Pastor How To's

I’ve been peppered in recent weeks with questions about summer church services and how to address the summer slump in attendance. Here are some ideas:

A disapproving facial expression stirs up the flight-fight part of our brain and heightens anxiety, even more than an angry facial expression does. I’ve experienced those disapproving looks and have learnedabout coping with disapproval.

One wolf in a sheep pen can ravage the whole flock. The same is true in the church. One false teacher in the congregation can cause untold damage. An essential component of pastoral leadership is the call to protect the flock.

Summer Church Experiments - Rather than looking for the “perfect” strategy for your church, it’s better to consider your practices as a series of experiments with changes in the church and then watch the results.

When it comes time to officiate a wedding ceremony, don't be caught off guard. Here are all the things you need to know about how to perform a wedding ceremony.

Generic preaching can create all kinds of pain, especially when we are vague about the expectations we have of other people. I believe clarity counts for a lot in the arena of preaching.

Viewing pastors wives as a “second-class” citizen is hurtful, not to mention sinful. There are no easy answers other than loving them strongly and caring deeply for them—being sensitive to the pressures they are also experiencing being in the ministry.

I have been attending church for 30+ years and have never seen the level of energy, expectation and excitement that I’ve seen from the tribe at PCC. Let's walk through what I experience at PCC and use it as a template for measuring how excited people are to attend your church.