Scholars cite over 400 questions in the four Gospels! We often call it an invitation, a next step or a challenge, but it’s a part of what we do every day.

Or at least, it should be.

In fact, there are 5 main invitations that every pastor must master…and I’d like to guide you through every single one in this brand new resource.

Because people are never harmed in church by pastors making an ask. But many people are hurt — NOT growing closer to Christ, NOT deepening their commitment — when we as ministers don’t invite them to take that next step.

TODAY YOU CAN LEARN THE ART OF THE “ASK” — SO YOU CAN MOVE PEOPLE CLOSER TO CHRIST!

You may not know that I spent most of my life battling a speech impediment. Early on it impacted my willingness to speak up and be a good asker.

So I too have had to overcome my fear of asking. I had to work hard at it and with God’s help, when I went into ministry, I very quickly learned that I had the gift of evangelism. I began to develop the ability to ask for a decision.

Now after 35 years in ministry, and after 20 years of coaching pastors, I’m sharing my proven process with you on how you also can become a “master asker!”

The practical teachings in this brand new resource — and ALL of the bonus resources and trainings that come with it — will boost your confidence as a pastor and breathe new life into every area of your church.

NEW RESOURCE FOR YOU: THE 5 INVITATIONS EVERY PASTOR MUST MASTER

In this new 3-hour audio resource, I outline the five most eternally important invitations and then unpack, explain and apply them. You will dive deep into how to become a master asker of those invitations.

You’ll be able to break through hesitation and indecision with simple adjustments to how you speak, lead and invite!

INTRODUCTORY RATE + BONUSES!
You can pick up my new resource now for only $37 (normally $299.95). You’ll save 88% plus receive over $1,423.35 in bonus resources!

Click here to learn more and secure your downloadable resource package.

Fully develop one of the most overlooked pastor skills to help you grow personally, reach more people for Christ and strengthen your local church!

Do you want the people in your church to live an abundant life in Christ? Becoming a “master asker” is a non-negotiable to see this happen.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. Feel free to share this with other pastors you know who could benefit from becoming a “master asker”!

And secure this download at the low rate of just $37 (normally $299.95) plus receive over $1,423.35 in bonus resources.

Click here to learn more and save 88%!

The post Growing churches are led by leaders who “make the ask” appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

As a minister, you may have wondered how often you should present the Gospel. The answer to this question is simple: every Sunday.

You should offer some kind of Gospel presentation every week. Make extending the invitation for people to put their trust in Jesus Christ a priority in your church’s services.

THE EXAMPLE OF OTHER EVANGELISTS
Looking at prevalent evangelists and pastors in church history, we see a commitment to making the Gospel invitation with urgency…especially after seeing what happens when you wait.

Famously, evangelist D.L. Moody once presented the Gospel but did not extend an invitation. He said something along the lines of, “You think about it, and then tomorrow night, I’m going to give you a chance to respond.”

Well, between the first presentation and the second night, the Great Chicago Fire broke out, and Moody’s plan for an invitation never came to pass. Sadly, many people died. Moody decided that never again would he preach without presenting an invitation.

We ourselves need to remember this truth: people’s eternities are on the line.

Lastly, theologian and pastor, Charles Spurgeon, took sharing the Gospel so seriously that he advocated for not always waiting until the end of your sermon for the Gospel presentation because he wanted to give people the best chance to respond.

Think about it: when people learn that your service lasts an hour, they know when the end is near. Their minds start to wonder about what they’re eating for lunch or needing to pick up their kids from the children’s ministry.

To avoid these types of distractions and ensure people had ample opportunity to come to know Jesus, Spurgeon went as far as to approach sermon writing different from the status quo.

We can follow in the footsteps of other leaders throughout church history by prioritizing evangelism every week at our churches.

PLANNING A GOSPEL PRESENTATION
In short, every Sunday, offer a small Gospel invitation. This part of your sermon could be two minutes or more, but be sure to include it in every single message.

