If you're a leader, you are probably acquainted with times of slow or no growth. Times whenthings have plateaued; times of discouragement; times even of decline. Does it have to be this way? Is your work small and struggling? Does it feel like the church plant or small business is taking forever to gain traction? Here are some principles I have found effective whe...
Keep ReadingVisitors. First-time attenders. Guests. Here at LowCountry Community Church we've seen over 450 of them since the beginning of the year.Churches know they are there. Most pastors are on the lookout for them. Yet church after church places barriers in front of newcomers that hinder them from connecting into the life, heartbeat, and ministry of the church. Here are just four...
Keep ReadingEarly in his career, Thomas Edison invented a vote-recording machine for use in legislative chambers. By moving a switch to the right or left, an official could vote for or against a proposal without leaving his desk. The machine would replace the tedious business of marking ballots, counting them, etc. Elated with the prospects, Edison obtained a patenthis firstand heade...
Keep ReadingI recall watching a group of protesters on TV bundled up against the cold weather in one of our major cities who were chanting loudly (and rather obnoxiously), seeking to make their point, change public opinion, influence policy and get something from the government.What that was really doesn't matter.Their chant must have taken hundreds of hours to come up with: WHAT DO...
Keep ReadingFailure. It can be troubling; it can be hazardous; and in worse case scenarios, it can be fatal. A maritime incident of almost a decade ago reminds us of failure's repercussions. TheCosta Concordiawas an Italian cruise ship that partiallysankwhen it ran aground nearTuscany, on January 13, 2012, with the loss of 32 souls. The ship, carrying 4,252 people from all over the ...
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