Fletch, thanks as always for your efforts at providing fantastic content for us XP’s. The webinar today was great. Your work through the XP Seminar, the webinars, and your investment in me individually the past couple of years has been priceless. You are so greatly appreciated! DS
Just want to say thanks for the webinars, great information and an excellent resource for people like me who don’t even know what to be interested in. I don’t know what I don’t know! I appreciate the ministry very much as it is so valuable to me as a new XP. MB
I wanted to say thank you for the webinar. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the past nine months, but not sure how to move forward with it. Watching Mike and you layout how to create a plan and implementation was incredibly helpful. A breath of fresh air. MA
Ministry Myth Busters—4 Leadership Myths that Hold Your Team Back
Great leaders know that a critical part of their job is clearing the way for their team to be successful. We want to tear down the roadblocks in their [...]
Good Stewardship of Marketing Budgets
Let's dive into how to build an effective marketing budget. How do you advertise in various seasons of ministry? Lots of churches are walking into the budget season so [...]
Keys to Successful Hiring and Firing—Part 2
The number 1 resource that Executive Pastors manage is human resources. The top two keys to stewarding human resources is how we hire and fire. In part 2 of [...]
Keeping Your Expansion Project on the Rails
Many factors are coming together to present challenges to current construction projects. During our time together, we will be discussing the most common derailers such as: ill-timed capital campaigns, [...]
4 Principles for Creating a Culture of Accountability
We've all been there ... We had a great meeting. We built a great plan. And then days or weeks later we discover no one has taken action. Why [...]
Building the Foundation: Structuring a Production Department
We will explore the essential elements of establishing a robust production department in a local church. The production department is pivotal in enhancing worship experiences, congregational engagement, and outreach [...]
Elevating a New Standard for Leader Care
ECFA wants to see leader care climb to a new level, resulting in healthier pastors and in church boards that are more engaged with their pastor’s total wellbeing. Far [...]
6 Reasons Why Your Students Hate Their Space
Here we go again, preaching about the significance of the 'Gen Next,’ but ever notice how our students seem to get stuck with the short end of the stick? [...]
Keys to Successful Hiring and Firing
The number 1 resource that Executive Pastors manage is human resources. The top two keys to stewarding human resources is how we hire and fire. In this webinar we [...]
How to Love the Life You Already Have
Two went into concentration camps in the Second World War. Their responses were dramatically different: God is dead. The God of love, gentleness and consolation, vanished forever into the [...]
Practical Church Risk Management
In many churches, risk management can become an after-thought as the tasks and needs of day-to-day operations take center stage. But this can open the door to unnecessary risks—an [...]
Data Informed Discipleship: Leveraging Data for Spiritual Growth and Community Impact
The Church is evolving, and so is the way we measure engagement. Understand what metrics truly matter in assessing the vitality of your church and learn practical ways to [...]
Fletch Answers Your Salary Questions
Bring your salary questions. This special episode is devoted to the issues that you raise. Bring your biggest headache, the hardest question or a common issue. See if Fletch [...]
Avoiding Succession Sins (or Potholes)
What has changed since Covid on Pastor Succession? What are the biggest mistakes and traps that do-it-yourselfers in this process tend to make? The webinar will address these topics [...]
Three Areas where AI will Benefit Your Church Teams
AI can feel like the Wild West, where it's constantly advancing and changing. What can you do to use it to help your teams? Where do you turn for [...]
Church Financial Health, A Lender’s Perspective
Ever curious about what happens to all of the financial statements that you submit when applying for a loan? Or how church lenders view the financial health of your [...]
Seeing Around the Corner: 2024 Church Design Trends
Every year brings a parade of design trends that often create an avalanche of expenses. In case you missed Dave’s Breakfast season at the 2024 XPastor Seminar last month, [...]
Be the Unicorn
William will unpack his latest book, Be the Unicorn. The book addresses the questions of, How do I stand out? and How do I become irreplaceable? William bases the [...]
Estate Planning for Churches in the 21st Century
Estate Planning is an often overlooked financial tool when evaluating church funding now and in the future. National surveys tell us that over 65% of our church members don’t [...]
Debt, Financing, and Lending Readiness
Despite uncertainties in the financing market, your church may be in a place where you are considering financing for renovations or new building projects. We’ll discuss what many churches [...]
Compensation: A How-to from the Salary Guru
Fletch knows church salaries! He will walk you and Mike through how to set compensation for your church staff. This will feature the just released Salary Forecaster 2025. The [...]
Generosity: What’s Ahead in 2024
Generosity is an action. It is the ongoing activity of giving away what you can’t take with you at the end of your life. To understand it better, Brad [...]
How to Build Strong Teams
Leading a team made up of diverse individuals is always a challenge. Balancing different work styles and approaches requires ongoing communication, empathy and flexibility. Successful leadership involves fostering an [...]
Is There Life After Ministry?
Helping Staff Transition To What's Next A question that lingers in the hallways of church offices and in the hearts of some pastors is, "Is there life after vocational [...]
