4 Ways to Make Easter Hospitality the Pattern for the Year
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says special efforts to welcome visitors at Easter shouldn’t be set aside once the holiday is over. He outlines four…
Author
Doug Powe
F. Douglas Powe Jr. is the president of Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Previously, he served as the director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. He is also co-editor with Jessica Anschutz of Healing Fractured Communities (Palmetto, 2024) and coauthor with Lovett H. Weems Jr. of Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation (Fortress, 2022). His previous books include The Adept Church: Navigating Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Abingdon Press, 2020); Not Safe for Church: Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations; New Wine, New Wineskins: How African American Congregations Can Reach New Generations; Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith; and Transforming Community: The Wesleyan Way to Missional Congregations.
Becoming a Future-Ready Church: An In-depth Interview with Adelle Banks
What shifts are needed for congregations to be future-ready? Adelle Banks reflects on the evolving nature of church hospitality, social justice, technology, and vitality. She…
Belong, Believe, Become: Engaging Millennials and Gen Z in Faith — An In-depth Interview with Dexter Nutall
How can congregations faithfully engage in ministry with Millennials and Gen Z? Dexter Nutall shares how New Bethel Church engages these generations by fostering belonging,…
The Future of the United Methodist Church: An In-depth Interview with Doug Powe and Lovett Weems
What does the post-pandemic and post-disaffiliation United Methodist Church (UMC) look like? Jessica Anschutz speaks with Lewis Center Director Doug Powe and Senior Consultant Lovett…
7 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2025
As the landscape of ministry continues to shift, the Lewis Center sees congregations adapting in creative new ways. Jessica Anschutz, Ann Michel, and Doug Powe…
Exploring the Future of the Church Together: An In-depth Interview with Dustin Benac
How can the church adapt to future challenges and foster community through innovative leadership? Doug Powe and Dustin Benac discuss the future of the church,…
“Exploring the Future of the Church Together” featuring Dustin Benac
Podcast Episode 159 How can the church adapt to future challenges and foster community through innovative leadership? In this episode Doug Powe and Dustin Benac…
Reading Between the Lines: Navigating Church Politics with Insight and Wisdom
Effective church leadership involves navigating the politics of ministry beyond practical skills. Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz emphasize that leaders must learn to read between…
Remembering 9/11, Leadership During a Disaster: An In-depth Interview with Terry Bradfield
How can we lead in times of disaster? As we remember 9/11, Terry Bradfield, a retired Army chaplain who was assigned to the Pentagon on…
5 Ways to Communicate More Effectively with your Congregation
Ensuring that everyone in a busy church is informed about upcoming events can be a daunting task. Doug Powe, Director of the Lewis Center, shares…
Coop’s Soups, an Innovative Business and Ministry: An In-depth Interview with Cristin Cooper
A call to ministry along with a desire to make friends and fight off loneliness led Cristin Cooper to launch Coop’s Soups, an innovative business…
“Coop’s Soups, an Innovative Business and Ministry” featuring Cristin Cooper
Podcast Episode 153 A call to ministry along with a desire to make friends and fight off loneliness led Cristin Cooper to launch Coop’s Soups,…
Welcoming Young Adults: An In-Depth Interview with Dr. Reggie Blount
Where are all the young people? Does the church really want to do ministry with them? In this interview, Doug Powe speaks with Dr. Reggie…
Moving from Ministry FOR the People to Ministry WITH the People
한국어로 Many congregations actively engage in community outreach activities that provide essential resources to those in need within our communities. While outreach is crucial, we…
Moses, Pyramids and Leadership After Empire: An In-depth Interview with Kathleen McShane and Elan Babchuck
How can an innovative exploration of Moses’s biblical narrative offer a more generous leadership model for today’s religious leaders? In this interview, Doug Powe speaks…
Innovating to Build Communities Where All Can Flourish: An In-depth Interview with K Scarry
How can a passion for helping people flourish lead to social innovation? K Scarry share about social innovation and the ways she is supporting local…
Intergenerational Ministry for the Post-pandemic Church
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says siloed age-level ministries often prevent congregations from worshiping together around one common table. But the pandemic provided an opportunity…
Transformational Leadership for Urban Ministries: An In-Depth Interview with Tony Hunt
How can church leaders address the challenges of urban ministry in a transformative way? Doug Powe speaks with Tony Hunt, a pastor and scholar, about…
Healing Fractured Communities: An In-Depth Interview with Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz
How can congregational leaders be healers and agitators at the same time? In this in-depth interview, Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz reflect on the new…
Improv Church: The Power of Connection — An In-Depth Interview with Katie Phillips
How can an improv comedy show explore the intersection of faith and real life in community? Doug Powe and Katie Phillips talk about how Improv…
Healing Fractured Communities
All proceeds support the Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr. Scholarship fund. Congregational leaders are charged with caring for those inside and outside of faith communities.…
Leaders Help Their Communities Dream Big Dreams
Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech proposed a big dream for what America can become. What big dreams do you have for…
7 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2024
Ann Michel, Doug Powe, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify seven trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
Discipleship and Mission in the Micro Church Movement in Australia: An In-depth Interview with Bree Mills
What are micro churches and how do they disciple missional leaders? Bree Mills, director of Micro Churches Australia shares about the characteristics of micro churches,…
4 Key Characteristics of Missional Congregations
Congregations that want to move forward and live more missionally need to understand and embody four key characteristics, says F. Douglas Powe, director of the…
4 Tips for Experimenting with Change This Summer
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe says that the summer is the perfect time for a congregation to test possible changes through short-term experiments. He…
7 Ideas for Making Vacation Bible School an Evangelism Opportunity
How can you deepen your relationship with the children and families participating in a Vacation Bible School and stay connected with them throughout the year?…
4 Characteristics of Biblical Evangelism
To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary, we are highlighting Leading Articles — some of our most popular posts of the past 20 years. We are…
How to Keep Preaching Fresh: An In-Depth Interview with Teresa Fry Brown
How can preachers keep their preaching fresh? Doug Powe of the Lewis Center staff interviews Professor of Preaching Teresa Fry Brown about preaching familiar texts…
Breakthrough: Trusting God for Big Change in Your Church — An In-Depth Interview with Dawn Weaks
What happens when a congregation trusts God for big change? Doug Powe of the Lewis Center staff speaks with author and pastor Dawn Darwin Weaks…