Dead Snakes — Kill Projects Before They Kill You (FirstRound) This advice for working on the right projects (and jettisoning the wrong ones) comes from Richard Daly, CEO of global genomic data processing company DNAnexus, which has seen its revenue grow 300% in the last 24 months — largely because of this strategy.

5. The Type of Leaders a Small Town Church Needs (ChristianityToday) Donnie Griggs is the pastor of One Harbor Church, a church he planted in Morehead City, North Carolina, which has now grown to a multisite church that has planted churches in neighboring rural communities. Donnie has a passion to see churches in small towns and rural areas equipped and empowered to radically engage culture and make disciples. He is the author of Small Town Jesus and travels frequently to help strengthen and encourage other church leaders and planters in small, rural communities.

Why Aren't American Teenagers Working Anymore (Bloomberg) This summer American teenagers should find it a little easier to get a job—if they want one. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent in May, the lowest in 16 years, so teens started looking for summer jobs in the best labor market since the tech boom of the early 2000s.

7. How We Got Here: Spiritual and Political Profiles of America (Barna) A recent national survey by Barna reveals how America’s five dominant faith segments think—and, importantly, how they differ in meaningful ways when it comes to their views on some of the most contentious political and spiritual issues of the day.

8. Let’s Keep Reaching Consumers A.K.A. Lost Sheep (Pastors) The modern Church has a perceived problem of consumerism. And it’s very popular to speak and write on the topic, preaching to the choir and an angry chorus of amens. The insinuation is that churches too often go out of their way to please seekers and make the Gospel palatable to nonbelievers, watering down the message and skirting hard truth in the process. Does this happen? Sure it does. Some leaders, choosing the approval of people over the fear of God, invite people to an easy version of Christianity that never makes the invitation Jesus made to “come and die” with him. But let’s be honest for a moment. For every “six flags over Jesus” fun house version of church, there are dozens of churches that really couldn’t care less about what the average consumer thinks. And that may be the bigger issue.

9. Multicultural Churches Are Addressing Racial Divides In Trump’s America (ThinkProgress) “Racism is ultimately a spiritual problem. You can’t educate that out of people. You can’t legislate that out of people.”

10. What You Don’t Know About Rural America: 3 Common Misconceptions (ChristianityToday) The physical presence of a church and its spiritual impact are not the same thing. any of us are busy. So much so that we rush from one thing to the next having failed to stop and assess whether or not our thoughts and beliefs match the current reality.

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On July 1, Reggie McNeal will become the first Senior Fellow of Leadership Network in its 33 year history. As a Senior Fellow, he will continue to serve Leadership Network in a position of advisor, resource, and friend.

Reggie McNeal has been a full-time member of the director team at Leadership Network for over a decade. He is moving to a new season and a new assignment with the Good Cities organization, but he will continue to serve Leadership Network in this new role.

Reggie has served faithfully and well in several areas of Leadership Network including the areas of Missional Renaissance, City Impact, and Discipleship. Many of you know Reggie from his speaking engagements and his numerous books, both found within our various Leadership Network series and his involvement with other programs.

Those currently in a Leadership Network program led by Reggie will be able to participate with those programs to completion. In addition, Reggie will still occasionally be seen in and around our work in the future, as he operates from his new position.

"I have now known Reggie since the early 1990s and have appreciated his ministry before he joined our team. We have loved his time as he served with us. As he moves on to serve with Good Cities we are glad that he has accepted this new role with Leadership Network as well."

—Dave Travis, C.E.O., Leadership Network

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 20, 2017

In this Issue...

Correcting Media Statements About You and Your Church HUB: Missional Engagement - Shaping Church Culture Meet Our Valued ENGAGE! Partners; CedarCreek Church and Others Ideas for Your Summer Reading List

Features You May Have Missed

3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus Eight Major Changes in Churches Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physical Location? Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios

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Can you build a generosity culture in your church if your focus is solely on non-Christians? Is it possible to think you're acting in faith as you lead a church in the area of finances when you've actually crossed the line to foolishness? Along with all the other demands of being a pastor of impact, do you need to be good with money, too?

Shawn Lovejoy, a former megachurch pastor and author of Be Mean About the Vision, and Jim Sheppard, founder and CEO of the church generosity consulting company, Generis, tackle these and other questions in the latest Leadership Network generosity podcast.

To listen to this podcast :

To link to the page and find this and all previous podcasts, just click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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By John Poitevent As the Outward Focus Pastor at Christ the King Church in Bellingham, Washington, Wendy Powell began to examine their local outreaches in light of the missions strategy of the church. Part of that process included evaluating their efficiency and overall effectiveness. When she realized that their 18 year old food bank was not a great use of resources, she knew that making changes would be messy. What she didn’t realize was how exponentially productive the results would be. In this 17 minute interview (see below), Wendy shares how she collected data, sought advice from local agencies and navigated the process with the stakeholders in the church. By working with other food banks, they came up with a strategy to shift their model, redeploy their people and get healthy food to hundreds who were previously unreached. CTK is now serving 4x as many people on a smaller budget, while partnering with multiple schools and community agencies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZMbYNp4G7M

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In his latest release in the Leadership Network NEXT/Harper Collins Christian Publishing Book Series, renowned leadership consultant, Samuel R. Chand details the account of the construction of the Panama Canal and draws parallels between it and successful leadership methodology.

“More passion isn’t the answer, and bigger dreams aren’t always the solution. Every leader is asking two questions: How can we grow? How can we grow faster? The only way organizations can grow bigger and move faster is by accelerating the excellence of their systems and structures.”

—from Bigger Faster Leadership: Lessons from the Builders of the Panama Canal An epiphany during a visit to the Panama Canal led me to bold new insights on the life cycle of business or church organizations. Simply: The size and speed of an organization are controlled by its systems and structures. Too often, leaders become focused on the wrong questions, which inevitably lead to misguided solutions. When they concentrate on systems and structures, they’re “majoring on the majors.” Will there be questions about money, facilities, programs, and schedules? Of course, but those are secondary concerns. The most important issues—the ones that determine real success—are always about systems (the processes of the budget, building, programs, manufacturing, marketing, etc.) and structures (the people in the organizational chart who implement the processes). When Jim Collins said in Good to Great that leaders need to get the right people on the bus, he was right, but first, you must have the bus! That’s the system. The “right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus)” is the organizational structure.

The principles I learned from the Panama Canal apply to every kind of organization. After I told a friend what I’d learned, he had dinner with Phil, a man who had recently retired from an executive position in a major manufacturing firm. As soon as my friend explained that the size and speed of an organization depend on the systems and structures, Phil immediately said, “That’s the difference between our company and our top competitor. The leaders at our company never focused on creating outstanding systems and structures. The leaders at the other company created a strong culture with effective systems of operation, and they hired and trained people exceptionally well.”

My friend was surprised by Phil’s instant understanding of the principle and his analysis of two companies. My friend asked, “How did the top managers at your company lead?”

Phil grimaced a bit and answered, “They always looked for heroes.”

My friend asked, “How did that go?”

“They ran out of heroes,” Phil said as he shook his head. “It wasn’t an effective management philosophy or practice.”

You’re a leader because you want to make a difference, and you want to have a growing impact on others. You want more size and speed for your organization. In this book, I’ll help you create better systems and structures that help you get where you want to go and get there more quickly. You’re already a gifted, dedicated leader. I want to make you a more effective one.

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Dave Travis here. My friend and colleague William Vanderbloemen has another key book out to help those churches with their pastor search process. His previous book, NEXT, written with our Research Director Dr. Warren Bird, helped larger church pastors think about their own succession plans. This book focuses on the work of the teams searching for a new pastor.

Dave: What inspired you to provide a handbook for pastor search committees?

William: Whenever I sit down with a pastor search committee, I ask, “How many of you have experience hiring a pastor?” Maybe one hand in the room goes up, but nearly every person on the search committee is a discerning volunteer with no church staffing experience. Some pastor search committee members have hired for their corporate jobs, but hiring for ministry is much different than hiring in the corporate world. They don’t know what they don’t know, and one of my favorite parts about helping churches find their staff is working with search committees. They feel the weight of their sacred responsibility and really want to navigate the overwhelming pastor search process well. However, they often don’t even know where to start.

So when B&H Publishing came to me and asked me to write a handbook – a field guide – for pastor search committees who are navigating the weighty process of discerning who God is calling as their next pastor, I was honored and excited to write it. It’s been a fun project to work on, and my prayer is that it will provide a common blueprint for pastor search committees.

Dave: Your team at VSG helps churches in the process, what does this book add to that custom work you do?

The book will be a great resource for search committees, but it isn't a solution. Every church is unique, and every search is unique. Having an outside set of eyes, a trusted advisor, and a larger pool of candidates will benefit every committee. We don't pretend to know a church better than a search committee does, but with over 800 searches under our belt, we have done this more than anyone, anywhere. And that brings a value that is well worth the cost.

What is the biggest challenge pastor search committees face?

They’re scared to death. There’s huge anxiety in the pastor search process. It doesn’t matter what your church polity is, whether you’re Anglican, Baptist, or non-denominational, it’s daunting to be in a group of people selected for the sacred task of making one of the most important decisions that the church will ever face, and hopefully one they won’t have to face for another decade or so.

This anxiety can cause committees to fight, feel directionless, choose the wrong person, or feel like no one is good enough. My prayer is that this book will be a resource to help calm their anxiety by providing a step-by-step manual, enabling them to focus on what they should be doing - praying and discerning who God is calling to be the next pastor of their church.

Dave: Chapter 4 of SEARCH is all about forming the pastor search committee. What is the most important factor that churches should consider when forming the pastor search committee?

Watch out for people who are coming to the process with an agenda. I would carefully consider the first five people that volunteer to be on the committee. Are they coming with hearts of discernment, desiring the best for the church, or are they coming with an agenda?

I’m reminded of Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (ESV)

When I was a young pastor, I made the mistake of putting curmudgeons on committees, because they stated their opinions the loudest. I thought that if I put them on the committee, I wouldn’t have to hear them complain about the decision the committee made. Now I realize that it always backfires and creates a polarized committee. I see way too many churches make this same mistake, and it never works. Avoid putting the church curmudgeon on the committee.

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Large high performing organizations are remarkably self-aware. They know who they are, they know what they do well, they have deep insight into ever-changing community and market needs and they have courage to continuously adapt and thrive relative to their peers. The largest of these organizations show up annually on Forbes Most Admired Companies list.

In contrast, there are the large organizations who used to be high performing. They often have all of the outwardly visible trappings of success, but something just seems different. Leadership conversations shift to wondering why things that have always worked in the past don’t seem to have the same impact. It may be that growth has slowed...perhaps there is some staff turnover or reductions in staff. The organization may become more risk-averse in how they invest in new projects as the focus shifts to reducing costs. For the most part, people are loyal and committed, but something is different. Senior leadership tends to become isolated and “bunker down.” These organizations tend to be on the path of board member changes, senior leadership change, large staff reductions or merger.

It's been my privilege over the past 30 years to work in an advisory capacity with both types of large organizations. In reflecting recently on the experiences with both situations, the enduring high performers regularly use a process to assess the organization's leadership alignment and capacity to achieve the vision on at least an annual basis. It's a cultural mandate to engage all levels of leadership and key stakeholders in the process which creates a high degree of clarity, ownership and engagement to achieve the vision. They engage the entire organization in knowing what needs to be known and create focus on a small number of high return initiatives to raise impact. The greatest threats to the impact your church will have aren’t the issues you’re aware of, the greatest threats are those that aren’t in plain sight. We have created a unique relationship with one of the leading organizational survey tool companies in the world, McKinsey & Company, to serve your church in sustaining high impact with your unique vision. If you’d like to know more, visit the RoadMap website today.

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This week’s podcast, Nils Smith and Kent Woodyard talk about innovation in church and dig into the core opportunities for churches to technology. Kent Woodyard shares his experience on how he started with Mogiv in San Diego and then to Pushpay as Strat partners to other companies serving churches using technology in leadership, engagement, giving and the likes. He also discusses how Pushpay works in helping the church. Nils and Kent also share their recent experience in Pushpay's Echurch Summit focusing on technology, leadership and communication as the key needs of the church.

What’s your experience with Pushpay? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast

Show Notes to A Conversation about Innovation with Kent Woodyard: Podcast 215

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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For businesses in competitive markets, speed can be a powerful competitive advantage. If leaders can deliver goods and services faster than anyone else, they will multiply their success, often disrupting entire industries.

Take Amazon for example. One of the biggest disadvantages eCommerce has compared to brick-and-mortar retail is that consumers must wait for products to arrive after purchasing them. With Amazon Prime free two-day shipping, and now same-day delivery in select markets, Amazon has changed the online shopping landscape, using its delivery speed to mitigate this disadvantage. Speed (and free) is the key.

For church leaders, speed can be a powerful advantage as well. The ability for leadership teams to accelerate movement from ideas to implementation to impact gets translated into "more":

More people engaged in their communities More ministries started to meet needs More leaders identified and equipped More resources mobilized to fuel change More locations launched and filled More people won to Christ

How can you add speed to your learning and accelerate results on the issues that are central to seeing “more” in your ministry? Do what hundreds of innovative leaders from churches across North America have already done.

Be a part of HUB.

Leadership Network designed HUB with one thing in mind: accelerating results for your church. HUB’s 12-month experience brings together the right people and the right process to help your team achieve twice the results in half the time. Results you can measure. Kingdom results.

Take a look at this brief video. Then click or tap on the topics of interest below to find out more.

https://youtu.be/n0n778gVEzg

Fall Topics Include:

HUB:Generous Churches: Accelerating generosity, stewardship, and giving in your church. HUB:Leadership Development: Develop enough leaders to fulfill your dreams for ministry inside and outside the church. HUB:Missional Engagement: Shape your culture to be internally strong and externally focused. HUB:Multisite: Maximize your multisite reach and impact. (For churches with 3+ campuses) HUB:Multisite JumpStart: Extend your church's reach by launching campuses.

Groups are launching this fall. Space is limited. Don’t miss it!

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 13, 2017

In this Issue...

3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus LISTEN: A Conversation with Warren Bird from Leadership Network Multisite Resource Toolkit: Fresh Perspective on All Things Multisite

Features You May Have Missed

Eight Major Changes in Churches Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physcial Location? Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck?

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 13, 2017 In this Issue...

3 Critical Phases for Launching Your First Campus LISTEN: A Conversation with Warren Bird from Leadership Network Multisite Resource Toolkit: Fresh Perspective on All Things Multisite

Features You May Have Missed

Eight Major Changes in Churches Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physical Location? Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck?

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What's on your summer reading list? Here are my recommendations for church leaders:

Bigger Faster Leadership by Samuel R. Chand

Renowned leadership consultant, Samuel R. Chand details the account of the construction of the Panama Canal, and draws parallels between it and successful leadership methodology.

An epiphany during a visit to the Panama Canal led to bold new insights on the life cycles of business or church organizations.

Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community by Mark DeYmaz

Is it possible for a local church to become so influential in its community that it becomes a life-giving agent for believers and non-believers? A resource that becomes the catalyst whereby abandoned buildings are repurposed, small businesses attracted, jobs created, crime reduced, justice progressed, health improved, and ultimately, the kingdom of God advanced in such a way that it impacts every corner of the community?

In Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community, Dr. Mark DeYmaz explains why such an outlook it is not only possible but essential for the church to gain credibility and relevance in the community it seeks to influence. Genuine transformation never occurs through maintaining the status quo. A Disruption is often the missing ingredient that moves the church from ineffective to radically transformative.

The Unstuck Church by Tony Morgan

Acclaimed church leader, blogger, founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan unpacks the lifecycle of a typical church, identifies characteristics of each phase, and provides practical next steps a church can take to move towards sustained health. The Unstuck Church is a call for honest an assessment of where your church sits on the lifecycle, and a challenge to move beyond it.

Small Groups for the Rest of Us by Chris Surratt

Life transformation happens best within the context of community, so if a church is going to be intentional about discipleship they have to develop on-ramps to small groups that reach people on the fringes and beyond. If we continue to offer small groups to the normal church attenders, a majority of the people who show up to church are never reached. Pastors, church staff and small group leaders are trying to figure out how to make small groups work in their church and they don’t know how. Small Groups For The Rest Of Us gives them practical, proven strategies on moving people from the fringes into biblically based communities.