A Top-of-Funnel Conversation About Leveraging Google, Content, and AI
If you're a church that embraces the mission Jesus sent us on to "go and make all disciples,” then you are likely laser-focused in your approach and mindset around [...]
Multisite Management 2.0
Which Mom or Dad among us does not want to have a steady understanding of how their kids are doing? Likewise, what if you could constantly have a pulse [...]
Trademark & Copyright 101: Protecting your Church Brand
In this webinar, we will discuss what trademark and copyright is, the importance of filing for protection, and the trademark and copyright application process. Brianna Nevels, Associate Attorney with [...]
How to Create Engaging Spaces
People want connection and fellowship at church. Great preaching and family ministries are a must as well—of course! Pivotal, though are spaces that foster community and engagement. Tune in [...]
The Employee Retention Credit—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) started out as a lesser-known relief provision contained in the CARES Act passed into law at the beginning of the pandemic in March of [...]
Busy Isn’t (≄) Productive: 5 Productivity Hacks to Accomplish More & Juggle Less
God may grant us each the same hours every day, but no two people’s days look the same. Unlike a business, your day-to-day operations go far beyond the brick-and-mortar [...]
3 Tips for Leading Better Meetings
Do you feel like your time is wasted in meetings? If so, you’re not alone. “A shocking 71% of professionals report having their time wasted, due to unnecessary or [...]
Ministry Should Dictate Real Estate, Part 2
This is part two of our time with Matt Messier and Carlin Beekman. We had so much great material in part one, that we needed a follow-up. See this [...]
Multiply Hospitality with Renewed Outdoor Spaces—A Case Study
You can raise the visibility of your church with a campus improvement. Mike Gould, an XP at First Baptist Church of Frisco, did that in a series of campus [...]
5 MultiSite Campus Design and Renovation Strategies
Multi-site church leaders nationwide are acquiring and launching campuses in record numbers. In this exclusive XPastor webinar, Dave will present five field-tested design strategies for overhauling and launching a [...]
What the Latest Gallup Trends Mean for Your Church & Leadership
Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace is out, and we're here to break down everything you need to know as a leader. The main summary statement Gallup wants [...]
Sabbaticals—Sayonara or Siesta?
Leading a church can be a 24/7 role. Even when taking a regular day off, stress can accumulate over the months. Many churches have instituted sabbatical policies to help [...]
How to Activate Your Church Buildings for Greater Community Impact
Has your church considered ways you could use your buildings for greater community impact during the week? Join us for a look at how to do this in a [...]
Ways to Build Trust by Drops and Avoid Losing It in Buckets
What are specific actions you can take to live and lead at a higher level of integrity? David and Warren recently convened 20 experts in various fields and asked [...]
Beyond Sunday: Engaging Your Community Monday through Saturday
Gone are the days of thinking attendance leads to engagement. In a digital-first era, churches are re-thinking how to approach community engagement and may not have the right people, [...]
4 Prevailing Models for Multi-siting Churches and How Portability Makes Them Flourish
Is the size of a church a leading indicator of health? The idea that a big church is healthy, or a small church is not healthy, may lead to [...]
The Two Biggest “Misses” in DIY Senior Pastor Succession Plans
Pathbreaker Pastors and their churches deserve to see ministry momentum multiplied through a planned pastor succession process. Sadly, that rarely happens with churches and pastors that do it themselves. [...]
5 Keys to Success with Your Church Management Software
Sometimes the relationship with your Church Management software becomes tired, brittle or even broken. No software is perfect, but is your ChMS working as well as it should? Your [...]
Budgeting Effectively During Economic Uncertainty
The unknowns of the economic uncertainty we face—including a possible recession and higher interest rates—can create challenges as well as potential opportunities for church leaders as they work to [...]
7 Reasons to Offer Estate Planning at Your Church
Most church leaders don’t have a will or an estate plan. So it is easy to see why church leaders don’t encourage congregants to get one either. So many [...]
2 Trends Impacting Your Leadership This Year
Over the past 3 years the expectations for leaders has only grown more acute. Staff transitions, waning morale, and rising mental health challenges are resulting in new research that [...]
The Collective Might Platform
How do you maximize the strength of your church? All of our churches have wonderful strengths, but they are not always fully utilized or appreciated. Gloo connects the faith [...]
Leading the Flock: 5 Tips for Executive Pastors to Become Effective Leaders
Effective leadership boils down to the healthy habits you implement on a consistent basis. But what are those habits? And how do you practically implement them when your calendar [...]
Ministry Should Dictate Real Estate
Churches can feel stuck with their property. Real estate should not be the driving factor in your ministry. Ministry comes first and your property should fulfill your church vision. [...]
The Top 5 1/2 Questions XPs Are Asking about 2023 Giving Trends … with Surprising Answers
We had the pandemic and that raised lots of eyebrows about giving. Now we are in a post-pandemic era. There is angst about economic uncertainty and changes in core [...]
