Wednesday's Catch: Sudden Deteriorations in Church Health and More

How Even Healthy Churches Can Spiral Quickly into Dysfunction

Like an organism, when church health declines, it typically does so slowly. But there are cases when an otherwise healthy person experiences a sudden deterioration. Healthy churches can also experience a sharp decline in health. There are cases of healthy churches quickly becoming dysfunctional. Below are five ways I’ve seen churches spiral downward quickly, almost overnight. Read More

3 Startling Stats That Reveal How Much the Church Has Changed This Year

When you’re in the middle of a disruption, it’s hard to know exactly what’s changing, let alone how deeply or permanently things are changing. As 2020 soon draws to a close, there are three numbers that, at least for me, show how quickly, radically and perhaps permanently the church is changing. Read More

How to Unite a Divided People

My guess is, deep down, you wish your church, organization or company was more united. And while leadership has always been hard, this particular moment makes it harder than ever. So how do you do it? Here are four principles that have helped me lead through division. Read More

3 Changes to Make When Online vs. In Person

The two most frequent questions I get asked from other pastors during this surreal time of pandemic, affecting all of us globally in so many ways, are “How do you keep people engaged?” followed by “What do you do differently in your online service than you did when in person?” Read More

Research: Racial Minorities Were More Likely to Contract COVID-19 at Churches

New research suggests that, at the beginning of the pandemic, Americans from lower-income or majority-minority neighborhoods were more likely to be infected with COVID-19 through religious gatherings such as churches than those living in higher-income or predominantly white neighborhoods. Read More

Biden Says Americans Can Worship in Person ‘Safely.’ But What Does That Mean?

President-elect Joe Biden says Americans should be allowed to worship in person “safely” during the ongoing pandemic. But as cases of COVID-19 spike in the U.S. just weeks before major religious holidays, questions abound as to whether attending religious services in person can, in fact, be safe — and if Biden’s approach to the contentious issue will differ from that of the Trump administration. Read More