A stagnant body of water lies still, does not move, does not produce anything positive, and will over time begin to stink and die. A moving body of water, on the other hand, touches everything it passes, leaving signs of life and fruitfulness.

Churches across North America today have become more organizations of people than people with a cause. An organization of people becomes stagnant, will decline and eventually die. While a people with a cause is always moving, leaving traces of new life everywhere it touches.

Churches often become little more than an organization of people who gather on Sunday’s for their own pleasure and self-proclaimed worship. One pastor made a proclamation to me and later to his church about an event the church participated in annually. “There is not one thing we do there that an atheist could not set up right next to us and do the same.” Unfortunately, something similar could be said of a majority of what we do as churches, even in our worship services. (That church immediately set out to change.)

Pastors come into these churches and find it hard, even frustrating to move the church out of their comfort zone, into biblical Great Commission ministry. Granted there may be small pockets of true gospel centered ministry, but not overall. We, the church in North America, have created our own brand of Christianity. We have become organizations of people, people of comfort in our ways of worship.

Churches making a significant difference today in their community and beyond have defined a cause and are drawing people to a needs meeting ministry cause. It is more than filling shoeboxes and backpacks – while those are worthy needs meeting ministries. People of all generations want a cause. The younger generations today are exemplary in this serving for a cause environment. But how do you move from an organization of people to a people with a cause. First through prayer for intentional outward focus, find the true needs of your community – not your own perceived needs, the true needs of the surrounding community. There is a 3 question survey that you can use in any situation for finding the true needs that you can download for free at soncare.net .

A fruitful ministry then depends on the leader (pastor) who embodies the cause, empowers the God gifted members of his church to undertake the cause, and guides the church to fully resource ministries to meet the true needs in the community. Whatever the need in your community, God has gifted your church (people) to help meet the need. One issue is we must get out of our closed ministry mindset box and utilize what God has blessed us with.

It is important to remember here, “Don’t copy models, capture principles.” It is not about what some other church has done. It is about the need God has placed in front of you and how He has gifted each member in your congregation to fulfill that need. If you desire assistance in discovering the need or how to utilize the giftings in your church to meet that need, contact me. My calling is to assist you. Begin today moving from an organization of people to a People with a Cause!

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

One night last week I literally walked into a wall – the outside corner of a wall. Following a similar pattern as most nights I walked into our dark bedroom where my wife was already asleep. On this night however, I misjudged the angle I was walking and hit my forehead over my left eye so hard on this corner, the sound awakened my wife. I cupped my hand in front of my face and immediately felt blood, not dripping, running down my nose and into my hand. A few minutes later after getting the bleeding stopped and covering my new one-inch gash with a bandage, I went to bed. Pam was already fast asleep.

I still do not know all the answers of that incident: How did I misjudge the angle after years of the same routine? How could a slow cautious stride make such a loud noise (to awake the sleeping)? How could that same slow stride cause such a damaging hard hit with a 10 minute bleeding spree?

In life we hear people use the terminology, “I’ve hit a wall.” I’ll certainly be more selective when using that terminology from now on. Using that terminology normally refers to coming to a seemingly impassable point in a particular venture or task. Example: “My computer quit running. I’ve tried everything I know, and I’ve run into a wall.” Or “It’s been a long tiring day. I’m exhausted! I’ve hit the wall.”

We all come to these “walls” in life and most often it is best to take a break, move onto something else. Set the task completely aside. Come back to the difficult issue later, when we are refreshed. Some of those walls, metaphorically speaking, like the one I ran into, we may never know all the answers. But that does not mean we should give up on tasks or ventures. My task that night was to turn off a fan that was in our window pulling in cool air. A few minutes after the unpleasant incident,  while holding a wet washcloth to my bleeding head, I did turn off the fan. In life, we need more of a break and more than a wet washcloth. Sometimes the best you can do is leave that task for another day (or a later time in the day).

