Challenges Leading Change in Large Churches
Pastors often ask me for ways to re-imagine and lead change in declining congregations. They'll ask something along the lines of, "how do you get people to do, X, Y, or Z?" Be it how to build multi-ethnic communities, realize better discipleship, or increase missional...
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Thrive wins best e-book cover (non-fiction)
My book, Thrive, won the top e-book cover design for the month of September over at Thebookdesigner.com. Although it's mostly for bragging rights, winning the non-fiction category demonstrates the quality we were shooting for in production. My friend Riley and I...
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Can We Guarantee Church Plant Success? (and how to start a movement)
***Originally posted December 1st, 2014 and updated with additions. This post was the precursor to about 3 chapters in my book, "Thrive" now available. *** In this post I want to use a model many of us are familiar with to describe how to build a growing church plant....
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Re-imagining Church Leadership in post-Christendom
I had the pleasure of being invited to hold a session at the Praxis 2018 gathering in Philadelphia, put on by the growing church planting movement V3. The theme of the entire conference centered around a much needed conversation on re-imagining leadership. Little did...
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The End. How Losing the Last Millennials from Church Exposes Leadership Problems
This would be a nice song to play while reading this post. In the final chapter of my book, Thrive, I tell a story about an old Presbyterian church that invited Darrel Guder (of Missional Church fame) to speak. As I sat in the crowd listening to his lecture, the...
read moreYou’re Doing What?! Cancelling a Successful Service in Search of Deeper
In my current church plant we've come to a crossroads. A decision needs to be made. First some context. Cypher Church is unlike any church plant you've seen before, and simultaneously like every church plant you've seen before. Our gatherings are unique. Both of us...
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Stop Listening to Mega Church Pastors. Why Your Church Isn’t Mediocre
One of the most damaging aspects of consumer Christianity is big churches telling smaller churches they're mediocre because they don't have a stunning Sunday service. It's crippling to the majority of churches. Don't believe the hype. The majority of churches in North...
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Closed to Mission: Predictions for the Asian American and Canadian Church
In my book, "Thrive." I explore how the contemporary church can live out its mission in a post-Christian society. Despite culture having pushed the church from the centre to the fringes, underlying church culture has remained largely the same. Churches continue...
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My second book, “Thrive” hits the shelves
After three long years my second book (actually the first) is done and available wherever books are sold! Visit my book page for details on ordering. In this age of publishing, more and more authors are controlling their properties rather than giving them away to...
read moreThrive. Ideas to lead the church in post-Christendom.
It's FINALLY Here! 3 years in the making, 9 drafts, 3 re-writes, and a world of learning, my first words book is done. I remember starting this project in the Summer of 2015, as a way to process ideas I was posting on my blog. The vague ideas combined for an initial...
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Revitalizing the Church on the Margins
It can be done. Chief among churches who are suffering the loss of Christendom are mainline denominations who have the added burden of maintaining capital assets. Imagine a world where the church is struggling because it has too many buildings to pay for.... It's a...
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Time to Adjust Methods of Church Planter Assessment?
Cutting the Cost and Updating Development *Originally re-posted in May 2015, edited and re-posted.* I took an initial church planting assessment tool online and failed.... Turns out I don't have what it takes. Despite planting two churches, a career as an...
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Over at the Inception of Wonder Podcast
Got to hand out with a local missions leader in my city of Calgary. We talked on his podcast on a number of subjects. It's worth the listen. Jump to the 13 min mark to hear about my church plant Cypher Church, and how we work in a post-Christian context. Have a listen...
read moreDoes Preaching Still Work? Preaching in Missional Church
Does a Post-Christendom World Care for 40 Minute Opinions Expositions? Updated May 7th, 2018; Updated February 20th, 2010. Some churchgoers think that the sign of a good church is the quality of the preaching. I've heard, "there's no community to speak of, but the...
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The Lust for Celebrity Success
In my upcoming book, Thrive, I discuss a phenomenon that detracts from the success of the contemporary church. It has to do with learning and chasing the story and results of celebrity pastors. I'm not talking only the ones with fame and fortune, I'm talking about the...
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