A few years ago, I went to help a church in a small town in central Missouri. My GPS landed me in a bank parking lot, so I went to a nearby McDonald’s and asked those helping me if they knew where this church was. They did not. I went across the street to a…
Last week I began to address the definition and purpose of values and why describing the values that shape your church is so important. Values are the shared convictions a church holds to; they are the common heartbeat of a congregation that inform and drive the motivation for its missional and ministry activities. When describing…
You have more than likely heard the phrase, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast?” The idea is that best designed plans only go as far as the prevailing values and systems of an organization allow them. Culture is simply describing, “the way we do things around here.” Culture is strongly shaped by what we value. 🔎…
Last week I began a series of articles that center on the directional questions church leaders need to answer. The first question is about mission – what are we to be doing as a church? The Great Commandment and Great Commission give us the answer. The mission of the church is not self-determined but discovered…
In the next number of weeks, I am going to write a series of articles that address the directional questions church leaders need to answer. In my work as a consultant for many years, I helped a number of churches address these questions: What do we do? Why do we do it? How do we…
“I just wanted to see” said the woman as she looked at the room. There were tears, prayer, and a hug. She explained she had been telling herself over and over, “There HAS to still be good in humanity! There just HAS to be!” But she was seriously starting to think she was wrong. She…
“So what did you think of the convention?” is a question I have been asked a lot lately since my return from the SBC in Anaheim, California. The truth is I came back encouraged. Reading all the rhetoric going into it caused me a level of concern that was somewhat lifted afterward. While there are…
As you are aware the SBC annual meeting is being held next Tuesday and Wednesday, June 14-15, 2022 in Anaheim, California. This will be a difficult and yet very important meeting as messengers respond to the Sexual Abuse Task Force report from Guidepost Solutions and the subsequent recommendations related to it. I plan to attend…
The events within the SBC that have occurred and been made public in the past weeks, has caused me to do some reflecting. As I shared last week, I am deeply grieved by the Guidepost Solutions SATF report. I am also burdened by the task set before us as a convention of churches of rebuilding…
As you are well aware, in fact it is nearly non-ignorable, the Sexual Abuse Task Force report from Guidepost Solution came out this past Sunday. Like so many of you, I have read through a great portion of the report as well as the many responses it has evoked. My heart grieves. I grieve for…