Church Tips – Growth Strategies for Pastors & Ministry Leaders

One of the most important things for pastors to do is to train the key staff and volunteer leadership that they have at the church. And yet, where do you begin? What topics do you cover? Well, in this episode, we're going to continue our discussion of the 10 church leadership training topics that you can use to implement in your training at your church. Read the full transcript, watch the vid...

Man, I've got some great leaders in this church. In fact, pastors would drool to have the leaders I have, but I gotta tell you, I feel the pressure to train them to be all they need to be. Where do I go for the topics to cover to really make sure these leaders are trained? Well, you've come to the right place today at the Church Tips Podcast. That's exactly what we're going to...

Have you ever felt betrayed by someone in ministry? You were partnering together to accomplish the ministry God had given you and then all of a sudden, you're betrayed. Maybe they said something negatively to you, or maybe they spoke behind your back, or maybe they did something else and all of a sudden you feel betrayed. Well, this often happens more than we would like it to, but in today&ap...

You stood up with them in their wedding. They stood up with you. You stood with them when their integrity was in question. You were accountability partners. You would get your life for this ministry friend that you partnered with for years, and now they turned their back. They don't return calls or texts. What do you do with that? That's exactly what we're going to talk about in thi...

There comes a time in the life of almost every church where they need to trim back on the church budget. Maybe things pop up, maybe circumstances change, maybe giving decreases, and as a result, they need to cut the church budget. But the question is, what do you cut? Well, I have good news for you. In today's episode, we're going to talk about the first four places that you should cut t...

Oh, you've got to be kidding me. We've got to replace the roof this year? And that crumbling parking lot? And oh, by the way the HVAC system is going out. Why do I have to deal with these as a pastor? I'm supposed to be the visionary leader who can pray and preach and cast vision and I've got to deal with these big ticket maintenance items. How do I do that? In today's epi...

Just imagine what it would be like to have visionary, forward-thinking, smart, and savvy church board members sitting alone in the church board table with you, coming alongside you to help support and advance the mission that God has for the church. Well, you've come to the right spot today, because in today's episode, we're going to talk about six characteristics of church board me...

What do you think of when you think of philosophers? I mean, you got a college professor, maybe a beard, the bow tie, the wild, crazy hair? Is that you as a pastor? Probably not, but you know, the philosophy of ministry is absolutely critical and your ability to develop it and move it through the culture of your church is absolutely critical. How do you develop a philosophy of ministry? You'v...

Have you ever felt like you wanted to make changes in the church and yet the entire church or a large portion of the church was resistant to that change? Well, if so, you're in a good place today, because in this episode, we're going to talk about six ways you can turn a change resistant church, to where people all of a sudden are buying in and onboard with the vision that God has given...

You know, you might hear a statement from the old timers. Something like, "hey, I gotta head out to the prayer meeting." Prayer meetings, kind of old school, right? The reality is prayer meetings, times of corporate prayer, are absolutely critical to the church. And you might ask, "well, how can I make that a reality in my church?" Well, you've come to the right place here...

God has more he wants to accomplish through your church. There's more people in your community and surrounding areas that he wants you to reach. But in order to reach them, you need to be prepared. And to be prepared, you need to have the right leaders in place. And so that's why, in this episode, I want to talk to you about the four ways to develop leaders in your church. And when you d...

Pastors are notorious for not wanting to talk about how much money they make. And if I've heard it once, I've heard it 100 times: "I'm not in it for the money." And we're glad they're not in it for the money. But the reality is, churches need to pay attention to how they pay their pastor. And to do it. Well, that's exactly what we're going to talk about...

Is having a church board really all that important? I mean, sometimes it seems like they just get in the way of making ministry happen. You know, if you've been wondering what the role and responsibility of a church board really is, you're in luck, because today we're going to continue from our last episode looking at the seven essential purposes of a church board. Read the full tra...

Have you ever wondered what the concept of deacons, elders and pastors is supposed to be and what it's supposed to look like in the 21st century? There are many different types of ways to do governance. And when it comes to the idea of a church board, some wonder, is this even biblical? What should it look like? What's the purpose? Well, guess what? We've got an answer for you today...

Is it really that hard to welcome people? I mean, you wouldn't think it'd be that hard to open a door and say hi to someone and give them a nice handshake, but for whatever reason, people mess this up all the time, giving a bunch of dead fish handshakes to people or squeezing someone's hands so tight that it cuts off the circulation. That's why training your first impressions v...

What if you get to church on a Sunday and you have greeters calling in sick or they forget to tell you that they're down at the lake or they literally just don't show up. Do you have ample hospitality volunteers to fill the gaps? This is the challenge many churches face every single week. And that's why today we're going to continue our discussion on the eight steps that you ca...

Studies show visitors at a church will make their decision about the church well before the sermon is ever started. This means your first impressions and hospitality team will make or break the experience for people at your church. And if you don't have enough people on the team to welcome and greet those that come, then you're automatically shooting yourself in the foot. So in this epis...

One of the best indicators of a strong healthy ministry is the longevity of your volunteers. Like it or not, most people who volunteer in ministry will do so for a while, but then eventually, they'll take a break. But when you know how to keep them serving for a longer period of time, that means your ministry stays healthier. So in this podcast, we're going to look at nine tips to increa...

It's not very fun to gain a new volunteer only to lose an existing volunteer, but that's exactly what happens in ministry often. Two steps forward, one step backward and sometimes one step forward and two steps backward. The only way for churches to get off the hamster wheel is to build a volunteer pipeline that continually produces more and more volunteers. So in this episode, we'r...

Have you ever had a high caliber person tell you they'd serve in some way, and then the next thing you know, they quit on you. It's unbelievably frustrating when that happens. And now you're back to the drawing board trying to find someone to help you fill that role. Well, that's why you need a pipeline of volunteers, and in today's episode, we're going to share an ei...

If the greatest athletes of all time still need training, then how much more do the key leaders in your church need training? The fact is, they do need training, but if you're going to do it right, then you need to put together training events that are helpful, effective, and one that leaves them longing for the next event. Well, in this episode, we're going to continue our discussion of...

Have you ever gone to a meeting where someone allegedly said they would train you to be part of some big thing, only to waste your time with stuff they could have easily communicated to you by email. The truth is, your time is worth something, and so is every volunteer's time. That's why in today's episode, we're going to continue our discussion of how to conduct a successful c...

Ever been asked to attend a meeting where someone was going to provide training and you just dreaded going to it? I mean, you've sat in enough of those meetings to know that they can be a major drag, you get nothing out of it, and you tell yourself, I'm never coming back to one of these again. Well, what happens if people feel that way about the meetings that you provide? No one wants th...

With everything changing so rapidly in society today, it's easy to think that the way we lead must also change quickly. And if you're a younger pastor, you might even wonder what principles of the past still apply in church leadership today. Well, in this episode, we're going to look at four timeless principles to help you grow as a young leader in ministry. Read the full transcript...

In any organization, the goal is to have more income than expenses, but what happens when the tithes drop and you have the same amount of expenses? How could the church make sure to balance the budget and not go into debt? Especially when it comes to smaller church contexts. Well, that's exactly what we're going to look at today. Read the full transcript, watch the video version, and dis...