Planning for Attendance Seasons in the Church Year
We are used to thinking of the seasons of the Christian year such as Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent. There are also attendance seasons that follow…
Author
Lovett H. Weems Jr.
Lovett H. Weems Jr. is senior consultant at the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, distinguished professor of church leadership emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary, and author of several books on leadership.
Parking Lot Hospitality
Most churches give attention to welcoming newcomers to church once they reach the church doors. Often they will be welcomed by both greeters and ushers.…
Do Our Assumptions Still Fit?
Peter Drucker maintains that organizational problems are not the result of groups doing things poorly or even doing the wrong things. Organizations fail, he contends,…
Saving Money without Sacrificing Ministry
In light of the current economic environment, how are churches reining in their budgets without reducing the quality of ministry? Last month, the Lewis Center…
Where Would Jesus Shop?
I was intrigued recently to read of conversations going in the Church of England. Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Reading, received considerable media attention when he…
Affirming and Improving Clergy Effectiveness
Clergy effectiveness is on the mind of virtually every denominational leader today. Indeed, many judicatories have initiatives underway to define, assess, and improve clergy effectiveness.…
New Tool to Help Clergy Get Feedback
The Lewis Center has worked with hundreds of clergy, and we know that clergy want to improve. But often they do not feel they have…
The Importance of Clergy Mentoring
The early years of ministry are often beset with predictable anxieties and questions. Even with the best of seminary training, new pastors quickly discover that…
Clergy Mentor Resources Available
Research and experience both point to the importance of clergy mentoring, particularly in helping those in the early years of ministry. But clergy mentors indicate…
What You Told Us About Your Summer Worship
Last month, the Lewis Center administered a survey about whether and in what ways churches change worship practices during the summer. While this was not…
Do Male and Female Pastors Lead Differently?
What do we know about the differences between men and women serving as lead pastors of large congregations? Not enough. But we do know more…
Helping Families Cope during Pastoral Transitions
We are often unaware of the grieving that goes on in our families and our congregations around times of transition. Spouses, for example, may feel…
Congregational Integrity
We rightfully expect personal integrity in our leaders. Should we not also ask whether our congregation has integrity? The behavior of organizations is as important…
Establishing New Congregations Reaches New People
The experience across all denominations shows how critical establishing new congregations is to reaching new populations. The United Church of Christ (UCC) has embarked on…
Supporting Younger Clergy
I had the privilege of being with the national United Methodist camp and retreat leaders who gathered in California recently. One of the things I…
Is Denominational Loyalty Waning?
A new study documents a reality many have claimed for quite some time. People are not as loyal to their denominations as church leaders might…
Learning from the Mistakes of New Church Starts
Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by New Church Starts (Challis Press, 2008) by Jim Griffith and Bill Easum is a must-read for pastors founding new…
It’s In the Mind
Most people know that it was Roger Bannister who first ran the mile in less than four minutes. It was on May 6, 1954, in…
Living in Paradox — The Life of American Clergy
Brooks Holifield of Candler School of Theology has offered a monumental service to the church in his comprehensive and richly documented history of clergy in…
Pastoral Transitions — Leaving Well
If you will be moving to a new congregation this summer, keep in mind the importance of ending your ministry well at your current location.…
Pastoral Transitions — Preparing the Way for Your Successor
Below are some of the best practices related to pastoral transition suggested by several hundred pastors and denominational leaders. Spend quality time with your successor…
What Might Other Churches Learn from the Southern Baptist Membership Loss?
Recently, the Associated Press reported that Southern Baptist churches suffered a loss of members in 2007. This may seem hard to believe for many that…
Changing Religious Traditions: Not New but Accelerating
The recently released report on shifting religious affiliations among Americans is receiving significant media attention. Prepared by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life,…
The Crisis of Younger Clergy
The Crisis of Younger Clergy explores the reasons why having a proportionate number of young persons entering ordained ministry is so vital to the future…
Squandering Leadership Potential?
The Washington Post recently published a series of in-depth stories on each of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. The feature article on former Baptist…
Is Outreach to Young Families with Children Still Enough?
“What we really need is more young families with children.” How many times have we heard those familiar words spoken in churches? The image of…
Can White Mainline Churches Outside the South Reach New Christians?
This is the question raised by Martha Grace Reese and the Mainline Evangelism Project she directed. The results of her research, funded by the Lilly…
Ten Commandments for Pastors Leaving a Congregation
Lovett Weems recommends a book to help pastors who are ending ministry with a congregation or moving to a new pastoral assignment. Lawrence W. Farris…
The Tully Principle of 52 Equal Sundays
Bill Tully’s principle of 52 equal Sundays strives to have powerful worship every Sunday of the year to best reach visitors at all times of…
Good to Great and the Social Sectors
Lovett Weems draws church leadership lessons from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great and the Social Sectors, which itself draws lessons from the business world for…