The High-Definition Leader by Derwin L. Gray

The High-Definition Leader is an invitation of grace for churches and their leaders to grasp the ancient call of the early New Testament Church that crossed ethnic and socioeconomic barriers to create heavenly colonies of love, reconciliation, and unity on earth. In it, you will learn the theology and practices that will help you build a mission-shaped, multi-ethnic church.

How to Break Growth Barriers by Carl F. George and Warren Bird

Some churches grow rapidly, only to hit a ceiling. Other churches have experienced declining or static attendance -- many of them for decades. Frustrated pastors and church leaders want growth methods that work, but without adding to pastoral fatigue. How to Break Growth Barriers argues that growth comes when effective leadership and lay-empowerment skills work hand in hand. This requires a shift of focus from the shepherd as the primary caregiver to shepherd as developer and coach of many caregivers. The authors show pastors how to communicate a vision for the future and then how to lead the congregation into the paradigms necessary for potentially limitless growth. The strategies found in the book are not only tried and true, but also taken from a biblical perspective of a "harvest" vision. They're also newly updated to reflect our changing culture, including helpful charts and checklists for self-evaluation.

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If you’ve seen a movie where the hero or heroine really comes “undone,” its often because of something they didn’t see coming, something “unseen.” Rarely are they knocked down by something right in front of them, something that is obvious.

Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar Gollum in Lord of the Rings Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier Cipher in The Matrix Hans in Frozen

The same is often true for churches. Many once-vibrant-now-dormant churches weren’t felled by an issue or a challenge they saw coming. Instead, it was more likely a “crack in the dam,” a small, unseen gap that allowed their impact to leak, changing their Kingdom trajectory slowly over time.

Our experience in working with churches and church leaders for more than 30 years has taught us that there are two primary, unseen gaps that derail growth and dilute impact:

Alignment Gaps and Capacity Gaps

The following are a few, quick examples of such issues from churches we have recently served:

Resources for Community Impact

One church team was struggling with leadership team focus. They aligned on what they now call the "Core 4" which is driving renewed focus on resource priorities in four ministry areas that drive the greatest community impact.

Common Success Metrics

Through the RoadMap process it became clear that a church team was not aligned to a single set of goals and success metrics. The leadership team was able to align to one set of goals and success metrics during the on-site debrief and gained new energy and excitement on the impact they could achieve with these common set of goals and metrics.

Reaching the Unchurched

The community served was becoming distinctly post-Christian in behavior. The leadership team was able to align and refocus on adapting some aspects of its ministry model to be more successful in reaching key unchurched segments of their community.

These are just a few of the unseen gaps that we’ve seen uncovered. Undoubtedly there are countless more like them that are slowing down churches across North America. And not only do these gaps frequently go unseen for weeks, months, or perhaps years, they often present themselves as issues that aren’t urgent, even though they are incredibly important.

How do leaders uncover these unseen gaps and increase capacity and alignment in a way that multiplies impact?

Unless these leaders commit to a regular rhythm of assessment, planning, and execution, they often don’t. That’s why Leadership Network developed RoadMap, an assessment and facilitated debrief process that allows executive teams to uncover small gaps in capacity and correct misalignment in a short period of time.

Watch this brief video and click or tap on the button below to learn more about RoadMap.

https://youtu.be/8dIqXtDdIGo

Ready to reveal the unseen gaps that are threatening your church? Click or tap the button below to get started.

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When the media says something bad or inaccurate about the church you serve, especially if it's a high-visibility church, it hurts all of us. But with your help, we can change many of those reports.

Several times each week we get requests by the media for a statistic, an example, or a quote about a trend. This ranges from a local reporter, maybe from your area, to national voices like New York Times or Christianity Today. We want to correct any mis-impression by gathering real data about today's pastors and church leaders.

You can provide that information and insight by taking part in a major survey we’re conducting.

The opening page explains a bit more about this unique project, including incentives we offer for your participation, and promises of absolute confidentiality.

Please take the time to help shape what the newspapers, magazines and social media report about churches like yours and leaders like you. Many thanks for your Kingdom investment.

Here’s the survey link -- survey closes 6/30

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by Warren Bird

When the media says something bad or inaccurate about the church you serve, especially if it's a high-visibility church, it hurts all of us. But with your help, we can change many of those reports.

You can provide that information and insight by taking part in a major survey we’re conducting.

The opening page explains a bit more about this unique project, including incentives we offer for your participation, and promises of absolute confidentiality.

Please take the time to help shape what the newspapers, magazines and social media report about churches like yours and leaders like you. Many thanks for your Kingdom investment.

Here’s the survey link -- survey closes 6/30

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Test

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 6, 2017

In this Issue...

Eight Major Changes in Churches LISTEN: How Do You Tell Your Church Ministry Stories on Social Media How Campus Pastors Can Grow a Culture of Generosity

Features You May Have Missed

Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physical Church Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck? Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - June 6, 2017

In this Issue...

Eight Major Changes in Churches LISTEN: How Do You Tell Your Church Ministry Stories on Social Media How Campus Pastors Can Grow a Culture of Generosity

Features You May Have Missed

Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physcial Church Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck? Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood

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Facebook has won the social media war! Nils and Jay share their thoughts on how Facebook has topped the social media networks, and name some better things Facebook did and is doing to get way ahead of every platform we are enjoying today. Current Facebook development includes integration of powerful data analytics. Also, Jay shares why he is switching from DirecTV to YoutubeTV.

Share your thoughts with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Show Notes for Has Facebook Won the Social Media War?: Podcast 214

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 30, 2017

In this Issue...

Does Online Church Hurt Attendance at Your Physical Location? How Can You Accelerate Generosity, Stewardship and Giving in Your Church? In the News: How to Become Diverse: The Story of Fielder Church in Texas PODCAST: How Campus Pastors Can Grow a Culture of Generosity

Features You May Have Missed

Unleashing the Potential of Millennials: Saddleback's Mingo Palacios Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck? Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 30, 2017

In this Issue...

Features You May Have Missed

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1. Eight Major Changes in Churches The Past Ten Years (Thomrainer.com) Change or die. Such has been the reality of too many congregations the past ten years as the rate of church closures has accelerated. Many have died; others are on life support. So what changes have occurred in healthy churches in the last decade? Here are eight of them.

2. Here's Why It Feels Like You Have No Free Time In One Chart (Businessinsider.com) Ever wonder where all your free time goes? Adam Alter has an idea. At the 2017 TED conference, the NYU psychologist presented a collection of three bar graphs showing data for how people in 2007, 2015, and 2017, spend an average workday.

3. Let’s Keep Reaching Consumers A.K.A. Lost Sheep (Pastors.com) “The modern Church is so consumeristic!” It’s a common line uttered by the religiously fed up, and of course, there’s a lot of truth in it. Some churches in America do tend to cater to the consumeristic mentality of our culture. But I think, on the whole, most churches don’t, and that’s actually part of the problem.

Perfect Match (Faithandleadership.com) Businessman/pastor brings together ping-pong and church to build a God-shaped community in Detroit.

5. Who Are the Lonely in America? (Barna.com) Science has shown that people who have close friendships are happier, more successful and even more physically and emotionally healthy. And in our hyper-connected culture, it may seem like it’s never been easier to make and maintain relationships. But is that true? How do Americans meet their friends? Who is most likely to feel lonely? Barna explores new data about the care and keeping of friends.

3 Big Lists of Church Social Media Policies (Djchuang.com) Part of the work of social media with churches is setting some policies to guide the church’s social media usage. Lots of people find it easier to learn from examples. So here are 3 big lists of church social media policies and resources to help.

7. How We Got Here: Spiritual and Political Profiles of America (Barna.com) A recent national survey by Barna reveals how America’s five dominant faith segments think—and, importantly, how they differ in meaningful ways when it comes to their views on some of the most contentious political and spiritual issues of the day.

Atlanta renters flocking to suburbs, outpacing urban growth, study says (Atlanta.curbed.com) Apartments may dominate residential development in the city, but suburban rentals are really booming.

