Chuck Lawless

Latest

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  Sep 12, 2015

  10 Characteristics of Bad Christian Teachers

  Several times in my teaching career, I've asked graduate students to give me descriptions of the worst teachers they've had. During those same years, I've watched leaders, discussed leadership, and read leadership books to learn characteristics of good and bad leaders. Perhaps not surprisingly, I've seen that some of the characteristics of bad teachers and bad leaders are the same.

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  Jun 13, 2015

  12 Signs of Mediocrity in a Church

  I suspect this post may offend someone, but that's not my goal. I want churches to strive for excellence simply because our calling is to do what we do for God's glory. I fear, though, that many congregations settle for mediocrity. As a church consultant, I've learned that these signs are often an indicator that the church overall does not strive for excellence:

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  Jun 10, 2015

  10 Reasons Why Spiritual Disciplines Matter in Church Revitalization

  Thom Rainer and I have talked often about the process of church revitalization. Both of us recognize, though, that knowledge of revitalization is hardly enough to turn around a church; the process cannot be separated from the personal walk of the leader who longs for church renewal. Below are ten reasons why spiritual disciplines matter in church revitalization.

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  Jun 1, 2015

  13 Ways to Address Signs of Leadership Fatigue

  Previously, I posted on "13 Signs of Leadership Fatigue." Several readers asked me to write a follow up post about ways to deal with these signs. Maybe these suggestions will help you move past leadership fatigue.

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  May 29, 2015

  5 Reasons Some Pastors Are Loners — And Why That's Not Good

  3. It's easier to do ministry alone. It takes less time to make a visit if I go by myself. I don't have to worry about anybody's schedule. Lunch takes less time if it's not connected to hanging out with another believer. We even spiritualize our thinking: "we can get more done for God's glory this way."

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  May 26, 2015

  13 Signs of Leadership Fatigue

  Leadership is sometimes wearisome – so wearisome that we come close to giving up. Over the years, I've watched leaders slide into defeat, and I've seen some of these common signs of trouble.

• Apr 29, 2015

  12 Reasons Churches Don't Practice Church Discipline

  Some years ago, I conducted a study and wrote a book on membership classes in local churches. Many of those churches included teaching church covenants in their membership class, but they talked very little about church discipline. That is, they established expectations but did not always talk about accountability. Since then, I've conducted an ongoing informal survey to see why churches don't do discipline. Here are the primary findings, in no particular order.

• Mar 20, 2015

  Church Reflections From a 22-Year-Old

  On the spur of the moment, I asked George what ten things he would like in a church if he could design it. Within minutes, he gave me his response—so quickly, in fact, that I suspect he's thought about these topics before. Compare George's responses to the young adults you know.

• Feb 20, 2015

  15 Concerns in Children's Ministries

  Recently, I spent time with a church that is upgrading their children's wing. In the midst of those discussions, we talked about some of the common problems our Lawless Group consulting team sees in a children's ministry. Here are 15 of those problems:

• Feb 1, 2015

  The Most Frequent Burdens Pastors Face

  In my years of church consulting, I have spent hours talking to local church pastors. Much of the conversation revolves around church structure, vision, etc., but seldom does the conversation stay at that level. Pastors, it seems, long for someone to listen to them. They want someone to share their burdens, even if only for a few minutes.