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You can support the mission of the Lewis Center whenever you shop Cokesbury.com, and it won’t cost you a cent. Simply enter the sites through the link below, and whenever…
…blogging when new ideas come for posts Meeting with church members who come into the office to ask questions or say hello Representing the church at community functions Preparing for…
…ask them to sit on a committee, or to wait in the wings for a chance to be part of the community. When people came down for prayer after the…
I confess to a complicated relationship with wealth. When I was in college, I thought of money as the “root of all evil.” I even asked the older brother of…
…communication will set the tone for your church or ministry. The first narrative emphasizes survival. Phrases like “hunker down” or “conserve resources” or “circle the wagons” characterize this narrative. This…
…up significantly that year. And more important, it got me freer about money. I had defined myself, in public to them, about something that was very important to me. One…
The Lewis Center’s reporting on American Congregations 2008 (a report about congregational vitality and growth based on the Faith Communities Today Project at Hartford Seminary) brought to mind ten myths…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., reviews Leading Ideas research that shows that fewer young persons are entering ordained ministry in mainline denominations. It is easy for mainline congregations to take for…
…of the communities in which local churches exist. One community might answer those questions and live out this rule of relationship in a very different way than another community. The…
…love for Christ. Social media can facilitate deeper interpersonal relationships by turning one-way communication into interactive dialogue among individuals, organizations, and communities. In our changing world, these new technologies can…
…Enrages Them This generation seems to have an inherent moral compass that makes them completely intolerant of social injustice. Whether it is the crisis in Darfar, the AIDS pandemic in…
…We decided not to include weddings and funerals, as interesting as that comparison would be, because of difficulties in compiling comparable information for each of the years. Also, we decided…
…as “What did Moses command you?”, “Why do you call me good?”, “What do you want me to do for you?”, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” Jesus did not…
…The group is committed to amplifying the “growing voice of the nontheistic community in the United States.” Senator Coons was invited because of his commitment to the separation of church…
…from 50 Ways to Welcome your New Senior or Associate Pastor will help your congregation receive a new pastor with a spirit of openness and hospitality. Open your hearts and…
…practices because they are offered the opportunity to particulate meaningfully in the practices with their families, in the congregations, and with their friends. Among Mormon teenagers, 65 percent spoke publicly…
…the United States, churches are often associated with the well-to-do by those who are poorer or see themselves outside the social center of their communities. The bishop contends that Jesus…
…Think of how much better a ministry is doing after changes were suggested and implemented. If many examples come to mind from this exercise, chances are you are a phenomenal…
…community group the next week. By attending the service and meeting some of our leaders, they became connected. Inviting your community to special events is one way to grow your…
…the churches of the community had changed since his family moved there fifty years before. One church was Concord United Methodist Church located in open country when Dan was growing…
I have come to see the importance of thinking about different segments within the congregation. There is tremendous diversity within any congregation when it comes to spiritual development and spiritual…
…3. Clarify competing values. Thriving organizations depend on a set of shared values. Those values must be lifted up regularly. Also, we live in the midst of competing values. When…
…listening to our community. We needed to hear from them. Intentionally listening to our community meant careful observation and open conversation that allowed us to hear the felt needs of…
…black Millennials to engage in spiritual formation. 2. Community engagement The black church has always served as a pseudo-social service agency for the community, ensuring that families have what they…
…Leaders have to dare to be different. They have to dare to be wrong. Fruitful congregations thrive with an abundance of ministries, open the doors to new ideas, and take…
…music or crosses in this space. It is a point of contact where non-Christians can comfortably come into the church. Six years later we have 2,000 new members each year….
…Jacki Jones-Smith The Coming Revolution in Church Economics, a Leading Ideas Talks podcast episode featuring Mark DeYmaz Ways Your Building Can Generate Income and Bless Your Community by Mark DeYmaz…
…1928 and 1945) in mind. Matures give primarily from a sense of obligation and loyalty. Their decision to donate to an organization comes from a conviction that they ought to…
…their communities and neighbors, especially for historically white congregations.” While many of these changes are concerning, we have seen many churches become far more open to change when challenged by…
…best practices, redirect negative behaviors and help people understand that what they are doing is not fruitful or maybe not even acceptable, depending on the situation, allows people to grow…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.