Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results
Thousands of congregations are in serious trouble. Children are not being taught the faith. Disciples are not being made. Lives are not being transformed. The…
Author
Lovett H. Weems Jr.
Lovett H. Weems Jr. is senior consultant at the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, distinguished professor of church leadership emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary, and author of several books on leadership.
Tom Berlin
Tom Berlin is bishop of the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. Previously, for over 25 years, he was senior pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia. He was written several books. Most recently, he coathored The Third Day: Living the Resurrection (Abingdon Press, 2023), available on Cokesbury and Amazon.
If You Count the Money, Count the People
At a recent gathering, clergy and laity from several congregations were asked how they keep track of their attendance each Sunday and how they keep…
Churches Face Changing Demographics
The American Community Survey provides an ongoing demographic portrait of the country and is the largest survey that the Census Bureau administers other than the…
Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations
In Promise and Peril (Alban, 2009), David Brubaker tackles the conundrum churches face: Change usually leads to conflict, but change is required to make progress.…
New Findings about American Congregations
Building on previous reports from 2000 and 2005, the Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership based at Hartford Seminary has released a new research report on congregational…
The Four Stages of a Pastoral Transition
A time of transition for a pastor can be both exciting and terrifying. The possibility of a new start with its challenges and opportunities brings…
Credibility Essential for Leadership
Credibility is the foundation upon which all effective leadership builds. It is the “operating capital” from which leaders draw to advance the vision. There are…
How Do New People See Your Church?
With all the strengths of a church, the challenge is always to think of everything from arrival through departure from the perspective of someone who…
The Wisdom of Ants
I was struck recently by an article that begins with a statement about ants by Stanford biologist Deborah Gordon. “Ants aren’t smart,” she wrote in…
Planning for Attendance Seasons in the Church Year
We are used to thinking of the seasons of the Christian year such as Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent. There are also attendance seasons that follow…
Parking Lot Hospitality
Most churches give attention to welcoming newcomers to church once they reach the church doors. Often they will be welcomed by both greeters and ushers.…
Where Would Jesus Shop?
I was intrigued recently to read of conversations going in the Church of England. Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Reading, received considerable media attention when he…
Affirming and Improving Clergy Effectiveness
Clergy effectiveness is on the mind of virtually every denominational leader today. Indeed, many judicatories have initiatives underway to define, assess, and improve clergy effectiveness.…
New Tool to Help Clergy Get Feedback
The Lewis Center has worked with hundreds of clergy, and we know that clergy want to improve. But often they do not feel they have…
The Importance of Clergy Mentoring
The early years of ministry are often beset with predictable anxieties and questions. Even with the best of seminary training, new pastors quickly discover that…
Clergy Mentor Resources Available
Research and experience both point to the importance of clergy mentoring, particularly in helping those in the early years of ministry. But clergy mentors indicate…
What You Told Us About Your Summer Worship
Last month, the Lewis Center administered a survey about whether and in what ways churches change worship practices during the summer. While this was not…
Do Male and Female Pastors Lead Differently?
What do we know about the differences between men and women serving as lead pastors of large congregations? Not enough. But we do know more…
Helping Families Cope during Pastoral Transitions
We are often unaware of the grieving that goes on in our families and our congregations around times of transition. Spouses, for example, may feel…
Congregational Integrity
We rightfully expect personal integrity in our leaders. Should we not also ask whether our congregation has integrity? The behavior of organizations is as important…
Is Denominational Loyalty Waning?
A new study documents a reality many have claimed for quite some time. People are not as loyal to their denominations as church leaders might…
Learning from the Mistakes of New Church Starts
Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by New Church Starts (Challis Press, 2008) by Jim Griffith and Bill Easum is a must-read for pastors founding new…
Living in Paradox — The Life of American Clergy
Brooks Holifield of Candler School of Theology has offered a monumental service to the church in his comprehensive and richly documented history of clergy in…
Pastoral Transitions — Leaving Well
If you will be moving to a new congregation this summer, keep in mind the importance of ending your ministry well at your current location.…
Pastoral Transitions — Preparing the Way for Your Successor
Below are some of the best practices related to pastoral transition suggested by several hundred pastors and denominational leaders. Spend quality time with your successor…
The Crisis of Younger Clergy
The Crisis of Younger Clergy explores the reasons why having a proportionate number of young persons entering ordained ministry is so vital to the future…
Is Outreach to Young Families with Children Still Enough?
“What we really need is more young families with children.” How many times have we heard those familiar words spoken in churches? The image of…
Can White Mainline Churches Outside the South Reach New Christians?
This is the question raised by Martha Grace Reese and the Mainline Evangelism Project she directed. The results of her research, funded by the Lilly…
Ten Commandments for Pastors Leaving a Congregation
Lovett Weems recommends a book to help pastors who are ending ministry with a congregation or moving to a new pastoral assignment. Lawrence W. Farris…
The Tully Principle of 52 Equal Sundays
Bill Tully’s principle of 52 equal Sundays strives to have powerful worship every Sunday of the year to best reach visitors at all times of…