3 Things Dying Churches Can Do To Avoid Going Out Of Business

JUNE 9, 2013 1 COMMENT

“Any guess to the number of closings in 2013 is speculation on my part. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if the numbers reach the 8,000 to 10,000 level.” – Thom Rainer

On November 28, 2012 Awrey Bakeries announced the closing of its Livonia, MI plant just outside of Detroit.  The bakery had been in business 103 years, was a hometown favorite, and employed 203 individuals.  At its peak, Awrey did $75 million in annual revenue from its 218,000 square foot plant.

On February 19th, just 24 hours before being auctioned off, two local businessmen, Ron Beebe and Jim McColgan purchased the business temporarily averting disaster.  However, because of the company’s uncertainty, many customers had already found new suppliers and sales were plummeting.

McColgan has over 25 years in the food business running three bakeries and numerous restaurants.  Beebe was the business arm with one of his holdings being a gluten-free bakery.  Gluten-free products are something the two feel could be successfully launched.

Since February, many perviously laid-off workers have been rehired and the company hopes to break even this year.  For Awrey Bakeries to remain competitive, however, several business leaders have offered the following suggestions:

As I read their advice, I felt their insights were applicable to churches which may also be going out of business.  If these principles could rescue a bakery which provides bread, maybe they could also rescue a church which provides the Bread Of Life. 

1. Change Your Identity – Charles Rothstein advised Awrey to get “a contemporary identity, and it has to change its messaging to consumers so it can be seen as part of the health wave. It should use social media to get the word out about Awrey’s new products. Gluten free is still a niche market, and it’s not big enough to sustain a business on its own.”  Churches that are dying must change their model of ministry.  This would apply to worship services, developing a web and social media presence, and changing the age and ethnicity of the church staff and lay leadership.
2. Aggressively Address Needs In Your Community – Van Conway is a turn-around specialist for businesses.  He states “it’s a matter of selling products consumers want. The company has to expand its product line.”  Your church must exist to serve your community, schools, and businesses.  It is vital that you discover and address the needs of those around you.  To watch my can’t-miss interview with Ike Reighard on growing a church through community ministry, click here.
3. Heavily Invest In Those Already In Your Church – The only thing that appreciates in your church is your people.  From a value perspective, people are also the thing Jesus died for.  Chuck Benjamin said of Awrey, “The owners need to instill in the employees the esprit de corps that you need in a turnaround. The union employees took two wage cuts in eight years. That does not make for happy employees. The owners should create incentive programs for the employees–say, for every dollar the company makes, 2 percent will be put into an employee fund. They could do a paid company lunch each month, where employees are free to ask the executives questions. Anything would help.”

For how to grow a plateaued, declining, or even dying church, click here to watch more of my interview with Ike.

Local churches are far more important than a bakery.  Our desire is for Awrey Bakeries to prosper and prevail but it is local churches where human lives can be eternally redeemed.

If you change your identity, aggressively address needs in your community, and heavily invest in those already in your church, with the power of God your church may avoid going out of business. 

8 Habits Of Highly Effective Leaders Of Previously Bad Teams

June 8, 2013 0 Comments

“We try to almost make our guys feel indestructible.” – Terry Francona

Have you ever inherited an under-achieving team and was expected to reverse negative momentum and have them perform at much higher levels?  If so, did you have a plan or was your strategy “let’s fire everyone and start all over”?
Led by new manager Terry Francona, the Cleveland Indians are one the feel-good stories of this early baseball season.  The work Francona has done has been amazing!  Recently, Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated recently profiled this great leader.
As I read the article I gleaned eight steps that highly successful leaders take to improve the performance of previously bad teams.

