An “unforced error” is a term borrowed from sports, especially tennis, meaning a mistake made due to one’s own lapse rather than being forced by an opponent. In everyday language, it refers to an avoidable mistake or misstep, typically resulting from a lack of attention or care rather than external pressure. Thom and Jess examine one of the most common unforced errors in this podcast: failure to have a parking lot greeter.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post Failure to Have a Parking Lot Greeter: The Unforced Error Series appeared first on Church Answers.

An “unforced error” is a term borrowed from sports, especially tennis, meaning a mistake made due to one’s own lapse rather than being forced by an opponent. In everyday language, it refers to an avoidable mistake or misstep, typically resulting from a lack of attention or care rather than external pressure. Thom and Jess examine one of the most common unforced errors in this podcast: the time of worship services on the website is not correct.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post The Time of Worship Services on the Website Is Not Correct: The Unforced Error Series appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess are joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this second episode, they discuss why intentional, purpose-aligned church facility planning is so critical. Smart churches don’t just build for growth; they build for purpose.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post Church Facility Growth Strategy: How to Build with Purpose with Brown Church Development Group appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess are joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this first episode, they discuss five powerful ways “Simple Church” principles can shape not just how we do ministry, but how we build the spaces that facilitate it.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post 5 Ways “Simple Church” Can Apply to Your Church Facility with Brown Church Development Group appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess discuss how the total of all Nones is at its lowest level since 2018.

Source: Ryan Burge, “Religion in 2024: The Plateau Is Real.” Graphs about Religion. Burge uses the data from The Cooperative Election Study, 2008 to 2024.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post Where Have All the Atheists and Agnostics Gone? appeared first on Church Answers.

From 2008 to 2014, the Nones (those who have no religious affiliation) were the fastest-growing demographic segment in the nation. They are no longer growing. In fact, they are declining slightly. Here are five major implications for churches.

Source: Ryan Burge, “Religion in 2024: The Plateau Is Real.” Graphs about Religion. Burge uses the data from The Cooperative Election Study, 2008 to 2024.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post The Nones Are Rising No More: 5 Things Church Leaders Need to Know appeared first on Church Answers.

What can pastors do to affair-proof their marriages? I’ve had the opportunity to talk with a number of pastors whose marriages seem to be healthy. They are certainly long-lived; the most recently married of the pastors to whom I spoke has been married 31 years. The longest marriage was 41 years in my sample group.

From them, I learned some important lessons. We will look at eight ways pastors affair-proof their marriages over two episodes. Here are the second four:

5. Don’t have unreasonable expectations of your spouse at church. Let your spouse decide what to do in the church and expect nothing more.

6. Discern and discuss how much your spouse wants to hear about church matters. Some spouses like to hear as much as possible. Others like to be shielded from some of the ugly sides of the church. Find out where your spouse is, and try to communicate with that need in mind.

7. Defend your spouse. Unfortunately, many pastors’ spouses are the recipients of hurtful criticisms. Defend your spouse. Never put other church members first.

8. Converse with your spouse. You may have had a long, tough day. But you still must take time for your spouse. Take time to talk every day. Make a regular phone call home. And in your conversations, do more listening than talking.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post How Pastors Can Affair-Proof Their Marriages (Part 2) appeared first on Church Answers.

What can pastors do to affair-proof their marriages? I’ve had the opportunity to talk with a number of pastors whose marriages seem to be healthy. They are certainly long-lived; the most recently married of the pastors to whom I spoke has been married 31 years. The longest marriage was 41 years in my sample group.

From them, I learned some important lessons. We will look at eight ways pastors affair-proof their marriages over two episodes. Here are the first four:

1. Put your family as the highest priority of your ministry. Don’t create a dichotomy between family and church. View your family as the church members with the highest priority for your ministry.

2. Pray with your spouse. You pray with and for church members every day. Make certain you take time to pray with your spouse daily.

3. Pray for your spouse. It’s not easy being a pastor’s spouse. Expectations can be high, and the glass house syndrome can be real. Pray for your spouse daily.

4. Date your spouse. Make every effort to have a date once a week. There will always be ministry to be done, and members will expect your time. Make certain you make time for your spouse on a regular basis.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post How Pastors Can Affair-Proof Their Marriages (Part 1) appeared first on Church Answers.

In many (if not most) of the growing churches that are reaching their communities, Church Answers hears a repeated theme in our consultations. These churches are growing through sports ministries. Thom interviews Kevin Drake, Executive Director of Upward Sports, to get a “behind the scenes” perspective of this incredible growing ministry.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post The Amazing Growth of Sports Ministries to Reach Communities with the Gospel: An Interview with Kevin Drake appeared first on Church Answers.

Church Answers continues to hear stories about churches reaching their communities through sports. Jess and Thom interview Chris “Tiny” Seely, the children’s pastor of Woodbridge Baptist Church in Kingwood, Texas. His church has some amazing stories about how it has used sports to reach people in their community.

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers. 

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both. 

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

The post A Church That Is Really Reaching Its Community with Sports: An Interview with Chris “Tiny” Seely appeared first on Church Answers.