Where to Find Great Sermon Illustrations
As a preacher, I’m always looking for great sermon illustrations. So I thought I would share a list of some of the top secret places I find sermon illustrations. After all, there shouldn’t be trade secrets in the Kingdom of God. Here are seven go-to places for sermon illustrations. 1. Your past. You may…
Read MoreDo This at Your Next Volunteer Training Meeting or Appreciation Event
Most churches are fueled by volunteers, depending on people to do the work of the ministry. In fact, God designed the church to need all kinds of people. That’s why you’ll never be able to hire people to do everything, and it’s why you will always need happy and healthy volunteers. When I was leading…
Read MoreThree Keys to Increasing Online Giving
Studies show online donations are larger than in-service donations, and online donors tend to be more consistent. That’s why increasing online giving is a key to increasing overall giving to your church. Here are three keys to increasing giving via online channels. Key Number 1: Make it Faster. If online giving is complicated, or requires…
Read MoreSix Ways to Make Your Sermon Stick
One of my favorite books is Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. It’s all about how some ideas stick, while other ideas fade away. As preachers, helping our messages stick is important. In the book, the Heath Brothers (typing that makes me hungry for a candy bar), give six ways to make a…
Read MoreThe Key to Preventing Volunteer Burnout
Volunteers should be the MOST inspired people in your church. Sadly, many volunteers in the church are on the fence and on the verge of burnout. Volunteer positions that are unfilled, cause a select few to do double or triple duty. This leads to burnout and the whole cycle is stuck on repeat. Why do…
Read MoreWhy People Don’t Tithe To Your Church
You pass the plate every week, you’ve got an online giving button on your website and you send a super-informative letter with a contribution statement. So why don’t more people give to your church? Or why don’t people increase their giving to fund the vision? Here are seven reasons people don’t tithe to your church.…
Read MoreThree Things Every Volunteer in Your Church Needs
We often think of what volunteers can do for the church, but there are things your volunteers need from you. In fact, without these three things, volunteers will not feel successful. Failure to do these three things will result in volunteer burnout. Here are three things every volunteer in your church needs. 1. They…
Read MoreHow Two Minutes in a Church Service Can Increase Giving
The pastor works hard on the sermon. The band rehearses the songs. At least, I hope both of those things are true in your church. But there’s another important element in your church service that rarely gets attention, preparation or intentional thought. It’s the giving talk. A giving talk is a 60-second or two-minute talk…
Read MoreThree Powerful Ways to Start Your Sermon
Euripides said a bad beginning makes a bad ending. That’s definitely true in sermons. Like a front porch of a house, your introduction should welcome people to the message. Your first five minutes are really important. They often determine if people will listen to the rest of the minutes. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “I felt that…
Read MoreFive Things You Can Do to Increase Regular Giving in Your Church
“Having money beats not having money,” a pastor emailed us last week. While there are churches in all kinds of settings doing ministry in all kinds of ways, money does seem to be a common denominator. Resources can make ministry happen. Finances can facilitate ministry. You don’t need a car wash or a capital campaign…
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