“The traditional church makes it quite difficult for people to negotiate its maze of cultural, theological, and social barriers in order to get “in.”.. and by the time newcomers have scaled the fences built around the church, they are so socialized as churchgoers that they are not likely to be able to maintain their connection with the social groupings they came from. So we lose contact with non-believers and we lose…
Continue ReadingOver the past 25 years I’ve had the privilege of diving deep into church planting on an experiential level leading teams; as an advocate offering practical resources/training; as a mentor-coach for hundreds of church startups, both here and abroad; and, as a networker who dialogues regularly with a good number of leaders of church planting networks. What I’ve noticed along the way is that most teams tend to run into a cluster…
Continue ReadingCoaching, as defined by ICF, involves partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. In other words, it has little to do with a coach intentionally imparting skills, perspectives, insights, etc. – that’s consulting and/or mentoring. It’s much more about drawing out the potential residing in the client. By employing a range of relational and practical skills, a good coach can…
Continue ReadingThese past few years I’ve been privileged to work with a new and upcoming church starting network called Cyclical, which was founded by a friend (and serial planter), Nick Warnes. Nick and his creative content team assessed the kind of starters (church planters) Cyclical is encountering across North America and Canada, and devised a helpful list of nine leadership typologies. This is well worth interacting over, and you can download the short…
Continue ReadingI spoke recently at a conference using Pauls letter to Titus. Using the language of the apostle Paul in Titus 2:10, the message was about “adorning the gospel.” In that letter we see Paul urging the church in Crete to learn to care, speak and act in ways that don’t give occasion for people to “malign the gospel” (Titus 2:5). Of course, the point I was trying to make is that we…
Continue ReadingWhen’s the last time you caught yourself railing on some church for its faults? “I’d never consider taking my friends into that environment.” Or, “Wow, they’re the most cutting edge 90’s-style church in the city.” Or maybe it was a broader condemnation: “Most churches talk a lot about Jesus without acting much like Jesus.” These kinds of words may slide off your lips too easily if you’re a church planter. And when…
Continue ReadingThis past year I’ve frequented a church that pours incredible energy into all kinds of justice and compassion ministries throughout our city, and even nationally. They strive to give fair representation up-front to diverse voices often not heard in the body of Christ. They send missionaries to serve both locally and in distant lands. Through preaching, teaching and diverse short-term focus-groups, they constantly challenge us to engage the powers oppressing our “neighbors.”…
Continue ReadingIf you’re truly immersing in your local setting, you’re regularly encountering people who’ve decided they’re finished with church (the DONES) or who claim no religious affiliation at all (the NONES). The research tells us these populations are on the rise, perhaps eclipsing the 100 million mark in the US alone. These fellow humans experience shalom whether they know its Source or not. Much like you and me, they yearn to experience love,…
Continue Reading