A second set of eyes and another brain is oftentimes where the solution comes from. Don’t be afraid to call on someone else, someone not part of the team or issue. Let that person, that set of fresh eyes, bring his/her perspective. On a number of occasions, I have come to one of those walls on a home project. While I’m taking a break, it is my wife who has come up with a possible solution or at least spurred my thinking in a different direction which led to the needed answer. You are not a Lone Ranger in your world. Call on others.

Another great solution finder is prayer. Look to the creator of all and ask for guidance. You may still need to take a break. That may actually be God’s counsel. “Take a break and I will reveal what you need.” This has certainly happened in my life. And when I heed God’s advice, He indeed always provides the means and the way beyond my issue.

When you run up against a wall in ministry or any area of life, take a break, ask for another set of eyes and trust God. He is still in the delivery business – delivering answered prayers.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

In one of my first meetings with the educational leaders of a church I served, I made the comment, “There are no sacred cows.” Everyone in the room agreed, Amened, and approved. A couple months later as I began speaking about some outdated practices and programs, my words were met with, well let’s say, not so positive stares and comments. People’s sacred cows were coming to light and they weren’t ready to give them up.

When you revise the methods or furnishings (changes) of a church you are in essence trampling sacred memories. What seemed like necessary changes to me were not only sacred cows, they were decades of the familiar, comfort, and religious security of these church members. To these longtime members, I was the new kid (in my forties), the change agent, and that did not bode well.

Bringing about change is not only programmatic. The changes you suggest, as good and godly as they might be, can sometimes be very personal to others. I have written in prior posts about understanding your Emotion Quotient (EQ). Just as every person has an Intelligence Quotient (IQ), so everyone has an EQ as well. Twenty years later in life, I realize the importance of not only knowing my own EQ, but also understanding the EQ of those my requests and suggestions will affect.

The year 2020 has certainly brought disruption into every life. The church has faced great disruption and necessary change. Those changes are not over yet. They will continue for some time as we maneuver through the weeks, months, and years ahead. Pastors and other church leaders are deliberating and making decisions on issues they never would have dreamed of twelve months ago.

As each next step is considered in every church a multitude of factors must be considered. Speaking with an Associate Pastor and friend recently I was reminded of EQ. He did not use that term, but he certainly was referring to it. He said to help their congregation through all the disruptions and adjustments, their church staff was not using the word change. Instead of helping their people deal with change, they have adopted a grief process. They are walking with their members as they grieve the loss of what once was.

The changes of the church brought on by 2020 have and will continue to take an emotional toll on churchgoers. This staff has challenged themselves to walk with their members through the stages of grief during this time. Your church members have lost a great deal of what they have known for years, even decades.

The emotional state of some break down quicker than others. Wouldn’t we all fare well to consider the EQ of those we serve and those who serve us? Considering the losses, approaching people from a position of grief assistance could certainly aid in the emotional and spiritual state of mind – for our members and leaders. What can you begin today that will enable you to assist others in walking through the grief stages from losses in 2020?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Pastor Greg mused as one of his members walked away. “Wow, that is the fifth person this morning who has commented on the changes in his/her life. Eight in the last two weeks.” Actually, none of those had used the word “change”. But what each had to share was a change in the way he/she was living. Five members of Greg’s congregation that morning shared with him of something they had done to share Jesus with others the previous week. A change was truly happening in the congregation. A good change! “After three years, what has finally made the difference?” Greg pondered.

In the past I have written about the importance of organizational leadership. Today I want to write about guiding leadership. While organizational leadership is critical, without guiding leadership your organization will become stagnant which could lead to organizational demise. Guiding leadership is directional leadership.

To be a guiding leader, you must be on the same journey with your organization. Willing to be in the trenches. Guiding leadership is directional leadership. Not only pointing people in a direction, but leading people through the transformation by making the transformation yourself. You cannot lead people to a place you are not willing to go personally.

Have you ever taken a guided tour and known the guide to stay behind and send you on your way? No. A guide is out in front, pointing out the beauty of the journey, helping you to see and enjoy the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls.

