I have heard some variation of this concern from church leaders throughout the Western world, “We just don’t have enough church planters!”

In the last 6 months, I have met with hundreds and hundres of church leaders in Australia, Europe and the United States. I have spoken with leaders from almost every denomination and network and the number one concern I hear over and over is this: “Our pipeline of potential church planters has dried up.”

For two weeks I zig-zagged across Europe spending time in 6 countries and 8 cities. My overall take away is that going to Europe is like a trip into the future for an American. Much of what they are experiencing is either post-Christian or pre-Christian and I would estimate that in the United States we are 8-10 years behind them. So, when I am in Europe, particularly Western Europe, I pay real close attention to what is working and what is not working in the church because I believe it gives me a glimpse of what will and will not work in the not-too-distant future of the American church!

Here are 4 observations about what is happening in Europe and what I believe is just ahead for us in the United States…

Looking back, it was exactly a year ago that our leadership team decided I should make two versions of the same video knowing only one of them would be sent to our entire church. The first video would say that we were sticking to our normal schedule with 26 services at multiple locations across Chicagoland. And the second version would inform our church that all our facilities would be closed and that we were moving everything online.

If the Gospel is really “good news”; why did sharing “good news” always end up feeling so bad?

I couldn’t figure out the answer. Like you, my life was changed by the love of God and the life of Jesus. And like you, I wanted my family, friends, and neighbors to experience the love of God like me.

So, I tried sharing the good news with my words; a verbal witness – that resulted in a series of awkward conversations and me feeling like a used car salesman!

Then I tried a completely different approach to loving others. I would share the good news with simply how I lived my life. The result of that seemed to be…well, nothing. Nobody noticed!

It seemed that however I tried to share the gospel; with my words or through my life, that it would leave either them or me feeling badly. What was I doing wrong? Where was the “good news” in all of this?

You got anyone who lives near you that is really hard to love? They might be too loud and keep you up at night. Maybe your neighbors don’t take care of their lawn and create an eye sore for the whole community. Perhaps they are rude and once yelled at your kids. Or maybe you have very different political views and they love to not only tell you about it but also wave a flag or place a placard where you have to see it everyday! Neighbors can often be hard to love.

“I feel like I got to say something!” The urge to say something to defend, explain or indict is very powerful. And sometimes it absolutely necessary to say something and to speak out. But in an age of social media where our ability to say something is just a click away, I’m fearing that we have forgotten about the incredible power of listening. Could it be that the way to change the world is to listen? Or at the very least to listen before you speak. Unfortunately, many Christians are more known for their talking than their listening. We so badly want to change the world and we mistakenly think it’s going to come through what we say. But as we learn from Jesus, the way to change the world starts with listening before we speak.

One of the most popular leadership podcasts anywhere is the weekly Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. So when Carey extended the invitation to interview me about Hero Maker: 5 Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders, my forthcoming book and the big idea for Exponential 2018 Conference, I was quick to say, “Yes sir!”

If you are responsible for the care and development of leaders – staff and volunteers, use these six questions as a basic agenda for any one-on-one coaching conversation and you will see them grow and flourish.

This story is mine… I just drove back from Grand Rapids after dropping my soon-to-be college freshman son off at Calvin College for cross-country camp. Even though Caleb has no plans to come home till his birthday in October Sue and I agreed to tell ourselves we were just dropping him off for cross-country camp and not really college. Why? I think it is our way pretending he is still at home till we drive back up to Grand Rapids…

Three different times in the last couple days I felt my heart begin to race with excitement! The first was a conversation via text with a pastor friend who told me that a young couple in his community had been given a copy of Finding Your Way Back To God and they were in church for the very first time on Easter.

I am constantly hearing amazing stories of people finding their way back to God. Here is Derek’s remarkable journey in his words… “My faith in God was absolutely destroyed at 10 years of age when my father died unexpectedly in an accident. I remember being in the room holding his fingers when I heard the noise of the monitor go to a flat tone and we were rushed out of the room. I hated God for that!

While Finding Your Way Back To God will be published and available on February 24th, we are already getting some amazing feedback from individuals who have read the book. Jon had an advance copy of the book that he got from the publisher and felt led to give to a friend. Here is her note to Jon after only reading the first three chapters of our new book: