3 Unique Gifts of the Rural Church
Allen Stanton says rural churches are uniquely positioned to be agents of change within their communities. Most are trusted long-term community stakeholders, and on any…
Browsing: Community Outreach
Articles
5 Ways Churches Can Play a Critical Role in Vaccination Efforts
Asa J. Lee of Wesley Theological Seminary shares key learnings from a recent event at the Washington National Cathedral which highlighted the critical role churches…
Episode 54: “The Adept Church” featuring F. Douglas Powe Jr.
Is your church caught between a rock and a hard place? In this episode we speak with F. Douglas Powe Jr. about his new book, The Adept Church, and what churches can do to move toward a more interactive way of connecting with others. Dr. Powe is director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and holds the James C. Logan Chair in Evangelism (an E. Stanley Jones Professorship) at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.
Episode 50: “Finding New Resources to Support Your Church’s Ministry” featuring Sidney Williams
Is a lack of resources limiting the potential of your ministry? In this episode we speak with Sidney Williams of Crossing Capital about how congregations can develop new sources of capital in the marketplace, engage community partners, and develop unrecognized sources of social, intellectual, and human capital within the pews.
Ways Your Building Can Generate Income and Bless Your Community
Mark DeYmaz writes that churches should leverage their buildings and real estate not just to survive, but to thrive. Using your building more creatively can…
Episode 47: “The New Face of Missional Ministry” featuring Tom Berlin
How can a congregation be more effective in developing a missional presence? In this episode we speak with Tom Berlin, lead pastor at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, about how being adaptive can help churches live into a more fruitful missional sensibility.
How Can Your Church Building Reignite Your Mission?
Krin Van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller remind us that a congregation’s physical assets are resources to be stewarded to advance the kingdom. They recommend examining…
A Spiritual Approach to Community Assessment
Luke Edwards says we can explore our communities with the same spiritual practices that deepen our understanding of God’s Word. He has adapted the practice…
Episode 40: “You’re Already Doing It” featuring Kevin Harney
How is your congregation practicing evangelism? In this episode we speak with Kevin Harney about ways to improve your church’s organic outreach to connect better with those outside of your congregation.
Episode 39: “Pastor as Community Activist” featuring Heber Brown, III
How can pastors be on the frontlines of community activism while also being faithful to their call? In this episode we speak with Heber Brown, III, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, about his work for racial justice in Baltimore and beyond.
Episode 36: “Think Big” featuring Joe Daniels
How can a congregation make an impact no matter its size? In this episode we speak with Joe Daniels, the pastor of Emory Fellowship in Washington DC, and co-author of the new book, Connecting for a Change: How to Engage People, Churches, and Partners to Inspire Hope in Your Community.
Episode 34: “It’s All about the Building” featuring Bob Jaeger
How can congregations imaginatively use their space? In this episode we speak with Bob Jaeger, president of Partners for Sacred Places, about re-imagining the space in your church building.
Your Best Outreach Programs are Already in Place. You Just Don’t Know It.
Kevin Harney says your church is already doing all sort of things with evangelistic potential. It’s just a matter of identifying what you already do…
Episode 30: “Being a Missionary in Your Own Community” featuring Laura Heikes
How can you get outside the doors of your church, learn about your community, and meet people where they are? In this episode we speak with Laura Heikes, pastor of Bee Creek United Methodist Church in Spicewood, Texas, about strategies for bringing a missionary mindset to your own neighborhood.
Episode 29: “A More Engaging Hospitality” featuring Dr. Juan Francisco Martínez
How can your congregation be more attentive to those in the community? In this episode we discuss leading in a changing culture with Dr. Juan Francisco Martínez, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Pastoral Leadership at the Fuller School of Theology in Pasadena, California. His most recent book is The Story of Latino Protestants in the United States (Eerdmans, 2018).
4 Key Practices of Community Engagement
Sam Marullo and Doug Powe, both Wesley Theological Seminary faculty members, have developed a simple model to help congregations engage their communities in meaningful ways.…
7 Steps to Reengage Your Community
Candace Lewis and Rodney Smothers say that churches must leave their buildings, identify community needs, and walk alongside neighbors in order to make a difference.…
50 Ways to Engage Local Schools
Many congregations find that reaching out to their local schools is an important way to serve children and their families and strengthen ties with the…
4 Tips for Launching a Church-School Partnership
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center Staff outlines four ways a church can lay a solid foundation for a church-school partnership before jumping in headfirst.…
From Parking Lot to Pew: Turning Building Users into Worshipers
Many churches provide meeting space for community groups hoping that building users will eventually show up for worship. But for a church to reach new…
Begin with Where
Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal church in downtown Washington, DC, considers what it means for an older…
Episode 8: “Rooted in Place — Committed to the City” featuring William Lamar
What does it take for an older church to thrive in a changing urban context? Listen as Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Rev. William Lamar, pastor of the historic Metropolitan AME church in downtown Washington, DC.
Related Resources
Begin with Where by Bill Lamar
5 Key Practices for Connecting with Your Context by Mark Gornik and Maria Liu Wong
Is Your Building Impeding Your Mission? by Mark R. Teasdale
5 Key Practices for Connecting with Your Context
Mark Gornik and Maria Liu Wong have been working to understand new practices of ministry that are emerging in vital and diverse urban settings. They…
Moving Beyond Church in A Box
Pastor Carey Nieuwhof says congregations need to break free of the mentality that people need to come to church at a set time and place…
Episode 4: “Becoming an Outward-Focused Church” featuring Junius Dotson
How can we really see and hear the people in front of us? Listen as Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe speaks with thought leader Rev. Junius Dotson about moving from being inward-focused to outward-focused.
Moving Faith Communities to Fruitful Conversations about Race
Moving Faith Communities to Fruitful Conversations about Race is a dialogue about race in America that may be used to help your church bring people…
Staying Attuned to Your Community
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes that congregations all start not for themselves, but to serve other people. But with the passage of time, they tend…
Preparing for the Shift
Incoming Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says that demographic shifts will bring increased diversity to the neighborhoods around most churches in the coming decades. Rather…
The Good Neighbor Church
Sue Nilson Kibbey, who works with missional church initiatives in Ohio, shares the story of a church that engaged the mission field immediately around its…
Using Your Building Assets
Rosario Picardo says unused building space can be a goldmine of opportunity if a church has eyes to see how their space could be used…
