We were working with a board of elders for a fast growing church. Like many growing churches, they were still operating like a small church even though they had become a large church. It is not an uncommon problem. The dynamics had changed dramatically because of the growth which identified Read more…
If you read the title, you might have associated it with Golgotha, the place where Jesus died. Instead, I’m referring to myself and the hills I will “die on”. Jesus died on the hill, and he died for us. But now I am dying on my own hill for what Read more…
Our Process for Consultations The consulting process can be a gift to any congregation. Our consulting process is tailored to the context and around the specific type of consultation (vision, conflict, etc.). While the process is contextualized, we do have a universal process we use for every consolation. It consists Read more…
Why Use a Consultant? Hiring a consultant can be intimidating. In the church, we often do not want to admit that we are in need of help. We struggle to trust outside voices. We struggle with any kind of criticism of the church we love. We do not want someone Read more…
Every church is healthy to some degree and unhealthy to another. Health is a spectrum with no perfectly healthy or perfectly unhealthy church. Every church can in fact get healthier, but there are signs your church might be generally unhealthy. Here are three possible signs your church might be generally Read more…
While dialoguing with ministry leaders on my porch in the fall sun last week, one of the gals asked, “Is there a distinction between being shown value and appreciation?” We had been reflecting together on the concept of October being pastor appreciation month. Verbally processing and pondering this question, we discovered an Read more…
Revitalization is without question a biblical concept. It appears in reference to individuals and to communities. The call is to be transformed by the renewal of our mind, to see ourselves as made new in Christ. Revitalization means to be made new. Almost any church could use some revitalization, but Read more…
As you know, we at Preparing for Amazement focus on the health of people and congregations. To aid you in thinking through such health, I want to take a moment and consider what it means for congregations to ask the following question focused on spiritual health: How often do we check our Read more…
While every church can benefit from some revitalization, there are specific instances where churches may have a higher need for revitalization. The three biggest reasons a church might need revitalization are lack of clarity/purpose, high levels conflict/crisis, or if they are plateaued/declining. Lack of Clarity or Purpose Lack of clarity Read more…
Refined by Fire I had to build a fire today. I repaired some fire bricks with mortar in an outdoor fire area. The mortar package stated that the mortar had to be cured with the gradual heating of a fire. I had to start with kindling and newspaper, and the Read more…
