All churches like to think that theirs is the friendliest in town. But do visitors see it that way? Church consultant Gary McIntosh invites readers to take a look at their church through the eyes of visitors and potential visitors. His starting point, grounded in an understanding of God as a "welcomer," is that churches should see those who enter their doors as not merely visitors, but as guests, and themselves as gracious hosts. This practical book offers sound advice on assessing and imp...

A startling 85% of churches in the US are plateaued or declining, a trend that has been building for the past fifty years. In the face of shrinking attendance and lagging spiritual growth, pastors and church leaders are understandably discouraged and demoralized. But the first step to turning things around is hope. Church health expert Gary McIntosh offers this hope by showing church leaders the first things they need to do to make a new start for their church.God can and does rest...

Pastors and church leaders are constantly faced with strategic questions. How much staff does the church need? How many workers are needed in the nursery this month? When is the right time to start a second worship service? How many people should we train for evangelism this year? How does seating and parking impact worship attendance? When church leaders have questions about planning, running, or growing their churches, they need answers fast!What Every Pastor Should Know...

Why, when, and how should a church add to its professional staff? Here is a practical manual dealing with the issues of hiring and utilizing multiple staff positions to encourage church growth.

Practical guidance on more than fifty aspects of everyday church ministry life· quick-reference guide· easy-to-navigate Q&A format· answers to (almost) every question you haveNo matter what your education, no amount of schooling can prepare a pastor for a so-called "typical" day of ministry. Pastors are teachers, counselors, evangelists, and cheerleaders. They are a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. They're CEOs and jani...

Being a pastor is a complex and demanding role, especially for someone leading alone. The majority of pastors find themselves in this position, leading their smaller church with no additional professional assistance. The challenges are many, including loneliness, isolation, self-doubt, overwhelm, feelings of inadequacy, and a constant search for additional resources and volunteers. Where does a solo pastor turn for help and encouragement?With compassion and plenty of proven, practi...

The challenge facing today's church is simultaneous and effective ministry to people of four widely divergent generations. More than at any time in history, pastors must plan programs that will appeal to a mosaic of groups and subgroups. This updated edition of Three Generations: Riding the Waves of Change in Your Church adds an entirely new section on Bridgers, the youngest generation and perhaps the most difficult one to reach for Christ.Characteristics, interests, and values of e...

Every pastor wants to have a vibrant, dynamic church. There are many popular models for church growth based on outstanding churches led by outstanding pastors. But unfortunately, specific models are temporary and go out of style quickly. Author Gary McIntosh explores the biblical principles for church growth and applies them to today's culture. Instead of concentrating on the ephemeral how of church growth, he focuses on the unchanging why.McIntosh defines church growth as "all that...

If most pastors were pressed to describe an average day of ministry, they'd have trouble doing it. In a single day, a pastor may fill many different roles in quick succession, from counselor to theologian to student to CEO to custodian (well, let's hope there's usually someone else available to perform that last role). Some roles come more naturally than others, but every pastor wants to perform each role to the best of their ability.In The 10 Key Roles of a Pastor, church...

The rapid changes all around us in the new millennium may cause one of two errors: wishing to return to an idealized past or refusing to look back at all. Both patterns of thinking lead to ineffective churches and communities. Look Back, Leap Forward challenges Christian leaders to balance the two extremes: look back to find the core values that give meaning to ministry and then use them to build the future and take hold of new opportunities.This book's unique focus presents a holi...

Just as a physically healthy person--at an ideal weight and with good blood pressure and cholesterol numbers--might not actually be fit enough to run a 5k, so churches can appear healthy--with no obvious issues, maintaining a healthy size--and yet not exhibit fitness. A fit church is one that is not satisfied with merely coasting along with no problems. A fit church is actively making disciples, maturing in faith, developing strong leaders, reaching out to the community, ...

It's no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them.Based on ten years of scientific research, Growing God's Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are...