“Exploring the Future of the Church Together” featuring Dustin Benac
Podcast Episode 159 How can the church adapt to future challenges and foster community through innovative leadership? In this episode Doug Powe and Dustin Benac…
Browsing: Hospitality
Articles
8 Steps for Planning a Dementia Caregiver Support Group
Dementia caregiving is an arduous, emotionally taxing journey filled with constant challenges and a profound sense of responsibility. A support group can provide a sanctuary…
7 Suggestions for Reaching More People this Christmas
Is your church ready to roll out the holiday welcome mat? Ann Michel offers seven suggestions for helping people meet Christ anew this Christmas. Equip…
Making the Most of Your Greeting Times
Phil Maynard says that the typical greeting time during a worship service encourages people to shake a lot of hands rather than really engaging someone…
4 Characteristics of Citizens of the Kingdom of God Who Inhabit the Political World
Christian faithfulness can inspire various political approaches, but they must reflect our primary identity as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Miranda Zapor Cruz finds…
Coop’s Soups, an Innovative Business and Ministry: An In-depth Interview with Cristin Cooper
A call to ministry along with a desire to make friends and fight off loneliness led Cristin Cooper to launch Coop’s Soups, an innovative business…
“Coop’s Soups, an Innovative Business and Ministry” featuring Cristin Cooper
Podcast Episode 153 A call to ministry along with a desire to make friends and fight off loneliness led Cristin Cooper to launch Coop’s Soups,…
Your Building Has More Signs Than You Think
What do newcomers see when they visit your church? Pastor Molly Phinney Baskette invites you to see your building through the eyes of a newcomer,…
3 Touchstones of Welcoming Newcomers Today
What was once perceived as welcoming may no longer resonate with the unchurched of today. How can congregations extend hospitality to the unchurched? Brett DeHart…
6 Ways to Deepen Your Congregation’s Connection to the Community this Christmas
How can your congregation deepen its connection to the community this holiday season? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff offers six ways to engage…
What’s Wrong with Thinking of Church as Family?
Lee Ann M. Pomrenke says the beloved metaphor of church as family can stand in the way of a congregation being truly open and inclusive.…
Leading Topics: Enhancing your Church’s Hospitality and Welcome
Extending genuine hospitality to newcomers isn’t just good manners or a good membership recruitment strategy. It embodies the Gospel and expresses Christ’s love for all.…
The Hidden Impact of Rural Churches: An In-Depth Interview with Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrand
What is the economic impact of small congregations on their communities? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff speaks with Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt…
“The Hidden Impact of Rural Churches” featuring Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt
Podcast Episode 126 What is the economic impact of small congregations on their communities? We speak with Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt of Partners for…
5 Essential Qualities of Effective Evangelism
Priscilla Pope-Levison’s book, Models of Evangelism, studies eight influential approaches to evangelism, everything from visitation and revivalism to social media. She finds that regardless of…
10 Ways to Engage People Who Worship Online
How can congregations better engage people who worship online? Jim Keat, Digital Minister at The Riverside Church, offers 10 tips for congregations to strengthen engagement…
Top 10 Reasons Visitors Don’t Come Back
What do visitors say when asked why they don’t return to a church? Thom Rainer outlines the top 10 responses when hundreds of guests were…
Equip Your People to Invite
Why aren’t your church members inviting others to church? It’s likely you’ve been asking them to invite their friends and neighbors without giving them the…
Ministering to Congregants Who Haven’t Returned Post-COVID-19
One in every three churchgoers has not returned to in-person worship services since the pandemic. Tricia K. Brown offers ideas for ministering to members of…
Finding Sanctuary: Ministries with Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers | An In-Depth Interview with Elizabeth Shulman
How can congregations support persons with dementia and their caregivers? Jessica Anschutz interviews Elizabeth Shulman, who offers an organic, three-part program to aid congregations in…
“Finding Sanctuary: Ministries With Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers” featuring Elizabeth Shulman
How can congregations support people with dementia and their caregivers? Elizabeth Shulman offers an organic three-part program to help congregations create ministries to meet the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers.
Does Your Church Truly Embrace Children or Merely Tolerate Them?
Sam Rainer says that families visiting your church know instinctively whether you sincerely welcome the presence of their children or just tolerate them. He outlines…
5 Hospitality and Stewardship Lessons from a Homecoming
How are visitors to your congregation greeted and welcomed? Ken Sloane outlines five lessons for extending hospitality and engaging new givers. While traveling earlier this…
As Memory Fades, Ministry Grows: Ministry Alongside Persons with Dementia
Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff shares ideas for pastoral care and spiritual support for persons with dementia and their caregivers. As the…
Moving Forward With Hybrid Worship
Effective hybrid worship requires that churches ascribe high and equal value to in-person and online worshipers. Olu Brown outlines key steps a congregation should take…
5 Things to Avoid and 5 Things to Accent at Your Christmas Eve Service
Barry Howard names some dos and don’ts to help make your Christmas Eve service meaningful and welcoming. A festive and effective Christmas Eve service, he…
Minding the Church’s Doors
Preaching in a different church almost every Sunday, Nancy Taylor learned firsthand how often visitors go unnoticed even in churches that see themselves as “friendly.”…
3 Key Components of Effective Visitor Follow-Up
Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection say a church’s first goal with first-time worship visitors is to get…
Connecting with the People God Has Placed in Your Pathway
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says churches can improve outreach efforts by focusing on people nearby. Those attending activities in your building, family…
Relationships are the Key Ingredient in Successful Outreach
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe writes that a focus on relationships helps a church connect with its neighbors in genuine and effective ways. Successful outreach…
