2 True Tests for a ‘Relational’ Ministry

Many declare, “We do relational ministry.” That’s good. But some who declare it don’t really do it. When people claim to do relational ministry they often explain that their ministry is based on authentic relationships. Sometimes they add, “We’re about people, not programs.” That’s good–when it’s true. How can anyone determine if a church’s claim of […]

Continue reading →

Is Once-a-Week Church Too Much?

The habit of weekly worship attendance has already taken a hit among American churchgoers. Now a move is afoot to offer the Sunday morning routine just once per month. Even people who describe themselves as regular churchgoers are attending less frequently these days. That’s one of the factors that is contributing to shrinking church attendance on […]

Continue reading →

Incognito Zone: Where the Church Is Booming

The final leg of our cross-country trip brought us to a sequestered zone where the church is thriving. After flying over multiple states where the majority of congregations are stagnant or shrinking, we arrived in a land where church leaders are scrambling to keep up with the growth. This healthy church zone is a hundred miles wide and […]

Continue reading →

Meet and Greet: Shake and Fake?

Whenever a pastor or worship leader prods us to “stand and greet your neighbor,” I muster my little smile and go through the motions. “Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.” I assume the goal is to shake as many hands as I can in 60 seconds. I usually squeeze seven or eight hands as I twirl like a […]

Continue reading →

What If He Actually Came Today?

After watching some of the latest historical Jesus shows on television, I wondered how Jesus would be received if he’d make a similar physical visit today. Would his mission be similar? He’d be coming at a similar time when the religious establishment has calcified around certain practices, places, rules and rituals. Would he seek to shake […]

Continue reading →

When Jesus Becomes a Fill-in-the-Blank

People describe the Christian faith as a “personal relationship with Jesus.” But in the church, how have we gone about encouraging and developing that relationship with Christ? Curiously, church services, classes and programs rarely pursue that relationship like, well, like a real relationship. It’s not for lack of good intentions. At some point, years ago, […]

Continue reading →

Church Trapped by Consumerism

Church shoppers. They’re derided as fickle, self-centered customers caught up in the toxic fever of consumerism. “People treat church and church programs like the mall,” said a church leader. “All they want is the latest shiny object and ‘what’s in it for me.’” As church memberships decline and more people slip out the back door […]

Continue reading →

What’s Missing in Missional

“We try to be missional. We try to be externally focused,” the young pastor told me. “But nothing seems to work.” This church, in a metropolitan area, has invested in numerous efforts to reach into the community and address various needs. But nothing has resulted in really connecting those who are served with the church […]

Continue reading →

“Life Change Happens in Circles, Not in Rows.” Are You Kidding Me?

They say the “right” thing. “Sunday morning isn’t the main event. The real ministry happens in our small groups.” “Life change happens in circles, not in rows.” More ministry leaders are arriving at an intellectual or spoken conclusion that effective ministry is relational. They may say that person-to-person interaction leads to far more spiritual growth […]

Continue reading →

5 Ways the Church Will Change

Is the American church fading away? Will the losses in membership and attendance lead to a marginalized church presence such as that in present-day Europe? What will the American church look like in ten years? Church leaders, denominational executives, and religion researchers gathered in Colorado recently to examine the church’s health and prognosis. The Future […]

Continue reading →