Browse Blog Post
6/1/2010
165. Transforming Existing Congregations
Early last year I was asked to write a chapter for a book, The Future of the United Methodist Church—Seven Vision Pathways, to emphasize the importance of Transforming Existing Congregations. I shared some brief stories about congregations in Missouri and about some of our strategies and appro
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4/13/2010
162. Whatcha’ Reading?
As a Bishop, I often feel that nearly every element of my life is mapped out. Sometimes my calendar fills with appointments, engagements, presentations, and travel for months and years in advance. Even the everyday decisions and recurring crises are patterned and predictable to the point that much o
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7/20/2009
135. Cinco Prácticas—The Spanish Edition
I’m delighted to announce the release this week by Abingdon Press of the new Spanish edition of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, entitled Cinco Prácticas de Congregaciones Fructíferas.
The road toward the Spanish translation began two years ago with requests from pastor
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10/20/2008
94. Mystery Visitors
A few of our churches in Missouri are taking an interesting step in their search for excellence in hospitality. They’ve contracted to receive in-depth evaluations through an extensive program of engagement with mystery visitors, using methods similar to retail’s “Secret
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10/6/2008
91. The Battle is Won or Lost in Your Lobby
Last week as I was on the road with my work, I stopped by a specialty pizza parlor. I was by myself and had my journal in hand, ready to pen some notes about the day while I waited for a personal-sized pizza. This is actually a little out of character for me; I usually grab something extremely
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10/2/2008
90. "How Can I Help?" means, "How Can I Fit In?"
Last week I was a presenter at the Leadership Nexus event in Shreveport, along with Rev. Tyrone Gordon of St. Luke’s Community UMC, David Wetzler from Natural Church Development, Bob Whitesel, Brian Bauknight, Jessica Moffatt-Saey, and several others. At these kinds of learnin
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9/24/2008
89. Why Do People Give?
Why do people give to the church? What motivations and factors make it more likely for people to contribute generously, and what inhibits giving?
Recently I read an article by Clif Christopher in the Lewis Center for Church Leadership Leading Ideas newsletter. Clif’s ministry focuses on
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9/22/2008
88. Practices of Vegetable-ful Congregations!
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve heard dozens of stories about small churches focusing on the Five Practices, and about the new ministry initiatives that have resulted. A few of my favorite come from right here in Missouri.
For instance, Marvin McMurry UMC in St. Joseph began to think a
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8/18/2008
82. Got Fruit?
I smile whenever I hear about the many creative ways congregations make the Five Practices their own. An original and locally developed idea has personal ownership, reveals imaginative engagement, and uses the gifts and insights of volunteers.
For instance, a long-time friend told me about ho
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8/11/2008
81. Do We Have to Do the Whole Thing?
Another question I receive about the new materials is, “Do we have to follow the Leader Manual completely and do the entire in-depth immersion experience, or can we pick and choose among the materials? Can the resources be used separately?”
While working with Abingdon Press on the new m
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