Internal Controls From 30,000 Feet
Internal controls are vital in the life of a church’s finances. But, what are they? How can they help staff, give great data and protect against fraud? Mike Lee [...]
Five Budget Busting Spaces You Think You Need but Really Don’t
Wasting money on spaces that really don’t matter is one of the most dangerous pitfalls that a church can fall into. The truth is, anyone can justify why they [...]
How to Increase Engagement with a Hybrid Church Model
Digital solutions undoubtedly play a significant role in Church today, but the technology churches leverage (and how) continues to evolve. Pushpay recently released its 2023 State of Church Technology [...]
Know When and How to Delegate
Church leaders have extraordinary demands on their time. So when it comes to experiencing growth in your church, you have to think differently about how you run it—and it [...]
Best Questions to Ask Your Architect for Your Next Building
When was the last time that you built or renovated your facility? For some it was last year, others 10 years and others … never. Let’s talk with a [...]
Websites that Provide Resources & Create Leads
Your church website is important to your ministry—of course, we all know that! It is one of the key ways to get information out to members and visitors. In [...]
Cultivating Hospitality in a Divided Church
Politics. Masks. Vaccines. The reasons churches are dividing are legion. How should we as church leaders cultivate spaces where people who have nothing else in common gather and are [...]
This is the Perfect Season to Add a Residency
When resources are tight, and getting tighter, it could be the perfect time to add a residency to your staff team. Residency is a two year ramp towards full [...]
Managing Creatives
Creative types are leaving the church. Many feel overworked, burned out or had unrealistic demands. The creative person is essential for your church and has a huge role to [...]
Keeping Your Marriage Healthy in Ministry
Recent research indicates that high level marital satisfaction is insufficient to keep a marriage healthy by itself. Generations of broken families make it extremely difficult to practice what one [...]
Faith Driven Investment Policies for Churches
Doing ministry in the twenty first century is expensive—and that was before the recent bout of inflation. Finding ways to generate increased returns on the resources the Lord has [...]
A 5-Year Ministry Plan at Age 90
Gene Getz is 90 years old … going on 91 in March. He miraculously survived Covid even though he spent eight months in the hospital. Gene's doctors suggested that [...]
The Art of Leading Change
Leading change is difficult. The hardest part is not deciding which path to follow. The bigger challenge is found in the messy human dynamics throughout the journey of change. [...]
Multisite New Normal
The multisite model changed the trajectory of the church in America at the beginning of the 21st century. But what about today? What is the new normal for multisite [...]
Seamless Succession Planning
Pastoral Succession has been a taboo topic for far too long, but the truth is that every pastor is an interim pastor. Whether you are ready or not, succession [...]
Engagement Explosion
Would you like your congregational engagement to explode during your weekend service? What if your attendees could actually engage with your sermon in real time and tell you how it [...]
Anatomy of a Church IRS Examination
The IRS has just informed you of its intent to initiate an inquiry or examination of your church. What happens next? How do you navigate from here? In this [...]
When Church is Work – 5 Trending Legal Issues for Christian Employers
Making sure Sunday, and every day, runs smoothly at church requires a dedicated team. Whether it takes 2 or 52 to staff your church, you need a solid foundation [...]
Effective Benchmarking: Thinking Outside The Box
Comparing key data points against known metrics is a tried-and-true method for assessing financial health for any organization. In this webinar, we will discuss how to answer key financial [...]
Budgeting Your Next Building Project
Most projects start with a vision, idea, or dream and then quickly run into reality—specifically, the reality of, How are we going to pay for all of this? Join us [...]
Senior Pastor Smart Succession
Lots of Senior and Lead Pastors are thinking about succession. In the next five years, pivotal leadership in your church could change. How you approach a succession can be [...]
Defending Your Church from Cybersecurity Threats
Data security breaches are constantly in the news, but the threat of phishing scams and ransomware attacks aren’t limited to large companies. In fact, ministries are increasingly under attack [...]
The African American Family and Developing a Diverse Family Ministry
Whatever the ethic background of your church attenders and staff, you want to understand and develop diversity—especially in your family ministry. James Logan has a rich background in business, [...]
Preventing and Resolving Conflict in the Church
Let's talk about how Christian leaders can model, practice and teach the principles of relational wisdom. This is a gospel-based form of emotional intelligence, biblical peacemaking and Christian conciliation. [...]
Church Website Assessment with Practical Website Advice
Join us live! We may choose your church website—if you dare submit it. Mark MacDonald, church branding strategist with BeKnownForSomething.com and church communication sage with 35 yrs experience, and [...]
The ROI Of Employee Engagement
A New Way To Measure Your People Development Efforts According to Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace report, 85% of employees are disengaged in their work. But how do [...]
How Marketing Strategies Play a Role in Creating Disciples: Using the Member Lifecycle
Articulating your Church’s Member Lifecycle or member engagement strategy will help you know your people, define the next steps for growing their faith and result in growing your church. [...]
