Insight 325: FaithSoaring Churches Figure Out Why People Do Not Leave, Part One
Congregations seeking to transform are not only concerned about people who leave the congregation and people who stay with the congregation for great reasons. They are also concerned about people who stay with the congregation for dysfunctional reasons. These people often have a negative influence, and while in one sense it might be better if […]
Insight 324: FaithSoaring Churches Do Not Reward Bad Behavior
Congregations seeking to transform by focusing on signs of health and strength, are unwilling to allow the few who want to focus on signs of disease and weakness to be the dominant voices. Too often the agenda of these people is control of the congregation. Rather than wanting the congregation to be all it can […]
Insight 323: FaithSoaring Churches Confront Casual Christians
Congregations seeking to transform are willing to lovingly confront casual Christians in their midst. They always hold up a figurative banner of high expectations because of the joy they feel when they are in the spiritual and missional zone serving God. They are willing to help people who feel that Christianity is related primarily to […]
Insight 322: FaithSoaring Churches Create a Magnetic Movement
Congregations seeking to transform know it is important to inspire people with a solid mission, and a captivating vision. But it is more than that. People must feel that they are part of a movement that is making a difference in God’s world. They must see their congregation as a venue through which the world […]
Insight 321: FaithSoaring Churches Figure Out Positive Reasons People Stay
Congregations seeking to transform work on figuring out the healthy, positive reasons why people stay in their congregation. They want to know what adds value to the congregational experience for their participants so they can affirm and build on these healthy and positive characteristics. They particularly want to affirm those characteristics that also seem to […]
Insight 320: FaithSoaring Churches Figure Out Why People Stay, Not Just Why People Leave
Congregations seeking to transform discover why people stay and are active in their congregation. They are as concerned about this as they are about why people leave. They see people leaving and become appropriately anxious, but not overly anxious. They know that many articles are being written on why people leave. Particularly we are in […]
Insight 319: FaithSoaring Churches Have a Clear and Specific Vision
Congregations seeking to transform must be willing to discern deeply what God is saying to them about their future. Vision is specific rather than general. Those elements that can be general are mottos and mission statements. Visions are clear and specific. They identify a context or affinity group[s]. They identify a quantity or quality that […]
Insight 318: FaithSoaring Churches Move Forward Even When It Seems Too Tough
Congregations seeking to transform do not give up when the journey forward is tough, has mandatory detours, or experiences too many pot holes. Efforts to engage in transitions and changes are going to escalate conflict. Uncertainty arises when the direction and actions of the congregation go to places where the congregation has not been before. […]
Insight 317: FaithSoaring Churches Willingly Embrace the Contrarian
Congregations seeking to transform do not demand blind loyalty. While they appropriately oppose unfounded opposition, this does not mean they oppose the loyal opposition of the contrarian. They know they need to hear the voices of diversity because it can in the long-term be a stronger and more effective approach than shallow harmony. Failing to […]
Insight 316: FaithSoaring Churches Choose the Narrow Path
Congregations seeking to transform resist the temptation to emulate the success of other congregations, the desire to compete with other congregations who are successful in the same community context, and the easy pathway of embracing an organization’s understanding of what a transformed congregation looks like. Instead they seek to be exactly what it is that […]