“The Smiths are great. They will be the perfect couple to lead our premarital counseling ministry.” Dennis was the senior pastor of a midsized church in the St. Louis area. Recently, the couple who had run their premarital counseling program moved to another state. This was significant because the church had three couples that needed […]
It’s Easter morning and the sanctuary is full. You see faces that haven’t shown up since Christmas, and plenty of new ones scattered in. You’ve worked hard to make this day a memorable and impactful one for your congregation. But, all the while in the back of your mind, you know so many will walk […]
As Christians, the Bible is our blueprint for how to live our lives. It gives us valuable information on how to follow Jesus, what it means to be a Christian, and how to go about everyday life. One message that is repeated again and again throughout the Bible is to be kind to others. But […]
Let me start by announcing some exciting news. SecureGive has added a brand new product to our already robust fleet of digital giving platforms. SecureGive Church Apps are here and ready to make a major impact in your church! Working in and for churches for over 6 years, I’ve been in the church software space […]
Our world is hurting more than ever. We can see it everywhere- on front pages, during the nightly news, across social media, and through casual conversations. The impact from the pandemic, tension in the Middle East, and everyday burdens are wearing on us all. So how do you provide a beacon of light in the […]
As a church leader, how are you connecting with the people in your church? While church emails and sermons dedicated to generosity are important, building personal relationships is key. To truly cultivate a culture of generosity in your church, you should be connecting with people on a deeper level that allows for personalized discipleship. The […]
It was a beautiful July morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and we had a full auditorium of worshippers. We were about mid-way through our pastor’s message when an usher noticed someone entering the auditorium carrying a backpack. She tried to engage him in conversation to see if she could find […]
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” –2 Corinthians 9:11 As a child, I had friends who received an allowance that their parents encouraged them to tithe from. I always thought that teaching your children to tithe from their allowance was a really good method. During […]
“As I was praying for you…” That was the first sentence in a letter I received this week, sweetly tucked in with a beautiful gift of flowers and watercolor print. The rest of it chronicled her prayers over my life and what she could see God doing in this season I’m in. It was from […]
“No one neglected, everyone connected.” This is the vision of our Guest Services ministry. We believe we’ll get there through creating welcoming spaces, making intentional connections, and impacting our guests with the “WOW!” factor during their time with us. May of 2016 exploded with the launch of a brand-new Guest Services Program at our church, […]
Summer is one of my favorite seasons because my long awaited date with the beach will soon become a reality. I love the sounds of the crashing waves, the joyful and contagious laughter of children, seeing families gathered along the beaches, and the mesmerizing sunsets. But off in the distance in the calmness of the […]
Last Sunday I shared with our church my family’s guiding values. You can find them in the message notes here, along with a downloadable template to help guide you through the process of clarifying your own family values. Keeping these values as a priority can be very difficult in our chaotic culture and I often get asked how I/we as […]