“The church has an image problem,” somebody said in the board room at the national offices. “We need an ad campaign to change the public’s perception.” So, they committed millions of dollars for beautifully executed ads on national television and in print. Local congregations often get the polish-our-image bug too. They join back-to-church marketing campaigns [...]

No wonder most people walk away from church with little to show for it. Recent Barna research revealed that most people (61 percent) cannot recall gaining any spiritual insights the last time they attended church. Part of the problem stems from uninspiring content—answering questions no one is asking. (I recently sat through a sermon about [...]

You can move—or distract—your audience with video. The motion picture can help you drive home a point, or drive aimlessly into oblivion. I’ve seen churches make good use of video, and not so good use. I’ve watched the searing story of a faith-filled church member who was dying from a terminal illness. And I’ve sat [...]

What is your true role in the often mysterious journey that leads to someone entering into a relationship with Jesus? Is God counting on you to “win souls,” to “close the deal”? Or, is your job to carefully plant seeds? Or, should you just “let your light shine’? One thing is clear. Faith is a [...]

As about half of the typical American church service involves music, I have a few modest wishes. But first, a couple of caveats. I’m not a professional musician. But neither is the majority of pew sitters. I’m in good company. And, I propose that worship music has a primary purpose: to collectively communicate with God [...]

Christian colleges and universities are hurting. A recent piece on CNNMoney reports these institutions are slashing tuition in an attempt to stay afloat. The article cited declining church membership, especially among the young, as a nagging cause for the problems plaguing Christian schools. But I wonder if the picture is a bit more complex. I [...]

How do you thaw the “frozen chosen”? How do you engage the disinterested members of your flock? In my last post I described these people as PIBOs—Present in Body Only. Though they may show up, their hearts and minds are elsewhere. I suggested we need to discover how to better reach them. Some readers wondered [...]

They quietly walk into church, say little, look a bit detached, and leave quickly when the service concludes. These church attendees are Present In Body Only (PIBO). They may be counted as members of a church’s flock, but their hearts, minds and souls are not engaged by what’s happening at church. They are among the [...]

Peculiar people. The apostle Peter used that term to address his people. After a couple thousand years, I guess we’re still peculiar. But I’m just not convinced that everything we do to differentiate ourselves from the rest of society really helps the cause. Some of our peculiarity comes from the jargon we love to use [...]

Something is stifling the church. It’s keeping the church from fulfilling its full potential. It is characterized by these nasty words: “That will never work.” Those who utter these words have unknowingly been crippling the church—and many other endeavors. A few examples:  “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, 1895. [...]