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How to Make the Most of Sticky Teams (and other conferences)
It’s conference time again here at North Coast Training, and your pastor is probably wondering if the team should go again this year. The argument is pretty simple: If you’re doing the same conferences year after year, then you’re not learning anything new. You see the same speakers, hear the same talks, and go back…
Keep ReadingWhy we switched hosts and how it improved our user experience.
We breathe a little easier now. If you have a website, then you know your web host is mission critical to your success. Everyone always assumes their hosting provider is working for them, but how many know that they need to work with you? It’s like making the move from a beginner’s stick, to one that’s…
Keep ReadingCreative Team Meeting Framework for Sermon Branding
Creative team meetings don’t have to be a headache. I want to help your church by providing a creative team meeting framework with ten questions that will help you discover, develop, and distribute an effective sermon series. It’s been almost two years since I originally created the sermon branding resource, so I felt it was…
Keep ReadingHow to Save $82,000 a Year for Your Church
$82,000 is a lot of money, for any size of church. A few months ago my friends at Tithely came to me asking about our experience with moving North Coast Church over to Tithely. To give you a little back-story, when we first started discussing the possibility of moving giving providers, we were using no…
Keep ReadingHow to Close the Feedback Loop and Improve Your Message
“Great job pastor. Your message really hit the spot for me.” Sixty-nine percent of pastors spend between ten and eighteen hours studying for their message on a weekly basis. Thirty-four percent of new guests return to a church as a direct result of a message they heard. In his post on why people don’t come…
Keep ReadingThere Is No Summer Slump; You Just Suck.
No need to think of it as a slam, even though it totally is. Spring is here and churches are (rightly) gearing up for Easter. They call it the Super Bowl for churches; go time numero uno. They pour capital into events like they’re going out of style, creating egg hunts that last for miles…
Keep ReadingWhy Copywriting Matters for Churches and How to Get Better
Clear copy creates conversions. Crappy copy causes confusion. Is that clear enough? The problem with so many church websites is that so many of them take this as their opportunity to cram every little bit of information down their audience’s throat, just to see if something sticks. Sure, the image is nasty as heck, but…
Keep ReadingSometimes You Just Need to Break
Right now (Tuesday AM) my step-mom is on the operating table. She’s having surgery on her carotid artery that is 70% blocked. She had a stroke on New Year’s Day and I have to tell you, it all just sucks right now. I don’t know how she will pull through, what life will be like…
Keep ReadingWhy I’m “Meh” on Student Ministry Right Now
Student Ministry is no longer the Ronco Rottiserie: You can’t just set it and forget it; It takes work. I was in student ministry for sixteen years. I have been an intern, a resident, an associate student pastor and the lead student pastor, with experience leading both small rural and large metro ministries. I have…
Keep ReadingRight now people are enjoying my Margin Management series where I talk about creating margin with my finances, relationships, time, and life.