Understanding and identifying trends, however, is NOT the most important thing for pastors to be doing right now as we launch into 2021. Here’s why trying to track church trends should not be your highest priority.
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The goal of the COVID Era Goal Ideas tool is to provide a framework for your team to wrestle through together. You cannot focus everywhere … that’s actually the opposite of what it means to focus. Instead of starting by evaluating specific goals, begin your discussion by discussing which BeachHeads and Domains your team should focus on based on your mission and your values.
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Given our shared experience with the COVID upheaval, almost everyone is simultaneously asking future questions with extra vigor. The questions are more difficult because the dynamics present a mental strain on top the emotional exhaustion and decision-making fatigue. Nevertheless, these may be the most important days of our lives to imaginatively look ahead and fervently steward hope.
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The Future Church book is intended to shed light on the current problem churches in North America are facing while at the same time, offering a solution that will lead to multiplying true disciples of Jesus.
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My prayer is that the Visual Summary will further your efforts to pivot your teams and your church to a new paradigm of disciple-making. That’s what Future Church is all about—and I want to give you every tool I can think of to equip you to make that happen.
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I want you to get a look at the forward by Ed Stetzer, the table of contents, the introduction, and the first chapter of the Future Church book so you can get a taste of what it includes.
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In the Future Church book, I share seven universal principles of real church growth. These principles were sparked when I woke up at 2am in early 2016. Underlying all of these laws is the belief that what most “church growth” tools aim at is NOT real church growth.
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Future Church provides a framework from which you can pivot your church away from an over-reliance on programs (especially those programs based on in-person attendance) toward a better future.
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When I finished writing God Dreams in 2016, I didn’t think I would ever write another book for the organized church. Then something amazing happened. This video tells the story.
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The movement that Jesus started is still breaking forth in the minds of church leaders, in the life of disciples and in the organizational make-up of churches across the country. That’s why I couldn’t be more excited about the release of Future Church and the next big master tool—Funnel Fusion.
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In taking some time to process these consistent themes that connect the concepts of the Future Church book to the specific and significant challenges pastors are facing head-on right now, I want to share what I’ve come to see as the 5 Ways for Pastors to Win the Cultural Moment in 2021.
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If you want to be more effective in pursuing your mission—more effective in reaching people with the gospel message of Jesus—you must have an intentional first impressions ministry. An investment into first impressions is an investment into every other ministry in your church—it’s one of the few areas where you can increase your effectiveness across the board as a church. It’s a non-negotiable.
[...]I want you and your ministry to experience the benefits of stunning, God-given clarity. As a pastor turned vision coach, I’ve worked with an unprecedented variety of churches from growing mega-churches and missional communities, to mainline revitalization and church plants. I started several interconnected organizations that help the church embody the movement that Jesus founded. My visionary planning tools, the Vision Frame and the Horizon Storyline are used by thousands of churches every year through my calling to raise up other consultants and trainers. In 2004, I founded Auxano, which I sold to LifeWay and continued to lead until 2020. In 2014, I created Younique to deliver gospel-centered life design through the church. It is now the world's only comprehensive, open-source life plan system.
In 2023, I founded Run Free as my official team-based consulting shop. We deliver the most innovative Vision Framing experiences available to church teams through the "Pivvot Process" and to network/denominational leaders through the "Denominee Process." We also offer team coaching to church leaders using the "Performance Practices" of meta-performance executive coaching.
I've written seven books: Future Church, Church Unique, Younique, Clarity Spiral, God Dreams, Innovating Discipleship, and Building Leaders. I enjoy speaking about clarity, calling, disciple-making, and vision. It's all about helping one another do more than we can imagine. I co-locate in Houston and Chile with my wife, Romy, and the last of my four children, Poema.
If you are interested in Run Free's consulting offerings or want to discuss getting a LifePlan, just reach out to set up a conversation.
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