1. Highly Successful Leaders Properly Evaluate Reality – Effective leaders do not expect perfection from those on their teams.  They do, however, expect maximum effort and to exceed their capacity and potential.
2. Highly Successful Leaders Care About Those On Their Team – People are the only thing that appreciates in a church or organization.  Francona says, “The idea is that when they walk through our doors, everybody – not just the guys that are our mainstays – deserves to be respected and feel wanted.  Not only do we have an obligation to know what they do on the field, and know how to make ‘em better, but to know who they are.”
3. Highly Successful Leaders Give Their Teams Confidence – Leaders are dealers of hope.  Each player on the Indians is positioned to play to their strengths.  Francona says, “You try to take the things your guys do well, and maximize them.  We don’t need to remind them of the things they don’t do well…We try to almost make our guys feel indestructible.”
4. Highly Successful Leaders Appreciate The Uniqueness Of Those On Their Team – Great leaders do not treat people equally but rather fairly.  GM Chris Antonetti says of Francona, “He looks for guys to be themselves, and he’s not asking them to be anything different.”
5. Highly Successful Leaders Expect Greatness – Though Francona obviously has a personal connection with his players, that does not limit his expectations.  Pitcher Justin Masterson noted, “He said, ‘Hey, it’s not always going to be perfect, but we’re going to do something special this year.’”
6. Highly Successful Leaders Value Today – Baseball is a long season.  You cannot get too high over wins or too low over losses because another game is scheduled to be in 24 hours.  Francona helps manage emotions by saying, “Whatever you do tonight is what’s important.”
7. Highly Successful Leaders Create A Sense Of Community – Playing baseball is fun again in Cleveland.  New Indian Nick Swisher notes, “The camaraderie factor is monstrous for us.”
8. Highly Successful Leaders Win – Lasting leaders produce results.  They strike oil or strike out (no pun intended).  Francona has managed two World Series championship teams in Boston and has Cleveland playing its best baseball in years.  Masterson acknowledges, “In the past we were trying to make things happen, but there was never much hope for success.  Now we’re here to win.”

Evaluate Reality, Care, Give Confidence, Appreciate Uniqueness, Expect Greatness, Value Today, Create A Sense Of Community, and Win.  If you do these eight things, you too may turn around a team’s performance and be a highly successful leader.

One Of The Things All Churches Must Have To Be Successful

June 5, 2013 0 Comments

Churches need many things to be successful – a great pastor, excellent staff, clear vision, unity, alignment, trust, highly effective children and youth departments, a healthy volunteer culture, a burning passion for the unchurched, a strong sense of community, and let us not forget biblical accuracy, discipleship, prayer, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the power of God.
Successful churches also one very important characteristic – financial margin.  The hard truth is that broke churches are unable to do what God has called them to do.  No financial margin equals no freedom.
In December 2012 with the assistance of tools and resources from The Rocket Company, First Baptist Church Frisco (Tx) conducted  a 4-week generosity effort that culminated with a special Christmas offering.
The church had several goals for the offering but the primary objective was financial margin.
The city of Katy, TX is located in one of the fastest growing counties in America.  The county currently has a population of which 48% have no religious affiliation.  First Baptist is attempting to change that.
Because it has the financial margin, the church is freed up to respond to God’s leading and purchase 10,000 – 15,000 New Testaments.  They will then go door-to-door to every home in the county, introduce themselves, give them the gift, and just pray for the needs of others.  Only God knows the impact they will make in the lives of those in this growing community.
I am also very confident their church will grow.  Financial freedom can equal numerical growth.
Pastors and church leaders, your church will never be successful unless you have the financial margin.  A lack of financial margin holds churches in bondage.  If God were to move and present new opportunities for your church, if you lack margin, you cannot take advantage of these open doors.
If your church lacks financial margin and needs help with weekly giving, special offerings, or developing a digital giving or annual funding plan, click here and myself or another member of the Giving Rocket team would be honored to serve you.  What happened at FBC Katy could happen at your church as well.

6 Things Leaders Must Do To Be More Creative

June 3, 2013 0 Comments

Often we are in situations where solutions are needed and we called upon to become more creative.  We are asked to stretch our minds, brainstorm, and think outside the box.  Many times this becomes a daunting task.  Nate Silver does not think it needs to be that difficult.
Silver should know.  He was just named the world’s most creative person by Fast Company magazine. Silver, who operates the popular website FiveThirtyEight.com, became well-renowned for accurately predicting 49 of 50 states in the 2008 presidential election and all 50 states in 2012.  By analyzing large amounts of data, Silver also accurately predicted all 35 of the 2008 U.S. Senate races and 31 of 33 in 2012.  Not just limited to politics, his data has also predicted sports, entertainment, and weather results.
Silver feels creativity exists in all of us.  I agree.  And as I read the article, I gleaned six practices all leaders must do to become more creative.