Additionally, it is vital that you sometimes offer an extended five to 10-minute presentation of the Gospel. In my opinion, giving this extended Gospel invitation four times a year or more is a solid number, but feel free to adjust it.

No matter what your sermon is about, offer the invitation every week so that people have a chance to say yes to the Gospel. What could be a more urgent, weighty invitation than the one to know Jesus?

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. The Gospel invitation is just one of 5 main invitations that every pastor must master…and I’d like to guide you through every single one in this brand new resource.

You can pick up the full package today for only $37 (normally $299.95) plus get over $1,423.35 in bonuses.

Click here to learn more and secure your download today!

The post The most important ask: the invitation to follow Christ appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

As we discussed in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, there are simple commitments we can make as pastors that will help us abandon average in both our lives and our ministries and step into being a Renegade Pastor.

Part 3’s commitment focus might sound simple, but it is crucial if we want to see our people mature in Christ. We must shepherd our flock.

We can do this by feeding them well with 3 simple challenges that will give them the push they need to take their next steps of faith.

#1: CHALLENGE THEM TO STEWARD THEIR MONEY WELL THROUGH GENEROSITY.

If you challenge your congregation to give, they will learn how to practice good stewardship. An example giving challenge that we have issued at The Journey is a tithing challenge. In this specific challenge, shoot right to the heart on why your people should tithe. Talk about the history of the tithe and the importance of bringing our best to God, and then, lay out the challenge.

Challenge everyone to tithe for four months. Call on them to be who they were created to be. If they agree to the tithe challenge, by the end of the four months, the tithe will be a regular part of their lives, and God will have shown Himself to them in a very real way.

All you need to do is try your best to feed your sheep the truth about giving, make that truth relevant to their lives and call them to action.

#2: CHALLENGE THEM TO EVANGELIZE.

Challenging your people to pray for their unchurched friends and invite them to church is also a powerful way to feed them. Remember, God wants to give people opportunities to share their faith. He may already be putting opportunities in front of your sheep, but if you aren’t training them to see open doors, they won’t.

Start by simply challenging them to get in the habit of praying for people in their lives who don’t know Jesus. Then, encourage them to invite those same people to church.

Another way to challenge your congregation to share their faith is to issue the same challenge every single Sunday. After each service, say, “If you found today’s message helpful, why not invite a friend to join you next week?”

If an upcoming sermon’s topic is going to be aimed at a widespread felt-need, mention that. “Hey, next week, we are going to be talking about dealing with stress in marriage. If you know someone who might find that message helpful, bring that person with you.”

A third tool to share is an Invest and Invite card — a business-sized card that says, on one side: “I will seek to invest in others who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and invite them to [your church’s name].” On the other side, include three lines for your people to list the names of three friends they are committing to invest in and invite to church.

#3: CHALLENGE THEM TO SERVE IN A MINISTRY AT YOUR CHURCH.

As the head volunteer recruiter for your church, step up and challenge your flock to serve. One-time challenges are good ways to get people involved. For example, you can leverage Big Days and special events to get people to volunteer. When anything out of the ordinary is happening, invite new volunteers to be a part of it. Once they are there, make sure they enjoy serving, earnestly thank them for their time, and ask them to do it again.

When you give potential servers an immediate why, they will often respond. People get involved when they have a specific reason to get involved. Otherwise, they may want to do something but continually justify putting it off.

Giving specific challenges to the people in your church will grow them both individually and corporately. By targeting the three areas of stewardship, evangelism, and serving, you will shepherd your flock and see immense spiritual maturity in their lives.

To abandon average and live the thriving life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments, and in this 3-part blog series, we have reviewed 3 of them: Follow Your Lord, Manage Your Time, and Shepherd Your Flock.

