I’m Steve Lawes
Certified Church Consultant
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Church in Decline? Plateaud?
Helping Churches Thrive
Utilizing a process we call “Virtual Church Consulting” we work with you through a series of steps to help pinpoint problems and offer solutions. This all online church consulting method is effective and affordable.
Internet Impact (Learn about your digital footprint)
Community Statistics (Learn about your community)
Effective Outreach Ideas (Learn how to reach your community)
Church Marketing (Help your community learn about your church)
Internet Impact
Your website is the “digital foyer” for the church. It is the first impression for almost everyone that visits your church.
Community Statistics
Demographic information is helpful in getting an overview of what is happening in your community.
Church Marketing
Church marketing is a tool to help people who are in need of what your church offers to be able to connect with you.
Effective Outreach Ideas
An outreach strategy is a specific set of tactics intended to ultimately attract new people to your church.
Meet Steve Lawes
Steve Lawes is a Certified Church Consultant. He has been the lead Pastor of Keys Vineyard Church in Big Pine Key since 1992. He has a Bachelors Degree in Bible and Theology from Berean University and Masters and PhD Degrees from Atlantic Coast Theological Seminary. He lead the Cuba Missions Team for Vineyard Missions from 1995-2005 and traveled to Cuba more than twenty times helping to plant churches and build up local leaders. He served as the South Florida Area Leader for the Association of Vineyard Churches for ten years. He also founded the Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary in 2014 which has a student enrollment of over 2000. He has written three devotional books, Daily Psalt Intake, Daily Sage Intake and Daily Strength Training which are now out of print but are currently available as free e-books.
Free Ebook - Nine Point Church Consulting Strategy
Recent Posts from Church Consultant
From Death to Life: Understanding Jesus’s Power Through Lazarus’s Story
The story of Lazarus’s resurrection demonstrates Jesus’s power over death and reveals profound truths about how He transforms our lives today. Through this powerful account, we see how Jesus brings both immediate and eternal life to those who believe in Him.
Why Did Jesus Wait to Help Lazarus?
When Jesus received word that His friend Lazarus was sick, He intentionally waited two days before traveling to Bethany. Though this may seem puzzling, Jesus had a greater purpose – He wanted to demonstrate His power over death itself and strengthen the faith of His disciples and followers.
What Does Jesus’s Response to Death Reveal About His Character?
Upon arriving in Bethany, Jesus was deeply moved by Mary and Martha’s grief. The famous verse “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) reveals His deep compassion and empathy for human suffering. Though He knew He would raise Lazarus, Jesus still shared in the pain of those He loved.
How Does Jesus Deal With Our Brokenness?
Jesus isn’t afraid of what’s behind our stones – the mess, shame, and brokenness we try to hide. Just as He commanded the stone be rolled away from Lazarus’s tomb despite Martha’s warning about the stench, Jesus wants to expose and heal our deepest wounds.
What Does It Mean to Be Set Free?
When Lazarus emerged from the tomb, he needed others to help remove his grave clothes. Similarly, Jesus wants to free us from the “grave clothes” of:
Performance-based religion
Guilt and shame
Regret over past mistakes
Fear and doubt
How Does Resurrection Power Work in Our Lives Today?
Jesus offers both immediate and eternal life. While physical death may still come, those who believe in Him experience His resurrection power now through:
Freedom from sin’s bondage
New identity in Christ
Purpose and hope
Community with other believers
Life Application
This week, consider what “grave clothes” you might still be wearing despite having new life in Christ. Ask yourself:
What old patterns or beliefs am I holding onto that Jesus wants to remove?
Where do I need help from others to experience greater freedom?
Am I living in the reality of Christ’s resurrection power today?
Take time to identify one area where you need resurrection power in your life. Share this with a trusted friend or prayer partner and ask them to help you “remove the grave clothes” that are holding you back from experiencing the full life Jesus offers.
Remember: In Christ, you are no longer bound by death but are called to live in the power of His resurrection – both now and for eternity.
This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Finding Spiritual Sight: Lessons from the Man Born Blind
In John 9, we encounter a powerful story about spiritual blindness and finding true sight through Jesus. This account offers profound insights into how we view suffering, religious traditions, and most importantly – how we come to truly see and know Jesus.
The Problem with Cause and Effect Thinking
When Jesus and his disciples encountered a man blind from birth, their first response was to ask “Who sinned – this man or his parents?” This represents a common but problematic way of thinking that tries to find direct causes for every situation. While natural to seek explanations, this mindset can actually prevent us from seeing God’s bigger purpose.
How Does Jesus View Suffering?
Jesus immediately redirects the discussion away from blame, stating that the man’s condition existed “so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Rather than getting caught up in causes, Jesus sees someone who needs to know God’s love and healing power.