Budgeting in Uncertain Economic Times
Churches, like all organizations, are being impacted by inflation and economic uncertainty. What will the effect be on your ministry’s revenues, expenses, and future opportunities? How can you budget [...]
How to Reach More People Than You Ever Imagined
Social Media isn’t evil. It can be very powerful when you start to think about ways to keep your church community engaged when they aren’t in the four walls [...]
Insights on Compensation & Inflation
Compensation has a huge question mark this year. With inflation and a changing economy, churches are wondering how to pay their staff. Tune in to learn about new high-level [...]
Bring Your Questions: Get answers and try to stump the chumps
Get answers and try to stump the chumps Once a year we do an open question time. This is your opportunity to bring any church question. Ask anonymously as [...]
New Insights on Church Planting and Multisites
From Actual Costs to Best Models What practical insights and trends could research on 3,000 church planters and campus pastors offer? Learn as findings from ECFA’s historic and groundbreaking [...]
Church Spaces for Introverts, Extroverts, and Nickelback Fans
From Introverts who actively dodge your overzealous door greeters to extroverts who are the overzealous door greeters, the needs of our communities are as diverse as the people who [...]
Portable Church Strategies: A Post Pandemic Accelerator
Hindsight View of the Re-Expansion of the Church In March of 2020, the church was just humming along! Or so we thought. Without warning, covid became a part of [...]
Legacy Gifting: From the Why to the How
As leaders, we are called to seek out and then shine a light on the path for the faithful to follow. One of those paths is stewardship and generosity. [...]
Compensation in 2022: Raises, Bonuses, Perks and Inflation
This year is a crazy year for compensation. Inflation is high and house prices are even higher! How can you give adequate raises to your staff? What bonuses and [...]
How to Create a Staff Structure that Supports Your Strategy
Building a team that is aligned and achieving mission together is one of the greatest joys of leadership. But most ministry leaders right now are feeling the pain of [...]
Culture is Currency
Your culture drives everything—how you attract great leaders, retain them and how you develop them. It even drives succession. Let’s talk about how the most important investment you can make [...]
Hiring For Things You Can’t Find On A Resume
It can be easy for a candidate to look good on paper, however most times, a resume just scratches the surface. A resume can reflect more of a candidate's [...]
Pastoral Heart vs. Business Brain
Balancing Giftedness in the XP role Nick Smith is an XP with a huge Pastoral Heart. He exudes warmth and compassion with plenty of biblical wisdom. How does Nick [...]
Reaching Your Community
Bridging the Gap Between Online Explorers and Your Church Today more than ever, the church has the opportunity to use technology to connect with people. National advertising campaigns are [...]
5 Things Great Teams Do Consistently
What separates the good teams from the great teams? Everyone has different opinions, but Holly and her team at Leadr have done the research and have found the 5 things [...]
Hiring In 2022 & Beyond
Attracting Top Talent With Flexible Staffing Solutions Hiring takes an average 36 to 42 days from an application submission to the first day on the job. The gig economy, [...]
Surprise Findings in the XP Survey
What We Expected & What We Found Let’s look at seven surprises that will give encouragement, challenge, and ideas to ponder as we move forward in this uncertain season. [...]
Life in the Trenches
Current Issues that XPs Face Fletch and Keith Duff will talk on current issues that XPs face. These range from dealing with resignations in the last year, to hiring [...]
Org Charts that Work
Designing an Organization Chart that Aligns, Empowers, and Unlocks Your Team Building a team that is aligned and achieving mission together is one of the greatest joys of leadership. [...]
10 Things Your Hybrid Church Staff Wish You Knew
It's estimated that by the end of this year, 53% of the U.S. workforce will be remote. For comparison and perspective, just five years ago in 2017, roughly 5.2% [...]
Top 5 Urgent Hurdles to Make or Break Your Financial Year
A Focus on the Next 10 Months to Finish the Year Exceeding Budget Even though giving is stable now, what variables loom ahead that could disrupt your financial world [...]
Nine Years of Surveys in a Megachurch
What I’ve Learned about Listening to Our People Watermark Community Church of Dallas uses periodic surveys to better understand congregants’ experiences, hearts, and opinions regarding COVID. Watermark is an [...]
State of Church Technology
As the Church continues to evolve in a digital era, learn about the latest technology trends, concerns, and what’s important for churches as they develop strategies for the future [...]
Ten Biggest Tax Mistakes, Part 2
In Part 1, we had so many questions from the live audiences, that we only got half way through the "10 Biggest Mistakes." Now for the second half! With [...]
Money and Ministry: 7 Financial Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
Many leaders are making expensive financial mistakes that limit their impact. Avoid the seven most problematic areas within your financial operations and discover a blueprint to fully resource your [...]
10 Biggest Tax Mistakes Made By Pastors and Churches
With decades of experience in publishing annual tax guides for ministers and churches, ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) is uniquely qualified to identify and explain the top tax [...]
Tips for Coaching Your Staff
Let's talk about tips for coaching your staff for their personal and professional development. This discussion will be with members of the Lead Self Lead Others Team. The ability of [...]
