“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” – Albert Einstein Are you feeling stuck, but more change feels too overwhelming?  Did you realize that the human mind is actually hardwired to resist change?  The brain interprets change as a threat and releases a hormone called amygdala […]

God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessingsthan you could ever imagine so that you’ll alwaysbe taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share. Remember what is written about the One who trusts in the Lord:He scattered abroad; He gave freely to the poor;    His righteousness endures throughout the ages.The same One who […]

The word innovation has been used more frequently the last few years in the church world.  I’ve found the reactions to its usage to be quite fascinating.  Some find the word exciting – seeing a future full of opportunity, hope, and possibilities. Others cite being “over it” already.  Some of our younger leaders state it […]

Remember when you first became interested in that special someone?  The two of you would spend hours together listening to stories about one another.  You had insatiable curiosity about one another’s likes, dislikes, childhood, and hopes and dreams for the future.  Every detail about who that person was became of the utmost importance to you.  […]

What church doesn’t want to new people to start coming on Sunday, right?  But what is the underlying reason for that desire to reach new people?  Are we looking for more people to ease the burden of paying the growing overhead expenses of the church?  Are we short on people to volunteer to carry out […]

This week, we are thrilled to host a guest blog from friend and colleague, Rev. Charity Goodwin who is the Pastor at The Gathering in St. Louis. Rev. Charity Goodwin is The Gathering’s Clayton Site Pastor in St. Louis, Mo. She’s an ordained Elder in the UMC, endorsed by the Missouri Annual Conference as a […]

In the past two and a half years, most everyone’s world has been turned upside down to various degrees.  What most seek is comfort, normalcy, and familiarity.  Most often, those who are churched seek such refuge in their church, so to suggest that this is the best time to turn the church inside out sounds […]

Too often we have convinced ourselves that most people just won’t make long-term and/or on-going commitments whether that is to serve on a committee or to join a small group.  Is this actually true?  Perhaps for some, but I am convinced that we are asking for the wrong kind of commitment.  People simply don’t have […]

While we would all like to report and ultimately experience something different, we all know the alarming statistics.  Fewer people are choosing to become part of clergy leadership (especially younger people).  The same is true for laity in the church.  The most common dilemma the church is facing is the lack of competent leadership – […]

We blinked and it was summer and now the crisp fall season is in full swing.  Before this season slips away, be sure your leadership makes time for the critical work of strategic ministry planning for next year.  Have you calendared and begun to plan your church’s strategic ministry planning retreat with your leadership team […]