Challenge and Opportunity for Predominantly White Churches
The demographic makeup of localities across the U.S. is rapidly diversifying. Some predominantly white congregations perceive this as a challenge or even a threat. But…
Browsing: Congregational Revitalization
Articles
Leveraging Your Church’s Assets
Your church may have more resources than you think. In an interview with Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff, Jacqueline Jones-Smith explains how Christ…
Creating Powerful Worship in Small Congregations
Do you want amazing worship on a small church budget? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Teresa Stewart, a blogger and creator of…
Episode 92: “Creating Powerful Worship in Small Congregations” featuring Teresa Stewart
Do you want amazing worship on a small church budget? Teresa Stewart, a blogger and creator of the website Paper Bag Cathedrals, shares ways small congregations can enliven their worship.
7 Dos and Don’ts When Considering the Redevelopment of Church Property
More and more faith communities are asking how they might make better use of expensive and underutilized facilities. Rick Reinhard offers practical advice in the…
Diverse Congregations Are Stronger Congregations
One hopeful trend in Faith Communities Today’s 2020 survey findings is that the percentage of multiracial congregations in the U.S. has doubled over the past…
3 Strategies for Creating More Adaptable Ministries
Meghan Hatcher explains that churches capable of adapting in response to the needs and assets of a community make it possible for more people to…
Moving Forward in Uncertain Times
Susan Beaumont says churches are still in a liminal space that calls for learning and experimenting rather than planning. She explains how different segments of…
Coffee, Kids, and Chaos
Looking for a simple, creative way to engage young families in the life of your congregation? Jessica Anschutz explains how providing a gathering space for…
4 Ways to Nurture a Church Culture More Open to Change
Ministry innovations are more likely to take root in a congregational culture that is receptive to change. Meghan Hatcher who works with the Innovation Lab…
Building Thriving Rural Congregations
How can rural churches break free from the false narratives and unrealistic metrics that obscure their potential vitality? Allen Stanton lays out a new vision…
Episode 87: “Building Thriving Rural Congregations” featuring Allen Stanton
How can rural churches break free from false narratives and unrealistic metrics? Allen Stanton lays out a new vision for healthy rural congregations as valued stakeholders and potent agents of change within their communities.
3 Indicators of a Thriving Rural Congregation
Allen Stanton says rural churches need better indicators of what it means to thrive. He outlines three characteristics of vital rural congregations able to lead…
10 Ways to Cultivate a Creative Culture
How can you cultivate a creative spirit that will carry your ministry beyond the pandemic? Phil Cooke describes 10 ways to nurture a culture that…
Now is the Time for Risk-Taking Leadership
During the pandemic, many leaders were concerned primarily with avoiding risk. Bill Wilson says we are now entering a time in the life of the…
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…
Do You View Your Church as an Organization or a Movement?
Sue Nilson Kibbey says churches often focus so much on organizational maintenance that they lose sight of the church’s ultimate spiritual mission. She challenges us…
Coaching Leaders and Congregations to Reach their Full Potential
How can you connect the dots between where your church needs to be headed and the steps needed to get there? Doug Powe interviews Chris…
Leveraging Church Property Can Sustain Your Mission
Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel say exploring additional uses of church buildings and property is an exercise in prudent stewardship. Many churches…
Episode 77: “Coaching Leaders and Congregations to Reach their Full Potential” featuring Chris Holmes
How can you connect the dots between where your church needs to be headed and the steps needed to get there? Chris Holmes shares his expertise on using coaching as a strategy to help leaders draw on their own resourcefulness and creativity to move a congregation forward.
Leaders Help God’s People Take the Next Faithful Step
Scott Cormode says you can’t approach complex leadership challenges with a preformulated, step-by-step plan. When facing complex and unpredictable challenges, a Christian leader’s responsibility is…
There’s No Going Back to the Pre-Pandemic Church
Kay Kotan says many churches feel a natural desire to return to the familiar, comfortable patterns of the past. But churches that embrace this time…
10 Paradigm Shifts for Mission Renewal
Tim Snyder and Paul Erickson say that congregational renewal involves a new way of being church and new approaches to our foundational callings. They outline…
The Myth of the One Big Idea
Scott Cormode explains how change efforts often fail because we risk everything on one big idea. Innovation flourishes within systems that generate lots of ideas.…
Conquering the Challenges of Change
Why are churches so resistant to meaningful change? And what processes can help churches be more agile and innovative? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center…
Episode 71: “Recalibrating the Church” featuring Scott Cormode
Why is change so difficult for churches? In this episode we speak with Scott Cormode about how church leaders can break free of common myths that cloud our thinking about change and how to embrace processes that sow the seeds of meaningful innovation.
Episode 70: “Leveraging Your Church’s Assets” featuring Jacqueline Jones-Smith
Your church may have more resources than you think! In this episode Jackie Jones-Smith explains how Christ Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, once slated for closure, turned itself around by embracing a more entrepreneurial mindset and taking stock of its physical and human assets.
Top Leading Ideas Articles of 2020
Each December we take a look at the most popular Leading Ideas articles of the year and give our readers a second chance to glean…
Episode 69: “Practicing Ministry in Digital Spaces” featuring Keith Anderson
Most churches moved so quickly into digital ministry in 2020 that they have not had a chance to think about lessons learned or what comes next. In this episode, digital ministry expert Keith Anderson reflects on what we’ve learned and how our pandemic practices might reshape the future narrative of the church.
Addressing the Root Causes of the Crisis of Younger Clergy
Few doubt that struggles over the United Methodist Church’s stance on homosexuality and uncertainty about the future of the denomination are factors in the recent,…
