3 Keys to Congregational Success: Meaning, Belonging, and Values
…life are key to success and may help reach “Nones” and others missing from our pews. Meaning making and belonging are core human needs. For parents and others who care…
Search Results: belonging (54)
Which Comes First — Belief or Belonging?
…worshiping communities of belonging where belief can grow and mature. There need to be many entry points for belonging that can lead to believing. “Lapsed” Christians He discovered a major…
Small Churches, Belonging, and the Harley-Davidson Funeral
…belonging and gifts of hospitality may be the small church’s greatest gifts. Belonging and hospitality are two sides of the same coin. The love of Jesus Christ is felt deeply…
What’s Wrong with Thinking of Church as Family?
…phrase is intended to imply warm feelings, a sense of belonging, and mutual support in a community that knows and cares for its members. This metaphor describes how members of…
Innovating to Reach More People
…is at stake.” And I said, “That’s a mic drop right there. We don’t have to say anything else.” The pursuit of meaning, purpose, and belonging is a human pursuit….
7 Mindset Shifts that Can Reshape Your Church’s Future
…meeting immediate physical and deep spiritual needs. Imagine the church as a place where people find belonging and empowerment. This exciting future requires that we embrace seven essential mindsets. Foundational…
Are You Teaching People about Faith? Or How to Practice It?
…community of belonging. And then as part of that community, they learn to practice the faith. Beliefs are shaped by the sense of belonging and the behaviors and practices of…
Connecting with Young Adults through Online Ministry
…these spaces and relationships, the church can provide young adults an opportunity to explore identity, belonging, and purpose. En español — Conectando con los jóvenes adultos a través del ministerio…
Gen Z and Mental Health: An In-depth Interview with Josh Packard
…a community who knows you and cares about you unreservedly is critical. We’ve written about the complex process of belonging before, and there are some clear steps that people can…
The Changing Contours of Youth Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Deech Kirk
…anxiety young people were experiencing growing up in a high-pressure society, or the need for a space of welcome and belonging. They began to identify those needs and then look…
Shifting Entry Points
…linked new-member assimilation with spiritual growth. They named six levels of incorporation into the spiritual life of the church that progressed in this order: joining, belonging, participating, searching, journeying inward,…
Create New Entry Points
…and Social Activism Mission ministries can be an organic and familiar place of connection and belonging for new generations who are much more likely to wake up to build a…
7 Simple Mind Shifts that Unlock Outreach Potential
…the gospel. 3. From believing to belonging In the past, it was assumed that people needed to cross the line of faith before they could be active in a church….
The Rural Church’s Gifts
…is that the small demographic of rural communities offers unique outcomes in pursuit of belonging. Intimacy and proximity Rural churches have the unfortunate blessing of being a small sample size….
Forging a New Path: An In-Depth Interview with Rebekah Simon-Peter
…on that. The origin of the word pandemic is “of or belonging to all the people” and that’s really different than “being done” to all the people like being victimized…
Youth Ministry by Any Other Name
…purpose, and belonging. She says that Christian social innovation, especially, has become an alternate context for ministry with young people. A few years ago, I was speaking at a large…
50 Ways to Strengthen Ministry with Youth
…Use popular songs, movie clips, or poems to connect the message with the broader culture. Have youth write their own liturgies and prayers. Create a sense of belonging for youth…
Fostering Conversations That Connect
…of ways. Keith Anderson in his new book, The Digital Cathedral, calls attention to “four types of church belonging” suggested by Church of England Bishop David Walker. The four types…
Defining Congregational Effectiveness
…Worship Empowering Leadership Having a Sense of Belonging Participating in the Congregation Sharing Faith Welcoming New People Community Involvement A Vision for the Future Caring for Children and Youth Passionate…
Changing Religious Traditions: Not New but Accelerating
…The movement today is sometimes described as “belonging before believing.” Persons are seeking first a place where they find a community of belonging that can help them connect with God…
Making Church Matter for Youth
…divine attributes — fidelity, transcendence, mystery, and communion — fundamentally resonate with adolescent desires for belonging, awe and intimacy. These books offer no quick fixes or simple formulas for youth…
What’s Next for the United Methodist Church?
…ordained. This right has never been delegated to bishops, seminaries, or the General Conference. However, many see the General Conference assuming more power over issues belonging to the Annual Conferences….
The Case for Church Membership
…Related Resources Be the Welcoming Church Video Tool Kit Top 10 Learnings about Welcoming Newcomers by Keith Anderson Which Comes First — Belief or Belonging? by Lovett H. Weems, Jr….
Nurturing a Dementia-Friendly Church
…affected by dementia exist in every congregation. The following are a few ordinary expressions of inclusion that counter isolation, lend support, and maximize belonging: Recruit, train, and supervise a cadre…
Why the Church’s Mission Really Matters in this Time of Crisis
…yearn for ways to be community, and the church becomes a primary means of sustaining community, belonging, and meaning for many people. 3. The church’s missional presence still matters. Crises…
Good Administration is Good Leadership
…of belonging, recognition by others, and the power to live up to their highest ideals. Management values control and minimizes risk; leadership requires energy and, therefore, inspiration (literally “filled with…
A Biblical Perspective on Trauma
…confusion, doubts, and questions about everything. Job questions everything because his whole world has been shattered — his sense of belonging, his sense of relationship to God, and his sense…
Centering Marginalized Voices to Lead Change
…Brown lecture, and she talked about how people don’t feel a true sense of belonging until they see conflict navigated well because conflict is fundamentally about people’s needs being met….
Reimagining Church Buildings
…culture narratives of success, our relationship to money, fear and scarcity, individualism, and polarization. When infused with a vision for missional presence, churches can become places of belonging that provide…
How Has COVID-19 Impacted Religious Participation?
…modifications for COVID declined steadily from 64% in March 2021 to 47% in March 2022. Congregations belonging to different religious traditions have responded to the outbreak and waning of the…