Three Different Perspectives on Sight
The story presents three distinct viewpoints:
Jesus sees beyond surface circumstances to God’s redemptive purpose
The Pharisees remain spiritually blind despite their religious knowledge
The blind man progresses from physical to spiritual sight
The Journey from Blindness to Worship
The healed man’s spiritual journey unfolds in stages:
First knows Jesus only as “a man”
Recognizes Him as a prophet
Finally sees Him as Lord and worships Him
This progression illustrates how true spiritual sight develops gradually as we encounter Jesus more deeply.
Why Do Some People Remain Spiritually Blind?
The Pharisees demonstrate how religious rules and pride can actually prevent spiritual sight. Despite witnessing an undeniable miracle, they refused to see because it didn’t fit their predetermined views of how God should work.
Life Application
This week, consider these questions:
Where might religious traditions or preconceptions be blocking your ability to see Jesus clearly?
Are you stuck trying to figure out “why” instead of seeking what God wants to do in your situation?
Has your encounter with Jesus led to genuine worship?
Challenge: Take time daily this week to ask God to open your spiritual eyes in new ways. Look for areas where you might be spiritually blind and ask Jesus to help you see as He sees.
Remember – true spiritual sight always leads to worship. If you can see Jesus clearly, your natural response will be to worship Him.
This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Finding Peace in Life’s Storms: Lessons from Jesus Walking on Water
Life is filled with both literal and figurative storms. In John 6:16-20, we witness a powerful encounter where Jesus meets his disciples in the midst of a storm, walking on water and declaring “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” This miracle reveals more than just Jesus’s power over nature – it shows us who He is and why He came.
Who Really Controls Our Lives?
After Jesus fed the 5,000, people wanted to make Him king by force. They were thinking selfishly, wanting Him to fulfill their immediate needs and free them from Roman rule. But Jesus withdrew because His mission was greater – addressing deeper issues of sin, separation from God, and our need for eternal life.
Too often, we try to fit Jesus into our own plans rather than surrendering to His greater purpose. We want Jesus to be our co-pilot when He should be the pilot. True abundant life comes from living His way, not ours.
How Does Jesus Respond to Our Struggles?
Jesus sees us in our struggles, just as He saw His disciples in the storm. He doesn’t always immediately rescue us, but He walks toward us in our fear. When the disciples were terrified, Jesus spoke gently: “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” He didn’t rebuke them for their fear but reassured them with His presence.
What Makes Jesus Different from Other Religious Figures?
When Jesus said “It is I” (ego eimi in Greek), He was making a divine declaration, the same phrase God used in Exodus. Unlike the Old Testament where God’s presence brought fear and distance, Jesus brings God’s presence directly to us in our storms.
How Does Jesus Handle Our Storms?
Sometimes we pray for immediate deliverance from our storms, but Jesus often chooses to walk with us through them instead. Our greatest refuge isn’t the absence of storms – it’s Jesus Himself. He took on the ultimate storm for us through His death on the cross, demonstrating God’s love while we were still sinners.
Life Application
This week, consider these questions:
Where are you trying to control Jesus instead of trusting Him?
What areas of your life need to hear Jesus say “It is I, don’t be afraid”?
Are you willing to trust God with your storms, even if immediate relief doesn’t come?
Challenge: Take time in your daily devotions to shift your prayers from “Lord, do this for me” to “Lord, what can I do for you?” Submit to His will rather than trying to bend His will to yours.
Remember, Jesus will never abandon you in life’s storms. He’s already taken on the ultimate storm for you through His sacrifice. Trust in His presence, even when the waters are rough.
This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Testimonials
“Steve and his team at Keys Vineyard Church have built a church that has done an inspiring job reaching their community. Steve is a treasure trove of experience and has continued to prioritize learning and growth throughout his more than 30 years of ministry in a way few pastors have. You’ll get a lot out of connecting with him!”
“I watched first hand as Steve experienced the devastation of hurricane Irma in his town of Big Pine Key, Florida. The town was destroyed, the church building rendered unusable and the staff impacted personally. I watched a leader rise to the need of his community and minister in a situation that not very many could. He has a powerful voice of experience and wisdom earned the hard way.”
“Steve Lawes is a valuable coach/ mentor. I’ve watched Steve over the last thirty years build a substantial outward focused church with disciples who do what Jesus did. He has inspired leaders of churches with simple/tested ideas to develop leaders and grow churches.
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“Steve Lawes is an outstanding coach. He is authentic, creative, and personable. He has more cutting edge ideas than any pastor I know in regard to evangelism and meeting the needs of people in his community.”
Interested in Becoming a Church Consultant?
We are pleased to be partnering with the Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary to be able to offer Free Church Consulting Training. Even if you are not looking to become a certified church consultant, the free church consultant training will be beneficial for your personal ministry.
One of the greatest questions Jesus asked was “Do You Want to Get Well?”
I t would seem that the answer was obvious. But getting well for the man who had been not well for a very long time meant that he would have to do something different. It is not easy to change, but it always starts with a first step.
Take that first step now by sceduling your no obligation, free thirty (30) minute Zoom meeting with us today. You have nothing to lose and it may be your first step to a new and healthy way of doing and being the church.
Don’t Wait Any Longer. Take The First Step Toward Getting Well Today!
