A Plentiful Harvest
Tom Berlin explains why fruitfulness in terms of membership, discipleship, and growth are key measures of leadership effectiveness. This article was originally published on November…
Author
Tom Berlin
Tom Berlin is bishop of the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. Previously, for over 25 years, he was senior pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia. He was written several books. Most recently, he coathored The Third Day: Living the Resurrection (Abingdon Press, 2023), available on Cokesbury and Amazon.
How Best to Use Overflow Worship Space on Easter
Tom Berlin describes strategies for encouraging your regular attenders to worship in overflow spaces outside the sanctuary when additional seating is needed on Easter so…
Leading Voices: “Leaders Motivate the Contributions of Resources”
“Leaders Motivate the Contributions of Resources” is presented by Bishop Tom Berlin of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. In celebration of the…
4 Truths About Ministry Revealed by the Pandemic
Tom Berlin says that two years of global pandemic have revealed some key truths about the nature of ministry. Serving in this difficult time has…
6 Ways Leaders Can Renew Their Hope and Strength
Today’s challenges require courage. Tom Berlin reminds us that hope is the wellspring of courage for Christians. And he outlines six practices that can rekindle…
Courage, Faith, and Resilient Leadership
What gives Christian leaders the courage to persist in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Tom Berlin…
5 Ground Rules for Candid Conversations
Tom Berlin says that candid conversation takes courage. But it also requires kindness and compassion. He suggests five practices for approaching difficult conversations with openness,…
Reengaging People During Lent
Tom Berlin shares Floris United Methodist Church’s plan for reaching out during Lent to those feeling distant from the church. Each household will receive a…
Committing to a Hybrid Model of Ministry
Tom Berlin says churches will likely need a hybrid ministry model with a mix of in-person and online ministry for some time. He shares thoughts…
The Lent Challenge
Tom Berlin, pastor of Floris United Methodist Church, challenges his congregation to deepen their spiritual journey during Lent by taking up the disciplines of worship,…
People Want to Attend a Generous Church
Tom Berlin, pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia, says that for Christians to become generous, they need the help of a church that itself…
Building Attendance through Special Focus Sundays
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., and Tom Berlin discuss how congregations can reach more members and visitors through Special Focus Sundays that emphasize a particular cause…
Worship Leadership Requires Planning and Evaluation
What is your current worship planning system? Your first response may be, “We don’t have one.” In reality, every congregation has a planning system, but…
High Yield: Seven Disciplines of the Fruitful Leader
Whether by training or intuition, fruitful leaders develop a set of practices that serve them well and bear much fruit. These practices often become second…
Remember That We Are Working in Sand
Each summer my family spends a week at the beach. And every year my daughters, their friends, and I build a sand castle. We’ve discovered…
Leaders Believe Things Can Happen
One of the most important contributions a leader can make is to believe that things can happen. When we do not, they will not. It…
Reaching More People during Advent
Advent is a prime season with rich potential for engaging church members and new people. There is arguably no time in the year when people…
Encouraging Personal Devotion during Advent
December is a time when people are looking for experiences to share with friends and families. Church leaders can plan in advance to offer events…
Overflow: Increase Worship Attendance & Bear More Fruit
Worship attendance matters. Learn how to improve it, so that your congregation bears more fruit. Our churches exist to glorify God and to share God…
Focus Can Help Christmas Mission Giving
Many churches confront a question of missional focus, especially as the holiday season approaches. One group proposes an angel tree project. Another wants to do…
Key Competencies for a Missional Congregation
The “missional DNA” of Floris United Methodist Church has been one of the keys to our growth and vitality. Fruitfulness in mission has had a…
Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results
Thousands of congregations are in serious trouble. Children are not being taught the faith. Disciples are not being made. Lives are not being transformed. The…
Five Practices of Fruitful Living
The genius of Bishop Robert Schnase’s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations (Abingdon 2007) was to identify foundational habits that, when properly implemented, enable the church…
Leaders Need Holy Friendships
Many think of a leader as the lone figure who walks in front of the crowd. A far more healthy view would ask how a…
Helping a Congregation Connect to Mission
My congregation has been in an ongoing mission partnership with the Child Rescue Center and Mercy Hospital in Sierra Leone, Africa, since 2000. However, there…
Your Church’s Creation Story
In The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, University of Southern California president Steven Sample makes the case that all leaders should discern the creation story for their…
Review of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase
How can churches today be as vital as the early Christian communities described in the Book of Acts? How can we reclaim the fruitful piety…
Moving Established Congregations through Change
Tom Berlin of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, shares a six-step process for helping a congregation change. 1. Learn the story of the…