9. Caring for Miami is the Miami-Dade Schools 2016-2017 District-Wide Exemplary Partner (Christianitytoday.com) Faith-based organization meets the physical needs of 1200 children each week.

Seattle Booms in Latest Census City-Level Estimates (Newgeography.com) Seattle, a land-locked (no annexation) city in the Pacific Northwest with a limited history of high density, managed to add 20,847 people last year, a growth rate of over 3% – tops among the 25 largest cities. Seattle has added about 94,000 people just since 2010. That’s over 15% growth. The total population growth in Seattle last year was about the same as that in New York City. Even if you rank by total change instead of percentage, Seattle would still be 5th out of the top 25 – ahead of some much larger places and some much sprawlier places.

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Multisite: Extending Your Church’s Reach

Every Pastor has a vision – a vision to make a difference in their community for the cause of Christ. And, every Pastor pursues this vision in a different way. For many churches, extending your reach into your surrounding communities will be accomplished through multisite.

Obviously, you do not need me to define multisite for you. You have likely had the passing thought of becoming a multisite church or are being driven daily by the desire to be a multisite church – and to be there soon. However, you may be stuck. The thought of embarking on the multisite journey seems overwhelming. You have questions, but you're not sure where to go for the right answers.

At Leadership Network, we’ve made a part of our identity helping leaders like you. Over the years we have helped hundreds of churches make advances in the area of multisite, including launching their first campuses. Our experience has shown us that leaders must focus on three critical phases for launching a first campus. Our HUB:Multisite JumpStart experience has been intentionally built around each of the three phases. Here they are (and how we can help):

Planning Your Journey

There are critical areas that you must consider in becoming a multisite church. And there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That's why it is critical to have a well-crafted, actionable plan for launching your first campus. When should you start casting the vision to your staff and leaders? How will you develop a Campus Pastor? Where will you launch the first location? How will you fund your multisite vision? These are just a few of the questions your team must answer as you map out your plan.

Through our action-oriented process and newly developed Multisite Launch Guide, we will help you process through 18 “markers” to launching your first campus. We will also add valuable insight from thought leaders in the area of multisite from some of the greatest multisite churches in America.

Creating Your Organizational Structure

As you prepare to launch your first campus, your church must change. And, more importantly, your staff and volunteers must change. Becoming a multisite church can stretch your leadership and thought capacity. Multisite requires your team to think differently in order to create the culture that you desire to have as an organization.

In our HUB:Multisite JumpStart experience, we’ll help you unpack the changes that you need to make to become a multisite church – not just a church with another campus. Whether planning your future central support model or learning to develop a multisite staff team, we’ll equip you to create a structure that will lead you into a greater multisite reality.

Evaluating Your Launch

When you launch your first campus, you want to be able to answer one simple question: How do we know if we are successful? By creating a scorecard to evaluate your current and future campuses, you’ll empower your team to create greater momentum. Each of you will be working together for a common goal instead of working for different goals.

With a common goal, you’ll gain a common synergy. With synergy comes momentum and through momentum you can make the changes that you desire in your local community. You’ll begin to see the life-change that defines your church’s impact in the lives of the people attending your campus.

Let Leadership Network Help You Launch

If you are considering multisite, I strongly urge you to consider becoming a part of HUB:Multisite JumpStart. We’ll empower your team to lead your church through the multisite journey – and you’ll launch your first campus with a greater success than you ever could have on your own. If you want to considering partnering with us on your journey, click or tap on the button below to learn more. Then complete the brief form and we’ll get in touch.

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One of the things we’ve enjoyed doing over our 30+ years of working with leading edge churches is exposing leaders to interesting and innovative organizations from other sectors of society. These experiences have led to some incredible “aha” moments and strategic or organizational breakthroughs for the churches we serve.

One of the organizations that continues to pour into our leaders through the various experiences we facilitate is Chick-fil-A. The following is a summary of principles from stories and articles that every church should be reminded of.

A simple mission can change everything. Truett Cathy didn’t set out to revolutionize anything. He set out to do one thing really well, and is credited with inventing “the boneless chicken sandwich”
Always choose quality over quantity. When Chick-fil-A joined the breakfast crowd in 1986, they added just one thing: The Chicken Biscuit.
Making lemons out of lemonade is a great skill. Chick-fil-A is the largest buyer of Sunkist Lemons, squeezing well over 200 million lemons a year to make their famous in-house lemonade.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The Chick-fil-A sauce we all love so much is actually a mix of three condiments: Barbecue, ranch and honey mustard.
Change can be good. In fact, change can spark a movement. In 2004, in response to requests for more healthy options, they added fresh fruit cups as a side option, and all major fast-food chains quickly followed suit.
Consistency matters. The chicken recipe hasn’t changed for over 50 years, and people always know what to expect.
Do everything with intentionality. Nothing happens by accident at this organization. The “A” in Chick-fil-A is capitalized for a reason. It represents a commitment to “Grade A” service
A good hiring practice is essential. They know it’s ok to wait for the right people on your team. 20,000 people per year apply for a franchise each year, but only 70 are accepted. They only recruit people who identify with their mission, and they have a proven and reproducible talent selection process.
Generosity is important. As examples of “servant leadership”, both executives and franchise will always take the last place in line. They also give millions to education and charities.
Failures are learning opportunities. When the Chick-fil-A team set out to make the “perfect grill”, it took them 11 years and countless prototypes before they got it right.
A clarified vision is essential. The Chick-fil-A mission statement is clear and drives their entire organization from the executives to the franchise employees.
Telling the truth helps build a culture of trust. Chick-fil-A values truth-telling in a respectful, discerning way. This goes a long way in helping all employees and franchise owner morale and creates a culture of trust.
Good (and bad) leadership trickles down. The servant leadership adopted by current management is mirrored by everyone in the organization. It’s in the trademark phrase franchise employees repeat (“It’s my pleasure,”), and the way employees spring into action if a customer needs help.
Culture is the soul of an organization. There’s an entire book dedicated to the culture of leadership at Chick-fil-A. The Chick-fil-A story proves that when we set out to create something bigger than ourselves, we can create an enduring culture. Chick-fil-A provides mom valet services, mouthwash dispensers in the restroom, offer to refill your drinks, pass out hand wipes to diners, and there’s their trademark phrase “It’s my pleasure.” These unexpected amenities have created a dedicated following and even sparked a story movement called “unexpected pleasures” on the company website.

Ideas and principles are great, but where we’ve seen real change happen is when leaders and teams have the opportunity to sit in the room with these organizations, collaborate with other expert thinkers and experienced “doers,

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 23, 2017

In this Issue...

Unleashing the Potential of Millennials Saddleback's Mingo Palacios LISTEN: Analyzing Online Church Models with Nils Smith and Jay Kranda 6 Ways to Turn Your Church Inside-Out and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read

Features You May Have Missed

Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck? Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week

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By Warren Bird

Are you curious whether online church helps or hurts attendance at the physical locations of churches like yours?

Overall, do you think the growth of online church has been a good thing for the Christian movement?

Or what about experimentation over microsites, such as “dinner church”? What kind of microsites are most popular in churches your size?

What about church use of predictive analytics to find spiritually receptive people?

We’ve got a bunch of front-line questions like these and we want to collect opinions from people like you about churches like yours.

Our large-church pastors and staff survey is still open, and we'd love to get your take on questions like the ones above.

If you participate in the survey, know that you’ll be helping thousands of others learn from your perspective. We are also giving away some pretty cool rewards and prizes! Simply click the link below. Thank you.

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By Warren Bird

When the media says something bad or inaccurate about the church you serve, especially if it's a high-visibility church, it hurts all of us. But with your help, we can change many of those reports.

You can provide that information and insight by taking part in a major survey we’re conducing.

The opening page explains a bit more about this unique project, including incentives we offer for your participation, and promises of absolute confidentiality.

Please take the time to help shape what the newspapers, magazines and social media report about churches like yours and leaders like you. Many thanks for your Kingdom investment.

Here’s the survey link -- survey closes 6/30

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A church leader recently emailed us to ask whether it’s better to go to one Saturday night service or two. Here are some ideas I suggested.

