Church Scattered | Coaching Churches

Category Archive: Church Scattered

5 Critical Mistakes Church Leaders Should Avoid In The Post-Covid World

Posted by on March 31, 2023

I wrote the book Church Scattered just prior to the pandemic. It clearly addresses all the issues that the pandemic forced on the church. In talking with church leaders, there is this powerful desire to just go back to the way things were before. Im sorry, that is no longer possible.

The good news is that you can create a new normal that will keep the sacred truths of the past and leverage what we have learned the last year about reaching more people for Christ. Carey Nieuwhof has been writing on this issue for months and this is his latest thinking:

“Finally, it seems like the post-COVID world is finally coming into view.

While different countries, regions, provinces and states will emerge out of COVID at different times, 2021 appears to be the year we will be able to move into a post-pandemic world.

So, as you get ready to embrace the new reality, what should you be focused on?

It’s obviously a tough question to answer because neither in-person church or online church is a panacea. Each has its unique challenges, promises and limits. In-person church attendance has been declining for decades before the pandemic, and online church hasn’t solved all the issues the church is facing either.

That said, here are some guidelines that can help moving forward.

Here are 5 critical mistakes it would be so easy to make right now as a church leader.”

Categories: Church Scattered Leading Change Strategic Planning | Comments Off on 5 Critical Mistakes Church Leaders Should Avoid In The Post-Covid World

7 Disruptive Trends That Will Rule 2021

Posted by on January 19, 2021

I have talked a lot about disruption in my book Church Scattered and with a lot of clients. The major truth that must be understood is that there is no going back to the way things used to be.

We can continue to live in denial and long for the good old days but that will not help to lead our people through this critical and stressful period of change. Leadership through disruption means maintaining what is essential from the past and integrating that with what is critical for now.

This post by Carey Nieuwhof is a must read for church leaders: “Just when you thought the world couldn’t get any more turbulent or surprising, the opening moments of 2021 still have everyone trying to catch their breath.

So what are the leadership trends you should be tracking in 2021?

For years I’ve done a series of church trends posts. You can read the 2021 Disruptive Church Trends post here (along with backlinks to the Trends Series over the last five years). While those trends are aimed at church leaders, the implications are broader than that.

Last year, I added a more general Leadership Trends post, focusing on a broader swath of issues facing all leaders, businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits, professionals—essentially all of us who lead.”

Categories: Personal Leadership Strategy | Comments Off on 7 Disruptive Trends That Will Rule 2021

2020 Prepared Us All For Living On Mission

Posted by on January 7, 2021

One of the fundamental truths in the book Church Scattered is that every Christian is called to live out their faith everyday starting at home and then taking that faith to work. This massive transition in priorities can be thought of as church members becoming missionaries. This is not some new marketing idea for evangelism but a radical commitment to make Christ known.

This post by Lloyd Kim is very helpful in helping you see the American we live in today just like you would any international mission field anywhere in the world. He writes,

“My wife just got the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. She is a family-practice physician and part of the first wave of recipients in the U.S. Leading up to her appointment, we read stories about the vaccine and its development. And as we did, we felt an intense emotional response we did not expect. What was going on inside of us?

It reminded us of our time on the mission field, where there was so much cross-cultural stress underlying daily life that we were often unaware of the emotional and physical toll it was taking on us. The first few years of missionary service are some of the most difficult years a person can experience.”

Categories: Church Scattered Missional Living | Comments Off on 2020 Prepared Us All For Living On Mission

5 Traits Of Churches That Will Build Again

Posted by on November 16, 2020

Every pastor in American is praying about what decisions they need to make moving forward into the new year. This disruption has forced more than a temporary set back with attendance. It is challenging us to rethink everything and that is a very good thing.

I have read a lot of opinions on this subject but believe that Dan Reiland as usual is right on with his advice:

“For more than eight months now, most churches have been doing everything possible to navigate what may be remembered as the most difficult season in ministry.

If not the most difficult, likely the most complicated. We often talk of the new normal, and that’s a great conversation; we need it, but we can’t wait for it to arrive. We need to lead forward now.

We need to build again.

Most churches are either open, trying to open, or preparing to open their physical buildings. That’s a good start. Their teams are simultaneously working hard to deliver high-quality worship services in-person and online, plus all their other ministries as well.”

Categories: Church Scattered Contextualization Missional Living Strategic Planning | Comments Off on 5 Traits Of Churches That Will Build Again

Why Words Really Matter Right Now

Posted by on October 26, 2020

The Christian life requires us to speak words that contain both grace and truth. If you go to one extreme and only say encouraging things without combining it with truth, then it is really not grace anymore.

One the other hand if you only speak truth without any awareness of saying the right thing, the right way, at the right time, then people will never receive what they need to hear. This post by Ann Voskamp is incredible and well worth the read:

“It’s a loud, deafening war of words out there and when I stand in the farm woods these days, looking up into the outstretched arms of trees, I have to wonder:

When a leaf falls in the woods, and there is actually someone to hear it, why does it sound so much like the quietness of grace?

It’s like all the trees of the woods are asking the people in the streets: How can you all sound alot more like grace?

Because: The way words are spoken matters to the One who is the Word, who is the Way.

What we say and how we say it matters, because we are the people who believe that is was the Word that created matter. Words create actual matter — for good or for evil –in the world.”

