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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 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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Leading Ideas
0 Reimagining Discipleship at the Table of Grace

Stephen Handy says Jesus captured the imaginations and hopes of people around a simple table. He says we can nurture discipleship in others by simply breaking bread together and sharing a story of hope. Discipleship is a process and practice, not a program. It is a process of becoming more Christlike by living into the patterns, practices, and behaviors of…

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Leading Ideas
0 How Healthy is Your Church Culture?

Jim Ozier says a healthy church culture is critical to the long-term growth and viability of a congregation. He shares a list of attributes that can help diagnose whether your church culture is healthy or in need of change. It is often said that the best way to take the temperature of a church is to put a thermometer in…

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Leading Ideas
0 Howard Thurman: Embodying Contemplative Leadership

Lerita Coleman Brown shares how the life and teachings of Howard Thurman are a prototype for contemplative living and leadership. She explains how Thurman’s prophetic, mystical spirituality was a lever for activism and social change.    How is a contemplative leader different from other leaders? The life and teachings of Howard Thurman (1899-1981), the great mystic, theologian, modern-day shaman, sacred activist,…

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Leading Ideas
0 Leading the Small Membership Church

Small membership churches thrive on self-reliance, requiring leaders with strong relational skills. Lew Parks writes that preaching in these churches reinforces corporate identity, tells the congregation’s story, addresses key issues, and guides the church toward faithful growth and action. This article was originally published on May 27, 2009. Small membership churches have a history of making do without a lot…

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Leading Ideas
0 Exploring Spiritual Direction: An In-depth Interview with Eunhyey Lok

How can spiritual direction impact leaders and congregations? In this interview Eunhyey Lok reflects on the role of spiritual direction, its benefits for personal and church growth, distinctions from counseling, and tips for finding a spiritual director.   Watch the interview video, listen to the interview, or continue reading. Jessica Anschutz: What is spiritual direction?     What I understand spiritual direction to…

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Leading Ideas
0 3 Reinvention Pillars of Change

Reinvention involves anticipating, designing, and implementing change. According to Jim Merhaut, effective reinvention requires a leadership mindset ready to disrupt, experiment, and stabilize, ensuring meaningful, lasting change that shapes the future identity of the church. Reinvention is an emerging field of study inspired by the work of organizational behavior scholar and reinvention guru Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva (Zhexembayeva, The Chief Reinvention…

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Leading Ideas
0 8 Adjustments Needed as Bivocational and Covocational Pastoral Roles Become the Norm

The shift to bivocational work is reshaping expectations in the church as many pastors now rely on multiple income sources. As bivocational and covocational roles become the norm, Karl Vaters highlights 8 adjustments churches, denominations, and seminaries must make as we move into the future.  Bivocational is the new standard. And not just in the church. Gone are the days…

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Leading Ideas
0 10 Reasons Churches Aren’t Attracting People Who Need Jesus

Many churches bemoan the absence of newcomers but fail to consider how their own failure to meaningfully engage others contributes to this reality. Phil Maynard outlines 10 reasons churches aren’t attracting the many people in their communities who need Jesus. Why are our churches empty and our communities full of people who need Jesus? The church seems to have circled…

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Leading Ideas
0 Stages in Leadership

Lovett Weems reflects on stages of leadership through the experience of making a difficult journey. This article was first published on January 5, 2005. A few years ago, I was scheduled to preach on the first Sunday of January in a community about two hours from where I lived. When the day of the service came, I got up very…

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Leading Ideas
0 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 Weems, who discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the United Methodist Church. They highlight regionalization, the need for structural reform, and changes to the ordination process, while advocating for renewed focus on mission. They say…

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Leading Ideas
0 10 Features of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community

C. Anthony Hunt identifies 10 features of the Beloved Community in the work of Martin Luther King Jr. He describes how King’s concept of Beloved Community, rooted in the biblical notion of God’s unconditional love, connects faith to action.  Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s singular vision was for the realization of the Beloved Community. King’s perspective on the Christian…

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Leading Ideas
0 12 Tips for Preaching Online

Jim Tomberlin shares best practices for churches delivering digital sermons to their online audiences or satellite campuses. He highlights how simple adjustments to language and camera strategies can make those not in the room feel valued and included. Most of the 300,000-plus Protestant churches across America offer some sort of online church experience. Additionally, one-third of the estimated 8,000-plus multisite…

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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.