Sunday night instead? Before deciding on Saturday night, make sure you’ve explored the pros and cons of Sunday evening. Twenty years ago many churches had a Sunday night service for the same crowd that came Sunday morning. For a lot of churches today, Sunday night is another round of what was offered Sunday morning. For example, Austin Stone Church doesn’t have Saturday night, but instead runs four Sunday services, two in the morning and two in the evening: may 9:00 am, 11:15 am, 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Gauge for Saturday? Saturday services generally work best where other Saturday evening spiritual events are part of the culture. Look into Roman Catholic churches in your area: if Saturday night is their biggest or near biggest, it’s a good indicator it can work for you. Then after you start, be sure to monitor evangelism. In some communities people can readily invite unchurched friends to Saturday night, but for others it doesn’t work well.

Going from zero to two on Saturday? Generally for a Protestant church to do two Saturday evening services, it needs to be large and growing – having filled all the open Sunday morning slots, which gives a constant spill factor to bring new people to Saturday. For several years New Heights Church, Vancouver, WA ran THREE Saturday services, and three Sunday morning services. Today it does two on Saturday (5:00 pm and 6:30 pm), three on Sunday morning (8:15am, 9:45am, 11:15am), and then a special service called Ascent on Sunday evenings 6:00 pm.

Full program? A few churches try Saturday evening on a limited program basis, such as nursery only, but then it fades because the core people tend to come back Sunday morning as well, burning out over time, not able to sustain both Saturday and Sunday. Same with volunteer workers. I think it works best to be full-program so that people don’t feel Saturday is limiting their experience. Also for many churches, having TWO services is more sustainable than one (assuming they have critical mass of attendance) because then volunteers often serve at one hour and worship at the other, whereas if you have just one Saturday service, you can’t do that.

How to get people to shift? Appeal to groups to try the shift for six months. In other words, make the appeal to shift with your friends, since being with friends is a big factor of what makes church attendance fulfilling.

Guarantees? Stepping out on faith involves risk. As I’m working through the gospels in my own reading this month, I’m reminded at how many times God seems to invite us to experiment, such as the person who received an investment from God and sought to multiply it. The biggest praise was for those who found a good return. The biggest criticism was for those who fearfully buried the investment in the sand. That’s my interpretation of Matthew 25:14-30.

What are YOU learning about Saturday night church services? Please add to the conversation with your comments.

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Leadership Network VP Greg Ligon and Director of Missional Engagement John Poitevent talked with Mingo Palacios, Pastor of Evangelism and Culture at Saddleback Church. Drawing from his experience with young adults, micro-sites and creative worship, Mingo shared his thoughts on the future of the church and how embracing disruption might be the key to unleashing the potential of a generation.

When on the Purpose Driven Church tour, Mingo reflected on what he has learned from leaders who have played a significant role in his ministry calling and success. "Input and influence are two very different things." The churches that are connecting with millennials right now are taking risks and allowing them to influence the direction of the church. "Create a platform where they can pursue their own dreams for building the kingdom." Giving millennials a "trusted disruptive" environment to go after their God inspired ideas is a win, regardless of the outcome. "Don't be afraid to engage." Millennials aren't looking for you to solve their problems, but they do want to know that you identify with the challenges they are facing. Check out the full conversation below! https://youtu.be/P7V4KNvPLPg

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Our April Innovate:NOW! gathering focused on Radical Generosity. Church leaders from around the country gained valuable insight from stewardship experts and learned from the real-life experiences of pastors who have seen breakthroughs in giving.

We received so much great feedback from Chris Willard's opening talk on Creating a Culture of Radical Generosity that we wanted to share it here on the blog. In order for anything to be a consistently modeled value, rather than just an aspiration, it must first become an unavoidable part of the culture. In this power packed 30 minute talk, Willard shares 7 big ideas with practical steps for igniting a culture of radical generosity.

Chris Willard is the director of Leadership Network's Generous Churches HUB, focused on helping churches experience a breakthrough in generosity, stewardship and giving. Through our proven process of evaluation, learning and collaboration your team will develop a strategic plan for creating a contagious generosity culture in your church. Previous participants have seen dramatic results including an increase in per capita giving and number of giving units.

To learn more about how your church can take significant steps toward radical generosity, click here: GENEROUS CHURCHES HUB

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 16, 2017

In this Issue...

Does Your Church Need Help Getting Unstuck? Three Powerful Reasons to Emphasize Holistic Generosity Generation Next on 6/8/17 - Meet the Thought Leaders New Survey from Leadership Network

Features You May Have Missed

Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week

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Campus pastors at multisite churches have plenty of plates to keep spinning. So many, in fact, that a vital one may get missed.

In this latest Leadership Network generosity podcast, Chris Willard discusses with Mike Schirle, the East Campus Pastor for Discovery Church in Orlando and leader of stewardship ministry at Discovery's other campuses, some of the ways campus pastors can develop a heart and culture of generosity at their campus site.

To listen to this podcast (and previous ones), click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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At the Generation Next installment of our Innovate:NOW! series on June 8, you will learn from these seasoned leaders, collaborate with other churches, and create action steps to help your ministry better connect with the next generation.

GRANT SKELDON: A Millennials Perspective Speaker, Founder: The Initiative Network We've all heard the stereotypes, and some of them are true, but what do millennials REALLY want from the church? The answer might surprise you. Here's a hint: it's not about rebranding or a better coffee bar. As a leader and discipler of millennials, Grant will share candidly about his faith journey and what he sees as the greatest need and the greatest desire of the next generation. “Millennials have received a lot of coddling or a lot of criticism, but they haven’t experienced a lot of coaching.” In response to millennials being labeled noncommittal, cynical, entitled, slacktivists, Grant Skeldon started Initiative Network in order to shift the culture of Dallas by training millennials to be Christ-loving, city-changing, church-investing, disciple-making local missionaries.

MINGO PALACIOS: Developing Next Gen Leaders Pastor of Evangelism & Culture: Saddleback Church We are not only called to reach the next generation with the gospel, we are also called to equip and release them into their God given purpose. This might mean a disruption of our current ministry model. Mingo will speak from his experience developing Next Gen leaders, and share what he is seeing as he works with churches around the country. "If we determine to stop talking ABOUT the future of the church, and instead, start talking humbly WITH the future of the church, we can actually start to make the kind of progress the Creator of the Church always intended." Mingo has served as a young adults pastor, camp director, videographer, creative director and is now the Pastor of Evangelism and Culture at Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. He is passionate about discovering creative new ways to reach, disciple and raise up leaders in the next generation.

JONATHAN "JP" POKLUDA: How We Reach and Disciple Young Adults Teaching Pastor: Watermark Church, leader of The Porch While no model is perfect, many are useful to learn from. In 18 years Watermark Church has grown to a weekly attendance of over 10,000 people at three campuses. Every Tuesday night over 3,000 young adults from around the metroplex gather at Watermark Dallas for worship and teaching. JP will share their ministry philosophy and experience with discipling young adults. Jesus’ call to his followers was to "come and die." If you’re not reaching millennials, your church is dying. You don’t need tricks and tactics; you need to be the church by calling everyone you minister to, to be the church.” "JP" as he is most commonly known, is the Dallas Campus Pastor for Watermark Church, as well as leader of their young adults ministry, "The Porch". Baptized there as a new believer, JP is not only a leader at Watermark, his life is fruit of the ministry. JOHN POITEVENT: Our Future, Our Calling Director: Leadership Network Innovate:NOW! and HUB:Missional Engagement The data tells us statistics about millennials, but what does they mean for the future of the church? Could the characteristics that make them unique be the very thing that we need? John will take a look at trends in millennial culture and how, when embraced, they might actually help churches become more biblical. “They show far less concern about titles, profits and rituals, and more interest in relationships, purpose and authenticity, and so I believe that we are about to see a much needed culture shift in the areas of power and influence." John has served in a variety of ministry roles, including missionary, creative director, teacher and pastor. He has been involved with Leadership Network for 8 years, first as a participant and now as Director of Innovate:NOW! and our Missional Engagement HUB. Join us June 8th, 2017,

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1. Megachurches Are Rare in Mid-Hudson Region (recordonline.com) There are about 1,650 megachurches in the United States, more than 70 percent of them in the Sunbelt. California, Texas, Florida and Georgia have the highest concentrations, according to Bird. While almost 10 percent of Protestant churchgoers nationwide attend a megachurch, those churches represent only about one-half of 1 percent of the roughly 320,000 Protestant churches in the United States, Bird said.

