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)
Church Health Survey (Learn about your church)
Effective Outreach Ideas (Learn how to reach your community)
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 Health Survey
A church health survey/assessment is a helpful tool that will give you information on the overall health of your church.
Effective Outreach Ideas
An outreach strategy is a specific set of tactics intended to ultimately attract new people to your church.
Church Consulting & Coaching
We offer a wide range of Church Consulting and Ministry Coaching Services. Our desire is to help pastors and churches thrive so that they are able to fulfill the calling that God has on them for their community.
Church Marketing
Think of church marketing as a tool to help people who are in need of what your church offers to be able to connect with you. We are not trying to sell something people don’t need. We are trying to connect them with the One who changes everything. Click on this link to read more about developing a Church Marketing Strategy.
Church Revitalization
Church Revitalization is the process of leading a dying or declining church back to a healthy place so that it can continue to carry out the calling and purpose that God has for it. Steve Lawes is certified in Church Revitalization with Church Answers.
Ministry and Pastoral Coaching
We offer a wide variety of Coaching Services for pastors and churches. For more information go to Church Encourager.
Disciplship Training
Partnering with the Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary we are able to offer a wide variety of Discipleship Training opportunites for pastors and churches.
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 1800. 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
Potential Side Hustles for Pastors
The concept of ‘side gigs’ or ‘side hustles’ has moved beyond the boundaries of conventional workspaces. Today, the sacred realm of pastoral duties is no exception. From writing to online tutoring, a pastor can walk various enriching yet non-traditional paths. Exploring these avenues offers an opportunity for financial diversification and paves the way for a more expansive spiritual influence.
The first side gig to consider is becoming an author or blogger. Pastors are often gifted with a talent for weaving words into an eloquence of wisdom. Pastors can enrich a wider audience by turning this ability into writing religious books and articles or maintaining a blog. The influence of their spiritual teachings can reach beyond the borders of their congregation. It offers them a platform to share their spiritual insight while contributing to their livelihood.
Next, online tutoring or mentoring is another feasible side gig. Many people around the globe yearn for spiritual guidance. Pastors can provide this solace online, catering to individuals outside their physical reach. They can host one-on-one or group sessions on spiritual growth, biblical studies, or pastoral counseling. While inherently fulfilling, these lessons can also be monetized, making online spiritual mentoring a fruitful endeavor.
Digital content creation is an evolving sphere where pastors can venture. Pastors can channel their spiritual teachings into digital content through platforms like YouTube and podcasts. They can create series on various spiritual themes, offer interpretations of biblical texts, or share life lessons, all while creating a community online. This furthers their spiritual outreach and provides an avenue for advertisement revenue.
A less conventional path is becoming a spiritual retreat leader. Organizing retreats for people who want a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life can be an excellent way for pastors to extend their pastoral care. Such retreats serve as a sanctuary for spiritual replenishment and open an alternative revenue source.
Motivational speaking is a lucrative side gig for those skilled in public speaking. Corporations, educational institutions, and organizations often require speakers to inspire their members. Armed with an arsenal of life-affirming and motivational anecdotes, pastors can answer this call. Their ability to connect with people on a spiritual level can provide a unique perspective in this arena.
Finally, the role of church consultant for religious or non-profit organizations is a promising side gig. Pastors can provide valuable insight into community building, fundraising strategies, and conflict resolution. These skills, honed through pastoral work, can significantly benefit these organizations.
In conclusion, diversifying a pastor’s role through side gigs can help them navigate the challenging economic times. These side gigs supplement their income and expand the reach of their spiritual influence. They can cultivate a broader audience, reach people beyond their physical community, and continue to impact the spiritual well-being of individuals around the globe profoundly. Ultimately, these side gigs for pastors highlight the evolving landscape of spiritual leadership in the 21st century.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Sword Sharpening Part 12
We are in a series called “Sword Sharpening” and looking at how to make the most out of your time with the Bible. This week we are continuing our look at the storyline of the Bible, which we call His Story, and we will look at the seventh section, Acts – Revelation 20, and call it Kingdom Tension.
Last week we talked about Jesus arriving on the scene. He was an example of the ultimate heaven and earth connection (fully God and fully man). He was also an example of tabernacle and temple. We also looked at how He willingly went to the cross to defeat the power of sin, and then He rose on the third day to defeat the power of death. He has inaugurated the Kingdom of God. Remember that the kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God. Not a place.
Mark 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom is here. The kingdom is not one that comes and destroys pagans and sets Israel up. The kingdom that comes is one that fulfills the Hebrew scriptures through its representative Jesus to rescue the world.
Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV)
2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Repent and believe…change your way of thinking. Quit trying to do it your way. The good news is that God is setting everything right. He has returned, bringing an Exodus, freeing us from our bondage and slavery to the enemy. He has forgiven us and He will make all things new.
The Kingdom is here, but not fully here. Jesus inaugurated the kingdom when He came the first time. He will consummate it when He returns. We live between in the now and the not yet. The tension of this present age and the age to come. How are we to live in this tension?
Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
We are to live as new creation people. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as new creation people now. The apostle Paul says that we are now the temple (a heaven and earth connection point) because we have Holy Spirit dwelling in us both individually as believers and corporately as the church.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
Individually and collectively we are the temple. We’re built on Christ, the cornerstone. And the apostles and the prophets are the foundations, because we’re a temple being built.
Ephesians 2:19-21 (NIV)
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
What does that mean for us as a people and as a church? We are called to carry Jesus everywhere we go. Because just as Jesus, in human form, carried God everywhere He went, we now, because of the Spirit that lives within us, carry Jesus everywhere that we go. Which means that everyone in the church has a purpose. Every single one of us. And our mission is “One More”. We are to be about making Jesus some friends.
Make plans to join us this weekend at Keys Vineyard either in-person or online as we talk more about being salt and light.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Sword Sharpening Part 11
We are in a series called “Sword Sharpening” and looking at how to make the most of your time with the Bible. This week we are continuing our look at the storyline of the Bible, which we call His Story, and we will look at the sixth section, Matthew – John, and call it the ‘Kingdom Incarnate.’
Last week we talked about the glory departing and the exile, and we said that at the end of the exile, the people returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. But the presence of God didn’t return. The last of the prophets to write said that the presence would come back, but it would be different than what they thought.
Malachi 3:1 (NIV)
1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
The messenger who prepares the way is John the Baptist. And he prepares the way for Jesus.
I hope you will remember the points in ‘Kingdom Incarnate’: Tabernacles, Temple, Cross, and Resurrection. This section is covered in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). We learn that Jesus is the One who comes to fulfill God’s promise and return divine blessing to all nations. Jesus is of the lineage of Abraham and King David and is the fulfillment of all the promises made in the Old Testament, from Genesis to the prophets.
There are a couple of amazing connections to things we have been discussing in the Old Testament. The first one is the connection to the Tabernacle in the wilderness. When Jesus arrives on the scene, the Apostle John says He tabernacles.
John 1:14 (NIV)
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word dwelling or dwelt is the same word for tabernacle. Jesus tabernacles. Fully God and fully man, Jesus arrives on the scene. He is the perfect picture of a heaven-and-earth connection. Jesus also connects Himself as the Temple.
John 2:18-22 (NIV)
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” He does this during the crucifixion and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV)
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Jesus models life as God intended by using the Bible in virtually every area of His life and ministry. We will look more deeply at this on the weekend, so be sure to attend in person or online.
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!
