In seventeen years of doing church consulting, no church leader has said to me, "Our church really doesn't want to do the Great Commission." I've worked with many churches, though, that proclaim the Great Commission but never get around to doing it. ..
Two weeks ago, I posted my thoughts on "10 Things We Need to Hear from Young Church Leaders." I'm grateful that post gained traction, as I strongly believe my generation needs to listen to younger church leaders. At the same time, I also think we old..
I'm writing this post for me as much as for anyone. In the past months, I've re-read Jim Collins' How the Mighty Fall and Tim Irwin's Derailed. Both of these gripping studies review the process of decline in leaders and organizations, especially in l..
This coming Sunday, Christians around the world will celebrate Easter – perhaps better understood as "Resurrection Sunday." Some believers will celebrate with meals and family get-togethers. Some will gather with the largest church crowds they've see..
Maybe you've seen it happen. A new believer joins a local church, and he is thrilled by his changed life. He shows up at every church event. He consumes knowledge of the Bible. But then something happens. The excited new believer slowly wanders away,..
I was a young pastor, and I was sure everybody in the church was kind, gracious, and Christian. Everybody would treat everybody else with the love of God. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to learn that even in the church are people who don't q..
New Testament writers warn us again and again about the reality of spiritual attack. The apostle Paul, a leader extraordinaire, challenged believers to wear the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11), being ever aware of the enemy's schemes (2 Cor. 2:11). The..
It's been a long time since I became a Christ follower (39+ years ago), but I still think about what I wish I had known back then. You see, my first years as a believer were not easy. My family was not a Christian family. I was in my early teens, wan..
In the 1990s, Peter Wagner published The Healthy Church, a book describing several diseases that churches sometimes exhibit. Some of his descriptions are quite helpful (e.g., koinonitis = excessive, inward fellowship), and the list itself challenges ..
Have you ever thought that a guest at your church might, in fact, be a spy? My church consulting company uses church "spies" to help us evaluate how churches respond to guests. Our spies are "good" spies, though, since their goal is to help a church ..
I admit the topic of this blogpost might not quickly grab your attention – but I challenge you to keep reading. The world needs us to have this discussion. In fact, our basic Christian obedience is at stake if we ignore this topic.
John, a leader in a church I assisted as a consultant, admitted to me what I'd heard before from seminary students and church leaders alike: "Dr. Lawless, I don't always pray like I should. I know better, but prayer isn't easy." I've heard something ..
I am a professor of evangelism, but I admit that most churches are not evangelistically driven. Do you want your church to be evangelistic? Check out these four strategies for moving your church in this direction.
Evangelicals know that theology matters, and we're quick to remind others of this fact. What we're not so quick to acknowledge is the focus of this blogpost: we do a poor job of teaching the very theology we claim is so important. We think that our c..
The question didn't surprise me, but I wasn't ready with an answer. I was a young church consultant, and the church's leadership team had several questions. The one for which I had no answer at the time was, "What characteristics have you seen in chu..
I am a church consultant who loves helping God's church. The churches I consult, though, aren't always as excited, as a church consultation is sometimes like a medical physical—we know we need it, but we don't like being poked and prodded by an outsi..