2. Though Still Conservative, Young Evangelicals Are More Liberal Than Their Elders on Some Issues (pewresearch.org) Millennials are more likely than older adults to take liberal positions on social and political issues. This generation gap exists even among evangelical Protestants – who constitute one of the country’s most conservative religious groups – in areas including same-sex marriage, immigration and environmentalism.

3. 6 Ways to Turn Your Church Inside-Out (churchleadership.com) To connect with people, you need to meet them where they are, says Ben Ingebretson, the director of new church development for the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences of the UMC. He offers six practical ways you can air out your church by taking your ministry into public spaces.

4. For Many Overbooked Christian Families Wednesday is the New Sunday (startribune.com) As churches across Minnesota try new ways to accommodate the hectic lives of the faithful, Wednesday night services have emerged as a popular option.

5. Flexible Working is Making Us Work Longer (qz.com) Imagine if you could work whenever and wherever you wanted. Would you work less and enjoy more time with family and friends? Or would you end up perpetually working, have work spill over into the rest of your life?

6. Meaningful Metric Conversion Growth (namb.net) There are a lot of factors that can contribute to a church adding to their numbers. For instance, as a church gets healthier, existing Christians are attracted. While it is worth celebrating when a Christian finds a church home where they can truly grow and serve, the celebration is like a family reunion. Members of the family are coming back to where they belong.

7. Mechanic Makes Car Repairs a Ministry in Powder Springs (fox5atlanta.com) David McCoy, a retired Air Force mechanic, knows a lot about cars. He's set up a garage next to McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church in Powder Springs, and it's developed over the years. Two days a month, he and a team of 40 volunteers fix cars. For single mothers, cancer patients - anyone in need. "The people who are struggling to put food on the table. Struggling to get back and forth to work. They need that help."

8. A West Side Resurrection (rimonthly.com) A surprising Christian revival is bringing young people back to church.

Ministry Matters Mentor Groups (thegospelcoallition.org) Melissa Kruger said, "One of the ministry questions I get asked the most is: “How do you all do mentoring in your church?” I spent the first three years in my job tossing this question around in my mind. I’ve experienced firsthand the blessings of mentoring relationships—both as the one being discipled and also as the one discipling others. I wanted these life-giving relationships to flourish within our church."

10. Why Religion Is More Durable Than Commonly Thought In Modern Society (npr.org) Here is a proposition that may seem self-evident to many people: As societies become more modern, religion loses its grip. People separate their religion from their institutions and from parts of their lives. Sociologists have a name for this idea. They call it the "secularization thesis." Now,

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 9, 2017

In this Issue...

Making Our Church the Same Age as Our Neighborhood Join Sam Chand for a FREE 2-Day Leadership Summit Assess Your Church's Small Group Ministry (by May 15) PODCAST: Three Powerful Reasons to emphasize Holistic Generosity

Features You May Have Missed

What Gives You the Greatest Job Satisfaction? Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week Tools for Engaging the Next Generation

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by Tony Morgan

For businesses, success is all about the bottom line—money.

Though my mission is to help churches get unstuck, I love the periodic opportunities I have to serve businesses, particularly when the owner is committed to kingdom impact. Businesses are driven by the bottom line. They want to make money. They know that if they don’t make money, they will eventually go out of business. If you ask a business owner about the end result of achieving predictable success, I’m guessing at least nine times out of ten you’ll hear something about achieving a stronger financial bottom line. Because they are so committed to the bottom line, I’ve found these characteristics are true of the businesses I’ve helped:

They track the bottom line. Everyone on the team knows whether or not their business is meeting their financial objectives. If they aren’t making money, there’s a sense of urgency that change needs to happen. When they do make money, they don’t settle. They’re always considering “How can we reach more customers and grow the business?” They are very focused. If something isn’t adding to the bottom line, they stop doing it.

I believe churches have a bottom line as well. Jesus defined it for us after his resurrection. He told his disciples: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

(Matt. 28:18–20)

I can say, unashamedly, that I wish churches were as committed to their bottom line as businesses are to theirs.

Unfortunately, I’ve found these characteristics are true of way too many churches:

They don’t track their bottom line. Most people on the team don’t know whether or not the church is meeting its discipleship objectives. If they aren’t growing (making disciples and baptizing new believers), then many churches don’t have a sense of urgency that change needs to happen. If there’s a sense that what they’re doing isn’t working, churches tend to settle. They build ministries and programming around the people who are already at the church rather than consider how they can reach more people and grow the kingdom. They are rarely focused. If something isn’t adding to the bottom line, it doesn’t matter. They keep doing it.

Churches have the world’s greatest mission; after all, eternity is at stake. I’m convinced we should be doing everything possible short of sin to see lives changed forever. With that, I want churches to strive for the pinnacle of the life cycle, where they are continually making new disciples and experiencing what I refer to as sustained health. In other words, I don’t want this Matthew 28 season to be a brief moment in time, and I certainly don’t want churches stuck someplace short of their potential. I want more churches to arrive at this place of maximum kingdom impact and stay there. I want it to sustain.

In my new book, The Unstuck Church: Equipping Churches to Experience Sustained Health, I will introduce seven phases of a church’s life cycle. I’ve encountered churches in each of these seasons as I’ve helped them get unstuck. After I describe each phase, I’ll offer some specific and strategic next steps—interruptions—that your church can take.

I challenge you to determine where your church is on the life cycle, and then, as a team, identify how to move forward with strength and health.

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By Lee Kricher

Our church needed to make a tough decision. In the fall of 2003, I became Senior Pastor of Amplify Church, an evangelical church in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Weekend attendance had been in steady decline for several years and was hovering around 200 people. We were on an interest-only plan with our bank because we could not afford the monthly mortgage payments on our church building, which was deteriorating after years of neglect. But what alarmed me most was that the average age of those attending the church was just about my age at the time—50 years old.

My definition of a “new generation church” is one where the attendees’ average age is at least as young as the average age of the community in which the church meets. Since the most recent census indicated that the average age of those in the neighborhoods served by our church was 35 years old, Amplify Church was definitely not a new generation church. We could not allow the presence of a handful of young families and children in regular attendance blind us to the fact that we were one of the fastest dying churches in the city.

We decided to put our hearts into becoming a new generation church. This was not an easy decision. We knew that our approach to church had to change in many ways if we were going to lower the average age of our members and attendees by 15 years. Though our core beliefs and values would remain unchanged, everything else had to be “on the table” for possible change – every program, every ministry, every tradition and every practice.

The framework for change we employed was fivefold: adopt a new mindset, identify the essentials, reduce the distractions, elevate your standards, and build a mentoring culture. These strategies, along with specific corresponding actions, are detailed in the book, For a New Generation: A Practical Guide for Revitalizing Your Church.

First Steps

What are the best first steps to take when a church wants to get connected or re-connected with the next generation? Here are a few things that made a difference for Amplify Church:

Identify the average age of your neighborhood/community and compare it with the average age of those attending the church. Determine to do whatever it takes to close the gap. Take key staff or lay leaders on “field trips” to healthy churches that have every generation well represented. Regularly weave into weekend messages the importance of reaching the next generation. Proactively engage church members in one-on-one discussions and conversations in small groups about the importance of becoming agents of change instead of blockers of change.

The Importance of a Mentoring Culture

Foundational to building a new generation church is a commitment to develop young leaders. This is not only critical for churches in decline, but also for churches determined to avoid decline! That is the primary reason that I asked a number of our key leaders to join me as participants in a Leadership Network cohort that focused on creating a Leadership Development strategy. With the help of Brent Dolfo and the Leadership Network team, we framed a document titled Leadership Development at Amplify Church (click to download). It affirms that “the primary role of every leader is to develop other leaders” and that “the leaders of tomorrow are already here.” It also reinforces the importance of shoulder tapping, shadowing and interning in order to build a mentoring culture and pave the way for “perpetual” church revitalization.

The Transformation

I was hoping that our multiple-year journey would go smoothly, but change seldom does. The concept of re-connecting with the next generation was well received, but when things started to change in order to actually reach young people, about one third of current attendees left. One of our top givers said to me, “The kids you are trying to reach don’t have checkbooks.” Then, to my dismay, he added, “If you go through with these changes,

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By Chris Willard with Warren Bird

Growing your church and your people in generosity is important to you—and us. That’s why Leadership Network has developed HUB:Generosity for larger churches who want to accelerate generosity and stewardship. For more information, go to leadnet.org/generosity-hub.

The increasing focus in churches the past few years on stewardship, budgeting, financial planning and the like has had a huge impact for good. I’m passionate about expanding the hearts of people to live generous lives.

On the other hand, my friend Jack Alexander thinks stressing the financial side of generosity has created an “imbalanced narrative”—an uneven story.

Jack’s walk with God began 40 years ago on a business trip in Australia when a pastor challenged him to follow Jesus with a life of radical generosity in all areas of life, not just money.

“I hear people say the Bible mentions money 2,350 times and that Jesus talks about money more than love,” says Jack, chairman of the Reimagine Group, an organization that uses story, film and biblical truth to inspire people toward holistic generosity. “I always wonder where they’re going with that.”

That’s because for God, Jack says, generosity isn’t about money. It’s much bigger than that.

So Jack offers three powerful reasons to strive for holistic generosity in our churches that goes beyond a focus on finances.

Jesus wants us to give our first and our best

That pastor 40 years ago challenged Jack to give God “everything you have, everything you are, everything you will be and everything you will have.” That brings to mind the passage in Malachi 1 where God chastises the Israelites for giving blind and diseased sheep—what Jack calls the “good sheep and the stinky sheep.”

“In the current generosity narrative, I don’t hear a lot about giving God your best,” Jack says. “It’s the idea that when we give God our best, that’s when we’re really worshipping. That scares me when I see that 30, 40, 70 percent of people in churches aren’t giving financially.”

“You wonder, are people really worshipping?”

Jack sees a powerful connection between giving God our first and best, and giving each other our first and best. If we aren’t doing it for Him, we probably aren’t doing it for each other. We’re likely giving God and each other our leftovers.

Jack tells the story of a pastor who met the need of a neighbor by giving him an old weed trimmer and buying himself a new one. After reflecting on the concept of giving God and each other our first and best, that pastor went back and bought a new trimmer for his neighbor!

Jesus modeled that kind of generosity

This is a simple concept we can’t deny when verses like 2 Corinthians 8:9 sink in. Although Jesus was rich, "for our sake He became poor.” He gave up even the glory of heaven for us. In Jack’s words, He didn’t give from his excess, but of His very essence. He gave everything He had and everything He was.

“I see in churches where people are giving from their excess and not their essence,” Jack says. “We’re not becoming poor.”

For Jack, there are two ways to become poor:

Give away what you have Give away who you are

“God in his wisdom knows that our heart is going to follow our treasure,” Jack says. “That’s why the ultimate in giving our treasure is giving our first and best.”

A pastor once told Jack about an elder in his church who was giving an internal organ to a young man who was dying of a disease. “Becoming poor is often about more than money,” Jack adds.

Money isn’t important to God, but He knows it’s important to us

As Jack and his group have worked with over 1,000 churches, they’ve developed what they call the Generosity Pivot—the point where people understand and live out that generosity is not just about giving our stuff. It’s about giving ourselves.

Three passages of Scripture nail this down for Jack. In Matthew 5:24, Jesus tells us to leave our gift at the altar—don’t give—in favor of being reconcile...

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - May 2, 2017

In this Issue...

What Gives You the Greatest Job Satisfaction? 4 Harsh Realities You Need to Understand About Millennials FREE Webinar - DiscipleShift: 8 Moves for Changing Lives

Features You May Have Missed

TODAY: Fuel Your Multisite Launch Strategy Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week Tools for Engaging the Next Generation

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By Warren Bird

Are your small groups thriving? At Leadership Network, we’re always looking for resources to help activate your church to greater impact. Most churches we work with believe that discipleship happens best within small groups that meet regularly–but we often hear that the leaders of those churches need help making those ministries flourish.

So I became very interested in a new church small group research study where, through your participation, your ministry can receive a free, limited-time assessment that will provide you with the following helpful reports at NO COST:

Small Group Effectiveness Ratings. You will receive a report that identifies where your small groups score on three key effectiveness measures—group health, personal discipleship/spiritual maturity, and member assimilation/connection to your church—in relation to hundreds of other small groups. This report will help you gauge areas of strength for your small group ministry and identify ways that you can cultivate healthy small groups. Ministry Profile Report. This descriptive report will share what the research team learned about small group ministry practices and effectiveness across hundreds of small groups from hundreds of churches across the United States. You’ll be able to compare your ministry model and practices to those of others in similar sized and typed churches.

The study is run by a friend, Dr. Ryan Hartwig, a professor at Azusa Pacific University and my co-author for Teams That Thrive. More than 10,000 leaders have benefitted from the research-based insights in Teams That Thrive, and I’m confident this new study will uncover similarly impactful insights that will help small group pastors and leaders cultivate thriving small groups.

Ryan and his colleagues are not just asking small group pastors or leaders about what makes small groups effective, but they have designed a study that hears directly from group members about what makes their small groups great–or not. What they learn will help you answer these questions for your ministry:

How do we know if our small groups are actually accomplishing the vision we’ve laid out? What really happens at the group member level? Do group members actually embody the values we champion as a church? Do our group members really know why we do small groups the way we do? Do they value what we value?

Please go now to check out the study. You will not only learn valuable insights about small groups in your church and how they compare to others, but you’ll also help collect valuable data that will be used to help your church–and thousands of others–build healthy, thriving groups.

For more information about the study, or to register your church, visit www.smallgroupstudy.info. But do it fast, because you’d need to register your church by May 15.

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How did Facebook win in social media?

Jay and Nils discuss more trends about social media, especially Facebook. Nils recently went to Facebook’s F8 Conference, it’s primarily a conference for developers and people who optimally use the platform. Nils talk about the stuff he learned from the conference. They also talk about the innovations Facebook has done over the years, and Nils also shares his insights about how Facebook has won over social media.

What’s your story about the innovations of Facebook throughout the years? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.

Show Notes for Learnings from Facebook's F8 Conference: Podcast 213

Audio content courtesy of the Social Media Church podcast – Subscribe on iTunes | Android | RSS *

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by Warren Bird

What do pastors and other church staff wake up each morning looking forward to? What work incentives best motivate them? How often do they receive coaching-level feedback from their supervisor?

Questions like these are at the heart of a new Leadership Network survey titled "Looking Inside Churches Like Yours." It gets up close and personal with large-church leaders, covering everything from personal debt levels to how they feel about recent trends of microsites. It's a collection of questions that people like you have said you'd like to learn about your peers in similar-size churches.

The survey is now open. Participants will have opportunity to receive one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards, an immediate download of a 74-page free ebook titled Tools to Help Multiply Your Ministry, and eventual reports with various findings from the survey.

Please click the button below to start the survey. Thank you!

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The challenge for kingdom-minded church leaders increasingly involves shifting their focus from just building great programs to building great people. One approach develops discipleship offerings and methods, then recruits people into participation with the hope (and even conviction) that their involvement will turn them into missional Jesus-followers. It works - for some, even many.

But what about beginning with the individual person or their personal network, crafting a discipleship path for them that transforms their lives and impacts the lives of those around them?

Join us Wednesday, May 10th at 2 PM Central for a free, 45-minute webinar with author, speaker, and Leadership Network Director, Reggie McNeal. This webinar highlights 8 key shifts for creating a discipleship culture that develops and deploys these viral kingdom agents.

In this webinar you'll learn how to shift your thinking in several key areas, including:

From standardized to customized From scripted to shaped From didactic to discovery From growing "into" service to growing "thru" service

Click or tap the button below to register now.

