fresh & practical ideas for your journey to the summit
Put your focus and energy on this for the next 3 months
A new year offers seemingly endless possibilities. As a leader in a church that wants to connect people, these possibilities can either bring hopefulness or it can make you overwhelmed. Here is the one objective I would focus on this year, above all others.
8 last minute recommendations for your Christmas services to make guests return in January
If you are wondering this week, “Are we doing everything we can do to reach and connect the new people coming to church for Christmas this weekend?”, then this post is for you.
Some personal encouragement for your soul today
As Christmas and the year come to a close, many of us find ourselves with low energy and with inner resources that do not seem to match the requirements of the season. Here’s something to put a little wind in your sails.
5 simple but effective hacks for increasing attendance at your “One Program”
Your “One Program” for guests is always going to require the best kind of invitational promotion you can create to connect the most people possible to your church. Here are 5 hacks for this that we did recently that really made a HUGE difference…
A simple but effective follow up hack to make sure no guest at your church gets overlooked
Over the last year, I have discovered a new hack for making sure no one visiting our church gets forgotten. Whether they are first time guests, just made a decision for Christ, just checked in the kids for the first time or gotten baptized, I can count on this one hack to connect with them all.
Three new beliefs that are keeping my head above water these days
If you read my very personal post last month, you may be interested to know 3 new beliefs that are keeping my head above water as of late. They are truly transforming me post-COVID and have helped me move from a winter season in my life and ministry and into a full blown spring. I know that if you buy into them, they will do that for you too.
3 simple ways to better connect people after baptism
Do you ever feel like you’re dropping the ball when it comes to connecting people who are making new decisions to follow Jesus at your church? Even if you don’t, few of us would say we couldn’t do better. If you want to see these people pursuing God and building community with you, here are 3 things we are doing right now that are yielding new results.
Use this for a last minute prayer focus for your staff and volunteers before Easter Services
Here is a last minute resource for your staff, leaders and volunteer teams prior to Easter services.
A way to add new volunteers to your teams this year that you are probably overlooking.
Let’s face it. 2020 has taken a huge bite out of our volunteer apple. Now is the time for a fresh group of people to be invited into the game at your church by establishing a way of letting an overlooked group of people taste what it means to serve God and others. These are individuals who would not be allowed to serve in many churches. Find out who they are and how to recruit them now.
Building community with young families during the COVID spike
There has never been more of a need for community and less of an ability to resist the effects of isolation than now. If you are raising kids, and you’re single or married, times that by ten. Here are the 4 questions to answer for yourself and for young families if you want to experience a sense of community and connection this new year.
Turning first-time guests from Christmas into third-time guests in January
Third-time visits from people are gold in terms of developing a long term connection to your church. Wondering how to turn your first time guest from this Christmas into third time guests in January? Here’s how.
Do this to see your Christmas guests return in 2021
Christmas at your church will be different this year. Despite the difference, I believe you could see Christmas guests return in January not just in spite of COVID but because of COVID. Are you ready for that possibility? You just need to identify at least one new way to engage guests by answering these questions.
How did this small church more than triple in size in less than 3 years?
Their 10 year journey as a small church of 120 in attendance was fairly typical for U.S. churches. What happened in year 11 was not. Hear the incredible story of what happened, especially if you pastor a church under 200.
Ideas and strategies for church guests in the "New Normal".
It's a humbling experience to be speaking alongside thought leaders of this caliber. I am so excited about this conference and the help it will give to all of us who strive to serve and connect guests….and it’s coming in just a few weeks from now! Get a $20 off code from me here.
Two ways to handle political division like Jesus did
To say this is a challenging year to be a spiritual leader would be an understatement. After quarantining for months, protests breakout that have polarized the culture we serve so severely that it has politicized whether your church even reopens or remain closed. How can we stay focused on the right thing when forces are pulling us to one extreme or the other, especially when so much is at stake for guests?
7 things I just learned for creating an online program that connects guests to your church. (Facebook Live summary session 7)
I was cohosting our first ever Next Steps Online. As we let in the guests from our zoom waiting room, all the squares with real people inhabiting them populated the screen of my laptop. That’s when Lynette’s face appeared. I was about to get schooled on what becomes possible when you create an online space to connect guests at your church.
How to engage your guests using "The Power of Place"
In this post, I am going to create a short photo scrapbook from a location in Israel to demonstrate something I call The Power of Place which I believe can make or break your engagement efforts with people at church.
Two principles I learned in Jerusalem that will help you connect new people at your church
When on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee last month, I reflected on my time walking down the road Jesus took into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I thought of 2 principles from that experience that will help all of us connect people better this year at our churches. Here they are.
Need a quick free assimilation overview for you and your team to jumpstart the new year?
Do you ever approach a new opportunity and feel the need for one more run through of the basics before you start? 2020 is your church’s new opportunity and my youtube conversation with David Hopper is your run through before jumping in!
Ready to speed up your progress?
Is it time for you to take building (or rebuilding) your Assimilation System seriously with the CTA Video Course (especially before your next big weekend)?
Do you need one-on-one help with one of our results-driven coaching packages? (we’ll join you in the weeds and do the work with you)
Or are you ready for total staff-wide alignment — the fastest move you can make toward strong walls and open gates? Then Base Camp is for you.
What about a full audit of the walls and gates that you are (or maybe aren’t) presenting to your guests every Sunday with a Secret Sunday Guest Review?