What does a financially healthy church look like? While all churches are different and serving in unique contexts, here are some best practices.
How can you say thanks and appreciate your church volunteers when you don’t have a large budget? Here are some ideas…
Repeating your weekend message isn’t necessarily repeating as much as it is reaching.
Whether you’re working on a sermon, trying to convince people to join a small group, or writing the church newsletter, there are some principles in this book are really going to help you.
Strategy can be a clarifying factor for your church. It’s the bridge between vision and execution, and it’s where you answer the important “how” questions of church leadership.
When you’re working with your team to create or update your purpose statement, it helps to have examples on hand to inspire you. Here are twenty-two great purpose statements from churches around the world.
There are practical ways you can use your purpose statement that will remind your congregation, community, and internal team why you exist.
We have a few best practices and suggestions for how to lead a congregation in a time of grief.
How do you know a person is flourishing? What factors play into it?
The most effective staff evaluations go below the surface. They include discussions about alignment and uncover deeper insights that help your church’s leadership understand who your team members are and where they fit in. They help you pastor your team and monitor their progress in a customized way that makes the most sense for their role.
As a pastor or church leader, this should resonate with you and challenge you. Instead of coming down from the mountain like Moses and attempting to vision-cast your way toward momentum, focus on building a team of leaders who are committed to figuring out the answers to important questions.
If you’re planning to acknowledge Mother’s Day and Father’s Day at your church, here are a few ideas to consider.
Feelings of exhaustion can lead to burnout which can have rippling detrimental effects personally and organizationally. Here are some things pastors can do right now to breathe fresh life into your team.
Barna recently hosted a “State of the Church” event aimed at helping church leaders in specific cities understand what people think of the church in general. The stats are informative, and they should give you insights into your local ministry context. But more than that, they should inspire action.
Even though it’s fairly normal for a church to accept digital donations and there are dozens of church-giving software solutions to enable these transactions, there’s still so much opportunity ahead of us.
It’s been said that a pastor’s spiritual life is directly related to church growth, that as the pastor’s spiritual health goes, so goes their church. We couldn’t agree more. A pastor’s own spiritual health is crucial to effectively leading others in their faith journey – we can’t lead others spiritually higher than where we ourselves stand.
In this post, I’m going to share with you three overlooked ways you can lead parents to disciple their children.
In this post, I’m going to share with you 6 steps you can take to launch a college ministry, build relationships with students, and make new disciples.
In this post, I’m going to lay out tactics you can use to inspire more volunteers to join your children’s ministry today, as well as different ways you can prepare volunteers to serve tomorrow.
Should your church start livestreaming your services, Bible studies, or events? Well, it depends…
Services will continue to look different, even as we start re-opening. So how are other churches engaging their members around generosity? Let’s take a look at the three great examples we found.
There are two more holidays that present unique opportunities for churches: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Many pastors want to reach more people in the community and see their church’s weekly attendance numbers grow, but are unknowingly standing in their own way. Here are 6 ways pastors can be the ones hurting their church’s growth.
As we work with hundreds of churches across every state and multiple countries, here are some of the bigger internal obstacles we are seeing churches face. Focus on removing these four growth barriers.
Here are some best practices on how you can actually use Church Fuel.
Here are three ways you can use Church Fuel as a staff member.
Here are three ways you can use Church Fuel as a volunteer at your church.
Church growth is up to God because the church belongs to Him. But he chooses to use us in the process, giving us the opportunity to be great stewards.
Every church needs a digital strategy for reaching more people online.
Close the gap between first-time attendance and long-term engagement by revisiting that neglected (or nonexistent) follow-up process in your church. Here’s how.
We have two suggestions that we believe will help you communicate even when you don’t know what to say. When the answer is, “I don’t know,” here’s what you can do.
While no one can guarantee the future, these two documents are COVID-proof, meaning they will flex toward whatever comes your way.
As you continue to formulate the next steps for this next phase, make sure that you avoid these 8 reopening mistakes.
Each book will provoke you toward new actions, fresh strategy, and create a solid ground to stand upon as you lead your church in the new year.
Now is a great time to plan your next church staff retreat, so as you put together the agenda, here are five things to include.
Your church’s ability to use online small groups to reach new people will be crucial to your church’s ability to grow.
With some frontend preparation, there are ways to keep online Christmas guests from falling through the cracks.
As you look to make a new financial plan or church budget for next year, here are thirteen practical tips.
Jason guides the vision for how Missional Marketing can best serve our clients and church partners. He leads our sales team and is our lead church growth strategist. He was a Communications Director for 11 years at a megachurch named Central Christian Church of Arizona.
There are many meaningful things that should be represented on the church calendar that matter in every season and should happen no matter what. They can be done whether services and events are in-person or virtual.
Former youth pastor, church planter, senior pastor, and church consultant, you could say Michael’s lived nine lives—and he’s still going. Today, he writes books and articles and helps create courses for church leaders. Michael’s a graduate of Florida State University and did post-graduate work at Liberty University. Husband to Jennie and father to three kids, you can find him smoking ribs or grilling steaks on the Big Green Egg on the weekends.
