We just got back from a great conference in Atlanta, Velocity 2011, hosted by Churchplanters.com. Last year after coming back from this conference I didn't feel so good about it, or me. If you don't know, last year was our first year at the Mecca of churchplanters conferences following our "crash and burn" experience with a … Continue reading You can run again
Church planting
What’s happened in one year
So much has happened over the course of one year here at Church180. These are exciting and humbling days. Let me give you some context. On 7/12/09 I wrote this blog post after church. That day we had 24 total people in our church. Six of that number were children, four of which are mine. … Continue reading What’s happened in one year
Systems and churches
Ed Stetzer asked Darrin Patrick a great question recently, "Why do most churches stay small?" Patrick answered, "Largely because most pastors don't know how to build systems, structures, and processes that are not contingent upon them. Most pastors can care for people, but don't build systems of care. Most pastors can develop leaders individually, but … Continue reading Systems and churches
After church thoughts (9/12/10)
Today was another of several "firsts" for Church180. Today we started a second service. To make our community aware of this service and the teaching series and to invite them to join us, we sent out mailers to every family within a ten mile radius in our community (12,187 families). We didn't get the expected … Continue reading After church thoughts (9/12/10)
Swing that bat!
Have you ever swung the bat so hard you fell down? Oh, and you missed the ball too! Ahhh... that's terrible! Getting up is awkward. Settling in to swing again is accompanied by haunting memories of your last swing and fall. Your confidence is shaken, your ego is wounded, and your knee is wrenched too … Continue reading Swing that bat!
Re-launching a church
Recently I told a friend of mine that we were re-launching our church. He responded to my e-mail with a few questions: relaunch? what all does that entail for the church? changes in programming? ministry? vision etc? I started to respond to his e-mail and then I thought, "This is good stuff. I think I'll … Continue reading Re-launching a church
I love older men
Oh boy... I can't wait to see who lands on this blog post because they googled "I love older men". 😉 OK, seriously, one of the highpoints of my week is our weekly pastor's meeting. We are a small church. In fact, I rarely call us a church. I most often refer to us as … Continue reading I love older men
We’re moving to…
The last two years have been amazing. On July 1, 2007 I wrapped up my pastoral service at Northgate Church in Batavia, New York. That was a day that has forever impacted how I view God and the mission of the church. We baptized 163 people that day! (read it here) We packed up, sold … Continue reading We’re moving to…
Three tips for fundraisers
Ben Franklin had some great advice for fundraisers! Ask people you KNOW will give. Ask those who might give. Let them know what you've raised so far. If appropriate, show them who's already given. Ask those you know won't give. They may surprise you! NEVER say "No" for someone! Give them a chance to surprise … Continue reading Three tips for fundraisers
Why didn’t the church plant survive? (Part 1)
First of all, thanks to each of you who have connected with us since we announced that we would not be launching Walls Down Church. Your encouraging words, inspired prayers, and gracious offers have moved us deeply. We are blessed to have friends like you. Thank you. Now to the issue at hand - why … Continue reading Why didn’t the church plant survive? (Part 1)
