Author: Patrick Bradley
How to Handle the Cynics and Pessimists in Your Life
by Carey Nieuwhof: Leadership takes courage, and my guess is that some days it feels the cynics and pessimists have sucked almost all the courage and hope out of you. I get that. We’ve all had our share of cynics and pessimists try to dissuade us from action. We live in […]
The Church’s Launch Day
by Peyton Jones: In Acts 1:8 Jesus promised his followers that they would become his witnesses, but how does this happen? Looking closely at Acts chapter two again, it should not surprise us that the gifts of everyday believers were at the heart of what the Spirit was doing in Jerusalem. […]
Use this Free App to Scan Business Cards with Your Smartphone
by Patrick Bradley: Save a ton of time and data entry when you scan business cards with your smartphone. Your new friend’s contact info goes straight from their card into your address book. As pastors and church planters, you should be out in your community meeting with civic leaders and […]
From Volunteer to Church Planter
By New Churches Team: It Starts With a Vision. Do you feel like God has recently given you a vision for something that seems big and unattainable? Maybe it’s scary to think about all the work it would take to launch that idea. You just aren’t sure where to start, and so […]
8 Phases of Moving Guests from Anonymity to Community at Your Church
by Rich Birch: What is the process by which guests transition from unfamiliarity with your church to becoming raving fans? How do they move through those phases, and how are we helping them at every step along the way? Understanding how guests transition along the spectrum from stranger to advocate […]
Why Church Leadership Is Such a Crazy Emotional Roller Coaster
by Carey Nieuwhof: Life is emotional. But if you’re in ministry, it feels like it’s even a little more emotional. As in, crazy-emotional-roller-coaster emotional. That’s true even if you think of yourself as more rational than emotional. Sometimes you get surprised by how intense ministry is. I started out in my […]
What Real Rest Looks Like for a Pastor
by Brandon A. Cox: Resting isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. Our traditional definition of rest is simple enough: Do less. A more fleshed-out, biblical understanding of rest, however, is a bit deeper than merely doing less. It’s really doing less to allow time and space to become more. And […]
5 Follow-Ups for First Time Guests
by Tyler Smith: Creating an inviting and warm experience for first-time guests before, during, and after worship services and events is important. A primary goal for church staff and volunteers should be to help guests feel loved and welcomed throughout the week as well. So how does your church make certain […]
Do You Have the Passion Level of a Successful Leader? How to Tell
by Carey Nieuwhof: If there’s one characteristic I see in successful leaders in growing churches and organizations, it’s passion. The more church leaders I connect with, the more I see this trend: leaders of growing churches (and growing organizations) have a white hot passion for their mission. You can hear […]
Shifting From Gospel Presentation to Gospel Presence
by Jason C. Dukes: How do you think of “the Gospel”? How would you summarize it if you had to? Do you think of it as “Good News”? Is it the most important message to you? While Jesus certainly intended us to present a “Good News” message to a world full […]