You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See – 6 Steps to Define and Redesign Your Church

Does your current ministry model seem clear? Strategic? Intentional?

A clear, strategic, and intentional approach to ministry isn’t unholy. The opposite, in fact. Contributing to the Great Commission doesn’t happen by accident. The more intentional we are in ministry, the better we position our church and ministry for God to work through it. 

Here’s a question you must answer: 

If an outsider saw your ministry model, would it appear intentionally designed to move people along a discipleship journey?

Outside perspectives are invaluable. Outsiders have fresh eyes. They aren’t seeing your ministry model as a creator or through dozens of incremental additions. They see it for what it is, not what you perceive it to be.

To better see your ministry strategy accurately, you have two options:

1. Bring in an outside perspective.
2. Think like an outsider.

In this NEW POST, I outline the 6 steps you can take to evaluate your church model like an outsider.

Of course, you can always invite me in to help.

It’s Time For a New Model in Your Church – 4 Spots Left!

I’ve had the opportunity to lead a few groups through a cohort learning experience: The Comprehensible Church Model.  We need a new model for our churches. The trends that appeared in 2016, 17, 18, and 19 accelerated dramatically in 2020. How we did church is no longer the way to best do church. We have […]

Four Questions to Ask When You Feel Stuck in a Job

Do you feel stuck?

Specifically, do you feel stuck in your job? In your role? In your career?

I get it. I tend to feel stuck more often than I probably should.

When you feel stuck, getting unstuck is about all you can imagine. You spend your working hours frustrated in your stuckness. You spend your leisure hours daydreaming about what could be. You spend your sleeping hours dreaming about freedom.

If you’ve ever said (or are saying now), “I just feel stuck,” this post is for you.

Or, if you’re a leader or manager of people, this is for you, too. The reason is that they are feeling this emotion, as well. Understanding stuckness will help you lead those who feel stuck.

In this article, I give you 4 questions to help you reframe before you run.

Your Church Service Should Start Doing Less to Accomplish More

I led a church during the attractional church heyday. Entertainment was a successful pathway for attracting people – especially the unchurch within our community. Most perceived church as dull, so leveraging culturally relevant connections like music to connect with the community worked. And it worked well!

That was 15 years ago.

The world has changed dramatically. Culture has changed. And your community has changed, too. Fifteen years is a long time. Add our two-year pandemic accelerator, and 15 years feels like a lifetime ago.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe about people today:

In our overwhelmed, over-informed, and over-entertained lives, the last thing people crave from their church is more entertainment.

In the past, churches mimicked culture to engage the community.

Today, people need an alternative to culture. They desire something different. In a world full of distractions, what people need is space.

Your church service has an incredible opportunity to give your community what they need the most: Space.

Why Your Hybrid Church Still Isn’t Growing

Why are NEW hybrid church efforts not reversing the trends of church decline?

Perhaps because we’ve digitized an outdated model.

The last two years hyper-focused church leaders on becoming hybrid. And while the move to hybrid is long overdue, digitizing and “hybridizing” a ministry model that was no longer working isn’t the secret to success.

I’m watching church after church after church move to be more “hybrid” while seeing their influence, attendance, and engagement continue to decline.

This can be fixed. Your church can grow again, reach those far from God and help followers grow in their faith. What you need is a comprehensive approach.

That’s why I created the Comprehensive Church Model. I’m leading churches and pastors through the model every month through cohorts. I’d love for you to join my next group.

This NEW POST is all about our current problems implementing a better hybrid church model.

If you want to learn more about the cohort, here are some details:

https://gavinadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Comprehensive-Church-Cohort-Overview.pdf

Here’s what you can expect from our six-session cohort:
– A small group learning experience personally facilitated by me
– A one-on-one meeting with me to discuss your specific questions and challenges.
– Planning tools and resources to make your new model teachable and executable in your church.
– A new, hybrid, and modern ministry model that you can easily implement in your church.

This Cohort will give you: 
– Meaningful ideas for connecting to your community and congregation during their 70 hours of weekly discretionary time.
– New thinking about your in-person gatherings.
– Clarity on new metrics and how discipleship pathways look in today’s world.
– An understanding of the best practices for implementing our new model.

