Chuck Lawless

Chuck Lawless

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  • 6 Ways to Evaluate Your Church's Strategy to Assimilate New Believers

    6 Ways to Evaluate Your Church's Strategy to Assimilate New Believers

    Maybe you've seen it happen. A new believer joins a local church, and he is thrilled by his changed life. He shows up at every church event. He consumes knowledge of the Bible. But then something happens. The excited new believer slowly wanders away, and few people in the church notice. Listed below are some steps to evaluate your congregation's assimilation strategy. Taking these steps will require some work, but no church should be pleased when new believers disappear.

  • 10 Reasons Why We Must Love Unlovable Church Members

    I was a young pastor, and I was sure everybody in the church was kind, gracious, and Christian. Everybody would treat everybody else with the love of God. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to learn that even in the church are people who don't quite get there. Some people are really hard to love. Here are ten reasons why we must love even unlovable church members.

  • 8 Ways Leaders Make Themselves Vulnerable to Spiritual Attack

    New Testament writers warn us again and again about the reality of spiritual attack. The apostle Paul, a leader extraordinaire, challenged believers to wear the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11), being ever aware of the enemy's schemes (2 Cor. 2:11). The leader of the church at Jerusalem, James, called followers of Christ to resist the devil (Jms. 4:7). Peter, the leader among Jesus' apostles, warned against the adversary who seeks someone to devour like a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8). It is no wonder,

  • 9 Lessons for New Christians . . . And Old Ones

    It's been a long time since I became a Christ follower (39+ years ago), but I still think about what I wish I had known back then. You see, my first years as a believer were not easy. My family was not a Christian family. I was in my early teens, wanting to be faithful to God but also seeking to fit in with my peers. My church loved me, but discipleship was not intentional. I wish someone had helped prepare me for the journey. If I were writing a new believer's guide today for people like me, I

  • 10 Church Diseases

    In the 1990s, Peter Wagner published The Healthy Church, a book describing several diseases that churches sometimes exhibit. Some of his descriptions are quite helpful (e.g., koinonitis = excessive, inward fellowship), and the list itself challenges readers to come up with their own descriptions. Here are ten diseases I see as I consult with unhealthy churches around the country:

  • Eight Confessions of Church Spies

    Eight Confessions of Church Spies

    Have you ever thought that a guest at your church might, in fact, be a spy? My church consulting company uses church "spies" to help us evaluate how churches respond to guests. Our spies are "good" spies, though, since their goal is to help a church face reality and move toward health. Numerous spies have written us reports for more than a decade. Below are some of the most common findings they have sent us.

  • 8 Ways to Become a Great Commission Christian

    I admit the topic of this blogpost might not quickly grab your attention – but I challenge you to keep reading. The world needs us to have this discussion. In fact, our basic Christian obedience is at stake if we ignore this topic.

  • 9 Reasons Why Church Leaders Struggle with Prayer

    John, a leader in a church I assisted as a consultant, admitted to me what I'd heard before from seminary students and church leaders alike: "Dr. Lawless, I don't always pray like I should. I know better, but prayer isn't easy." I've heard something similar so many times that I've begun asking for more details. These findings are anecdotal, but here are my general conclusions about why church leaders struggle with prayer.

  • 4 Steps to Leading Your Church to Be Evangelistic

    I am a professor of evangelism, but I admit that most churches are not evangelistically driven. Do you want your church to be evangelistic? Check out these four strategies for moving your church in this direction.

  • 7 Steps to Teach Theology in the Local Church

    Evangelicals know that theology matters, and we're quick to remind others of this fact. What we're not so quick to acknowledge is the focus of this blogpost: we do a poor job of teaching the very theology we claim is so important. We think that our church members understand and believe our basic doctrine, even while those same members are learning their theology from TV talk show hosts, popular television preachers, or the latest religious novel.

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