The church of the near future will look different than the church of the past, even the recent past. In many ways, this is not a bad thing. Leaders of the local church (not only the pastor) must be willing to embrace change in their own ways of leadership and ministry.

In the coming church a pastor still preaches, teaches and cares for his people. Some of the changes come in how pastors and congregants interact with people in the community. Our observation patterns must change, watching for opportunities to serve our local community with a completely different mindset of what to watch for. Opportunities abound. We only need to be prayerful and watchful for God’s great opportunities to show His love in ways we have neglected the past 40 years. People may not tell you of a need. We need deeper listening skills, listening to the Holy Spirit for the ways we can serve.

Another mindset change is from when we see or hear of an opportunity we must act right away. In the past we might have sat on an idea. Maybe mulled it around a few days until the opportunity passed. Often without sharing the opportunity with anyone. Changing your church’s operational structure to meet needs according to the giftings and passions of the church members.

In this new era when an opportunity appears, we should immediately place a phone call (or text) to one of the leaders in the church who will spring into action getting others in the church reacting to the opportunity. Helping your members find their true passions and giftings, then matching those to ministry opportunities is perhaps the greatest key to exceptional fruitful Great Commission ministry.

Regardless of your position in the church are you ready and willing to be a directional leader? What is your first order of business to become a directional leader?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

A young man in our church, approached me in the hallway a few months after the launch of a fruitful aerobics ministry. Carl was a former military man. Apparently in the military he taught a form of martial arts. Hearing of the fruitfulness of the aerobics ministry, Carl stated that he wanted to teach this martial arts discipline in our church.

I have nothing against martial arts, Carl and certainly nothing against new ministries to bring people to the saving grace of Christ and building disciples. Due to the disciplines of martial arts, I could envision a fruitful disciple growing ministry. However, talking with Carl for a couple short minutes on this day, I knew where this was going.

Like the young lady with the aerobics ministry, I asked Carl to set an appointment, to discuss this ministry possibility and to share with him about writing a ministry plan. Unlike the young lady with the aerobics ministry I never heard from Carl again about this possible ministry.

In the brief hallway encounter, I could tell that Carl was serious, thinking this could be a great ministry opportunity, and I agree it could have been. I could also tell by his delivery that this would unfortunately be a fleeting moment for Carl. A worthy and noble pursuit, his passion would wane and die. I am not certain there was ever any passion in Carl’s heart for this as a ministry. Starting new ministries in the church is a great way to advance the Kingdom of God, if those ministries are God sent.

The events of 2020 have provided many wonderful opportunities for new ministries in and through the local church. Yet, we must open our eyes to things we have been closed to in recent years. We must be willingly ready to follow God in His desire to be His church, not the church of our comfort. Regardless of the past successes or shortcomings, we must be willing to let go of the grip we have on what we believe in as church. New ministries, new processes abound and will resonate the church of the future. In many aspects this church of the future, to be fruitful, will look more like the church found in the book of Acts than what we’ve called church for the last century.

Below are links to two free resources every church can use for greater impact in ministry. One is a ministry evaluation form. I believe every church should evaluate each ministry every year. You ae not going to do away with all ministries but evaluate them for fruitfulness. What functions of the church is this fulfilling? Which parts of the Great Commission have been fulfilled this past year through this ministry? The other resource is a New Ministry Questionnaire. Eighteen questions to answer before starting any new ministry or event in your church. Both resources can be vital to the success of your ministry service to God.

New Ministry Questionnaire – https://soncare.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/New-Ministry-Questionnaire.pdf

Ministry Evaluation – https://soncare.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Evaluating-Ministries.pdf

What is the biggest hurdle for your church in beginning God-sent viable ministries to reach your community? What ministry opportunities has God placed before you/your church in the past 30 days that your church could respond to answering the eighteen questions on the New Ministry form?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

I read a very encouraging article this weekend of a church, Pleasant Grove, in Owensboro, Kentucky. This church, PGBC, in the last six months has completed a 2.5 million dollar building project, hired a new pastor, almost doubled their weekly income, baptized dozens, and seen an increase in attendance from 320 to 477. All during the pandemic and unrest in our nation.

How did they do it? By carrying on with the business of The Great Commission. Some of their ventures were simply retooling the ministry opportunities they had previously been involved with, including a t-ball league (yes during the pandemic – in accordance with all guidelines). 2020 gave the church a unique opportunity to tweak this ministry and reach more people for Christ. God is Awesome.

It fills my heart with joy and encouragement as I read and hear of church stories like this during this time of trial and hardships of 2020. These are the churches I desire to be and see throughout our land. God has not given us a timeout to await the pandemic’s demise. Instead He has given us great opportunities to reach more people than ever for Christ. Each church has opportunities like these for the taking. We need only to be willing and obedient in fulfilling The Great Commission.

Fruitful leading of a church goes beyond the functional interests of numbers and dollars. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day affairs of church as usual and keeping up with attendance numbers and budget receipts. God’s intent is for the church to reflect the true personality of God. This is done when we empower the people of the church to be Great Commission Christians, providing opportunities to share God’s glorious character and personality.

Think back, did you let some ministry lapse this summer due to the coronavirus? How could you have tweaked and reshaped that ministry to reach people for Christ? Next, look ahead to your Fall ministry events. How can you empower your people to be the church, God’s church moving forward with God’s directive, The Great Commission?

As an individual, what opportunities has God placed in front of you to share His love and character of forgiveness, mercy, and grace? To whom (how many) can you share in the bounty of God’s love and grace to you? Share a meal, pack a goodies basket, mow someone’s yard, carry a vase of flowers, hand someone a gift card (even $5), pay for someone’s meal. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever you do, do all these things as unto God, for His glory, and be sure to shine His light. Share with the person why you are doing this act of kindness. Watch and pray for opportunities to tell of God’s great goodness.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

One of my mentors in ministry recently left this earth for his eternal residence. I was working in retail management when Pam and I joined Pastor Jim Whorton’s church. I went to work in the church right away. Jim told the Director of Missions I’d make a good youth minister for one of the churches in the Dayton area. The Director of Missions gave my name to a local church, within weeks I was serving as Youth Pastor.

I look back on my time as youth pastor there and realize though I had served in youth ministries of churches for eight years, I had no idea how to lead a fruitful youth ministry. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very fruitful youth ministry. We had five teens my first Sunday as Youth Pastor. By the end of two years, forty-five were involved in the weekly activities. Sunday morning Bible study attendance grew from five to twenty, one class to two. Our church saw several teen baptisms each year. Despite my pedagogical teaching style on Sunday mornings, God grew His kingdom.

God has taught me and blessed me every place He has led me to serve. All the credit goes to God, for I know from whence I came. Oftentimes in ministry I believe we rest heavy on the side of rationale and short on relevance. Our teaching may be relevant to God’s word, but not relevant for practical application in the lives of our members. Christianity is not only learning about God and His desire for our lives. All teaching to which we ascribe should lead people to apply each week.

Most pastors would tell you that is the way they teach. Yet our churches are falling short. From not sharing our faith, not voting biblical values, lifestyle choices, our teaching is not translating to transformed lives. Regardless of the time (years) spent in church, the outside culture has more influence on the lives of “Christians” than the church. Pastors would also lay the reasoning at the feet of the believer, “It’s their fault.” While certain responsibility indeed falls on each believer, my contention is that as leaders we must provide opportunities for learning through application if we want to change the culture inside the church and have any Godly affect on the culture outside the church building.