Opinionated Division, Steen Interviews Fletch
Matt Steen, co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, and David Fletcher, have a poignant talk about the unspoken stress that is causing Churches to make fast and bad, far-reaching decisions. In [...]
Negotiating and Managing Bank Debt
You are thinking of a loan for your new building or you might be looking to refinance a current loan. How much debt can your church prudently carry? You haven’t [...]
How Outsourcing Helps You Build A Future-Proof Team
Hiring and maintaining full-time, on-site workers is expensive, but churches that can successfully migrate—in full or in part—to outsourced work will position themselves to adapt, survive, and ultimately thrive. [...]
Defending Your Church from Cybersecurity Threats
Data security breaches are constantly in the news, but the threat of phishing scams and ransomware attacks aren’t limited to large companies. In fact, ministries are increasingly under attack [...]
The Great Resignation … and What To Do About It
Back in May, we started a discussion with William Vanderbloemen. At that time, he said: We’re calling 2021 'The Great Covid Churn.' Now, that churn has expanded into what is being [...]
Keeping Your Mind Alive While in Ministry
How do you as a church leader stretch yourself and stay fresh? Pastors must engage their minds in creative, fun and dynamic reading. As important as physical exercise, mental [...]
Board Fires Pastor
The line from the Apollo 13 movie comes to mind: Houston, we have a problem. Many high-profile minister failings can be traced back to the board not holding the senior [...]
Balance Before Burnout
Dealing with Significant Church Issues Covid is the current stress factor for pastors. At day 584 and counting, it has brought many pastors to burnout, more than any other [...]
Creating a Legacy Life Plan: What most older pastors said they should have done sooner
Join Fletch and Dave Travis, Director of Strategic Counsel to Pastors & Church Boards at Generis, for this fascinating topic. Dave has a vast perspective on how to build [...]
Pastor Tax 101—Federal Tax Benefits and Rules Applicable to Ministers
Pastors and federal tax issues is always a hot topic. We all want to use the most benefits that are available ... but are we? This broadcast with Fletch [...]
4 Ways To Avoid Burnout
Are you ready to trust—and relax? Because to avoid burnout, you need to encourage your church employees to pour back into themselves a little each day – while you [...]
How to Budget For Your Next Project
Most projects start with a vision, idea, or dream and then quickly run into reality—specifically, the reality of, "How are we going to pay for all of this?" Join us [...]
Hiring in the Post-Pandemic World
There is and will be a great deal of turnover in staff positions in the post-pandemic world. What do staff searches look like in this new landscape? Some think [...]
Leadership Lessons from a Bank with a Biblically-Centered Culture
Most banks have a culture of profit. What if a bank took a biblical world view that included profit with the biblical principles of honesty, integrity, truthfulness and fairness? [...]
Helping New Hires Succeed from the Start
Launch: The First 90 Days When a new hire begins working at your ministry or organization, the first 90 days are a critical time for them to get onboarded [...]
6 Proven Tips for Keeping Remote Team Members Accountable
We would love to share a top list of proven tips for remote teams around accountability. Our team gets asked these questions very often: How do you know the [...]
Mergers and Acquisitions: Questions to Ask & Financial Due Diligence
Is a merger or acquisition right for your church? While there can be many benefits, a successful merger or acquisition requires more than just finding another church that feels [...]
4 Essential Tools for the Future of Church Growth
We all have ideas about how our church could grow in the next month. There are a number of digital tools and systems that can help you run your [...]
Assessing Church Financial Health Made Easy
Assessing Church Financial Health Made Easy—Even if you are not financially inclined So … you’re an XP (or equivalent) and you’re in charge of (among other things) the financial [...]
5 Practical Ways To Lead More Effective Meetings
Church leaders usually fall into one of two categories: you love meetings or you hate them. But meetings are a critical part to building a healthy staff culture, communicating [...]
Legacy Gifting: The Heart of Stewardship
The stewardship journey is not only the work of a faithful follower of Christ but those chosen to lead them. The church has a unique opportunity to provide leadership [...]
Giver Expectations and Intent
It’s critical to remember that the cycle of requesting and/or receiving a charitable gift is not complete until the expectation and intent of givers have been met. Creating a [...]
Cyber Criminals in the Church: A Whopper of a Tale
In today’s world, not even the church is immune to cyberattacks. Our ministries are vulnerable to phishing, data theft, and even extortion. The attorneys will provide examples of damage [...]
Auditoriums Post-Covid
Live and streaming worship continues to morph and change. Join us for a discussion of big ideas to consider in audio-visual design. The past year has taught us that [...]
Succession Planning & Post-Covid Hiring
We’re calling 2021 “The Great COVID Churn.” Because of the exhaustion, burnout, and uncertainty people have experienced over the last 12 months, Churches are seeing an enormous increase in [...]
Fraud and Cybersecurity In Your Church and Remote Workplaces
Churches are reflecting on the past year and how they adapted to the pandemic, including embracing the “new normal” of supporting operations with remote staff. While remote work can [...]
