When we were in the darker periods of my ministry in Toronto, one of the most common manifestations of our corporate dysfunction were the group divisions we experienced in the church.  Our seniors often appeared hostile towards the youth, complaining about their music and how the church board seemed to let the youth program get by with inappropriate behavior. The youth returned the favor and complained that the seniors were always down on them. They [...]

Matt Note:  This is a repost from J.R. Brigg’s blog about an upcoming conference that I am pretty excited about.  No numbers talk, no grand new idea to save your church, and no guilt for not being super pastor… just a few days doing life together, being honest about where we are at, and remembering why we do what we do. Back in August I wrote a post on the blog called EPIC FAIL Pastors’ Conference. [...]

On June 14, 2008 my life changed forever.  It was that day that I stood at the front of a church and waited to see Theresa walking towards me in a white dress.  As the sanctuary went quiet and the whole room waited with anticipation we all focused on one thing: the door that my bride to be was waiting behind.  The music started, the door opened and it happened… she took my breath away. [...]

One of my favorite parts of ministry is the crafting of worship gatherings. This may sound odd to some people, it is not often that the word craft is used in relation to church services, but if you stop and think about it I doubt that there is a better word. The dictionary defines the word craft as to make or manufacture (an object, objects, product, etc.) with skill and careful attention to detail… which [...]

Bill Strickland tells an incredible story… it is no wonder that some many people support Manchester Craftsman Guild and the work that goes on there.  This is the video from a TED talk he gave a few years back: Is the story of your ministry as compelling as the story of the Manchester Craftsman Guild? Do the people who support your ministry get caught up in the story of what is going on in your [...]

A former pastor of mine used to say, “When you find the perfect church, don’t join it. You’ll only ruin it.” That advice rattled around in the back of my mind when I began trying to reconnect with the church after my burn out. Could I find a church that lived up to my ideals? Over the past eight years, I’ve had to rethink the church. And then I had to rethink my rethinking of [...]

After the last post I’m feeling the opening line of Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie, ”I can’t tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like…”  So maybe sharing some of my experiences with mission statements and statements created out of a Lifestyle Centric Understanding of church will help get my thoughts across. Building and Using a Mission Statement While on staff at one church a few years back [...]

Matt Note:  The more I speak with Ben Stroup the more impressed with him that I become.  Ben is a consultant with Generis and helps churches across the country develop the concept of generosity within their congregations.  If you are not reading his blog, Church Giving Matters, you are doing yourself a great disservice. Earlier this week, I posted about the role of faith in ministry funding. In that post, I promised to provide some practice [...]

I tried to avoid the word “never” when I spoke about my future in the church. I knew I couldn’t return to the same kind of church and ministry that I’d come from, but I also knew that church did many things well. There were a lot of good people seeking God, and I couldn’t overlook that. Everything wasn’t terrible. The same is true for just about every other church out there. We may pick [...]

Matt Note:  Brad Leeper has been a friend, mentor, trusted advisor, and confidante of mine for years.  Brad currently serves as Vice President of Generis, an organization that partners with churches looking to create a culture of generosity.  Brad’s wisdom and expertise in the area of stewardship has benefited countless churches across the nation, and I am excited to have him share his wisdom with us here. Welcome to year three of the recession.  The church [...]