About Bill Tenny-Brittian

Bill is the Managing Partner at The Effective Church Group. He began ministry as a church planter in the early 1980s and over the past 40 years he's grown churches from one side of the nation to the other. In 2002 he joined Bill Easum's consultation group and began partnering with churches and church leaders to help them reach their fullest potential. He is the author of twelve books and the editor of Net Results magazine. Reach Bill here.

Faith-Based Fundraising: 4 CRM Tips to Build Relationships

Relationships are crucial to your church’s mission. To reach and impact your community, you likely aim to welcome newcomers, retain visitors, and strengthen relationships with members. 

The same is true when it comes to church fundraising. Fortunately, there are fundraising tools available to help your church build and strengthen relationships with its supporters. 

Church membership management […]

501(c)(3) Status for Churches: A Guide to IRS Rules

As a church leader, your ministry’s focus is likely on reaching the unchurched in your community—not studying legal tax classifications. But tax exemption is an important status that can greatly benefit your church, so it’s worth understanding whether or not you should apply.

If you want to obtain 501(c)(3) status for your church, you’ve come […]

If You Have a Blurry Vision, You Have a Bleak Future

You’ve heard me say it before. If you’ve got to herd cats, you’ll need a bigger mouse.

Your church cats will chase the biggest mouse in the room, and if your Big Mouse Vision is smaller than someone else’s, you’ll lose their attention every time. The wise and successful pastor stays on his/her knees until […]

Dealing With Conflict in the Church: A Mission-Centric Approach

Conflict within a church, irrespective of its size, is an inevitable part of its life cycle. How the church navigates through these waters—whether through healthy disagreements that foster growth or unhealthy conflicts that threaten unity—can significantly influence its mission and community presence. This article focuses on a structured, biblical approach to managing conflicts, drawing […]

Why Your Church Mission Statement Isn’t Effective

A mission statement defines the purpose of an individual, group, business, or institution. Ostensibly, a mission statement defines the “end result” of the organization’s activities. “Shareholder profitability” may sound self-serving, but that is exactly the results expected of a publicly held corporation.

The reason so many churches’ mission statements don’t achieve the expected results is […]

The Heresy of Harmony at Any Cost

In today’s fast-paced world, churches face a myriad of challenges, from dwindling attendance to the struggle of keeping up with technological advancements. However, one of the most insidious obstacles to church growth and harmony often comes from within: the presence of bullies and their minions and enablers within the church board. These characters, each […]

The Secret to a Memorable, Life-Changing Sermon

Startling Statistic: By Wednesday afternoon, your congregation remembers 10 percent or less of what you preached. That’s according to an Air Force study some years ago (and I can assure you, our attention spans and memories have not improved since then).

Sad Story: I was having breakfast with a church leader on Monday some years ago. I was […]

Easter Sunday Follow-Up Full Court Press

In most churches, Easter is their High Attendance Sunday – and, in spite of the March Madness games that will be played that weekend, there will still be plenty of Christian Alumnus showing up for services. 

A church full of visitors should be a premonition for every church’s future growth, but sadly, most churches will […]

Deepen Your Congregation’s Spirituality Quotient

Back in the mid-1980s, while I was an undergraduate at Florida Baptist College, my professor, Dr. LeRoy Benefield, shared insights that have stayed with me to this day. He recounted a statement from Billy Graham, who estimated that only about 10% of active church members were faithful, practicing disciples of Jesus Christ. This revelation […]