John Funtik

We’ve all seen it. A visitor walks into the sanctuary for the first time, and before the opening prayer is over, they’ve been handed a membership form, a volunteer sign-up sheet, and an invitation to the next board meeting. In the business world, we call that a "broken sales funnel." In the church world, we just call it awkward. Making disciples is the most important "sales process" on earth, yet we often skip the most important step: The Introduction. We jump to Step 4 (Involvement) before...

We’ve all been there. You walk into the Tuesday staff meeting, and the air feels heavy. A comment was made last week that left a mark. A project was launched without consulting the right person. Someone is "stepping on toes," and suddenly, the team that is supposed to be "one body" feels like a collection of guarded silos. My wife, Lindsey, is a United Methodist Church (UMC) elder and has a sign in her office that says: "If you want to make everyone happy, don't be a leader—sell ice cream."...

In my last post, we discussed why "being a friendly church" is the ultimate cliché. It’s a "Faded Welcome" that doesn't tell neighbors who you are or what you do. Finding your church’s unique identity—the "Poetry" (The Story & Welcome) of your mission—requires more than a brainstorming session. It requires a process. To show you how to move from a blurry "good vibe" to a clear calling, let’s walk through the Craftsman’s Roadmap alongside our case study: Fourth Example Methodist Church. Step...