A crisis changes you. The extent of the change may vary, but a crisis will leave its mark.

A loved one’s death, a car accident, cancer, a miscarriage, losing a job, an epic public failure—all will change you, for better or worse. A crisis changes communities and nations as well. Wars, economic depressions terrorist attacks, and now the global COVID-19 pandemic all usher in a period of rapid change.

COVID-19 is a significant crisis that is a disruption to your ministry. It is not a mere interruption. Your leadership in the next few months will go a long way in determining if your ministry dies, survives, or thrives. A crisis illuminates your strengths and weaknesses, and a wise leader would view it as an opportunity to assess where you are and plan for where you need to be.

CLICK BELOW TO GET THE FULL PRINTABLE ARTICLE.

I developed a resource that might help you solve a problem.

You lead or participate in a lot of virtual meetings. You know that virtual meetings can be drudgery. Other times they can be productive and energizing.

You don’t have enough time to organize and prepare for all of your online meetings. The result? Unfocused conversations and unproductive meetings.

You need to enter a digital meeting with a clear purpose and course of action. You need a method to take notes and document your conversations for future reference. It would help if you had a way to remind yourself of decisions made in meetings.

The Virtual Meeting Planner features easy-to-use templates that let you organize your thoughts before, during, and after meetings. The minimal design of each page in the planner is designed to keep your focus on what is essential. Each page of notes is formatted to follow the natural flow of your meetings.
Let your Virtual Meeting Planner guide you toward productive meetings that help you be awesome at your job and avoid poorly organized and unproductive meetings.

With most of us working remotely, the use of virtual meetings has skyrocketed in the past 2 months. Virtual meetings can be a great way to connect with people and get work done. They can also be drudgery. The only thing worse then a poorly run and unfocused meeting is a poorly run and unfocused virtual meeting.

Here’s the thing.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Virtual meetings can be well-run, focused, and more productive than a face-to-face meeting!

It just takes some unique planning and effort.

I’ve developed a system to plan and take great notes during online meetings. I am releasing it to you today! Check out your Virtual Meeting Planner - Easy-to-use templates for planning and documenting your important digital conversations. It is available in both print and digital formats.

Click below to check out your online meeting playbook.

The COVID-19 crisis has forced many ministry leaders to change the way they are DOING ministry.  
During this time of digital ministry, it is essential to be clear to your online audience on the WHY of your church.

WHY is it important to do ministry during this time when we are closing our physical campuses?
WHY will your ministry be needed when we can gather together again?

Does your church have a compelling mission? Is it memorable? If I surveyed your membership, how many people would know and understand your purpose? Would they care?

I published a book on clarifying the mission of your ministry. It serves as a practical guide for church leaders to develop or reaffirm their mission and make it memorable for your community.

Check it out on Amazon.
Bryan 

As you have discovered over the last few weeks, working from home is DIFFERENT than working in the office. You can be more productive, but it takes some intentional planning.

Here is the one page planner that I use to organize my week.

Bryan

You’ve heard it said a thousand times over the last few weeks:  There are uncertain times.  As a ministry leader, this is the first time you have shut down your physical campus.  This is the first time your ministry has been almost 100% digital.  

In the coming weeks and months, you will experience another first: opening your ministry up after a global pandemic.  

Here are the three best resources I have found to help you face this challenge.

24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return

10 Questions to Ask Your Congregation Before You Reopen

Relaunching Church in a Post-COVID Culture

As a busy ministry leader, you know what it is like to feel buried in your work and unfocused as you try to lead people.  You want your ministry to grow and just wish you had more time to work on what you think is important.  You need to get everything done at work and home without burning out and giving up. 

There are times in my day to day work leading a ministry where this is exactly how I fell.  I also know what it feels like to be focused, productive, and generally rocking things out.  I have found that the difference between being productive and just trying to manage the chaos is often good personal planning.  I know that when I plan my weeks and days, I am a better leader.

That’s why I developed a simple one-page template for planning my week.  

This one-page planner helps me focus on what is important, things I have to get done, and people I should be leading. 

I’d like to share it with you.  

Just click the link below and get my free Weekly Ministry Leader Planner PDF.  

