Tear Down and Build!
This past November, I had the privilege of participating in the Fifth Annual Interchurch Center Conference in New York City. It was a business engagement that quickly turned into an unexpected, but huge ministry wake-up call for me. The Interchurch Center Conference is an annual gathering of pastors and leaders of faith-based organizations for the […]
God’s Promise Fulfilled
Years ago, my mother gave me a gift-wrapped box and told me to open it. It wasn’t Christmas, and it wasn’t my birthday, so this was an unusual surprise. When I opened the box, I was even more surprised as the gift that she gave was very out of character for my mom. She had […]
You’re Not All In!
I can’t begin to tell you how much those words stung. I went to the front of the church auditorium in Costa Mesa, CA for prayer. The speaker said, “If you are struggling in ministry and you want us to pray for you, please come to the front.” So I did. The pastor asked, “How […]
Get A…Career
Last week I had the privilege of spending some time with my mentor and friend Ralph Moore. Among other things, Ralph is known for his church planting multiplication efforts by starting more than 2,300 churches. Geesh…how do you even think about doing that! During his visit, I asked Ralph to speak to our pastors and […]
Ranting Pastor
Today I sent out an email to a group of pastors and friends who are part of a network that I host. It was a random email, but after I read it, I thought it might be worth posting in my blog. Feel free to share it with others. Dear Pastors & Friends, In my […]
Sacred vs. Secular – Action
Last week I attended the Global Leadership Summit with some co-workers. This is probably the seventh or eighth time I have attended the Summit, and every time, I come back with something that really cracks the leadership code for me. This year it was a speech by Aja Brown, Mayor of Compton, CA. Actually it […]
Kingdom Builder
Today I will be joining thousands of others to celebrate the life of an amazing man. Most of you reading this blog have never heard of him. He was not about fame or recognition. From the first day I met him until his passing on his eighty-fifth birthday, he was about one thing…the kingdom of […]
Sacred vs. Secular – Calling
I grew up in the wonderful and confusing world of church and ministry. My father and grandfather were both pastors with ministry that spanned more than a century. The wonderful part of this world was the exposure and introduction that I had to Jesus Christ and the love that I experienced from Him. That love […]
Jean Vanier
Jean Vanier is one of my heroes and has become one of the most influential people in my life. Here’s the crazy part. Eight months ago, I didn’t even know who he was. He was just starting to reach me with his radical message of love and discipleship. I had already determined that I was […]
Multiple Income Streams (Part 2)
As a business owner, I have learned that there are circles of life in business that, try as you may, cannot be thwarted. Just as we discover that we are not going to live on earth forever, business leaders discover that their business model cannot live forever. The same is true of our local church. […]
Multiple Income Streams
Today in America, most middle-class families have more than one income stream in order to make ends meet. This could include one person working two jobs, or both parents working. It could include someone having a job and then having a second income stream from a small business on the side. It would seem that […]
The Embedded Church – The Building Part II
In his book, 10 Tsunamis Impacting Ministries: How Do We Survive What’s Coming?, Daniel Cook asks a couple provocative questions. “What would happen to our ministries if we cut out the mortgages, reduce the overhead expenses of our buildings by two-thirds or more, and use our buildings seven days a week? What would happen if we […]
The Embedded Church – The Building
Tim Keller once tweeted, “If you & your church were to disappear off the face of the earth tomorrow, would anyone in the community around you notice you were gone?” I am sure every pastor would want to say, “Of course people would notice.” And there is some truth in that for every church. Of […]
Co-vocation…It’s Happening
Earlier this week I had the privilege of leading one of my favorite groups of people. These are the men and women who make up our local center of Liberty Church Network. Each month I meet with this group, many of whom are pastors and church leaders. We are a highly relational network focused on […]
Seven Mountains
Recently, author and speaker Lance Wallnau said something that really challenged me. I quote, “Wall Street does not control the US economy. Small business controls the economy. There are thirty million small businesses in America employing one hundred and fifty million people.” That is more than half of the adult population in our country. He […]
The Church…Money, Buildings, Leadership…Where Are We Going?
Because of my involvement in business and church leadership, I have a unique vantage point from which to observe the operations of church ministry and trends. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a futurist, nor am I related to George Barna. These are simply my observations and expectations concerning the local church. And because […]