1. You Must Endure Questioning - If you are facing resistance of your ideas take comfort.  Silver’s methods and models for predictions are always questioned, doubted, and ridiculed.  Defend your beliefs.
2. You Must Ask Great Questions – The key to good data is good questions.  Humans are limited.  It is great questions that open up new ideas and allow creativity to take place.
3. You Must Focus On Things That Are True – Silver strives for what he refers to as “more signal and less noise.”  Noise refers to the constant bombardment of useless information.  Signal refers to truth.
4. You Must Solve Problems – Silver feels creatives fall into two categories – Pure Expression or Problem Solving.  Pure expression is what we often think of regarding creativity – musicians, actors, programmers, writers, painters and those in the fashion industry.  Silvers says, “The other kind is finding different ways to approach and solve a problem.”  Many of us do not think we are creative but are actually very creative problem solvers.
5. You Must Avoid Being Counterintuitive – This is counter-intuitive to traditional thinking.  We think creatives are supposed to be counter-cultural.  While this is sometimes the case, often the most creative people are answering the questions people are already asking.  The are dealing with the elephants in the room.
6. You Must Wait For Recognition – Creativity is often only recognized when looking backwards.  Silver says, “The revolutions we recognize in retrospect aren’t usually the ones we recognize in advance.”

For The Leader Who Appears Out Of Options

June 2, 2013 0 Comments

Someone reading this post is facing a leadership storm this week.  Meetings are coming up that fill you with a sense of dread.  Hard conversations need to be had.  Projects seem overwhelming.  Time is a luxury you do not have.  Goals and objectives are not going to be met it appears.  Options seem limited and even worse, it appears you do not know who to trust.  We have all been there.
I remember when my dad taught me to drive in storms.  We often practiced in an empty parking lot near our home.  One afternoon a storm blew in.  Heavy rains with lightning made visibility difficult.  It was the perfect time for a driving lesson.
As we were approaching our destination, he said, “See the car in front of us.  It is going slow.  Make sure you keep a safe distance.  That way, if something goes wrong, you have options.”
He went on.  “If you have somewhere you have to be, leave early.  Traffic will be slower and wrecks can happen.  No one forgives you for being late because of the rain.”
Then he concluded, “If you have tires with good tread, they will grip the road making it safer for you.  Also, if you are going slow and hydroplane, you will regain control quicker.”
When we finally arrived at the parking lot, I drove in the rain for the very first time.  My dad directed me to drive through a puddle of water.  He then asked, “How did the car feel?”  I responded, “No different.”  He said, “That’s right.  When you have prepared well, take it slow, have options, and have equip you can trust, though the storm is real, driving through it can sometimes feel no different.”
Someone reading this post needs to hear that today.  You are facing a tough week in leadership.
Prepare well.  Take it slow.  Develop options.  Get equipment or resources you can trust.  By week’s end, you may say, “It was a good week.  It felt no different.”
If you feel you have no options, connections, or resources, I want to leave you with this thought.
Romans 4:17 has sustained me through many difficult and uncertain times.  In this verse, Paul says, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”
God calls things into being that do not exist.  He gives life to things that appear dead.  Therefore, the Christian leader is never without options, resources, connections, or opportunities.  For the Christian leader, the pipeline is always full.
If you are facing a challenging week, if something is keeping you awake at night, then quote that verse and ask God to bring something that appears dead back to life.  Ask Him to make things seen that are currently unseen. Ask Him for options and resources.  And the great news is, He is faithful to do it.

36 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Daymond John, Robert Herjavec And Members Of The Shark Tank

June 1, 2013 0 Comments

The ABC show Shark Tank should be required viewing for all leaders.  For those unfamiliar with the show, Shark Tank features successful entrepreneurs Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec, aspiring entrepreneurs make pitches in hopes of gaining partnerships and funding that will allow them to make their dreams come true. Last evening’s episode was brutal.
The following were the presenters:
Susie and Steve Taylor – Bibbitec.  This was an emotionally draining segment as Susie became emotionally frustrated during the presentation.  O’Leary in particular was very tough on her.  People get involved with churches and organizations because they believe in the pastor or leader.  The sharks did not believe in Susie Taylor from a leadership, competency, or emotional standpoint.  The following were some of the key insights during the Taylor’s presentation.