Space is limited to 10 participants.

You may bring one additional staff member to participate in each session at no additional charge. Perhaps a programming staff or digital team member.

It’s Time for a New, Comprehensive Ministry Model

I’m launching a new Ministry Model cohort group. Here’s why:

It seems every church knows that they NEED a new ministry strategy, but nobody knows what it should look like.

Of course, it should integrate digital and physical components, but converting an outdated ministry model into a hybrid model only nets you an outdated hybrid model.

What your community needs today is different than what it needed a decade ago. The reason is that your community has evolved significantly over the last ten to twenty years.

Christianity is no longer cultural. We need a model that understands this reality.

Enter the Comprehensive Church Model.

Church problems are societal and generational, not viral. It’s time we addressed it comprehensively.

Let me give you two options:
1. Read this NEW POST and consider joining my new cohort. Just reply to this email to learn more.
2. If you know you need a new model, go ahead and reply to this email now. I’ll send you the course details.

Space in the course is limited. I want this to be personal and conversational. If the course if full, I’m happy to place you on the waitlist for the next group.

Why You Should Stop Comparing Candidates When Hiring 

Of all the difficult decisions leaders must make, hiring and firing are certainly toward the top.

Finding the best people for an open position is always challenging. Often we interview many people looking for that perfect fit. During the process, often two candidates rise to the top. When this happens, something dangerous is right around the corner:

The Personnel Comparison Trap.

In this NEW POST, I unpack the trap and give you some tips to avoid it when you are making your next hire.

10 Questions to Better Understand Your Discipleship Pathway

WHO IS THIS FOR: This post is specifically for church leaders struggling to reach new people and grow those in their congregation…

WHAT YOU’LL GET: 10 Questions to help you and your church team evaluate your approach to discipleship.

How successful is discipleship in your church? 

If you lead a church, no doubt you’ve repeatedly asked this question over the past two years. Or two decades.

I suspect Christians and church leaders have questioned discipleship pathways since the beginning of discipleship. Come to think of it, some of the original Disciples debated and argued discipleship at the Jerusalem council. So we’re in good company.

If you’re like most church leaders, you have a discipleship pathway answer, but you’re unsure if it’s the right answer. Or the best answer.

Making it worse, the answer keeps changing. Our two-year pandemic crisis certainly made everything in the church more complex – including discipleship.

Every church I am working with is asking discipleship pathway questions.

Every church that reaches out to me is asking discipleship pathway questions.

Perhaps we’ve never met, but I have an inkling you’re asking discipleship pathway questions, too.

Discipleship is critical to the mission of our churches. I’d suggest it’s central to the mission. If I can press a little further, I’d say discipleship IS the church’s mission.

In this NEW POST, I attempt to redefine discipleship based on the Great Commission and give you 10 questions to ponder as you rethink your approach to discipleship.

Why You Should Stop Saying “The Best Is Yet To Come” (Unless You Do This First)

The best is definitely not yet to come for too many leaders and the organizations they serve. You may be a long way from retirement. Or perhaps you’re a decade or less away. Regardless of how long you have left in your leadership position, two things are certain: The time will go faster than you […]

You Can’t Win Without The Right Teammates (Just Ask Matthew Stafford)

KEY IDEA: If you are a leader, that means you have followers, and they hold the secret to success.

Just ask Matthew Stafford.

In 12 seasons playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Stafford only played in three playoff games. And he lost all three games.

Detroit traded Stafford this past off-season to the Los Angeles Rams. He and his team just went 4 – 0 in the playoffs and finished with a Super Bowl win.

Think about that. This same guy spent 12 years losing and, in one single season on a new team, won it all. 

Football is a team sport. So is organizational leadership.

Leaders lead teams, and the team determines the success. No leader can overcome a bad team.

What leaders need is a team that complements their competencies and contributes to the organizational culture.

In this post, we’ll talk about how to do just that.

If you’re a leader, I hope this helps you evaluate your team.