Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transitions: An In-depth Interview with Mark Elsdon
Is your church facing the difficult decision to sell or repurpose property? This interview with Mark Elsdon, editor of Gone for Good?, focuses on how…
Author
Mark Elsdon
Mark Elsdon is cofounder of RootedGood, which supports catalytic and innovative church leaders working on property development, money and mission alignment, and social enterprise. He is also executive director at Pres House, the Presbyterian campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin’s Madison campus, and of Pres House Apartments.
Ann A. Michel
Ann A. Michel has served on the staff of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership since early 2005. She currently serves as a Senior Consultant and is co-editor of Leading Ideas e-newsletter. She also teaches at Wesley Theological Seminary in the areas of stewardship and leadership. She is the co-author with Lovett H. Weems Jr. of Generosity, Stewardship, and Abundance: A Transformational Guide to Church Finance (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) available at Cokesbury and Amazon. She is also the author of Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers (Abingdon, 2017), available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Helping Youth Form a Lasting Faith: An In-Depth Interview with Brad Griffin
How can your youth ministry cultivate a faith that stays with a young person as they mature through adulthood? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center…
Healing Fractured Communities: An In-Depth Interview with Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz
How can congregational leaders be healers and agitators at the same time? In this in-depth interview, Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz reflect on the new…
Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma: An In-Depth Interview with Kimberly Wagner
How would you preach next Sunday if tomorrow your community fell victim to a mass shooting or was devastated by a natural disaster? Ann Michel…
New Possibilities for Engaging Ministry Participants and Leaders
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says that churches need to think outside the box when seeking to involve new people in ministry and…
Embracing Mutual Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Lydia Bucklin
How can your congregation function as a community of ministers rather than a community gathered around a single minister? Lydia Bucklin of the Episcopal Diocese…
7 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2024
Ann Michel, Doug Powe, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify seven trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
Sharing the True Spirit of Christmas in the Places Where Life Happens
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff suggests that in an age of rampant religious disaffiliation our evangelistic task in the Advent and Christmas seasons…
Leading with Love — An In-Depth Interview with Elaine Robinson
Is your leadership so preoccupied with strategies and actions that you’ve lost sight of the ultimate why? In this interview, Elaine Robinson shares why love…
5 Key Principles for Fostering Generosity in Children
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says the church needs to renew efforts to foster generosity in our children. She shares five principles that…
Funding Forward: Developing New Revenue Sources for Your Congregation — An In-Depth Interview with Grace Pomroy
Grace Pomroy from Luther Seminary shares research findings on how congregations are developing new and creative funding sources. In this in-depth interview with Ann Michel…
The Divine Logic of Delegation
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff explains that delegation and collaboration are more than effective leadership strategies. They are acts of faith that imitate…
Leading Faithful Innovation: An In-depth Interview with Dwight Zscheile
What if congregational change didn’t focus on setting goals or planning new programs? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center Staff interviews Dwight Zscheile, coauthor of…
The Changing Contours of Youth Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Deech Kirk
What new approaches to youth ministry are emerging in our post-Covid era? Ann Michel interviews Deech Kirk of the Center for Youth Ministry Training. He…
Who are The Nones?: An In-Depth Interview with Ryan Burge
The rapid growth in the percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation is drastically reshaping the country’s religious and cultural landscape. Ann Michel of the…
Leading Voices: “All God’s People are Leaders”
“All God’s People are Leaders” is presented by Dr. Ann A. Michel, Senior Consultant, Lewis Center for Church Leadership. In celebration of the 20th anniversary…
5 Characteristics of Effective Ministry Teams
To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary, we are highlighting Leading Articles — some of our most popular posts of the past 20 years. We are…
Is Spiritual Maturity a Prerequisite for New Church Leaders?
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center questions the common advice that churches should only invite those who are already spiritually mature into leadership roles. She…
Reaching People Here and There, Now and Later through Hybrid Worship: An In-Depth Interview with Jason Moore
How can your worship connect powerfully not only with those in the room on Sunday mornings, but with those worshiping online in the moment and…
The Church’s #Me Too Reckoning
How can the church confront its complicity in sexual abuse and misconduct? In this interview, Ruth Everhart, a leading voice on issues of sexual abuse…
The Coming Revolution in Church Economics: An In-Depth Interview with Mark DeYmaz
What if tithes and offerings no longer support your church’s operations? How can you create multiple streams of income by leveraging the value of your…
5 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2023
Doug Powe, Ann Michel, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify five trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
Bivocational By Choice: An In-Depth Interview with Ben Connelly
Can bivocational ministry be a strategic choice and not just a reluctant concession to financial constraints? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Ben…
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…
Sustaining While Disrupting: An In-Depth Interview with Doug Powe and Lovett Weems
How can you bring about meaningful change in your church? F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Lovett H. Weems Jr. maintain that genuine change also involves…
7 Practical Strategies for Nurturing a Culture of Generosity
Ann A. Michel and Lovett H. Weems Jr., authors of Generosity, Stewardship, and Abundance, say creating a culture of generosity requires creativity and consistency. They…
The Messy Art of Leading Change: An In-Depth Interview with Mike Bonem
How can you lead effectively given the inherent messiness of congregational life? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews leadership expert Mike Bonem on…
Building Your Stewardship Team
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says forming a lay-led stewardship team is key to a successful stewardship campaign and to fostering a culture…
Church on the Move
How can your church reorient its posture toward its neighbors and neighborhood? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center Staff interviews Minnesota pastor Travis Norvell on…
4 Ways to Expand the Reach of Small Groups
How can you prevent your small groups from becoming inwardly focused and impenetrable to newcomers? Doug Powe and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff…