Articles + Podcast
5 Warning Signs of Narcissistic Leadership
I came across a quiz the other day that tested if you could identify if a quote was from Kanye West or Jean Ralphio Saperstein from Parks and Recreation. I only got six correct. How well can you identify narcissistic individuals? And what does that have to do...
4 Ways to Use Vision to Recruit Church Volunteers
Vision seems to be a popular word these days...and for good reason. Vision excites people and motivates them to get involved. Ever wonder how you can use vision to recruit church volunteers? Take a moment and consider these 4 ways to use vision to recruit church...
10 Ways Privilege Hurts The Church
Privilege hurts the church. It robs us of what God intended for us. It stands in stark contrast to the life of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5-11 we read a powerful example of how Jesus set aside his privilege(s) for you and I. ...who though he existed in the form of...
7 Steps to Becoming a Multi-Ethnic Church
The great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Despite his valiant efforts, little has changed over these many years. Becoming a multi-ethnic...
5 Steps Towards Normalizing the Multi-Ethnic Church
We live in a large metropolitan area where there are churches of every kind within walking distance from most of our homes. Many of those are what we call "multi-ethnic". One that I will particularly focus on is near the heart of Dallas proper. Their stated mission,...
7 Items Pastors Should Include On Their Church Revitalization Checklist
Any church revitalization should start with a church revitalization checklist. Preparation is key. To alleviate our fear of flying, the various airlines assure us that traveling in one of their aircraft is safer than driving to the airport in your car. As a ministry...
The Need for Church Planting and Revitalization
The strategic emphasis in most denominational or network circles is on church planting. I suspect that few would disagree with this, as it builds up new church bodies, expands the impact in communities, and reaches larger amounts of individuals. After all some...
Baptizing Your Church Through Revitalization
Statisticians generally agree that church attendance in America is on the decline. This issue remains challenging to understand, yet also carries just as many opinions on correcting it, as there are writers willing to confirm it. While views on church growth vary,...
Are You Ready for Church Revitalization?
Revitalization: To give new life to; to give vitality or vigor. Reading this definition makes me tired! But...it also causes me to reflect on the churches we have served recently; churches that cry for someone to step in and give a hand in order to regain some margin;...
Making an Impact Through Ministries to Women
The availability and variety of ministries to women that exist today are exponentially more than what I found when I was a new believer and getting more involved in church. Our church hosted women’s Bible studies, women's luncheons, and the majority of us worked...
20 Things You Should Know About Your Pastor
Pastors work hard to serve God's people. Many things they do or feel may go unnoticed. Or you may not even realize pastors have these thoughts. Here are 20 things you should know about your pastor. These are true about most pastors I know. I've followed each statement...
12 Challenges to Building a Leadership Pipeline in Your Church
It is easy to talk about leadership development, but developing disciple-making leaders is a far greater challenge. It requires us to address the challenges to building a leadership pipeline in your church. Any time you try to intentionally develop leaders, you will...
What is a Leadership Pipeline?
When we use the term leadership pipeline, we need to define exactly what we mean if we value clarity. Otherwise, we may assume that we know and agree on what we're talking about when we don't. What is a leadership pipeline? A leadership pipeline is another term for...
Nine Obstacles to Effective Communication in the Church
If you've spent any time on social media, watching TV, reading newspapers, or even listening to family and friends try to tell you something "factual," you've likely noticed that there are communication problems out in the world. Unfortunately, those same problems...
Youth are the Future of the Church
Everywhere I go, I ask people when they came to faith and nearly everybody says before the age of 20. Why, then, do churches tend to focus on adult (or senior adult!) ministries and let ministry to kids fall to the wayside?
3 Critical Tips for Aligning Church Staff
Aligning church staff is a critical factor to having a successful ministry. When you successfully align your staff, the impact you make on the kingdom will increase substantially. The next time you prepare to hire a new staff member consider these tips for aligning...
10 Warning Signs of a Church Plateau
The warning light in my car came on. I couldn't believe it. You've felt that emotion too. That moment when you look down and see the warning light on. Really!? "Why did this have to happen to me today?" I asked myself. As I pulled out of the driveway with kids in...
Turnaround Pastors and the Key to Transforming Your Church
Today Baker Books is releasing Re:Vision: The Key to Transforming Your Church - a book written by me (Aubrey Malphurs) and Gordon Penfold. I would like to use this opportunity to share about the book so the Christian public in general and lead pastors and staff more...
A Vision for Church Revitalization
In past blogs, I’ve surfaced the problems Christ’s churches are facing in North America. We wanted you to get a feel for the problem. Now it’s time to move on and look at some solutions to our problems and how to re-envision our churches. We believe that we have a...
The State of the American Church: Plateaued or Declining
The State of the American Church concerns me. 80-85% of churches are plateaued or declining. In the mid-1960’s church leaders began to notice a disturbing trend in the state of the American Church. Something previously unnoticed in America: many major denominations...
Sticky Issues Pastors’ Wives Face in Ministry
There are some very sensitive issues pastors’ wives face, and they certainly affect many of us who have been faced with the exact situation in ministry. I’d like to offer some suggestions of how to face these issues when they come across your path.
Lessons Learned From Being a Pastor’s Wife
Being a mother, housekeeper, peacemaker, friend, fixer of all things, nurse on call, wisdom giver, teacher, volunteer, servant, and pastor's wife can be so overwhelming that it is exhausting. Sounds like something unreal, right? It's superhuman! So how do you...
Radical Hospitality – Paul’s Discipleship Strategy (Part III)
In my last post, we saw how Paul employed 26 different intense, emotional, and personal elements to be able to disciple and minister with and to the Thessalonian believers. As I continued through the book of 1 Thessalonians I saw that his discipleship and...
26 Aspects of Discipleship – Paul’s Discipleship Strategy (Part II)
As I described in my last post Paul's discipleship strategy was intense, personal and emotional. Please be sure to read the passage that was described in 1Thessalonians 2:1-19 before continuing. As I reflect on this passage, I notice 26 characteristics of growing...