Follow through with these commitments, leave mediocrity behind for good, and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. When it comes to abandoning average and living a no-holds-barred life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments. By following through with these, you can leave mediocrity behind for good and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Take the risk-free step today to test out the 7 commitments and my Renegade Pastors Network for only $1. You’ll receive 60 days of coaching including tools and strategies just for senior pastors, training calls, a print newsletter, a private member hub with bonus content and much more!

You’ll also receive a free copy of my book, The Renegade Pastor, and other free resources (over $895.45 value).

Click here to learn more and give it a try.

$1 test drive will be open thru Friday only.

The post 3 challenges that will produce growth in your congregation appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

You can’t create more of the limited commodity of time, but the good news is that you can learn to utilize what you have been given to propel you to a higher level of living.

Our 3-part blog series on how to leave average behind in your life to develop into a Renegade Pastor includes a few commitments all pastors should make (Go back and read Part 1 if you missed it!), and in Part 2, we will discuss the commitment to manage your time well.

These 3 tips will transform how your ministry operates:

#1: UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.

You can be efficient without being effective, but it’s hard to be effective without being efficient. Your efficiency hinges on how quickly you are able to do your work well. But here’s the catch: You can easily become efficient at doing things that don’t matter.

While efficiency is about doing things well, effectiveness is about doing the right things well. Ask yourself: Does this need to be done at all? If the answer is no, don’t do it. If the answer is yes, focus on doing it efficiently. Spending your limited time on something you don’t need to be doing is bad stewardship and robs your priorities of the energy that’s due them.

#2: PRAY, “GOD, WHAT IS THE BEST USE OF MY TIME RIGHT NOW?”

We cannot expect to do anything well, including manage our time, if we don’t invite God into it. According to James, if you need wisdom about something, all you need to do is ask God, and He will give it to you (see James 1:5). Applying this biblical principle to your life cultivates an attitude that should cover all of your time management efforts.

The goal of time management is to ensure that you are making the highest use of every day. When you ask God to direct you, that goal becomes much more achievable.

Now, let me be clear, this is not an invitation to chuck other time management principles. Instead, it’s a reminder to approach the work you’re called to by being open to God’s guidance. Remember to seize every opportunity to partner with Him in crafting your time for His glory.

#3: ADOPT AN OFF-PEAK LIFESTYLE.

For everything you do in life, there’s a peak time to do it — a time that requires more time, effort and energy — and an off-peak time. As a pastor, when it comes to life’s routine demands (going to the bank, the dry cleaners, the grocery store, etc.), you don’t have to keep the same schedule as the rest of the working world. You can take care of these necessities at off-peak times and therefore do them much more quickly.

Take a look at these examples of how to live in the off-peak:

Restaurants: What time is the lunch rush in your area? Find out and then plan your own lunchtime around it.

Grocery Stores: The busiest time to go to the grocery store is right after work. Don’t waste time standing in long lines if you have the flexibility to run by at a slower time of the day.

Doctor Appointments: Personally, I’ve found that the first appointment after lunch is the best. In the morning, doctors often get behind schedule due to issues and emergencies that happened overnight. But no matter what, they come back from lunch on time.

Commute: You likely have the freedom to decide what time you get to your office and what time you leave. If leaving for the office an hour earlier or staying an hour later means you won’t have to sit in rush-hour madness, take advantage of the flexibility you have.

Simple tweaks to your routine can save you hours over the course of a month. Reap the benefits of having a self-directed schedule to have more time for the things that matter.

The greatest ministries require the greatest time management. The greatest lives do too. You get to decide how well you do in this area. By making the commitment to manage your time well by living out these three principles, you can leave average behind in both your personal life and ministry.

Stay tuned for the final post in this series to hear about another commitment you can make to overcome mediocrity by embracing the mindset of a Renegade Pastor.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. When it comes to abandoning average and living a no-holds-barred life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments. By following through with these, you can leave mediocrity behind for good and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Take the risk-free step today to test out the 7 commitments and my Renegade Pastors Network for only $1. You’ll receive 60 days of coaching including tools and strategies just for senior pastors, training calls, a print newsletter, a private member hub with bonus content and much more!