1. “You can’t make money selling bibs at a really high price to Americans.” – O’Leary
2. “The majority of bibs are not sold online.” – O’Leary
3. “Susie, it’s a hobby.  It’s not a business.” – O’Leary
4. “I actually think it’s a great product.  Have you tried licensing it to someone who already makes bibs?” – Herjavec
5. “Are you making any money doing this?…Steve, how long are you going to lose money every month doing this?” – O’Leary
6. “Susie, is it time to take the bib behind the barn and shoot it?” – O’Leary
7. “I’m not selling more because my kids come first.” – Susie.  Robert responds, “So you’re not selling more because you’re a mom?” – Herjavec
8. “Susie, why are you getting emotional about this?” – John
9. “I’m heartbroken (sarcastic).  Do you think we’re not astute investors?  We’re looking at it from a side that matters?  The money.  You’re not making any.  You’re losing your family’s money every month.  Do you think any investor up here wants to join you in that madness?  Money’s binary.  Either you make it or you lose it.” – O’Leary
10. “What I do have a problem with is you’re not the right person to run it.  You’re the exact wrong person to run it.  Find a college kid who knows internet marketing.” – Cuban
11. “You have a ready-made sales force in moms out there.” – Corcoran
12. “In most businesses, the problem is education.” – John
13. “You got to follow the money.  I don’t hear a clear plan on to make this successful.” – Herjavec

Rabbi Moshe Weiss – Soundbender.  Do you want others to believe in you and your leadership?  The following 10 quotes give great insight into the type of leader people are willing to invest in and follow:

1. “Tell me about the succulent margins you mentioned.” – O’Leary
2. “How did you come up with the idea?” – Herjavec
3. “Are you the kind of guy who wants to tinker and not sell.” – O’Leary
4. “I’ve got to make the determination of my time which is very valuable.” – Cuban
5. “How do I get my money back if I gave you the money for this product?” – Corcoran
6. “I can’t negotiate lower money so what do you think we need to negotiate here?” – John.  ”I think you could possibly negotiate the percentage of the company.” – Weiss to which Daymond responds “Aha!”
7. “The only thing out there that is making me want to invest in this company is the Walgreen’s sale.” – John
8. “If he (Herjavec) steps out (as the only other potential investor), my offer starts to change because I become more valuable.” – John
9. “Beyond the presentation, you didn’t tell us how you’re going to sell it.  You didn’t tell us about the distribution channel.  I don’t want to tell you how to do this business.  I want to support you.” – Herjavec
10. “I chose Damon because he is a marketing genius.” – Rabbi Weiss

Mike Robinson, Cuddletunes - Robinson’s segment is unique in that it is one of the few times I have seen the sharks get visibly angry with an entrepreneur.  The following eight quotes demonstrate how leaders feel about those who aren’t willing to pay a personal price for their success as well as someone they do not trust.

1. “How much money have you actually put into the business.” – Corcoran
2. “What do you value your time at?” – Corcoran
3. “My only pet peeve is I hate when people value their time when they’re starting a start-up.  That’s your cost.  That’s an opportunity cost.  That’s not my cost.” – Herjavec
4. “You’ve put a $2 million evaluation on this business.  Are you saying you have sales to support that or just your time?” – O’Leary.  Robinson responds, “If you don’t mind I’d like to come back to that.”  Corcoran then states, “Always a bad answer.”
5. “When somebody doesn’t answer the sales question all of us get really uncomfortable.” – Herjavec
6. “I don’t see anything unique here.” – Cuban
7. “If I invested my money in this I’d sleep like a baby.  I’d wake up every two hours crying and asking my mommy ‘Where’s my money’.  I’m out.” – John
8. “I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.” – Cuban

Lena Phoenix and Steve Sashen, Xero Shoes – No one wants to be involved in a losing proposition.  Leaders wish to be involved in something that is viable and sustainable.  The following five comments give wonderful insights into organizations that may or may not be in it for the long run.

1. “I don’t want to state the obvious but you come up here with rubber and a string and say we’re $5 million.  Why do you feel that?” – John
2. “If this category is growing as fast as you say it’s going to attract some very big competitors.  They’ll say, ‘A piece of rubber.  A piece string.  I’ll put my distribution behind it and crush these cockroaches.’” – O’Leary
3. “You’re in the shark tank for the money.  You’re here for the money.  I’m a rationale investor.  You people are probably delusional entrepreneurs.  Somewhere in the middle is reality.” – O’Leary
4. “You’re giving me a headache.  You remind me of my ex-husband.” – Corcoran
5. “Because one or your competitors put money in at a ridiculous valuation, doesn’t make that a comp for you.  It just means you’ve got a competitor with stupid money behind them.  Do you know what they call a bunch of investors rushing into a hot area with a bunch of other investors.  They call that a bubble.  And no one knows more about getting out of a bubble than I do.” – Cuban

What do you think of the comments above?