I can’t dance. Notice I didn’t say that I am a poor dancer. I don’t have the rhythm even to start dancing! Sad.
Like my inherent lack of musical rhythm, I often struggle to realize the natural rhythms in ministry. Finding and knowing your ministry rhythm is crucial to maintaining your health to succeed as a leader.

I have written about why trying to find balance as a leader is the wrong approach. A much better plan is to try to identify the natural rhythms in your ministry and life.

I believe that God created us to live in natural rhythms. Our heart beats in rhythm. We breathe in, then we breath out. We sleep, then we wake.
You know the scripture:
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, 11 (NIV)

In Leviticus 25, God tells his people to avoid planting crops on their land every seventh year. Even dirt has a rhythm and needs to rest!

There is a rhythm to our interaction with our family, personal time, and our work in ministry. It looks like this:
Rest then work.
Go slow then run hard.
Fuel up then step on the gas.
Reflect then create.
Restore then produce.

Rhythm allows you to maintain a successful ministry and a healthy life at the same time.
Balance is not possible.
Rhythm is possible but challenging.

When you run fast for an extended period without resting or refueling, you will collapse.
When you lead ministry on empty, you will burn out. You are not an exception.

You need to find and maintain a healthy rhythm in your life.
Full disclosure: I am not awesome at this. I am an Enneagram #8 (A Challenger). I am a go-getter. My preferred state of ministry leadership is to work hard, then work harder. I expect those around me to do the same. To be in rhythm and maintain ministry and personal health, I have to be intentional. For most of us, a healthy work/life rhythm is not a natural tendency; it is a choice.
Think of your time and energy as a bucket filling and being emptied with life giving water.

To intentionally honor rhythm in my life, I have to do these 3 things:

1. Identify what fills and empties my bucket.
There is power in reflecting and realizing what your natural rhythms are.
Here is what I’ve found fills my bucket:
- fishing
- short nature walks
- family travel
- Netflix with my wife
- reading for fun

Here’s what I’ve found empties my bucket:
- poorly organized meetings
- parties and social events (I’m an introvert, and this drains me!)
- business travel
- dealing with conflict

​What fills and drains your bucket?

2. Intentionally Organize My Schedule Around My Buckets.
A mentor in ministry has a saying: “Work from rest.” Set your calendar so you can schedule a rhythm between things that drain you and things that fill you.
If I have an upcoming week full of things that drain me, I try to schedule something that fills me directly ahead of it. Maybe it’s a short fishing trip on my Friday day off. Perhaps a short nature walk a few hours before a board meeting. Maybe an evening of Netflix before a long day full of meetings.
Whatever works for you is great - you will have to experiment for a while before you find a rhythm that works for you. For now, the most important thing is to be intentional and schedule it.

3. Invite someone to hold me accountable.
Much like a diet, when left on my own, I will cheat. I will naturally sacrifice some things that fill me for things that I think are more urgent. I need someone to make sure I am scheduling life in a positive rhythm and sticking to it. Who is that for you? A spouse? A boss? A coworker?

Finding and maintaining a healthy rhythm in your life is crucial to your success as a ministry leader. Please do not overlook this. Spend time on this. Reflect on it. Make an intentional plan. Take a few concrete steps that put you on a path to a healthy rhythm.

Ministry is tough work. It is demanding of our time, energy, and presence. The reality of stress and burnout is always there. One of my favorite lines that I have ever written is this: “Those who work in ministry walk a fine line between being motivated by our mission and being overwhelmed by it.”

Many smart people write and speak about the need for ministry leaders to find balance in their lives. Balance your ministry, family, and personal responsibilities, and you will succeed! I’ve read several books and articles and listened to many seminar speakers address this topic. They are well-intentioned and do point out the many dangers of living an unbalanced life. Here’s the deal - I think they are wrong. They get the problem right - stress and anxiety. However, their prescription of balance to solve what ails you is wrong - and could be harmful.

