Church Growth
Charles Stone

7 Thinking Errors that Hinder Church Growth

My first degree, industrial engineering, taught me to think systematically which has in turn benefited my pastoral leadership. Since then I’ve read many books on church planning and been certified through Ministry Advantage and Auxano, two strategic planning/pastoral coaching organizations. I’ve also led two churches where I’ve served through a year-long strategic planning process. So, I’m well-versed

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Life Balance
Charles Stone

The Controversy Behind ‘Top 10 Reasons People Don’t Tithe’

Recently I posted a blog titled “Top 10 Reasons People Don’t Tithe.” I took it from a recent sermon I preached at my church, West Park Church in London, Ontario. I didn’t expect it to go viral and certainly didn’t anticipate the controversy it generated.  Here’s the reader interaction stats on it (from my website, Google

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Life Balance
Charles Stone

Five Reasons I’m Starting to Read a Paper Bible Again

I’m a self admitted geek. I love tech stuff. My dad was an electrical engineer and our basement was filled with all kinds of gadgets. When I was a kid I spent hours playing with his tools and gadgets. And as we entered the computer age, I became one of the first among my friends to embrace

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Church Growth
Charles Stone

What Makes a Great Staff Meeting? This May Surprise You.

Staff meetings…a necessary part of the ministry and the workplace. I’ve led hundreds. Some went well. Some, well, didn’t. My friend Tim Stevens just wrote a great book to help leaders not only lead great staff meetings, but become better leaders as well. It’s called Fairness Is Overrated: And 51 Other Leadership Principles to Revolutionize Your Workplace. I highly

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Leadership
Charles Stone

Would you Give Up Your Job so Someone Else Could Have it?

I have the privilege of leading a young men’s leadership development group on Thursday mornings. Recently one guy, Sam, shared an amazing story about “giving up” in the workplace. Since this is guest post week, I asked him to write this post. You will be encouraged and amazed. I was burned out and ready for

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Neuroleadership
Charles Stone

Are you a Brain-Savvy Leader? 7 Posts that Show you How

One of my passions is to bring the conversation about how brain insight can help us love and serve God better. My blog tag line is even titled, NeuroMinistry: Leveraging Brain-Based Insight for Kingdom Impact. I’m serious about this as I’m completing an executive masters in the neuroscience of leadership (May) and wrote a book focusing on

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Leadership
Charles Stone

My Top 10 Most Read Posts in 2014

Another year has passed and it’s been an exciting one for our family moving from the U.S. to pastor a church in Canada. Even through the transition this year I was able to write almost 100 blogs and saw over 55,000 unique viewers visit my site with almost 220,000 pageviews. Thanks so much for following and reading.

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Body Care
Charles Stone

When Tough Times Hit: Reflections During my Daughter’s Eighth Brain Surgery

As I write this post I’m sitting in the waiting room of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago as my 27-year-old daughter Tiffany undergoes her eighth brain surgery. Due to intractable epilepsy (epilepsy non-responsive to drug therapy) caused by a brain tumor diagnosed at age 1, doctors implanted a device in her brain 8 years ago to

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Leadership
Charles Stone

Mark Driscoll, and why Every Pastor Should be Taken Down

Last week the Acts 29 Network dismissed from its membership Seattle mega-church pastor Mark Driscoll and his church Mars Hill Church and asked for his resignation as pastor. This came as several controversies came to light about Mark and his church. Mars Hill’s accountability board countered with a statement of frustration that apparently that board had failed to personally

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Church Growth
Charles Stone

Should you Try a Bilingual Service at your Church? We did and WOW!

At the church where I serve as Lead Pastor, West Park Church in London, Ontario, we held a bilingual service last Sunday. About three years ago the church embraced a Mandarin speaking congregation looking for a home. Our Chinese church, now over 100 strong, is an integral part of our faith community with their own

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