Most of Jesus’ teachings were not in a classroom or behind a pulpit. His teaching came in His daily living, sitting in the living room of a crowded house, at a meal, beside the seashore or walking along the road. He practiced as He taught. His Disciples watched Him in action as He interacted with the world. Then He sent them out to do likewise. While you cannot walk with every member of your church or class, as leaders we must find opportunities to serve our communities – in ways that have grown unaccustomed to our nature. Remember, many of Jesus’ methodologies went against the traditions of the religious leaders. We are not called to be religious leaders, but shepherds and followers of Christ. How will you challenge yourself to be more of a Jesus leader from this day forward? Jim Whorton was a Jesus leader.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Through this pandemic of 2020 God has given us many opportunities to be the church. Unfortunately, only a few churches have taken advantage of these opportunities. The ones that have embraced God’s opportunities are sharing stories of regeneration, new people coming into the church, people being baptized. One church in Kentucky baptized 156 people from the day in May when the re-entered worship through the end of August. How? The people of the church went after family, friends, and coworkers with the gospel. It was not the Sunday morning preaching, according to one of the lead pastors. It was the people. And I would venture to say that church, the people, will not stop.

In recent weeks I’ve shared about reaching out to the business community. This is one area God has certainly opened doors of opportunity for the church in 2020. You never know what impact you might have on someone. Let me share a story with you that was shared on a recent Zoom meeting with several pastors and denomination leaders. A friend of mine, Mike Stewart, Associational Mission Strategist, shared this story and gave me permission to use it.

Mike was serving as interim pastor of a small church. Following a Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study, the church members decided to a restaurant for food and fellowship that they had been missing. Upon deciding where to dine, that evening they walked into an empty restaurant, ate, enjoyed their time, paid their bills and left. Since the restaurant was easy to get to, had good food, and no waiting line, the members decided to go again the following Wednesday. They continued to frequent the restaurant on Wednesday nights.

Fast forward a few weeks, Mike is visiting the bookstore next door to the restaurant. The bookstore owner approaches Mike and inquires, “Aren’t you the man who leads the church that has been going into my friend’s restaurant next door?” Mike replied that “Yes.” He was. Not knowing what was coming next, good or bad, Mike was not expecting the next statement out of the bookstore owners mouth.

“I want to thank you for saving my friend’s business.”

Think on that for a second. If that does not render Holy goose bumps on you, you’ve become numb to the workings of God and Christ, our Savior. Mike admitted on that Zoom call that the church had not given a thought to the opportunity in front of them or saving someone’s business. Their whole intent was to have fellowship. And all the time God was working, using that little church. Mike’s perhaps regret was that he and the church members did not capitalize on more opportunities to be intentional in that restaurant and other businesses in the community.

You never know whose life you will impact. But don’t wait until the opportunity is gone. Take advantage of what God has given us today the great opportunities of 2020. Get out in the local business community, talk to businesses, listen for the God-ordained opportunities for you and your church family. Then spring into action. Stop wringing your hands about doing church and Be the church. For more ideas on prevailing opportunities, read last week’s blog post. Whom Does God want you to impact for eternity?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

One topic that has come up in several Zoom and in person meetings recently has been how to get the church going again, five months into this pandemic. While most inquirers and responses have been about getting people back into the church facility, I have been offering a differing view. Should our main focus be about getting people back into the building or equipping them to serve in life’s arenas? Gathering, socializing, and learning together is an important physical and mental need that God has built inside each of us.

However, as I read scripture, I sense that Jesus’ focus for us was to be on sending rather than gathering. “Go into all the world…” people will always learn more through doing than sitting and listening. It has been said that, “Experience is the greatest teacher.” While I relent that The Holy Spirit is our teacher, no amount of classroom or pulpit instruction holds a candle to learning through experience. With that being said, we must teach why to serve and how to grow in Christ.

This past Sunday, my church engaged in an act of service. I smoked 54 pounds of Boston Butt Pork shoulder. Others made Mac-&-cheese, baked beans, and cookies. Some purchased buns and other accessories. After service Sunday morning a group gathered to pull the pork, mix it with B-B-Q sauce and plate the meals. Children of the church colored and decorated Thank You cards to go with the meals. Then several families, couples, or individuals set out to deliver the meals to the households of some of our long-serving senior saints.

