Get Rid of the Bug in Your Light
My friend Jeff told me about his recent visit to the dentist. The checkup went well (no cavities!). The appointment went as expected (the hygienist was prepared and the dentist was on time). The cleaning...
Latest posts
Book #2 is Coming Soon!
Before you read the following post, take note that the original publication date was April 1. April. First. April Fools Day. Thank you. And carry on. Last year I released my first book, People Are the Mission: How Churches Can Welcome Guests Without Compromising the Gospel....
Leaders, Get Rid of Your Confirmation Bias
You’re familiar with confirmation bias: it’s the tragic phenomenon that occurs “when people would like a certain idea/concept to be true, they end up believing it to be true.” And all of us engage in...
Helping Your Volunteers Navigate What’s Next
Change is inevitable. Eventually, your systems and strategies and specific areas of focus are going to get adjusted…maybe overhauled…perhaps stripped down to the foundation and rebuilt from the ground up. And when that happens, our...
Danny Recommends: Podcasts (part three)
Every so often we dip our toes into a series called Danny Recommends:, posts that tip you off to the stuff that I…you know. The recommendations might be products for use in your ministry, resources that will...
First-Time Guest Basics
You just landed on an every-once-in-a-while series called Primer Posts, a curated collection of my favorite articles and books on one particular topic. These are the resources I usually point to when people ask about getting started...
Top Ten Quotes: Secrets of a Secret Shopper
Greg Atkinson visits churches. He visits a lot of churches. As a consultant, he’s hired by churches across the country to evaluate their worship services and processes for guests. (Read more about Greg and his ministry...
Save Your Seat for a 2019 Weekender!
On our staff team, one of our plumb lines is we show our work. By that, we mean that we want to help other churches and other church staffs avoid some of the common mistakes we’ve made over the...
Immanuel Baptist Church (Lexington, Kentucky)
Each month, we revisit a series of posts called Guest Services Road Trip. We’ll travel the country from the comforts of our couches, interviewing leaders who are in the trenches of ministry. Do you have an idea for GSRT...
Q&A: How Do I Start a Conversation with a First-Time Guest?
Q: When I spot a guest in the lobby that I don’t recognize, how can I approach them without coming right out and asking “Is this your first time?” [from the 2019 Blog Survey] A: Hats off to you for recognizing that the “Is this your first time?” question can have a negative nuance associated with it. True, on the list of...
