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Are you going to be satisfied with a future for ministry that is more of the same?Very few pastors break from norm of mediocre church ministry. But I am convinced it doesn't have to be that way. Last fall I [...]

As I've watched conversations over the past decade, I have observed a growing interest from church leaders in getting mission and vision right.  The latest Barna Group report that studied how pastors plan to improve their churches in the coming year [...]

In the introduction to Church Unique, I shared my passion that  instead of  leading a great model, "I would rather work behind the scenes as a model maker. My greatest joy is seeing a leader for the first time articulate [...]

Okay, I couldn't resist calling these "secrets." Why? Well, they are such as missing practice in ministry today, they functionally behave like secrets. You be the judge:Secret #1: Ask God for supernatural insight into your "ministry best."He already knows what [...]

For years, I have been thinking about, and writing about, how to discover and apply a unique vision in your personal life. But, I have primarily shared these ideas with friends and pastors who I have close relationships with.  They [...]

I look forward to #Exponential every year. Why? Because it brings together over 5000 church leaders - thought leaders, planters and those in the trenches who gather to share and encourage. SIFTED is the theme of this year’s conference.What does [...]

You've heard of annual reports, but have you thought of creating one for your church? The point of course is not to imitate a common corporate practice, but to leverage every opportunity to cast vision. As we scan a few [...]

In Church 3.0, Neil Cole discusses several catalysts for creating movement. One of them is called the "Surprising Proposition."First of all why would anyone want to go through life without a Surprising Proposition to share? If we belong to the [...]

It's a delight to watch teams get clear on the future. But it's a fright to see that hard work of visioning go south when it comes to execution. If the work of visioning can be compared to taking a [...]

Step One: Ask "Who?"Consider who created the pattern, the model, "the how" of your particular ministry area or ministry responsibility. Did it come from a book, another church (conference), the previous pastor? Someone was the designer. Who was it?Step Two: [...]

Drip, drip, drip. It's constant and you can't not think about it. I know, I know, it's a double negative. But haven't you experienced that when you hear a drip somewhere in your house? You become obsessed with finding the [...]

I've been in a series called Taking Vision Public: Six Steps to Vision-Soaked Communication. We've been looking at the steps involved in sharing your unique vision in compelling ways, inviting people to join in and be a part of what [...]