Triumph in the Face of Tragedy

Triumph in the Face of Tragedy

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Brandon Parker in Articles, Food for Thought 0

It’s safe to say that at some point during the year 2013, we’ve all asked: “Why God?”
Why, God, did you allow all of those kids in Newtown to be murdered in a senseless school shooting?
God, why were the two terrorists allowed to wreck havoc on the town of Boston for a week?
Why, God, did you allow a tornado to swoop through Oklahoma, killing and injuring hundreds of people while destroying their homes and community?
These questions are legitimate ones. Nobody likes death or takes joy in seeing others suffer, and when we are unable to find answers as to why evil produces such tragic results, our first notion is to point the finger at the One who is in control: God.
But if we are really honest with ourselves, we will realize that it’s often in those moments of hell that we get our greatest glimpse of heaven here on Earth.
Think about it: Jesus said the second greatest commandment is, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Perhaps no more have we seen this commandment carried out than in the response to those aforementioned tragedies.
People from all over the country united in faith and love to comfort the cities of Newtown and Boston. Donations have flooded in to Oklahoma, including NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s $1 million contribution to the tornado recovery efforts. Crying victims have been consoled. Churches have filled with those praying for comfort and understanding. Conversations with family and friends mean that much more, as we again have been reminded that tomorrow is not promised.
As this all occurs, we see a true example of God’s love (1 Corinthians 13), the kind, unselfish, protecting, hopeful and persevering love that will never fail us when we put it into practice.
The sad part is that it takes tragedy for us to be reminded of, and to walk out, the life that God calls us to lead. When times are good and the blessings are flowing, that’s when many of us are the most prideful, believing that we are the creator of our own success and choosing to invest ourselves into the gifts rather than the Giver.
What’s even sadder is how quickly we forget these lessons. A month later, many of the same people who vowed to change have reverted back to the same self-seeking and faithless lifestyle they had before the tragedy – until another act of violence or evil comes to jolt us back into a Godly state of mind. And the cycle continues…
In no way am I saying that God takes delight in our suffering or allows bad things to happen for the heck of it. We are God’s glory and He wants nothing more than for us to be fruitful and to have a joyous existence. Why else would He send His Son Jesus to die for us?
We also must remember that as humans, we will never have all the answers. So to speak of a natural disaster or act of violence as simply a measure of God’s judgment against us is speculation and sometimes dangerous. God operates in love and discipline, not out of spite.
But in the same token, none of us deserve any of the good things that God ushers into our life. As Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “No one is good except God alone.” And the one person who endured the most suffering under God’s watch, Jesus, deserved it the least. Love drove Christ’s act of dying on the cross for our sins.
By this we know there’s a purpose for every circumstance, good or bad, that God brings into our lives. Ultimately, it’s up to us to let love drive our response, just as Jesus did. My favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28, reminds us that “all things work together for the good for them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” In other words, God redeems our times of suffering for His glory and our betterment.
Through tragedy, our faith can be refined and we are provided a chance to glorify God by showing others that our circumstances can’t dictate our praise and love for God. The only way we can “rejoice in our sufferings” is by using them to produce the endurance, hope and character written about in Romans 3:3-5.
When my Mom passed away unexpectedly in 2004, my world was turned upside down. The woman who had helped introduce me to Christ and prayed for me in my most wayward moments was now gone. Before then, if someone had asked me what I would do if my Mom died, I probably would have said, “I’d be staring down from the top of a bridge, questioning life and God’s goodness.” But in the eight-and-a-half years since then, as I’ve grown as a man of God and put those same spiritual lessons from my Mom into practice, I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today if she wasn’t where she is today in Glory.
Through that experience, I found a greater understanding of Genesis 50:20, which says that what the devil meant for bad, God meant for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
In the wake of this year’s tragedies, I’m positive that at least one person has been challenged to re-evaluate their life, seeking spiritual counsel in church or from the laborers (Luke 10:2) whom God has sent to usher them into a personal relationship with Him. God works from the inside out. His concern is our salvation and character, and not necessarily our comfort. Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we possess the know-how and eternal joy to reform ourselves, act graciously, understand truth and make the right decisions.
God wants to ensure that our suffering is not in vain, meaning that we or someone else will benefit from it. And if we are wise, we will use the lessons from that suffering to enhance the good stretches in life and exhibit God’s selfless love.
So the next time we want to ask why God allows tragedy to happen, think about this: Why does it take tornados, shootings and death for us to unite and follow God’s command to love our neighbor and to live to fulfill His purpose for us?

Brandon Parker

Brandon Parker is an award-winning sports reporter for The Washington Post. He owns a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s Degree from Northwestern. Prior to joining the Post, Parker served as an associate editor and writer for ESPN Rise Magazine.