The Church I See

(Adapted from Brian Houston - 1993) In 1993 Brian Houston wrote down a vision of the Church that inspired, and is still inspiring, the story of Hillsong Church. When I look at what God has done in and through Hillsong, and how much of what Brian saw back then has come to pass, it builds …

Why is the Pope So Popular?

As part of our church's latest sermon series "What Would the Church Say to..." I had the oppourtunity to speak about Pope Francis and the incredible impact he is having on the world. I also had the privilege of interviewing Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, the Archbishop of Durban, to hear his thoughts on the new pope. …

Change Something.

So many people I speak to are desperate for change. ...in their church. ...in their business ...in their marriage. ...in their health. ...etc etc. Yet, when you dig a little deeper, what they really want is to have the benefits of change without paying the cost of change. We want to keep eating donuts, but get skinnier. We want …

Have You Had Your Leadership Bell Rung Lately?

This was the question Bill Hybels posed to hundreds of thousands of leaders around the world at this year's Global Leadership Summit. And I'd have to answer with a resounding YES! Over the past few years I have attended the Summit in Durban, South Africa, and every year I am always blown away by the caliber …

Confessions of a Hypocrite

This is a guest post by Maurilio Amorim that really struck home for me...   Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s quite descriptive of my feelings. I’ve felt that way since my early professional days as a pastor. Those who work in ministry might be able to identify …

Rolling with the Punches

Working at a church I deal with a lot of different people. Happy people. Sad people. Angry people. Grateful people. Confused people. Loving people. Not-so-loving people. Selfish people. Unselfish people. Complicated people. Uncomplicated people. And everyone in between. But one thing remains constant. Every single one of those people have taken a few punches along …

Starfish and Spiders

If you cut off a spider's head, it dies. But if you cut off a starfish's leg, it grows a new one! And not only that, that leg can grow an entirely new starfish! Amazing! I've been reading a very interesting book recently called "The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organisations". …

When Churches Hurt Part 2

My last guest post by Maurilio Amorim  spoke about the Church at its worst. And I received this comment from a reader: Hey Tom. I don’t get your last blog and thought you may be able to explain it to me. It seems like you are inviting people to share their bad experiences with the church, …

When Churches Hurt

This is a guest blog post by one of my favourite bloggers, Maurilio Amorim. Maurilio is the CEO of The A Group, a media, technology and branding firm in the states. You can check out his blog at www.maurilioamorim.com. “I’m in a different stage of my life right now,” said the young man across the counter as I asked him …