Tuesday's Catch: Christmas Is Just Around the Corner and More

6 Steps to a Low Stress Christmas Program

Most people look forward to Christmas music all year long. But there are a few who, surprisingly to some, might dread it: the worship leader, choir director, and anyone involved in the production. Read More

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is really good advice for Christmas programs. No cantata. No dancing Christmas gifts. May be a candle light service with a solemn procession, a couple of special Christmas hymns or carols, and plenty of Christmas greenery--evergreen boughs, holly, ivy, and rosemary. Keep a close eye on the flower committee. Otherwise, they'll bury the communion table and the choir under poinsettias. Instead of burning incense, rub the base of the pews or the legs of the chairs with frankincense oil. You get the fragrance without the smoke. Treat everyone to hot chocolate, spiced apple cider,  and other Christmas goodies after the service. Take lots of photos.

Should Your Church Go to 3 Services?

If your church is considering a move to three services, here are some essential things to consider. Read More

If you are planning to launch a third service, you should keep this thought in mind: you are also launching a third congregation, not just providing a third time for your existing congregation to worship. You need weigh carefully what segment of the community's unchurched population that you are hoping to reach with the new service as well as what will be the style of music used in the new service and how else the new service will differ from the existing services. This requires forethought and planning. A third service is not something that you can throw together at the last minute.

My former parish learned this the hard way. Very little forethought or planning went into the new service. Promises were made and were not kept. The style of music was supposed to be contemporary but the new service, when it was finally launched, would differ very little from the other service that had music. This did not sit well with the church members who had been led to believe that the music of the new service would be contemporary in style. The broken promise would contribute to the erosion of the relationship between these church members and the rector and was one of the factors behind a call for his resignation and an eventually split in the church that cost the church one third of its member households.

On the other hand, a neighboring parish launched a third service with no problems. It had identified who it was going to target with the new service and decided upon what style of music that it was going to use in the new service and mobilized its resources to accomplish its goals for the new service. The difference between the two churches was that the rector of the second church took long range planning seriously while the rector of the first church did not--he tried to fly by the seat of his pants. He would leave seven years after the church split. By then the church's attendance and giving had gone down that it required subsidization.

Francis Chan: Stop Treating the Book of Acts Like Hyperbole

The former megachurch pastor asks today’s churches to measure their practices against the New Testament standard. Read More

8 Things to Do When Your Church Is in a Bad Location

For years, I’ve heard the phrase about real estate and churches: “it’s all about location, location, location.” I agree that a poor location can be an obstacle to church growth, but re-locating is not an immediate option for many congregations. If you think your church’s location is a hindrance, here are some options to consider.... Read More

7 Questions to Ask Before Beginning a Building Project

In my last post, I shared 10 Ways to Succeed in a Building Project. If you are considering a building project or are already in the middle of one, I encourage you to go read that post. In this article, I want to suggest seven questions to ask before beginning a building project. Read More

The 2 Battles Every Minister Fights [Video]

You’re called to be ministers of Christ, to be like Christ, to look like Christ, and to picture the gospel in your life in microcosm. Watch Now

5 [New] Character Rules Every Leader Should Follow

If you’re a Christian leader, there should never be a gap between your private walk and public talk. Read More

Dumbed Down? Why Reading the Bible Is so Elusive—Yet so Vitally Important

Three reasons we need to engage Scripture both intentionally and frequently. Read More