The concept of mission drift is something that many nonprofit leaders become aware of, but often only after it’s too late. So, how does an organization that begins with a clear vision veer off course? Let’s break it down through a hypothetical example and explore how mission drift can occur—and more importantly, how you can…
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Have you ever encouraged your congregation to take action—inviting friends to church, getting involved in ministry, or serving in a specific role—only to see little follow-through? It’s a common challenge in many churches, and the disconnect isn’t always due to a lack of desire. Often, the issue stems from how we frame participation in ministry.…
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In ministry, education, or any faith-based organization, leaders are often drawn to measurable outcomes. Attendance figures, donations, website visits, or enrollment numbers—these metrics seem to provide a clear gauge of success. But what if these metrics aren’t telling the whole story? We consistently stress to the organizations we work with that while metrics can be…
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If you’re like me, you’ve experienced those moments when you thought someone fully understood what was going on—only to discover later that they didn’t. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You thought you were clear. You thought you’d explained everything well. But the reality is, the things left unsaid are like empty boxes, and people will fill…
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Over the past few months, I’ve been in conversations with high-capacity donors involved in various ministries we work with. As a ministry consultant for many years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside many influential leaders and donors who have supported large fundraising and ministry initiatives around the world. Through these experiences, I’ve heard these…
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The answer might be different that you’d expect. Years ago, we conducted an informal survey with ministry leaders, specifically pastors in visible roles—teaching pastors, senior pastors, lead pastors, worship pastors. The survey had just one question, and participants were given a list to choose from. They could only pick one option. The question was: As…
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When I was young, I was very shy. Growing up in a ministry family often required me to be in social settings, which made me uncomfortable. I loved my upbringing but found getting on stage intimidating. Despite feeling sick before performing, I participated because our family wore many hats in starting churches. Several factors contributed…
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Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved tinkering with things, taking them apart to understand how they worked, though I rarely got them back together quite right. I was always building something, whether it was with Legos or electronic kits. My curiosity sometimes got the best of me. Once, I took my dad’s wire…
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Last week, I discussed metrics in ministry and how easy it is to fall into a transactional mindset, which can limit our focus on life change. Building on that, I want to share specific observations about leaders who are transformational-minded versus transactional-minded, and how you can shift toward a life change perspective. As a worship…
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Overall, I consider myself someone who likes change. I enjoy being part of change and initiating it. However, for many people, the idea of change is very difficult or something to be avoided. Sometimes there are valid reasons for change, and sometimes there aren’t. Even when we know change would benefit us or others, we…
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