You’ll also receive a free copy of my book, The Renegade Pastor, and other free resources (over $895.45 value).

Click here to learn more and give it a try.

$1 test drive will be open thru Friday only.

The post Transform your ministry with these 3 time management tips appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

Co-written by me and fellow Journey pastor Kerrick Thomas, this book offers specific strategies for beginning a church with no members, no money, and no staff. You’ll hear our story of launching The Journey Church, with boots-on-the-ground experience of starting with nothing and then watching membership grow to more than a 1,000 people in three years.

Plus it’s been completely revised and expanded to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of church planting.

Click here to pick up Launch for only $3.99!

You can also access over $149 in FREE church planting resources for the book — click here to secure these audio downloads.

Let this book and these free resources be your toolkit for launching a dynamic church from scratch!

Nelson

The post Kindle Sale – $3.99 Church Planting Book: Launch appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

This 3-part series focuses on what it means to become a Renegade Pastor by equipping you to abandon average in your life and ministry. We will challenge you to move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

In Part 1, we’re highlighting the commitment to follow your Lord.

FOLLOW THE LEADER
Have you ever let distractions wedge themselves between you and Jesus? Have you dropped back from Jesus’ guidance and found yourself too far away to make out His whispers?

Following closely behind Jesus to hear what He’s saying is critical to your life and ministry. If you aren’t being a good follower, you’re not well equipped to lead.

Maybe, you find yourself in a season of ministry that feels mediocre rather than powerful. Could it be that you need to re-anchor yourself in Christ?

EXAMPLES FROM SCRIPTURE
When it comes to ministering in our churches, we must model our leadership after what we see in God’s Word. If you look back through the Scriptures, you see that the strongest biblical leaders have always been the greatest followers. Abraham followed God to a place he knew nothing about, based on God’s promises to him (see Gen. 12:1-3). He has been called a father of the faith due to his willingness to abide with God.

Moses led more than 600,000 people out of Egypt on a journey toward the Promised Land (see Exod. 12:31-42). Because Moses was committed to following his Lord as he led others, future leaders like Joshua benefited from his faithfulness and were able to walk in his example.

Jesus Himself is the greatest example of authentic followership. Jesus’ life was centered on the purpose of walking in step with and bringing glory to His Father. As He identified His inner circle, Jesus said, “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17). He didn’t say, “Take care of your family needs, make sure your business is in order, and then we’ll talk.”

As the disciples made following Jesus their top priority, their lives were transformed. Through intimate, ongoing communion with Jesus, they were not only strengthened personally but also better equipped to minister to the countless others who would be entrusted to their leadership.

OVERCOMING EXCUSES
Follow your Lord in the same way these great examples throughout history have. Make your communion with Him more important than anything else in your life.

Everything you do as a leader, a spouse, a parent, a mentor, and a friend hinges on how good a follower you are. There have likely been times in your life when you’ve been so close to Jesus that you could hear His every whisper.

I encourage you to pause here for some self-evaluation: Right now, how intimate is your relationship with Jesus? Are you right on His heels, positioned to hear every word that comes out of His mouth? Are you dropping back and allowing other people or things to come between you and Him? Your answers to these questions are directly linked to the current state of your life and ministry.

Too often, I hear stressed-out pastors complain that the demands of ministry keep them from following God like they want to — that the never-ending needs of church and family rob them of their intimate, personal connection with the Lord.

Maybe you have felt that way. But here’s the truth: The only way doing the work of God can destroy the work of God in you is if you let it. After all, you know that’s not God’s intention; He wants quite the opposite. So, overcome the excuses. Prioritize your personal relationship with God first and foremost. Don’t let anything stand in the way.

Everything you do in ministry should flow from a deep place of strength as you continually follow God more and more closely. And it can. All you have to do is align your priorities the way God intended. Make the commitment to follow your Lord and put your personal walk with Him first in your life. As you experience abundant life in Christ, you will see the same fullness in your ministry.

