Will Your Christmas Visitors Feel Celebrated or Shamed?
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says Christmas visitors can leave feeling shamed or belittled if church insiders project a holier-than-thou attitude. The preparation…
Author
Ann A. Michel
Ann A. Michel is associate director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary and teaches in the areas of stewardship and leadership. She is also the author of Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers (Abingdon, 2017), available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
4 Ways to Help People Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff suggests ways that churches can cultivate an attitude of gratitude — a mindset that makes people more mindful…
5 Ways to Help Church Staff Succeed
How can your congregation help those in paid staff roles perform most effectively? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff outlines five ways to clarify…
5 Practices That Help Newcomers Get Involved
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says churches often operate in ways that make it hard for new people to get involved, even if…
Should Time and Talents be Part of Your Stewardship Campaign?
Ann Michel, who teaches stewardship at Wesley Theological Seminary, says encouraging people to pledge their time and talents reinforces a holistic understanding of stewardship. But…
Leaders Learn to Work with Difficult People
When confronted with a difficult person, do you try to work around them or just complain behind their back? Lewis Center staffer Ann Michel says…
A Gracious Invitation to Generosity
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says inviting people to participate in the generosity of God can be a gracious way to initiate conversations…
3 Welcoming Strategies that Can Backfire
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says that churches sometimes reach out to newcomers in ways that are off-putting or even counterproductive. Unfortunately, several…
5 Reasons the Church Still Needs Young Clergy
For many years the Lewis Center has monitored the presence of younger clergy in the church. Why do these trends still matter? Lovett H. Weems,…
People Too Busy to Serve? Teach Them to Steward Their Time
Lewis Center Staffer Ann A. Michel says people who think they are too busy to serve at church should be challenged to reexamine their priorities…