Categories: Missional Living Personal Leadership | Comments Off on Why Words Really Matter Right Now

Is America Burning Out? How To Minister To An Exhausted, Cynical Culture

Posted by on October 12, 2020

This current disruption has lasted so long that the impacts will be permanent and require new approaches to ministry. Jesus Christ is still the hope of the world and we have to shift now to make sure He is at the center of our messaging. The culture can always push back on the church or even Christianity. It’s extremely had to push back on Christ. This post by Carey Nieuwhof is a great help:

“You know that people burn out. In fact, given the way you feel, you may have asked whether that’s what happening to you. But here’s a deeper question.

Can a culture burn out? And if the answer is yes, any chance that’s happening to America in this moment?

An accurate diagnosis might be helpful right now because, if you’re like me, as you read the news and scroll through your feed, it’s hard not to feel despair.

I was speaking to a group of next generation church leaders recently, most in their twenties or early thirties, and as I thought about their future, I was reminded of how pessimistic so many of the outlooks on the future are right now.”

Categories: Missional Living Pastoral Leadership | Comments Off on Is America Burning Out? How To Minister To An Exhausted, Cynical Culture

Don’t Burn Bridges

Posted by on September 20, 2020

The secret to representing Christ to the world is to always know the right amount of grace and truth in every situation. We should never in any interaction violate one truth in scripture to support another truth we feel even more strongly about. If we blow people up on social media then so much for loving your enemies. This post by Sam Luce gives us the right approach:

“Remember when Facebook was for sharing photos of your children and videos of otters holding hands? Me neither. Social media has become a battlefield of conflicting ideas. A minefield of potentially explosive issues. It has gone from a digital scrapbook to a digital equivalent of a dual. Every post seems to be about the defense of a person or idea and with those who disagree hurling horribly generalized caricatures of who they think you are based on what party they think you are a part of.

As Christians, we have to guard against this. Some of the most scathing reprimands of scripture are towards those who can not control their tongues. In James 1 where we famously quote the passage that states “True religion is taking care of the widows and orphans.” This is a feel-good statement that is completely true and we love it. You know what it says in the verse right in front of it. James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle (control) his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

Categories: Church Scattered Missional Living Personal Leadership Servant Leader | Comments Off on Don’t Burn Bridges

When Christians Lose Their Minds, People Lose Their Faith

Posted by on September 14, 2020

I don’t think I have ever been more grieved in my spirit when I read and watch all the things that are on my social media feed. The restraining grace of God has been withheld to show us just how much evil is in the world.

What I have resisted so far is not to add to the negative toxic chaos by trying to give my opinion and in reality just making things worse. What I have done is increased my prayer time for revival and a tremendous spiritual awakening that would result in millions being saved.

I know the Father is using all of this but we must be careful to not get in His way and become a part of the problem. Carey writes an incredibly timely post that is worth the read:

If your social feed is like mine, it looks like people are losing their minds. Christians too.

As the world has become more fragile than it has in perhaps my lifetime, my feed has gotten more and more polarized, partisan, angry, bizarre and downright weird in 2020.

What’s a little alarming is we haven’t even had the U.S. election yet.

I wish I could tell you Christians were the healing part of my feed, but that’s not the case.

Christians have been sucked into the nastiness, division and partisanship along with everyone else. Often Christians aren’t providing an alternative to the anger and outrage online, they’re fueling it.

Categories: Church Scattered Missional Living | Comments Off on When Christians Lose Their Minds, People Lose Their Faith

My Single Biggest Regret From A Lifetime Of Ministry

Posted by on July 12, 2020

Regrets mainly come not from mistakes made but opportunities missed. This post by Joe McKeever will take you to a place every pastor has already been before if you have been leading in a church for at least 10 years.

What I need you to hear is that this issue impacts every leader I have coached my entire life, especially trying to lead myself. So this is not a pastor problem but a Christian leaders problem and that should help you to see we all face this challenge.

With that said, you are leading in an environment where the unrealistic expectations of the people you lead are extremely demanding. That means you have to have the spiritual maturity to say No to many things and learn to live your life before an audience of One.

“The first entry in the book is dated October 9. However, the paragraph above that reads:

The month of October got off to a poor start around the McKeever household. I announced to Margaret that until October 27, there were no open days or nights. The month was filled with church meetings, committees, banquets, associational meetings, speaking engagements at three colleges, a weekend retreat in Alabama,and a few football games. She cried. Once again, I had let others plan my schedule in the sense that I’d failed to mark out days reserved for family time.

I ran across that book today, read that paragraph, and wept.”

Categories: Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership | Comments Off on My Single Biggest Regret From A Lifetime Of Ministry

Should You Close Your Church After Reopening?

Posted by on July 6, 2020

When I started writing the book Church Scattered: Christianity for 21st Century I could have never imagined our current situation. Yes I am a strong advocate of putting more leadership into the church scattered but I never wanted the church gathered to close its doors.

Now everything has changed to the point that church leaders are having to re-think strategy not only for now but more importantly for the future. The Father is disrupting His people again and scattering them into the mission fields. This post by Carey Nieuwhof will help you walk through the challenges ahead:

“Every time you think 2020 is going to get easier, it just gets more complex. So here’s a question: “Should you close your church after reopening it?”

While that sounds like a terrible question, what if it was your best church growth strategy? I know that probably sounds like heresy and you may be too annoyed to read further, but just hang on for a second more.

As the coronavirus resurges across the US, and even areas that thought COVID wouldn’t impact them are breaking all-time infection records, clearly this is a time to ask all the questions.

But this is a deeper question. In Canada, our cases have slowed to almost a trickle, but I think it’s a live issue here too…if you really want to reach more people.”

Categories: Church Scattered Contextualization Missional Living Pastoral Leadership Strategic Planning | Comments Off on Should You Close Your Church After Reopening?