Be sure to tune in to the rest of our series over the next few weeks to learn about more commitments you can make to abandon average in your life and instead, live as a Renegade Pastor!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. When it comes to abandoning average and living a no-holds-barred life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments. By following through with these, you can leave mediocrity behind for good and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Take the risk-free step today to test out the 7 commitments and my Renegade Pastors Network for only $1. You’ll receive 60 days of coaching including tools and strategies just for senior pastors, training calls, a print newsletter, a private member hub with bonus content and much more!

You’ll also receive a free copy of my book, The Renegade Pastor, and other free resources (over $895.45 value).

Click here to learn more and give it a try.

$1 test drive will be open thru Friday only.

The post How abiding in Christ produces an abundant ministry appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

And on this Good Friday, I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a BIG Happy Easter.

Without a doubt, this weekend has the potential to be the biggest and best Easter yet!

I would love to pray specifically for your service this Sunday. Feel free to send me an email to nelson@churchleaderinsights.com and let me know how I can do so.

Also, if you have a moment, say a prayer for God to fill our 8 in-person services at The Journey across Manhattan and Boca — as well as our multiple online services.

Thank you for being a part of the Church Leader Insights family! May God use you to make an eternal difference in your community this Easter weekend.

Your friend,

Nelson and the CLI Team

P.S. Today thru Sunday, you can also pick up my Easter book for FREE on Kindle: At the Cross: With the People Who Were There.

Through these stories from scripture, readers will truly understand the power of the resurrection, the beauty of God’s love, and the transforming grace God gives to each of us who believes in His Son.

Go ahead and get your free download, and share the link with others:
https://churchleaderinsights.com/thecross

“He is risen indeed!”
— Luke 24:34

The post Happy Easter – how can I pray for you this weekend? appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

FREE ON KINDLE – ONLY THRU THIS SUNDAY
I’m giving away my Easter book, Kindle edition for FREE right now.

My 96-page book, At the Cross: With the People Who Were There, is designed to help your people draw closer to God during Easter. Through the eyes of a soldier, a servant, a mother, and a criminal — it shows them how a Friday nearly 2,000 years ago impacts their lives today.

So when you check it out on Amazon now you’ll see it for $0.00.

Only catch — Amazon will only let us offer it for free for a few days, so it will expire at 11:59pm THIS Easter Sunday, April 20.

I’ve set up this short URL that goes right to the Amazon page:
https://churchleaderinsights.com/thecross

SHARE THIS BOOK WITH YOUR PEOPLE
ASAP share the link on your social media — you can share this with both churchgoers and other pastor friends. Let’s share with as many people as possible this Easter:
https://churchleaderinsights.com/thecross

Through these stories from scripture, your people will truly understand the power of the resurrection, the beauty of God’s love, and the transforming grace God gives to each of us who believes in His Son.

I pray this book will be a blessing for you and your church this Easter.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. I encourage you to get the At the Cross book to check it out for yourself while it’s free now on Kindle.

And would you take a moment and tell someone else about the free download? Please share it on your social media or email a friend and direct them to:

https://churchleaderinsights.com/thecross

The post Easter gift for you – Download At the Cross on Kindle for FREE appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

Just as you stay (or should stay) on top of the numbers that gauge your health, eg. blood pressure levels, weight and height — the same is true when gauging the health of your church.

The numbers are blinking indicators that let you know if all systems are well maintained or if they are in need of improvement. Keeping track of specific numbers on a weekly basis is the single best way to get an accurate sense of what’s going on in various areas of your church.

So today as a senior pastor and coach for over 4,000 churches of all sizes and denominations, I’d like to give you an inside look at the measurements we use at The Journey Church…and why they are important.

As our final “Countdown to Easter” Giveaway, you can pick up my “What Gets Measured?” E-book — a $23.95 value, yours for FREE! 

