fresh & practical ideas for your journey to the summit
The New Atheists and how to serve them well
The trouble with churches when it comes to atheists is when you only have a hammer (sound arguments for having faith), everyone starts looking like a nail. Arguments to people without faith now are about the most non-sensical and least effective thing you can do in many cases. Learn 5 different approaches to respond to 5 different kinds of people who don’t believe.
8 ways to maintain attendance during your multi-week assimilation program
There is nothing that can deflate a Sherpa leader (one who leads guest on the climb to connect with your church) quite like these 2 things:
An empty room.
A full room missing guests who attended last week.
That’s why when I am talking to leaders who want to see their guests go the distance and get connected to their church, I always share these 8 attrition busting practices I have learned over the years.
5 practical things I learned on a hike help me connect people better at church
Recently, my daughter Carly and I climbed Castle Rock above Big Bear Lake California. As we hiked, bouldered and climbed, 5 discoveries came to me for those who connect people in local churches. Click here to look at our photo journal to see what I learned.
How a Type 9 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
If you have three children like I do, you have had the concern for the emotional landscape of your child in the middle. My so-called “middle child” is Kendra. She is now 24 and she has taught me all about connecting Nines at your church.
How a Type 8 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Charles likes to challenge us. Questions like “Why are we…”, “Why did we…”, and “How will we…” are often asked by him in a polite but direct and courageous way. Why does Charles relentlessly ask the hard questions and make the tough statements? Because Charles is an Eight and you have to know how to connect Eights well to your church.
How a Type 7 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
When she was done, she was surrounded by a group of guests connecting with her and our compassion opportunities in animated conversation. That’s because Ariel is a Seven. Discover a Seven’s superpower and how to connect them to your church.
How a Type 6 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
There are some fun Do’s and some definite Don’ts when connecting Sixes to your church. Learn them here along with two outstanding superpowers they have as volunteers.
How a Type 5 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
I actually thought all this was possible because she is MY daughter. I know now it was largely because Carly is a Five on the Enneagram.
How a Type 4 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Did you know that Van Gogh was…
A pastor’s son
He went to Bible College to become a pastor
He served as a missionary
He was also a Four and Fours are visiting your church right now. Here’s how to reach and connect them.
How a Type 3 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Several business owners were coming into my church and connecting at a descent level with me personally but not relationally with others in the church. I began asking myself why and came up with these 2 observations…
How a Type 2 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Want to know how to connect people like Nathan (a Type Two at my church)? Let’s look at what it takes, how he sees church, the dos and don’ts for reaching someone like Nathan, and of course, his Superpower as a volunteer
How a Type 1 on the Enneagram experiences your church and how to connect them
Want to know how to connect people like Matt (a Type One at my church)? Let’s look at what it takes, how he experiences church, the dos and don’ts for reaching someone like Matt, and of course, his Superpower as a volunteer.
How the Enneagram can help you reach a bigger variety of guests at your church
The guests that God will lead to your church and mine this weekend are not all the same and one style of connecting does not fit all of them. Understanding people’s Enneagram number will make you more effective at helping people find their small group of friends at your church and their unique role in serving others on a ministry team.
Discerning where you're really at in your spiritual journey and helping others do the same.
Have you ever wondered where you are in your spiritual journey, or why you went through a difficult time and wondered when it would end? I think that guests who have found their way to our churches are wrestling with those same questions as well. In this conversation with Sharon Hughes, I share an answer to these questions that has served me and the guests we connect with well.
Need to get someone's attention in leadership about what needs to change at your church?
Do you ever feel that you are not being heard by your senior leadership as you shout from the trenches? Here are 4 ways to lead up and get the ear of senior leaders, followed by 3 free resources that you may find valuable for such a time as this.
A caution and a call for your soul this Easter
Last May, many of you know I experienced the trip of a lifetime-taking my wife to one of my favorite places on the planet: Italy. The trip ended in Venice, a location I had not been to yet. What I experienced there has left a mark on me. Literally, a Saint Mark on me. Brace yourself for some cool history. Here we go…
Easter is coming! Here are 8 ways to be ready this year.
No, this is not me and “Cousin It”. This is my wife Michelle and I. I call this accidental California Spring Super Bloom photo “#marriage”. Let me explain…
Considering adding a campus thru a church merge? Here is your 10 point checklist & more.
Recently, I was doing a podcast on multisite that I have the privilege of doing monthly with Rich Birch from unSeminary along with my friends Natalie Frisk and Ben Stapley. We were talking about 2 things that many of you ask me about regularly so I thought I would feature a little extra resource for you here!
5 lessons for connectors from the movie Free Solo
What Alex Honnold did on El Capitan is too astounding to take in. Alex climbed El Capitan in less than 4 hours….without a rope or any other safety equipment. His documentary Free Solo is up for an Oscar this year and is in IMAX theaters right now. As I watched the movie, the lessons for those of us leading people on the climb to connect with God and our churches became obvious to me.
Help...Our church campuses aren't growing!!
Ideas, tips and encouragement on this reality of multisite ministry is what this latest episode of our All About Multisite podcast is about. This one focuses on lack of growth and what can actually reverse it.
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?