What is Your Signature Ministry?
In their book Small Church Check Up, Kay Kotan and Phil Schroeder say stable, smaller churches can remain vital by focusing on a “signature ministry,”…
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Articles
Boring Announcements? Try Fun Video Announcements
Texas pastor Laura Heikes shares how weekly worship announcements in her church went from being a boring ritual to a source of life and joy…
A New Start in Lent
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe says that congregations, as well as individuals, can make a new start during Lent by giving up some things,…
Closing a Congregation as an Act of Faithfulness
Minnesota Pastor Lee Ann Pomrenke reflects on the painful reality of having to bring a congregation or a ministry to an end. While there is…
Is Your Building Impeding Your Mission?
Evangelism professor Mark Teasdale writes that, while a church building demands respect, too many congregations let upkeep of their facilities become more important than serving…
4 Ways to Engage Busy People
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe suggests strategies that can make it possible for those with significant time constraints to serve as church leaders —…
4 Church Tech New Year’s Resolutions
Will Rice, who blogs on issues related to technology and churches, says that the beginning of the year is a good time to take stock…
Regifting Joy, Hope, Peace, and Love
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe reimagines the common practice of regifting an unwanted gift. He invites us to think of regifting positively — as a…
Why Don’t People Volunteer at Church?
Mike Schreiner and Ken Willard say the key to getting a higher percentage of people involved is understanding the difference between volunteering and Christian service…
Helping Families Embrace the Importance of a Church Funeral
Sarah Dorrance describes the pastoral challenge of helping surviving family members who do not attend church to understand that a Christian funeral is appropriate for…
The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building
Lewis A. Parks, author of Small on Purpose, describes how smaller congregations can easily squander their last resources for ministry attempting to keep up with…
Small Church as Surrogate Family
Lewis A. Parks, author of Small on Purpose, says the small church offers a surrogate family for those whose basic family unit is dispersed or…
Digital Transitions When Pastors Change
In our modern digital world, pastors and congregations have more things than ever to consider when facing a pastoral transition. Will Rice explains how with…
10 Ways to Strengthen Relations with Police and Public Safety Officials
Baltimore pastor Dr. C. Anthony Hunt says congregations need to work proactively to strengthen community relations and build trust with police and public officials. He…
Blessing Boxes Energize Churches to Meet Needs
The idea of a Blessing Box, shared widely on social media, has inspired many congregations to take direct action to meet community needs. Amy Forbus…
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,…
Ten Ways to Build the Beloved Community
Baltimore Pastor C. Anthony Hunt lifts up Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful vision of the Beloved Community, calling on individuals and churches to continue to…
Does Your Church Have Barking Dogs?
Lee Kricher, pastor of Amplify Church in Pittsburgh, says every church has things that distract members and visitors from the church’s mission. He writes that…
Do Your Church Events Serve a Healthy Purpose?
Is your church calendar crammed with one event after another? Church consultant Tony Morgan says many congregations just keep scheduling the same events without ever…
Does Your Church Need a Disaster Ministry Plan?
Jamie D. Aten and David M. Boan, who head the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, say that you may never have thought about your…
Four Questions for Congregations
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says vital congregations are clear about their mission, outwardly focused, oriented toward the future, and concerned more with results than processes.…
The Power of Stories
Jill Fox, an expert on church volunteer systems, reminds us how powerful stories can be in teaching and motivating people and keeping them aligned with…
Roadblocks to God’s Future
Alan Roxburgh describes established patterns, habits, and values that operate in the background of every church, standing in the way of renewal. We must, he…
Creative Lenten Activity Encourages Reflection
Lent, the forty-day period before Easter, is set aside as a season of soul-searching and repentance. The forty days of Lent reflect Jesus’s withdrawal into…
Take an Annual Church Health Checkup
At the beginning of every year, many people take time to evaluate their lives and determine new priorities and directions. The same should be true…
A New Way to View Vitality in Smaller Congregations
I spend my working days as a pastor trying to name reality for my congregation as we wind a precarious way between the heights of…
Becoming More of What We Have Been
We were in a rut! I think we knew we were in a survival mode, and something needed to change. Our language reflected too much…
Forging More Collaborative Relationships between Clergy and Musicians
In all of the churches where I have worshiped and worked, the core ministry team is the same — the pastor and the musicians —…
Four Doors that Lead to Faith Development
People arrived at church for the first Sunday of a four-week stewardship emphasis. They were surprised to see a door with a door frame in…
Focusing Your Congregational Communication
How do your church members get information? Is everything communicated through the bulletin or announcements at church? Or do you communicate with your congregation through…