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Leading Ideas
Delivered every Wednesday, our free e-newsletter Leading Ideas offers articles by thoughtful, cutting-edge leaders on subjects you care about — navigating change, reaching younger people, financing your ministry, communicating effectively — to help you be the leader God is calling you to be.

The Lewis Center is committed to helping congregations and denominations thrive and grow by providing ideas, research, resources, and training for vital and fruitful leadership. Through Leading Ideas, we share vignettes of leaders and congregations, book reviews, leadership quotes, and helpful “right questions” built around the premise that leaders don’t need answers — they need to know the right questions.

Leading Ideas
0 4 Rhythms of Rest for the Weary in Ministry

How can weary church leaders live into God’s design for flourishing? Laura Heikes challenges church leaders to resist the culture of busyness and embrace the life-giving rhythm of Sabbath. While our society may glorify overwork, ministry flourishes when leaders model God’s balance of work and rest. Here are practical ways to start living into this sacred rhythm. Church leaders might…

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Leading Ideas
0 3 Big Mistakes in Making Church Policies

Effective leadership requires not just creating policies but also living by them and ensuring they are relevant and beneficial. Dan Reiland highlights three mistakes churches make like using policies to replace leadership, ignoring policies, and treating them as unchangeable. No one likes rules, but without them, life descends into chaos. No one likes to be told what to do either,…

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Leading Ideas
0 Resurrection Matters: Living Out the Power of Resurrection Every Day

As Easter approaches, Jessica Anschutz calls us to reflect on the profound significance of the resurrection of Jesus and its implications for believers. Resurrection is not just a theological concept but a call to live as agents of change, healing, and good news in a broken and hurting world. Resurrection matters because it demonstrates God’s victory over death, offering new…

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Leading Ideas
0 Positively Urgent

Mike Bonem says a sense of urgency is necessary to propel change, but that urgency need not come from a negative sense of doom and gloom. Urgency can also be generated by a positive sense of hope and opportunity. Good leaders create positive urgency. This article was originally published on April 18, 2018. I have championed the value of urgency…

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Leading Ideas
0 Embrace the Fullness of Holy Week

Holy Week is more than Palm Sunday and Easter—it’s a transformative journey. As Holy Week approaches, Andreá Cummings invites us to expand our Holy Week practices as we journey to the cross with Jesus. Engaging fully in Holy Week through daily devotions, communal reflections and more can lead to a richer understanding that strengthens our faith and connection to Christ…

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Leading Ideas
0 3 Ways to Lead Well When a Ministry Closes

Church leaders must evaluate ministries to ensure they align with current and future community needs. Sometimes, this means closing a beloved ministry, which can be met with resistance. Desmond Barrett writes that church leaders must navigate these transitions with compassion, transparency, and steadfastness in the Spirit. Sharing decisions openly, embracing criticism with grace, and serving faithfully to the end allows…

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Leading Ideas
0 The Gift of Small: An In-depth Interview with Allen Stanton

In this in-depth interview Allen Stanton explains how small congregations can be surprisingly nimble in the face of change and effective in spiritual formation due to their inherently relational nature. Ann Michel: In 2021, you wrote a very popular book on building thriving rural congregations. Now, you have a second book, The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church’s Vocation. Why…

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Leading Ideas
0 Ten Non-Negotiable Rules for Child Safety in Churches

Child security is crucial in church ministries to ensure a safe environment for children to grow spiritually. Sam Rainer identifies ten key measures help protect children from potential harm including: avoiding one-on-one adult-child situations, conducting annual background checks, establishing check-in procedures, supervising bathrooms, and providing ongoing volunteer training. Child security is one of the most important discipleship issues in the…

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Leading Ideas
0 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 ways the hospitality of the Easter season can be the launching pad for more intentional visitor welcome throughout the year. This article was originally published on April 4, 2023. In many churches, Christmas, Easter, and…

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Leading Ideas
0 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 highlights innovative approaches that foster belonging, authentic community, and discipleship in a rapidly changing world. Watch the interview video, listen to the interview, or continue reading. Douglas Powe: Adelle Banks is a reporter for Religion News…

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Leading Ideas
0 5 Purposeful Practices to Foster Shared Leadership

Jimmy Arthur Atkins, senior pastor of the True Worship Christian Fellowship, says church leadership should not be a solo act. Drawing on the story of Moses and his father-in-law Jethro, he shares practices to encourage delegation and shared leadership. One of the greatest gifts God gave Moses was his father-in-law, Jethro. The priest of Midian, Jethro had “heard all that…

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Leading Ideas
0 If You Bring a Problem Bring a Solution as Well

Church leaders are always dealing with problems, because problems abound. But Jim Ozier says the simple practice of insisting that anyone who points out a problem must also have a solution in mind can shift the dynamic from negativity to positive thinking. I tell the staff at my church and our leadership: “It’s okay for you to come to me…

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Leading Ideas
0 7 Excellent Reasons to Learn to Say No

