The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them. Although written with church leaders in mind, it’s applicable to anyone facing difficulty. Circumstances beyond our control (demographics or a location that hinders growth), an uncooperative board (they say no to an important initiative), or even family issues

Recently we added a Saturday night service. As a result, I’ve seen my preaching improve. My staff has even remarked about the positive change they’ve seen. First, my previous routine looked like this on Sunday mornings. Get up at an insanely early hour Spend 20 minutes on my stationary bike trying to wake myself up Review

This is a brief excerpt from my current book, 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them-help for frustrated pastors. Sometime in your ministry, someone  probably has taken an intentional punch at you. I don’t mean they punched you in the face, but they’ve likely taken a swipe at your leadership, preaching, or vision. It hurts.

I heard a muffled whimper come from the small cardboard box.  When I opened it and carefully cradled the tiny ball of fur, his stubby tail wagged and he licked my nose leaving the unmistakable “puppy breath” smell. We named him Watson and he became the newest addition to our miniature schnauzer family.  Though he

I’m reading the book Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft. It’s a very simple book on leadership but one with great insight from one with seasoned experience. Dave served with the Navs for 38 years and is now the leadership development pastor at Mars Hill Church (Mark Driscoll’s church). I loved his simple reminder on

During my 30 years in ministry, I’ve discovered that people give to their church for 4 primary reasons. 1. Obedience-because the Bible teaches it, they believe and practice it. 2. Challenge-some are motivated by big vision and challenge. 3. Reason-it costs the church money to run, so some give because it makes sense. 4. Compassion– touching

The frigid temperature caused me to catch my breath and I squinted as my pupils adjusted to the intense lighting.   After hearing the respirator’s rhythmic sound, I glanced into the room to my right. I felt the sadness of two red-eyed parents as they gingerly held their child’s hand.  My heavy heart became heavier

In a recent post, Strategic Planning for Dummies, I suggested a simple visual that can simply explain strategic planning. I’ve used the tool below with that visual to help actually implement ministry plans. I hope it helps you. Ministry Event Plan tool for blog

Account Suspended This account is currently suspended and is being investigated due to strange activity. ________________________________________________________________ I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this message from Twitter! Me, Charles Stone, who loves puppies, drives the speed limit, and secretly wants to be a Wal-Mart security guard to catch people really doing bad stuff… had