The idea was to involve many different people in the church to show gratitude for those who have served in & through the church in recent decades. A secondary idea was to involve people in an act of service to open our hearts and minds to more service ministry projects. Ideas have been tossed around about doing for other groups in the church and community. Thoughts were shared for serving businesses in the community. Some of these I have shared in Zoom meetings over the last few weeks and in documents for religious organizations. Consider these.

Businesses are hurting. Lost income has hit very hard. Small businesses have been severely impacted. While your church cannot reimburse local businesses for all their loss, there are ministry opportunities abounding outside your church door.

• Offer counseling or a listening ear for business owners and employees
• Ask for an appointment with local business owners (one on one) or managers. Simply go to listen & offer to pray. Listen for opportunities your church can serve that business. Then serve!
• Offer to prepare a meal for every employee in a small business (Hair salons, banks, local gov’t office, water company, knick-knack shop, the list goes on and on)
• If not a meal, what could your church offer to show you “care” for the community
• Adopt a business as a church. If your church is large enough each group in the church (worship team, Bible study groups, staff) adopt a business and search for ways to show you care because God cares.
• Frequent small businesses in your community to boost their economy.

Each one of these offers opportunities to teach and practice discipleship. Each will help build bridges to the community & gospel conversations. Get farther outside the box than you’ve ever gone before and if you need some thinking help, contact me.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

I began last week’s post with the statement, “As healthy environments promote healthy individuals, so unhealthy environments promote abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior within the culture.” There are many environments within a culture. The church is but one of those environments. Also stated  was the fact that the church in North America has failed to maintain its percentages compared to the population growth, let alone any increase. This week our focus is on creating an environment of the church in ways that can truly affect the culture in which we live.

We would have to admit in many churches compliance and conformity are placed at the highest value, overlooking and ignoring the value of God-given potential of each individual. Are we not creating an unhealthy environment/culture if we are teaching sound theology, yet not creating an environment with ongoing opportunities for people to fulfill their God-given purpose? I understand and agree with the need for sound theology. I have also heard the thought process, “They should know what to do.” That was not the question. The question is, are we as a church creating the environment, the ongoing opportunities to use their knowledge, wisdom, and giftings?

What makes a successful lemonade stand? Is it one child who decides to sell lemonade? It takes much more than a thought. Before the lemonade can be sold, a table and or materials for a stand must be available. Someone had to manufacture the product that made that stand. Promotional signs must be made. Someone must manufacture poster board and markers to write with. Each of those must be purchased from a distributor (retailer). Cups, pitchers, ice , lemons, and sugar must be purchased. Aside from this, somewhere, a lemon farmer is growing a large orchard of trees to produce the lemons. A treatment plant is cleaning the water and sending it through miles of pipe to the homeowner.

Every person along that list has had a part in the success of the lemonade stand. Just as the thought of one person for a successful lemonade stand is the beginning, teaching sound theology is only the beginning for creating an environment for succeeding in fulfillment of The Great Commission. In each local congregation, this type of environment, valuing and empowering each person’s God-given talents with ongoing opportunities to flourish individually and corporately is needed. Until we do so, we will continue to have declining, unhealthy environments feeding off the outside culture rather than influencing that culture.

It is not taking in information that creates a disciple. Even Jesus’ Disciples true growth came when they were sent into the world. Their true growth came as He invited them to get actively engaged through practicing His teachings.  These Disciples continued growing in spiritual maturity not only while Jesus was with them, but throughout their entire lives. Read the book of Acts with an eye for their learning experiences.

A person growing in spiritual maturity will develop mental, emotional, and spiritual health, will desire restoring and building healthy relationships inside and outside the church, and will move toward his/her God-given creativity in fulfilling God’s purpose. God has not given us a box of lemons in 2020. He has given us a world of opportunities. Go and make some lemonade! Change the environment, change the culture.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.