I am not fond of the word balance. Here’s why:

4 Reasons You Should Stop Striving for Balance

1. Balance is nearly impossible to achieve
Balance is like a unicorn. You can spend a lot of time and energy searching for it but never find it. Two weeks ago I looked at my calendar and realized that I had a ministry-related meeting or event 7 nights in a row (including the weekend). I knew that this would be stressful and I wouldn’t be spending much time with my family - I would be out of balance. I looked to see if I could get out of some of the meetings. Nope. I was leading 6 of them! Ugh. It was a busy week. If you work in ministry, you know what I know - finding the zen-like state of balance and staying there is nearly impossible. There are busy seasons in ministry that demand more of you. You can attempt to implement more balance in your life, but you are unlikely to achieve balance. You will always be neglecting something. I cannot think of a time when all of my work, family, and personal responsibilities have been balanced. Balance is not realistic. It is not attainable.

2. Seeking balance causes stress.
Think of a tight rope walker at a circus. They are balanced as they carefully walk the rope. One step at a time, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. There is a reason they always look nervous and tense - one little slip-up, their balance is ruined, and they fall. Who wants to live their life like that? In order to achieve and stay in balance, you are always walking a tight rope. One thing goes wrong, one unexpected event occurs, and your state of balance crashes. Those who focus on achieving balance live in a constant state of stress, worrying that something will go wrong to upset that balance. Balance promises less stress in your life, but by its’ nature, balance is stressful.

3. Your ministry will suffer.
You know that there are times when you will have to give more to your work, and you will feel unbalanced. If you are trying to attain balance, there will always be a low-grade tension aimed at your ministry for keeping your life out of balance. This tension will eventually turn into resentment. You will blame your ministry for your unbalanced life. Live like this for a while, and you will flame out. If balance is your goal, you won’t be leading your ministry from a strong foundation.
​
4. Your family will suffer.
​Balance naturally pits one thing versus another. If you are walking a tight rope, it is the weight on your right side versus the weight on your left side. If you are trying to balance your weight and diet, it is calories in versus calories out. If you are a ministry leader trying to achieve balance it is often ministry versus family. Balance sets up an either/or scenario. Either things are perfectly in balance, or you are favoring one at the expense of the other. Either your family wins, or your ministry wins. There are almost always more family and work demands than we have the energy for, so in reality, neither wins! Don’t intentionally pit your work against your family for the sake of balance. Neither will win. You will lose.

Balance is an awful goal. It is a worse strategy for ministry leaders because it ends up causing the problems it intends to solve.

Balance is not the solution. RHYTHM is. I’ll write about that next.

During the last election cycle, I received a lot of ads in the mail telling me how awful an opposing candidate was. For research purposes, I threw them into a pile so I could count how many I received in the month leading up to the election. The final count? 124. How many did I read? Zero.

Here is the weird thing - I don’t recall making a decision not to read them, I just didn’t. My brain subconsciously made that decision for me. It knew the information was not necessary for my survival and filtered it automatically.
Our brains are wired that way. Thinking and processing information burns calories. Our minds are designed to conserve calories. In more primitive times, we might need those calories to run away from a saber-toothed tiger. Want to lose some extra pounds? Think more - it will burn calories!

The way God designed our brains is exceptionally useful for survival purposes. This design stinks if you are trying to get your message heard by people who are bombarded with hundreds of thousands of messages in a week.

The average newspaper contains more information than an 18th century American was exposed to in a lifetime. Same with the average daily social media consumption. Think about that. Information used to be rare. Getting information took effort. Information is now plentiful. Just 25 years ago, writing a research paper for school involved hours at the library looking for information. Now, it takes a few keystrokes in a search engine.

Our brains are having a hard time dealing with the amount of information and stimuli that we are experiencing. It is creating stress. It is burning more brain calories. But we are learning. Our brains know we can’t process large amounts of information, so we are getting better at filtering stuff out that doesn’t really matter.
This is not good news if you want to communicate a message to people. Chances are it will be filtered out. Our natural response is to try to deliver more. It makes logical sense.
- If you are hungry, what is the logical response? Eat MORE.
- If you don’t have enough money, what is the logical response? Work MORE.
- If your car is going too slow, what is the logical response? Step on the pedal and give it MORE gas.
- If you can’t hit a straight drive on the golf course, what is the logical thing to do? MORE practice.

More doesn’t work when trying to communicate a message. More increases the clutter. More increases the likelihood that our brains will filter out the message.
More on a printed page or website means the less valuable each item is.
More announcements from the stage mean less is heard.
More posts on social media means people will become accustomed to scrolling past all of your posts.

