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Church Growth
Discover expert church growth resources, strategies, and tips to strengthen your congregation and ministry. Learn more at Advanced Pastoral Network.
What’s Happening in Worship?
Worship in a Variety of Churches After serving five churches, three as Senior Pastor, for the first time I’ve moved to a new region...
Gary Westra
3 min read
Sharing Faith in Post-Christian America, Part 4
It’s time to stop holding on to yesteryear and start looking for ways to introduce Jesus to our dark world. — Daniel Im, Christianity...
Gary Westra
6 min read
Sharing Faith in Post-Christian America, Part 3
“The Church is the only organization that does not exist for itself, but for those who live outside of it.” – William Temple (Church of...
Gary Westra
4 min read
Sharing Faith in Post-Christian America, Part 2
In my last post, I referenced individuals from across Christian theological perspectives that have affirmed a fundamental shift in...
Gary Westra
4 min read
Sharing Faith in Post-Christian America, Part 1
I will never forget my experience with “Marcus.” We were of different backgrounds, different races. I was surprised he even started to...
Gary Westra
3 min read
From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: The Social Media Revolution & the Church – Part 2
Part 2 of a guest post by Thomas Billings, Jr., a member of the advisory board of TAP, Inc. and a TAP Coach. — Gary Westra, TAP Inc. In...
Gary Westra
3 min read
From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: The Social Media Revolution & the Church – Part 1
A guest post from Thomas Billings, Jr., a member of the turnaround pastor advisory board, and a TAP Coach. — Gary Westra, TAP Inc....
Gary Westra
2 min read
The second rule of turnaround leadership
What if turnaround leadership was a matter of following a few simple rules about how pastors behave, and that these behaviors are as...
Bud Brown
3 min read
In re: Karl Vaters on Perry Noble and our “obsession with numbers”
In a recent post, “ Perry Noble, NewSpring Church and Our Obsession with Numbers ” Karl Vaters urges us to think carefully and deeply...
Bud Brown
2 min read
Guest assimilation: the turnaround pastor’s roadmap
Guest assimilation for churches is like helping people out for a stroll in a strange neighborhood. Imagine it is you walking through the...
Bud Brown
3 min read
Church metrics – measure the things that count
Metrics can be tricky Elsewhere I’ve written about the trouble pastors of plateaued or declining churches can get into if they use the...
Bud Brown
3 min read
Avoiding Dry Rot in Ministry
When working as an engineer in Fort Collins, our firm was hired to do some renovation work on a historic downtown building. At the time,...
Gordon Penfold
5 min read
Turnaround pastors love the challenge of change
Turnaround pastors are “different.” Sometimes it seems that rather than marching to everyone else’s drummer, they’re lurching frantically...
Bud Brown
4 min read
Hospitality at the 2nd friendliest church in town
After a recent move a friend (we’ll call her Sue) decided to find a church nearer her home. She began her search by checking out a nearby...
Gary Westra
3 min read
When should a church initiate change?
My colleague and ministry partner Gordon Penfold’s favorite refrain has one line: “Successful turnaround takes a capable pastor and a...
Bud Brown
5 min read
20 Reasons Your Church May Not Be Growing
In a post on “Church and Culture Blog” ( https://www.churchandculture.org/Blog.asp?ID=4727 ) titled, “20 Reasons Your Church May not be...
Gary Westra
3 min read
Help Us Help Your Pastor
Chances are you’re in a church that’s on the plateau, or on the down hill slide. The chances are great, in fact. 85% of the churches in...
Gary Westra
5 min read
What churches can learn from Google about hospitality
Imagine you’re in charge of Google’s plan to bring fast Internet to America’s cities. You need a bit of cooperation from city...
Bud Brown
2 min read
A free professional development tool for pastors
Other people. The Turnaround pastor’s most effective professional development tool. More important than biblical languages. More...
Bud Brown
4 min read
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