Are there many demands on your time? Ron Edmondson explores the importance of saying “no” as a crucial skill for leaders, explaining how declining requests can protect personal and professional boundaries. Leaders are often flooded with time-consuming requests, yet constantly agreeing to them can lead to burnout and hinder effectiveness. Saying “no” guards a leader’s integrity by preventing them from…

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Leading Ideas
0 Easter Vigil Brings the Story of Salvation to a City in Need

The Easter Vigil is a powerful tradition of reliving and remembering the story of our salvation, usually celebrated within the comfort of a sanctuary. Kate Payton shows how a multi-site church in Northwest Washington, DC, took this sacred practice beyond its typical confines, partnering with other local churches to hold an Easter Vigil across multiple locations. This unique experience enabled…

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Leading Ideas
0 From Weary to Wholehearted: Overcoming Ministry Burnout—An In-depth Interview with Callie Swanlund

How can church leaders overcome burnout? In this interview, Callie Swanlund discusses her book, From Weary to Wholehearted, exploring burnout and its unique challenges. She introduces the SPARK practice—Soma, Preparation, Awe, Retreat, and Kinship—as a holistic approach to overcoming ministry burnout. Callie emphasizes the importance of recognizing burnout signs, creating supportive environments for clergy and other leaders, and taking incremental…

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Leading Ideas
0 5 Tips for Rightsizing Stewardship in Your Church

In the face of declining membership and shifting demographic patterns, many local churches are rightsizing stewardship for long-term sustainability and vibrant ministry. Ken Sloane outlines ways churches can navigate this challenge effectively. As older members pass away and younger generations engage less frequently or give at lower levels, it becomes imperative for churches to adopt new stewardship strategies. By embracing…

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Leading Ideas
0 3 Critical Components of Rethinking Outreach

Many church outreach efforts lack impact due to marketing-driven approaches, unmet community needs, and internal focus. John Hughes shares the Listen, Look, Lead model that emphasizes relationship-building, understanding local needs, and servant leadership to foster meaningful community engagement. Driving down the street the other day, I saw a group of people passing out food in front of their church. The…

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Leading Ideas
0 Struggling with What to Write in the Church Newsletter?

Struggling with what to write for the church newsletter? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center shares ways to write meaningful and relevant material for your church newsletter by aligning articles with your church’s mission, connecting ministries, breaking silos, elaborating on worship themes, and rotating focus areas. These insights will help engage readers with purpose-driven, faith-building messages. How can it be…

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Leading Ideas
0 Why Intergenerational Ministry?

Liz Perraud says bringing generations together is a key aspect of Christian community. She suggests church leaders might approach the need to strengthen intergenerational connections as a child might, by asking “why” a lot. This article was originally published on November 3, 2020. Our granddaughter is nearly four and asks “why?” a lot. We take walks on the path through…

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Leading Ideas
0 Embracing Relational Discipleship: An In-depth Interview with Stephen Handy

Connecting with people and helping them grow as disciples requires a new playbook and a new way of leading. Ann Michel interviews Stephen Handy about how his Nashville church is reaching and discipling people in unchurchy ways, getting to know their neighbors, forging new missional partnerships, and focusing intentionally on relationships. Watch the interview video, listen to the interview, or continue…

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Leading Ideas
0 Prepare for Lent and Engage Meaningful and Life-Changing Practices

As Lent approaches, it’s a time for both clergy and laity to deepen their spiritual practices. Andreá Cummings invites us to commit to meaningful growth through daily Bible reading, engaging devotionals, and acts of service as this season calls for reflection, generosity, and connection, encouraging both personal transformation and communal renewal in faith and service. During the Lenten season, many…

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Leading Ideas
0 Ask Better Questions: Turn Sunday Small Talk into Sacred Conversations

Why do so many Sunday morning conversation get stuck in small talk? Laura Heikes challenges church leaders to move beyond chit-chat and create meaningful connections through Sunday morning questions. With just a little preparation, you can spark deeper conversations that help people notice God’s work, reflect on their spiritual practices, and connect their lives to the church’s mission. Here’s how…

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Leading Ideas
0 Helping Rural Congregations Thrive

Rural congregations are often overlooked yet are vital to their communities, offering relational, volunteer-driven support. They thrive on strong relationships, emphasizing belonging and community well-being. To help rural churches flourish, Anna Hall says we must understand their unique contexts, celebrate their strengths, address challenges, and create programs that fit their specific needs Rural congregations are often overlooked. Newspaper articles on…

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Leading Ideas
0 Martin Luther King Jr.’s 4 Key Principles of Prophetic Witness

C. Anthony Hunt explains how Martin Luther King Jr.’s prophetic witness was grounded in four principles—call, conviction, courage, and commitment. Even 50 years after King’s assassination, these principles are still relevant to leaders engaging in prophetic witness and public ministry. Este artículo está disponible en español. — This article is available in Spanish. This article was originally published on January…

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Leading Ideas
0 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, social justice, and leadership to create a welcoming and impactful community for young people. Watch the interview video, listen to the interview, or continue reading. Doug Powe: I want to begin the conversation by having you…

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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.