Senior Pastor Succession: What the Executive Pastor Can Do to Help It Along
The pandemic season has done two things for a Senior Pastor succession thinking. For many, some long-term senior pastors under 60 years old and now planning to hand over [...]
Hiring for the Future of the Church
If going through this recent pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that it’s critical for churches to have an online presence and engage with our online community. Not to [...]
Religious Freedom During COVID-19 and Beyond
The world has changed dramatically over the past year. In the midst of the global pandemic, ministries are caught in the crosshairs of determining how to protect their religious [...]
Giving in 2021 & How to Engage More Donors
What should you expect in projected giving through the balance of 2021? How will you engage more givers to end the year financially better than you expect? Get answers [...]
Leadership Principles from the Tech World
Molly Matthews is the CEO of Pushpay, a leading provider of donor management solutions that simplify and encourage engagement, payments, and administration, enabling customers to increase participation and build [...]
The Nuts and Bolts of Commercial Development on Your Site
For years you’ve imagined that irresistible coffee hot-spot on the corner of your property that lures the community to your campus and increases the bottom line. But, you’re not [...]
Emerging from Covid : 8 Steps your Ministry Must Consider
Join Fletch and Chris Lewis, Senior Manager at Thrivent, for a look at the financial implications of emerging from Covid. We will look at ministry strategy, costs, cash reserves, [...]
What Are Capital Reserves and Why They Matter
Less than 40% of churches Smart Church Solutions have surveyed in our national benchmarking have a defensible plan for capital reserve planning. Capital renewals are inevitable expenses. Every component [...]
The 4 Buckets of Church Facility Budgeting
If your church has a facility, then you have been entrusted with the care and stewarding of your ministry tool. That means that you will have to set budgets, [...]
How to Budget Effectively in Changing Times
The current pandemic and economic circumstances create uncertainty regarding future revenues, expenses, opportunities, and challenges. This brings shifting priorities, strategies and tactics. Let’s see how to tie budgets to [...]
The Seven Deadly Sins of Church Building Design—and how to Fix Them
What are the seven most common church designs mistakes? You know, the ones that create the biggest headache for church leaders. Dave Milam will explain a mistake, then watch [...]
Noise Pollution—How to Decipher the Difference between Smart Ideas vs. COVID-19 Induced Noise
Since the start of COVID-19, we have all seen social media platforms blow up with people providing ideas, strategies, warnings, 5 or 10 ways to completely change over the [...]
Determining Staff Salaries & Benefits for 2021
Fletch, William and Sutton walk through the vital area of church compensation and benefits. In a difficult year, many churches have faced reorgs and/or budget cuts, which means compensation [...]
The Changing Reality in America’s Largest Churches
What is going on in megachurches? How are they growing and what is their racial composition? Fletch talks with Warren Bird and Scott Thumma—the premier researchers on megachurches who [...]
Hit the Pause Button on Campus Renovations?
Dave Milam always has ideas, and they are good ones about strategic design for churches. Dave and Fletch will talk about moving out of the COVID-19 season. How will [...]
5 Critically Important Things that Church Boards Don’t Like Talking About—Why It’s Not OK and How to Fix It
Fletch and Mike Batts talk through challenging subjects that are often overlooked in board meetings: senior pastor compensation and benefits; compensation of family members; related party transactions; issues that [...]
Casting A Powerful Vision for Small Groups
Even though more than 90% of pastors say groups are the primary vehicle for discipleship in their church, anyone who’s been around church small groups know that groups can [...]
Confident Leader
Fletch talks with Dan Reiland about Dan’s latest book, Confident Leader! This will be a fast paced discussion on a vital topic. Come and learn—bring your questions! Dan says about [...]
Breaking the 5,000 Growth Barrier and Beyond
Why do some churches go from 50 to 500 to 5,000 and beyond, while others seem to cap out at a certain point? What kind of church leader does [...]
The Next Big Trend for Churches Post COVID
Fletch talks with William Vanderbloemen about the next steps for the church. We are in challenging times and COVID-19 is here for a while longer. Perhaps the end date [...]
Inside a Church Merger: The Good, Bad and Ugly from Actual Examples
Let’s go inside two different mergers. One looks through the eyes of the joining church, exploring what led up to starting the merger conversation, what issues they needed to [...]
Developing Female Leaders: Navigate the Minefields and Release the Potential of Women in Your Church
Kadi puts it this way: “What would your church look like if it were to maximize the dormant gifts of the women God has brought there?” That’s a questions [...]
Anchor Your Giving If the Economy Falters
Of all the things you as an XP have to navigate and worry about, what if a downturn in financial resources this fall is added to your list? Let’s [...]
Federal Courts Adopt Pro-Intern Approach
Whether to pay interns or not has been a sticky subject for a long time. Do you know about the recent decisions from federal appellate courts that have adopted [...]
Cultivate an Extraordinary Team Culture
Fletch talks with Jenni about Team Culture. Crisis either unites or divides us. And my guess is that you are seeing this more than ever with your team. You [...]