More just means more, not more effective.
More is not better. Better is better.

There is good news about the way that our brains are designed to process and filter information. Our minds are effective at flagging information that fits into a context - something that we already know or have experienced. That’s why companies are spending millions of dollars to have access to our personal information; our web search history, social media feeds, and shopping history. They need that information so they can communicate things to you that your brain will put into a familiar context and will not filter out.

That is the one thing communicators can do to get their message through. Put the message into context. Relate it to things that people know and have experienced.

What could that look like?

Intended Message: Come to Church This Sunday!
Message in Context: Stressed? Me too. I’m going to church this Sunday to hear Pastor Rob talk about how Christians should be the most relaxed people on earth! P.S. I got a sneak peek at the songs that we are singing - If they don’t encourage you, you might want to see a doctor :)

Intended Message: Sign Up For Our Wednesday Night Parenting Class!
Message in Context: My kids just wouldn’t listen to me. I didn’t know how to tell my kids no without them not liking me. I took our parenting class last year, and it helped me a lot! It was so good, I’ve signed up to retake it this year. If you stress as a parent, you might want to check to see if there are still open seats.

By the way, the whole idea of using context is right there in the Bible - Why do you think Jesus spoke in parables?

There are two fast food restaurants about a mile from my house.

Fast Food Restaurant A has long lines, but they move quickly. Their employees are super friendly and helpful. Their food tastes great. They are always busy.

Fast Food Restaurant B has slow service. More often than not they do not get my order correct. Their employees are not friendly, not helpful, and smell like they need to shower. They are seldom busy. I’m not sure how they stay in business.

Restaurant A has an excellent reputation in my community that drives customers to them.
Restaurant B has a poor reputation in my community that repels customers.

What reputation does your church have in your community?
What are your known for?
That reputation is your brand.

The Church’s Brand Stinks
The Church has a poor reputation in our culture. Some of that poor reputation is unfair, but most of it has been earned.
Here is how our culture views The Church brand today:
- a place full of anti-LGBT bigots
- closed minded, anti-science simpletons
- a place where sex crimes against minors occur and are covered up
- a place where people are judged by judgy people
- an authoritative institution in an age when both authority and institutions are not valued.
- a place where people seem to argue with themselves a lot
- old
The church has become known for what we are against rather than what we are for.

Does Your Church’s Brand Stink?
It might cause you some discomfort to think about your church as a brand or having a brand. Whether you are comfortable or not, your church does have a brand. In your local community, your brand might be “the church with the big cross,” “the church that had that scandal,” “the church with a rocking kids ministry,” or “the church that helps the poor.” Your brand can be a positive or a negative to your ministry.
It doesn’t matter if your church is in a season of growth or decline, examining your brand is a worthwhile endeavor.

I appreciate the efforts on one church who has turned what is a negative for so many churches into a positive. Gwinnett Church in Gwinnett County, Georgia started with the realization that The Church and their church were known for what they are against in our culture. They turned that narrative on its head and launched a campaign and branding effort called FOR Gwinnett. Their church communicated all of the things that they are for in Gwinnett County: FOR Parents, FOR local businesses, FOR Our Neighbors, FOR Kids, FOR those not a part of our church. They backed their words up with actions and are now known as the church that is FOR Gwinnett and the people of their community. What a great reputation! What a great brand!

Your local church is called to do ministry in your location at this specific time in history. Your brand should reflect that.

When determining the status of your brand in your community, it is helpful to ask three clarifying questions:
1. What are we known for in our local community?
2. What should you be known for in our local community?
3. How can I manage to talk with 10-20 people in our community to get more insight?

If you evaluate your brand honestly, you will most likely come away a little depressed. Don’t worry (too much). There is hope. There are ways to improve your church’s reputation in your community. The first step in any such endeavor is acknowledging that you have a brand problem.

A Note About Denominations
Your denomination matters to your brand - and for most churches, it is a negative.
It is no secret that almost all Christian denominations in North America have experienced a significant numerical decline in the last few decades. During that time, non-denominational churches have experienced growth as a whole. When thinking of your brand in your denominational context, I find forming a mental picture to be helpful.
Picture your church as a boat rowing upstream against the strong current of our culture. Your denomination most likely serves as a boat anchor in your efforts to navigate upstream.