This e-book is revised and expanded to help you identify the numbers that matter for both in-person and online church.

And it’s FREE for you through tomorrow only! Click here to grab your FREE e-book download.

You’ll also discover how to use these church measurements for maintenance, growth and to spot the places that might need more adjustments.

Save yourself time and boost your effectiveness with this FREE e-book!

In this revised and expanded, 30+ page e-book, you’ll discover:

• What to measure in the critical areas of new believers, overall attendance, first-time guests, volunteers and giving
• Ways in which natural rhythms develop in these numbers that will help you plan more efficiently
• How to use numbers as indicators to areas that need improvement
• How to maintain the vital numbers to see continuous growth
• How to partner with God even more effectively in reaching your church’s potential
• How these numbers connect to the critical systems needed for your church to run and grow at the highest levels
• And much more!

When it comes to health, whether physically speaking or within a church, numbers matter — a lot. And as pastors our numbers take on even greater significance because:

Every number we track represents a person on a journey toward becoming a fully developing follower of Jesus.

We are simply taking responsibility for the sheep God has given us to shepherd. Join me in staying on top of these critical numbers to get continually better in the areas God wants to improve.

Go ahead and click here to download your free “What Gets Measured?” e-book now. The link will only be up thru TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 16.

Your partner in ministry,
Nelson

P.S. Know of another pastor who would also benefit from the measurements shared in this e-book?

Go ahead and share the link with them for my FREE e-book:
https://churchleaderinsights.com/eastergiveaway3

Don’t delay, this is the final gift in our “Countdown to Easter” Giveaways, and this FREE e-book opportunity expires TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 16th!

The post FREE E-book: What You Should Measure at Your Church (Countdown to Easter) appeared first on Church Leader Insights.

Does your congregation remember what you preached last Sunday?

How about the Sunday before that? I don’t want to burst your bubble, but numerous studies over the years have shown that people forget the majority of the information they hear from a communicator within 24 hours.

Chances are, every message you work so hard to prepare and then deliver with such eloquence is all but forgotten by the time your listeners have their Monday morning cup of coffee.

But you don’t really have time to worry about the teaching that has faded into oblivion; you are too busy preparing for next week, right?

I’m sure you’ve experienced the frustration of feeling like your people aren’t hearing what you are trying so desperately to get across to them. Even if it seems like you’ve connected with them during the message itself, so often their actions in the days and weeks after prove they didn’t integrate the truths you tried to teach them into their lives.

Seeing your efforts result in a lack of life change time and time again can get discouraging, to say the least. If you are like me, you’ve probably asked yourself at one time or another, “Why do I even preach at all? What’s the point?”

God’s plan from the beginning of time has been to call people to himself and then grow them to be more like his son. He accomplishes this in lots of different ways: through life circumstances, through his word, through prayer, through small groups…the list goes on and on.

But one of the primary tools God wants to use to develop his people is the teaching from those of us who have been called to the pulpit. God’s plan for redemption includes using you and me to help people meet Jesus and then become more like him everyday. We do what we do week in and week out to cooperate with God in creating transformed lives.

So how can we rise to this challenge more effectively? There are specific steps you and I can take to literally double (and even triple or quadruple) the effectiveness of our preaching, if we are willing to put in a little hard work. And why wouldn’t we be?

After all, this is the task to which we’ve been called.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. You can dive into these specific steps today, with my Revised & Updated e-book, How to DOUBLE the Effectiveness of Your Preaching ($23.95 value).

Discover how to implement a message run-through each week to give yourself more confidence each time you preach.

Click here for your FREE e-book now!

FREE e-book opportunity expires THIS Friday, April 11th!

And be sure to grab each new weekly FREE gift that I’m sharing during our “Countdown to Easter” Giveaways! Watch out for new posts all this month.

The post Asking the Tough Questions About Your Preaching appeared first on Church Leader Insights.