Sometimes we can’t wait our turn in line– we have to bust through the roof. We may have to bust through the structural barriers that keep our communities wounded, bring practical change to regulations, resource availability or established patterns of commerce or lifestyle.

A ministry platform is a program, service or endeavor that we put in place to give us entre’ to new relationships within the surrounding culture. An attractional approach to ministry will build programmatic platforms within our ministry– so that people will be attracted to us. The logic is, perhaps some men will like [...]

Have you ever awoken from a good sleep and just knew that the season had changed? Evidently birds and other animals have this sense– a realization that goes beyond what is directly observed. (If you are an english nut, and have a better phrase than “have you awoken”, please comment–I looked it up).
If we [...]

Complete Video Preparation for Leaders Planning a Needs Assessment
Compassion by Design has offered training helping church planters, pastors and outreach leaders to understand their community and its needs all around the nation, and the big challenge about making it available has been the problem of “time and space”—that is, only having one trainer available to [...]

Interesting study in Germany found that increased intake of fruits and vegetables have a direct impact on health and keeping your wits.  This study clearly shows the link beyond any connection to other factors.  To quote the study,
Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, therefore, should be encouraged to lower [...]

Sometimes things just gang up on you–and you just have to do something about it. I have had a pile of reasons to think more seriously about getting healthy. For a guy like me, being physically healthy has always come second to other concerns like work, ministry– and the enjoyment of a good [...]

Walking alongside people who are making a difference is one of my great joys. I have found that developing a coaching relationship at key moments in the life of a church that is becoming missional can accelerate progress and increase impact. In coaching I use a small group approach that allows learning to [...]

We sang this morning, “I don’t have to see it too believe it”– a kind of postmodern acknowledgement that faith doesn’t have to be dissected and analyzed using the scientific method to be real. It’s a repetition of the words of Jesus’ “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29 in the [...]

We are in a season of change.  Churches are seeking to get more engaged in their communities.  Christian non-profits, especially those who serve people of high need are struggling to make ends meet.  It seems that the pace of change is increasing with each passing day.  The real question that I believe we have to [...]

I have had this conversation with many pastors over the last couple of years.  It goes like this:

“we started our church in outreach to the community using a kind of shotgun approach to service.  We took on lots of different projects to get our name out there and to build a better attitude about the [...]