Here is my best advice to navigate your denominational identify while thinking about your brand:
If the way that your church does ministry is in the mainline of your denomination, own it. Be true to yourself, your heritage, and your reality. Own it all, the good and the bad. You will confuse if you try to differentiate yourself from your denomination because in reality your denomination is your brand. Don’t run from it - embrace it.
If your church practices ministry differently than most churches in your denomination, then you should highlight that and make it part of your brand. Most unchurched or de-churched people do not associate your denomination with your beliefs or doctrine; they associate a denomination with a picture of how you do ministry. Style of worship. Outlook on social issues. Formal or informal? Closed-minded or open minded? Look for ways to separate yourself from your denomination when you think about your brand. In reality, you are different; your brand should reflect that difference. Be true to yourself and your reality.

What you are known for is so important to your ministry. Your reputation matters in your community. Your brand matters to the people you wish to reach.

If this is something that you would like to investigate further, I highly recommend the following resources:
Shaped By The Gospel by Tim Keller
Irresistible by Andy Staley

1996 was a good year.
Independence Day was the top-grossing movie.
The Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tickle Me Elmo was causing fights at malls during the Christmas shopping season.
I graduated from high school in 1996.

When I graduated high school, there was one computer in the entire building that had internet access. It was located in the library behind the librarian’s desk. You accessed the internet via Netscape on a dial-up connection. You had to get permission from the librarian to use the internet-connected computer. She almost never granted permission. After all, why would you need the internet? There wasn’t much to do.

Times have changed since 1996.
In 1996, there were around 100,000 websites Today, there are billions.
A recent study by USC Annenberg found that the average American spends 24 hours a week online. 40% of respondents reported being “online constantly.” A vast majority of online time is spent on some form of social media.

Many churches communicate like it’s 1996. The primary means of communication is a weekly printed bulletin, live announcements on a Sunday morning from the pastor, a monthly mailed newsletter, or a sign in front of the building. Many churches still pay to have an ad in the yellow pages or newspapers. Some send an email version of their newsletter and have a tired looking website. All of these methods were available in 1996. The digital revolution has taken place in the last two decades, and churches are slow on the uptake.
The way most churches communicate is outdated, ineffective, and should be a source of embarrassment (or at least some serious reflection).

This is truly sad. The church was on the cutting edge of the last major communication revolution. The Bible was the first mass-produced book printed on the printing press.

The fastest-growing churches get the importance of digital communication. For the last two decades, megachurches and startups are the fastest-growing types of churches. They are also the two types of churches most likely to spend a higher percentage of their budget on digital communications. Think about that. Startup churches, who typically aren’t flush with funds, are spending a higher portion of their budget on digital communications than established churches.

If the fastest growing sector of churches are using digital, then why are most churches so far behind and snuggling to keep up with the pace of change?

Is it a lack of money? No.
Facebook is free.
Instagram is free.
YouTube is free.
Twitter is free.
Snapchat is free.
A basic website can be set up for free. A good one for cheap.

Is it a lack of staff or people to manage digital communication? No.
Having a staff or staff person dedicated to digital media helps (a lot), but it is not necessary. Churches are full of people who live online every day. They can contribute, given the right vision. Most churches likely have several members/attendees who work in a digital marketing field.

Is there a legitimate spiritual reason for churches not to fully engage in the digital world? No. Just no.

Then, what is it? Why do most churches communicate like it is 1996?
I think the answer is simple: A lack of imagination.
Many pastors do not personally realize the importance of digital communication in the church. As a result, they are not casting vision in this area.
I was at a ministry conference recently and noticed a bored-looking pastor sitting next to me browsing Facebook on his smartphone during a presentation. I know this guy’s church. They have a basic website and no social media presence. I checked, they do have a paid listing in the yellow pages. Why did this pastor realize the value of a smartphone and social media for his personal life, but not for his church?

Here are three questions to help you discern if you are communicating well in the digital age.

1. Do you spend at least 1% of your annual ministry budget on website design/content and paid social media reach?
2. Do your primary social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram) have at least 4x your average weekly worship attendance?
3. Do you have an annual communications plan?

​How do you rate in this area? Let me know.