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There has been a lot of negative press for millennials lately, and as someone working in that arena I felt the need to respond. One article on “harsh realities millennials need to understand” particularly inspired my writing. I’m sure you’ve heard all the stereotypes: millennials are entitled and ungrateful with a poor work ethic and commitment issues. To start, let me suggest that 20 somethings have had these stigmas for several generations. Silents said this about boomers who projected the same idea on to Gen X. “Kids these days…” is not a new mantra. However, a favorite cliché unique to millennials is a jab at “participation trophies.” With regards to that reference, I have to state the obvious question that I rarely hear asked: Who gave them those participation trophies? Seriously? The character of individuals is not formed in a vacuum, and regardless of nature or nurture, generational trends are greatly shaped by those who go before them. Those thoughts aside, here are some common perceptions of millennials and why they might exist. Let me also say that as with the negative stereotypes above, these are generalizations. Every millennial does not fall into these mindsets, but it does seem to be the norm more than the exception. 1) They aren’t as patriotic as you. From the first Gulf War, 9/11, Iraq 2, Afghanistan and “Mission Accomplished”, to ISIL and other global conflicts, millennials have seen their share of America at war. While in their lifetime there have been over 50,000 American casualties, they have never celebrated a military victory. And although they have seen key terrorists captured and executed, the underground terrorism movements seem to carry on unhindered. While most millennials say that they love this country, their affection for America does not equate to nationalism or supremacy. One reason is that they have had more exposure to other cultures than any previous generation. The vast majority of millennials receive their news online from world news sources. It is also not unusual for a millennial to regularly communicate with friends on several continents through social media. Through this global perspective, they have seen that the United States does not even rank in the top 20 countries for healthcare (37th) nor education (25th). Those are sad and sobering statistics for a country that claims to lead the free world. What you view as a lack of patriotism might actually be a more informed view of America and a greater appreciation for other countries and their people. 2) They are averse to institutions. In their brief lives, millennials have seen significant moral failures from leaders of every major institution. Corruption and scandals have ripped through business, government, politics, military, law enforcement, sports and of course religion. While there have been scandals since biblical times, the internet and 24/7 news make them far more exposed and available to the public than ever before. Whether the issue is infidelity, embezzlement, doping or cheating, millennials have witnessed it all. Shockingly, in spite of these failures, the politicians get re-elected, athletes continue to play, the pastor starts a new church, and CEOs receive a massive bonus while the company goes bankrupt. In one case, that company is their government. According to Pew Research, half of all millennials believe that Social Security will go bankrupt before they retire. In his book Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek points out that while leaders in the animal kingdom take risks and make sacrifices in order to protect the herd, modern business and political leaders tend to neglect their followers, or even sacrifice them, in order to ensure their own success. This trend has led millennials, more than any previous generation, to believe that they alone have their best interests in mind. 3) They aren’t committed to your company. A common perception of millennials is that they are “job hoppers.” Before I address this one,

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - April 25, 2017

In this Issue...

We Help Launch FIRST Campuses Join Sam Chand in a FREE 2-Day Leadership Summit In the News: What Would Jesus Disrupt?

Features You May Have Missed

TOMORROW: Webinar—5 Keys for Creating a Culture of Leadership Development Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week Tools for Engaging the Next Generation

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Discipleship Team Leader, Christian Life Center, Dayton, OH (Posted 2/23/17)

Searching for individual to be responsible for ensuring that every congregant is invited into an intentional path of discipleship. Will oversee the process of connecting others to their next step. A secondary responsibility will be to become part of the teaching team and work with the Lead Pastor by preparing sermons and speaking in service as needed.

Learn More and Apply

If your church is currently hiring, and would like to reach a new market of prospective employees, Leadership Network is offering a unique opportunity to post your job opportunity in our newsletter, Leadership Network Advance, which goes out each Tuesday to about 50,000 subscribers.

The majority of our readers are church leaders between the ages of 46-55. Twenty-five percent of our readers represent large, growing churches (2,000 or more). Approximately two-thirds of our subscribers are lead pastors or director level staff; and the rest of our reader base is comprised primarily of lay leaders and non-pastoral church staff.

Each Job Listing Includes: Church Name, Location, Job Title and Description (~50 words) One (1) link to more information on your own website.

Price: $500 - listed for 2 consecutive weeks

To reserve your job listing contact Dianne James Russell at dianne.james@leadnet.org

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In our efforts to lead people in our churches toward lives of generosity and to honor God with their finances, we might have unknowingly created an “imbalanced narrative”—an uneven story that is keeping us from living lives of radical generosity in all areas of life, not just money.

In his latest Leadership Network generosity podcast, Chris Willard discusses three powerful reasons to lead our churches to focus on holistic generosity—a life that gives of our essence like Jesus did and not just our excess.

To listen to this podcast (and previous ones), click here: https://leadnet.org/generosity-podcast/

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - April 18, 2017

In this Issue...

WEBINAR: 5 Keys for Creating a Culture of Leadership Development HUB: Exchange Ideas, Accelerate Results In the News: Eagle Brook Church Adds 6th Campus Breaking Down Facebook Ads for Ministries: Podcast 212

Features You May Have Missed

Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard 10 Articles You Should Read This Week Tools for Engaging the Next Generation 3 Things You Can Do This Week to Connect More People After Easter and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read

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To view the current newsletter in a rich graphic format, click here. Advance - April 11, 2017

In this Issue...

Celebrating One Year of Generosity Podcasts with Chris Willard Welcome! Beltway Park Church and Others to Leadership Network Programs More Virtual Reality and Facebook Messenger: Podcast 209 In the News: Florida Megachurch Makes 300,000 Meals for Refugees in Middle East

Features You May Have Missed

10 Articles You Should Read This Week Tools for Engaging the Next Generation 3 Things You Can Do This Week to Connect More People After Easter and Other Articles Church Leaders Should Read

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Do you want to take your church to the next level in leadership development?

According to Leadership Network’s Warren Bird, approximately 80% of North America’s churches are either plateaued or declining. Only 20% are growing and less than 0.5% of all church are multiplying—either by starting new churches or planting new campuses.

Critical to becoming a multiplying church is raising up and developing enough leaders so you not only are starting new churches/campuses but also reaching more people in your community and having enough passionate leaders to disciple others.

Today, we’re desperate for models, success stories on churches that are leading the way in producing an abundance of effective volunteer and staff leaders. Cedar Creek, in Toledo, Ohio is one of those hidden gems.

In June of 1994 Lee Powell attended a church leadership conference at Willow Creek Community church. where he heard Bill Hybels talk about the local church being the hope of the world. Later that night, Lee gathered with four others who were attending the conference with him to talk about the possibilities for a church like that in the greater Toledo area. In November 1994, twenty-five people came together to form the core of what is now known as Cedar Creek Church.

Since those humble beginnings, Cedar Creek has grown into a church of more than 8,000 people in weekly attendance, in five locations. It has helped plant 10 new congregations in the U.S. as well, and has churches in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

One of the most impressive parts of Cedar Creek is instead of importing leaders and staff from other churches, it has identified, developed and deployed leaders from within their own congregation. Of the 100 people on payroll at the church, 97 have been raised up from within.

We recently invited Steve Hutmacher, Executive Pastor at Cedar Creek to join us for a FREE webinar titled “5 Keys for Creating a Culture of Leadership Development.” Steve oversees leadership development and Cedar Creek’s internship and apprenticeship program.

Join us on Wednesday, April 26th, at 1:00 pm CDT to learn the top five principles that have guided Cedar Creek’s multiplication emphasis.

Future Church Podcast: Recent Episodes

Art of Leadership Network

Histories. Hopes. Hurts. Heart-Passions.

1 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Report Executive Summary (Free Download)

2 - Multisite Latest Trends 2018 (Free Download)

3 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Tables (Premium Product)

4 - Senior Pastor Role in Discipling High Capacity Givers (Free Download)

5 - 10 Truths of Churches that Do a Great Job at Leadership Development (Free Download)

6 - Big Data Helps Churches Do 5 Things Amazingly Well (Blog Post)

1 - The FREE Executive Summary Report: 7 Vital Benchmarks in Church Compensation.

2 - 2018 Large Church Compensation Tables

3 - Custom-Tailored Compensation Report

1 The leaders of tomorrow are already here

2 The primary role of every leader is to develop other leaders

3 Leaders grow while doing