Stories from Church Starters
Sudden Change
When I played football in college at Alabama A&M University (Go Bulldogs!) my coaches would always talk about how to deal with sudden change. In nearly every game there were instances where the momentum would change suddenly. It could be an interception or...
Developing a “Growth Mindset” for a Healthy Church Culture
At the start of any organization, an important consideration is to decide on the type of culture that will drive the life and work of the group. Healthy organizations understand that maintaining a dynamic and life-giving culture is important to its success. One...
Giving Our All to Jesus
“A man who won’t die for something, is not fit to live.” (Martin Luther King, Jr) Are we willing to live in total surrender to Jesus to the point of death?
“I Am Praying for You.”
“I am praying for you.” Those were the parting words shared with us by Pastor Florel Mondesir, following our recent visit to his church on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We met him and his wife while on a vision trip to Haiti with Compassion International....
Creating Culture
The culture at the time of Jesus Christ was one in which tradition was the order of the day, Rome was in power, and the Jewish Chief Priests were the leading spiritual guides. Gentiles were excluded from spiritual conversations, spiritual blessings and the spiritual...
“NO” vs “YES”
The scripture makes it clear that our priority should be pleasing God rather than people. If that is, indeed ,God’s will for me as a Church Starter, why is it so difficult to accomplish? Perhaps my greatest weakness is “people pleasing”. I desperately want the...
Take Care of your Team Members, not Buddy-buddy but Genuine Empathy and Engagement
In the World War II movie “Merrill’s Marauders”, one the platoon leaders, a young lieutenant, likes for his men to call him by his first name and openly wants to be everyone’s friend. The platoon sergeant, a seasoned combat veteran, keeps reminding the lieutenant...
Certainty
My co-pastor has a big ol’ tattoo on one of his big ol’ biceps that reads “Bad Theology Kills,” which is the kind of tattoo you can only get if you’re planting a new church. There’s a lot to unpack in those three simple words. Bad theology has time and time again...