Every ministry doesn’t have to come back post-COVID lockdowns. Most likely, there are some in your church that definitely shouldn’t come back. Here’s why.
Stephen is a creative leader. He worked in the music business for years, finding artists, developing albums, and leading marketing teams. He then moved into church leadership, serving not just as a lead over creative but also on the executive level of multiple mega-churches across the country.
Brian Beauford, executive pastor at Grace Church south of Boston, joins Meagan for a conversation that can help churches of any size reach new people in the post COVID world.
As churches seek to move forward and bounce back from the lockdowns, the stakes feel higher. Making a few small-scale but impactful changes in the year-end efforts can make a huge impact for church leaders who are hoping to revitalize both finances and spirits.
Bobby Williams, Lead Pastor at Ridge Church and Church Fuel Ministry Coach, joins Michael & Meagan to discuss what it looks like to move their Membership Class to an online platform.
To bring everything into perspective and help you plan the right things at the right time, we wanted to give you four plans to have for Christmas.
Here’s a look at the first week in the sermon series for when you reopen the doors.
Many churches we work with have paid staff members, and all of them have volunteers who function like full-time staff. Your volunteers are often the most needed yet most neglected group in your church. Follow these three tips.
Church staff share many frustrations that are either unique to this season or made worse by this season. And they’re sharing very little of it with their leaders. So, we looked into what they’re saying. We talked to them and noted the changes they say would help them perform their roles more effectively.
The people in your care need you to pastor them, not just lead them.
To respond to this very important question from the people in your community, you need to reach into the business world for a tool that’s proving effective in helping businesses engage customers. You need a one-liner.
We need to make sure that our messages, ministries, and programs truly connect with the needs of our community. We don’t just need to know our mission—we need to know our mission field. We don’t just need to run our programs—we need to understand the people who need them.
Church volunteers probably won’t say this stuff out loud because they don’t want to complain about their church or cause any problems. But you, as a pastor, should know what they are thinking.
There are steps you can take to rebuild live stream engagement for your church. These small changes can make a big difference.
You can serve your people well by communicating with clarity—in this season and always. Here are our six tips for communicating about reopening.
Here are 12 key trends that have emerged so far this year. I believe every leader needs to critically evaluate whether these are true in each local context, and if so… how to respond.
To give your church the tips and tools to invite someone to an online service, try these practical ideas.
Ignore the signs, and your team will go from tired to burned out to gone. But jump in with practical solutions and you can build team morale, team momentum, and lead your church into the next season of ministry with a new sense of purpose.
Pastors should use data, information, and numbers in their decision-making process. The goal is not to be driven by those numbers, but simply to let facts inform our decisions.
Maybe this time of waiting is an opportunity. Here are three reasons not to rush back to meeting.
Consider taking your content and spreading it throughout the week. You don’t have to eliminate your family experience on the weekends but give families the ideas and resources to integrate their faith throughout the week too.
Even though most communications professionals talk about social media, email is still the best way to communicate with your congregation, particularly during times of crisis.
We can help by being present. We can help by sharing information that isn’t based in fear, but based in hope.
You don’t have to cancel your groups, you can simply move them online.
Check out the insanely practical ways that churches are using technology for student ministry.
Pastor Devin Gough from Revival Tab shares how their church helps equip their congregation by creating an online invitation hub on their church’s website! See example page below!
You want to launch a second worship service, and you know that is easier said than done. In this post, I’m going to share some helpful guidelines and tips, including: 2 reasons to add a new worship service; 5 common mistakes to avoid when launching a new worship service; and How to launch a new worship service
In this post, we’re sharing 9 social media post ideas for churches to engage the culture around you. Safe for Instagram and Twitter feeds alike, these crafty ideas make engaging your church community on social media fun and effective.
Many churches are encouraging staff members to work from home. While there are some challenges, it’s a good thing. Let’s talk about some ways to make it work for you.
Here are some trends I see continuing, and questions you need to be asking, well after the immediate effects of COVID-19 are over.
Here are seven problems with the digital strategy of most churches.
Nona Jones is recognized as one of the world’s foremost expert on building The Kingdom through social technology and motivating thousands of church leaders each year to reimagine social media as a strategic tool for ministry.
Nona Jones is recognized as one of the world’s foremost expert on building The Kingdom through social technology and motivating thousands of church leaders each year to reimagine social media as a strategic tool for ministry.
Nona Jones is recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on building The Kingdom through social technology and motivating thousands of church leaders each year to reimagine social media as a strategic tool for ministry.
Here are some of my thoughts about what has changed and what will keep changing in the post-COVID church.
In this post, I’m going to share six ways you can equip millennials to have more faith conversations. Use these tips to create a custom evangelism training plan for your church.
Just as a sports team trains, practices skills, and receives instruction and encouragement from a coach to improve, a church’s leadership team must do the same. But what does that really look like? Where do you even begin, and what skills are important?
