Turn the Key
15 articles drawn from the book. Big ministry in small places, and how to start yours.
-
April 25, 2026
Funding Outreach on a Small Church Budget
How to fund church outreach on a small budget: start with almost nothing, build a track record, then grow five revenue streams so none dominates.
-
March 20, 2026
Spend Three Months Listening Before You Launch
A simple community needs assessment for churches: three months of conversations with local leaders, one question, and no pitch.
-
February 8, 2026
30 Outreach Ideas for Small Churches, and How to Pick One
Thirty outreach ideas for small churches, sorted by category, plus four filters and one final test to help you choose the right one for your congregation.
-
January 3, 2026
The Affinity Principle: Stop Inviting People to Church Events
Affinity ministry gathers people around something they already love, cars, food, art, sports, and lets real friendships carry the Gospel.
-
November 22, 2025
Why We Started a 501(c)(3), and It Wasn't About Taxes
Our church ministry's 501c3 was a partnership strategy, not a tax strategy. When a separate nonprofit makes sense, and what it doesn't change.
-
October 18, 2025
From Five Cars a Year to Five Hundred
How our church car repair ministry grew from about five cars a year to five hundred in eighteen months, and why the change was in the model, not the effort.
-
September 3, 2025
The Hidden Costs of Ministry Success
Ministry burnout often shows up after an outreach succeeds, not when it fails. Five hidden costs to name early, and the question that sustains leaders.
-
August 1, 2025
White Hats, Blue Hats, Red Hats: A Simple Volunteer Leadership Structure
A volunteer leadership structure you can explain in two minutes: one person owns the session, one owns each job, and everyone else serves.
-
June 19, 2025
Founders and Organizers: Why Your Ministry Needs Both
Two ministry leadership roles matter more than any title: the founder who starts it and the organizer who makes it last. Here's how to tell them apart.
-
May 14, 2025
Let the Work Be the Curriculum
Discipleship through serving isn't a side benefit of outreach. It's how Jesus formed his disciples. Here's how to build formation into the work itself.
-
April 2, 2025
Seven Signs Your Ministry Will Last
What separates a sustainable church ministry from one that fades after two years? Seven characteristics, and a simple way to rate your own outreach.
-
February 26, 2025
The Three Spans of the Relational Bridge
Relational evangelism isn't a technique. The gospel crosses a bridge with three spans: presence, genuine care, and honest faith. Skip one and it doesn't hold.
-
January 15, 2025
Frontier and Homestead: Ending the Outreach vs. Discipleship Debate
Outreach vs discipleship is a false choice. The homestead forms people, the frontier deploys them, and each makes the other stronger. Here's how.
-
December 10, 2024
Modality and Sodality: Why Your Sunday Service Needs Your Outreach
Modality and sodality are two structures God has used throughout church history. Here's why your Sunday service and your outreach ministry need each other.
-
November 4, 2024
Outreach Isn't a Program. It's the Point.
Small churches often plan to start outreach once everything else runs well. The Great Commission says a small church starts from outreach, not toward it.