Hone Your Online Giving & New Features
Fletch and Troy Pollock always have intriguing discussions. This time they will focus on how to hone your online giving. This will be coupled with new features in online [...]
Reinvent Your Church with Mission-Based Impact
Fletch talks with Mike Batts on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that churches have to reinvent themselves. Mike is the managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee. He has more than [...]
Entrusted: Intentional Church Facility Stewardship
Fletch talks with Tim Cool about his latest book “Entrusted: A Guide to Intentional Church Facility Stewardship.” Tim has extensive experience in all aspects of church buildings. Get in [...]
Kim Kira and Bobby Scott Discuss Race Relations
What makes this video of high value is that it is between an Asian American and and African American. This gives good insights into the care that we all [...]
Improv Leadership: How to Lead Well in Every Moment
Fletch talks with Stan Endicott, co-founder of Slingshot Group. Stan has developed Improv Leadership. Improv leaders apply five competencies to initiate powerful conversations, create memorable moments, and craft personal [...]
How Is the Church Feeling About Finances?
Join a lively discussion that tries to make sense of why evangelical churches and Christ-centered nonprofits are expressing so much optimism about their financial future. Learn who is most [...]
6 Powerful Currents to Saturate Your City for Christ
Fletch talks with Tim Lucas and Warren Bird on a fascinating story of a New Jersey church that began “on accident” and grew into one of America’s 100 Fastest-Growing [...]
Racial Issues & the Church: Is “Blackout Tuesday” the Best Answer?
Four church leaders explore race relations in the church and society. Fletch and Mike Gould will be joined by XPs Nicholas Smith and Tim Samuel. First we listened to Nick [...]
The SP-XP Relationship & Transition
Bishop David Evans is the Senior Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Lindenwold, New Jersey. Nicholas Smith is his Executive Pastor. Twenty years ago, Bishop Evans named Nicholas as his designated [...]
Returning to Church, What Does Your Congregation Think?
Fletch and Mike Gould talk with veteran XP, Keith Duff of Village Bible Church and Christopher Nelson, Director of Business Development at Gloo. Keith used a free congregational survey [...]
Befriending Your Monsters
Luke Norsworthy started a powerful conversation at this year's XP-Seminar. Many pastors were deeply moved by Luke's talk. Join us for more as Fletch and Luke Norsworthy discuss Luke's [...]
Modeling Leadership Transition
Leadership transitions are crucial. A successful handoff propels an organization forward in its vision and strategies. Rocky transitions cause multitudes of ongoing issues, from which some organizations never recover. [...]
Leadership Live: Connecting to the Congregation
Leadership Live is a concept that Village Bible Church developed to connect with its congregation. Village Bible is a church of 1,500 people, spread across 5 campuses. They were [...]
Great Pastoral Communication by Video
Churches should always over-communicate with the congregation. This is especially so during a crisis, such as the pandemic. Here is a superb video from Lighthouse Community Church. It is a [...]
Weathering the Pandemic’s Economic Impact
Fletch and Warren Bird talk about how church looks differently right now for all of us during the coronavirus pandemic. On this podcast, we cover finances, outreach, and other [...]
COVID-19 and Culture Shock
COVID-19 has brought culture shock and angst to us all. David Fletcher and Mike Gould explain our discomfort at home, in the home-office, shopping and family life. Experience a [...]
Video Discussion of The “After Party”
Mike Gould and Fletch hosted Chad Cronin, Campus Pastor at 2|42 Community Church. In an informal discussion, Chad shares about how their church is hosting "After Parties" for newcomers. [...]
How to Lead a Staff Remotely
Chemistry Staffing led a recent webinar on the "The Nuts and Bolts of Virtual Leadership." This conversation with church leaders is about how to make the shift from in-person [...]
Five Insider Tips for Pastoral Success in 2020
Fletch and Jonathan Jarboe talk on five keys to make 2020 a great year for your church. In the 40 minute webinar, they will discuss 1) Staffing—how to maximize [...]
10 Discoveries: The Latest Research on Church Mergers, Part 2
Fletch talks more with Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin about the preliminary findings on "Church Mergers" for those who participated in their online survey. Bird and Tomberlin write: Topics [...]
Fletch Talks with Vanderbloemen about Staffing
Fletch continues his discussion with William Vanderbloemen about staffing in the church. Hear this noted leader talk about staffing and how it impacts your church. William Vanderbloemen is [...]
What Story Is Your Building Telling?
Recently a church leader noticed an old sign in the parking lot which said "towing enforced." That was the first sign that a visitor saw upon entering the property! [...]
10 Discoveries: The Latest Research on Church Mergers, Part 1
Fletch talks with Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin about the preliminary findings on "Church Mergers" for those who participated in their online survey. Bird and Tomberlin write: Have you [...]
Spiritual Development and Ministry Metrics
Spiritual growth is a process and you can help people on that path. Identify your process and key milestones to measure. Obtain and utilize the right data. Fletch and [...]
Preventing Sexual Abuse in Your Church
Sex abuse claims remain the top reason churches go to court each year. Fletch interviews Matthew Branaugh, editor for Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com, about this troubling ongoing trend in the [...]
10 Questions to Ask Before You Build
There is the familiar story of the church that built a new building, only to discover on opening day that needed aspects were missing. Does a church ever have [...]
Top 10 Reasons Church Loans are Declined
Join Fletch and leaders from Thrivent for an insider’s look into church loans. Both Chris Lewis and Teresa Loker have extensive experience that can pull back the curtain on these [...]
Four Ways to Nurture Your Community to Increase Participation
Every church wants their people to be as involved as possible. No one wants a church of people on the sidelines. So, why isn't better engagement happening more often? [...]
Is Your Building Family-Friendly?
A connected family engages all members. The same is true for the church family. It takes the wisdom of seniors, the commitment of adults, the passion of youth and [...]
Knowing the Health of Your Staff
Few staff members feel they can be completely forthright with their superiors concerning “tough situations.” This puts church leadership in a jam. How can leaders know how staff are [...]
5 Building Blocks of Church Financial Integrity … with free ebook
Michael Martin and Fletch examine a vital topic of how to ensure your church has financial integrity. When you have a problem in this area, your donors get nervous [...]
Digital Giving Trends
Fletch and Troy Pollock began an intriguing discussion at the 2019 XP-Seminar. Back by popular demand, this "state of digital giving" continues that discussion. From his vantage point of working [...]
Strategic Designs for Active Shooter Readiness
Dave Milam has helped hundreds of churches around the country with their facilities. One of his most frequent questions is, "How can we make our campus safer?” This webinar [...]
How to Hire the Right People for Your Church Staff
The most expensive hire you will ever make is the wrong person. So how can you discern who’s the right person? Staffing is one of the greatest challenges church [...]
Successful Church Project Planning
Getting a church loan is an area that most church leaders find murky and complicated. Chris Lewis from Thrivent has expertise from his years of helping churches with their [...]
David Fletcher and Mike Gould Answer Questions about Church Ministry
Fletch takes questions live from webinar participants about a wide range of church ministry. Mike Gould hosts the time as questions come in about how to run a church, [...]
Church Photo Worth 1,000 Words
XPastor gives a "Gold XP" rating to Mosaic Church of Orlando for the intro shot in their welcome video. David Fletcher recently was at Mosaic, helping them on a [...]
Smart Money for Church Salaries: Michale Martin Interviews Fletch
Salaries for pastors have unique challenges and quirks that need to be addressed. In this podcast, Michael Martin of ECFA interviews Fletch on this hot topic. Tune in to make [...]
ECFA Podcast with Fletch on Salaries
The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability recently said, "XPastor to the Rescue with Church Salary Workshops." Compensation can be a murky issue for churches. Few resources are available that [...]
Generosity: Fletch talks with Brad Leeper
In these three videos, Fletch and Brad Leeper (President of Generis) talk about generosity in the church. As they answer questions posed by Executive Pastors, many illustrations will be [...]
When Generosity Floods–The Bayou Story
Are you ready for a flood? Are you praying for a flood? Are you anticipating a flood? A flood can be devastating, transformative, or a combination of both. Imagine [...]
Generosity, Part 1
David Fletcher and Brad Leeper began a video dialogue regarding giving, money, leadership, culture and many other important topics that fall on the shoulders of the Executive Pastor in a [...]
Rich Birch and David Fletcher on Next Generation Leaders
David was featured on the unSeminary podcast. He talked with Rich Birch about a system for training and releasing next generation leaders. If you don't know UnSeminary yet, dive into [...]
Should You Hire From Inside or Outside the Church?
Whether you should hire from within or outside the church when a staff position becomes available is a common question. Truth is, there is no right or wrong answer. Watch [...]
Vision and Passion in Ministry
In March 2013, David interviewed Mike Erre, the Lead Pastor of EvFree Fullerton. Mike's first Sunday at the church, the worship attendance was 3,000; six months later, the attendance had grown to 4,400. In [...]
How to Grow Ministry with Less Money
Recently I had the privilege of having David Fletcher talk with us on a NavXP webinar, “How to Grow Ministry with Less Money." He shared his wisdom, struggles, and stories of how vision [...]
How to Develop an Effective Employee Handbook
In this webinar, Fletch interviewed Eric Rojas, the XP of Christ Community Church, a multisite, 5 campus church of 5,500 in the western suburbs of Chicago. Eric has been [...]
Changes in the XP Role
Oh, how the XP job has changed! Over the last decade or two, the role of the Executive Pastor has changed significantly. Once a more business role, the position [...]
Staying on Mission—Adapting to Economic Pressure
ECCU Ministry Development Officer Randy Marsh presented, "Staying on Mission: Adapting to Economic Pressure" at the XP-Seminar in February, 2013. Thanks to Randy for sharing wisdom with churches regarding [...]