Before getting into the nitty-gritty, let me save you some heartache and lay out the four common mistakes to avoid when searching for a new pastor.
God is faithful, and we’ve had the opportunity to help many churches break the 200 attendance barrier. In our work, we like to keep an eye on what churches are doing to attract people to their church with the goal of making disciples.
In this post, we’re going to cover working with difficult people in three different groups: Church staff, Church leaders, and Church members
As a pastor, you’ll always be in a position to provide care. But as you aim to tend to the needs of your church, you’ll need to focus on building a congregational care ministry.
We want to push you a little bit to lean into the numbers a little more than what may feel natural.
Here you are, with a carefully constructed reopening plan in place, about to embark on one of your biggest challenges: asking people to come back to church.
We share five practical things you can do today to begin to engage and ultimately reach new people online.
It’s time for every church to learn from and act as a small church. No matter your church size, here are a few ways for pastors and church leaders to stay connected with their congregations.
To “reunite” your church in 2020, you need to unify everyone around a common purpose.
We interviewed Kyle, the Director of the Experience Team at Crossroads, the group that creates everything from videos to music to articles to apps to weekend services.
The growth mindset is how you navigate a way forward, no matter what is going on in the world, in your community, or in your church.
Here are a few defining characteristics of a great follow-up process that are important for every follow up process you have.
As a church leader, if you hire someone to do a job, then you need to not only hold that person accountable, but you should aim to serve that person to become the best he or she can be.
I know summer can be a challenging time. But I’m here to tell you it can also be a fantastic opportunity to reach your community for Christ!
To help you assess whether your church website is serving a purpose and not collecting dust, here are five things your site should accomplish—today.
In this post, we’re going to share with you three ways you can leverage what you already have to create multiple streams of income.
While technology is a necessary bridge between a church and its members, most churches struggle to make smart tech-buying decisions that don’t just help connect members in the short term, but help the church fulfill its long-term mission.
I’m going to share with you four alternatives to a printed church bulletin. But first, there are three things you should consider before trashing your bulletin.
When you feel stuck or run into a problem, you don’t have anyone outside of your church to turn to for advice.
To help you serve your church, love your family, and not lose your mind or soul in the process, here are 10 tips to help you find a good rhythm in your life and ministry.
In this post, I’m going to cover: How to prepare for important conversations and 7 types of critical conversations.
There are two really simple ideas your church should focus on to reach and retain students and there are many different ways your church can implement these two principles in your student ministry.
If you’ve ever been to a conference or even to a child’s birthday party, you know that not all giveaways are useful. But when Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA decided to do a giveaway, they made sure it had purpose.
If your church is behind budget, don’t lose hope. There are many practical things you can do to get your church’s budget back on track.
Even though social media platforms are vying for your attention, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by their constant demands. There’s a way your church—even if it’s “small”—can effectively engage your congregation and reach new people without breaking down in the process.
Here are five simple ways you can create a culture of invitation within your church.
In Ephesians 5:15-17, Paul encourages believers to walk wisely and make the best use of time in days that are particularly evil. Let’s apply that principle to our schedule, our calendar, and the very churches we lead.
In this post, I’m going to share six ways you can build a healthy church culture, how to recognize the signs of an unhealthy church culture, and one thing you must do if you need to fix an unhealthy culture.
Let’s talk about one way you can infuse peace into your church.
Mentoring isn’t something reserved for “church members” or “new” pastors, and it’s not something church leaders should avoid.
The way you build relationships will have a ripple effect throughout your church.
I’d like to share three warning signs of a hurting student ministry.
Here are 5 ways to improve your weekend services…and each one is completely free to implement!
An insanely practical PDF to help you plan every week with purpose. The Pastor’s Planner is a resource to help you prioritize the most important actions, keep you focused on the most important people, and help you remember what’s coming soon. With one page for each week, it will help you stay focused on what (and who) matters most.
We believe you can do this by developing a guest to membership pipeline. And we’ll lay out a real-life example for you in this post.
The church does have a responsibility to let its people know what is going on and get them on board with different things happening within it. Most of us don’t particularly care too much about the announcements.
It’s not just about raising money or good stewardship. It’s about prayerful and thankful appreciation of those who support the church.
Here are a few things to help us with engaging people and encouraging them to explore the local church.
Over the years, there are a few things I have learned to do that have helped me navigate those seasons of dryness and the overwhelming feeling of giving up.
It could be anything from personal character traits to people’s preconceptions of pastors that causes them to show a lack of respect, but either way, we’re here with some basic advice that will help everyone from your congregation to others you’re partnering with to take you more seriously.
The best time to start planning your sermon series for the next year is now.
The end of the year is a time for endings and beginnings. A time to reflect and plan for the coming year. As you approach 2018, let’s look at seven things that you should be thinking about putting on your church calendar.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through steps you can take that will help cultivate a giving heart in your church. These steps are: Talk about money; Model generosity; Cultivate relationships; Cast a vision; Share compelling stories; and Make giving easy.
Waiting on God isn’t the same thing as not doing anything…. It’s quite the opposite.