2018 marks my 36th year of vocational ministry. Over that span I have served in almost every capacity with local churches including youth pastor, family pastor, multisite pastor and senior pastor. I’ve been honored to work with congregations of every size, from 30 people in a church plant to 30,000 people in a mega church. I am more convinced than ever of two things:
A healthy church is God’s greatest vehicle for good in the world
An unhealthy church can do unimaginable damage to the souls of its leaders
Over the past year I have seen both of these up close and personal. I have seen incredible life change as people find their way back to God through their local church, and I’ve watched pastors’ confidence crushed and their faith eroded in the vice of abuse meted about by well-meaning but misguided local church leaders. Some days I’ve wondered if I made a mistake spending my life serving an institution that has wandered so far from the Imago Dei.
On my better days, however, I remain convinced that Jesus Christ through the local church is the hope of the world. Rather than wringing my hands and giving up, or shaking my fist in anger, I’m inspired to roll up my sleeves in this next season and come alongside pastors and local churches to rediscover life and health as they shine a light in the darkest corners of our communities.
My goal is to see pastors who are healthy spiritually, physically and relationally lead churches who are growing and multiplying as they see thousands of people turn from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. I believe God has allowed me to be a part of the one of the most explosive growth movements in church history so I can share what I’ve learned through partnering with pastors. In this season those partnerships will look like this:
Coaching
In this next season I will be working with a limited number of pastors and churches as a coach in the areas of multiplication and growth. My goal is to work with leaders on a long term basis as an “adjunct staff member” rather than a traditional consultant so we can draft new strategies together, and partner not only on planning, but on execution. Currently I have space for two additional coaching relationships. You can contact me here if you’d like to discuss a possible coaching arrangement.
Retreats
With the release of our new book, Together: A Guide for Couples in Ministry, my wife Sherry and I are leading marriage retreats for pastors and spouses, as well as doing events for church staffs. Contact us here for more information about a retreat or staff event.
Speaking
Over the next few months we will be speaking at a variety of conferences including:
Exponential (February 26-March 1, Orlando)
CMN (March 5-7, Dallas)
Orange Conference (April 25-27, Atlanta)
Please contact us here if you are interested in having us speak at your event or conference.
Facilitated learning
One of the most exciting ways we’ve partnered with local churches is through facilitated learning experiences. Currently we meet every six months with 65 of the largest, most influential church in Europe in a project called Growing to the Next Level, and we are also leading a cohort of large Assembly of God Churches through a learning experience in the US. We would love to talk with you about a similar experience for your network or organization, you can contact us here for more information.
