10 Questions to Develop Transformative Ministry Innovation
Meghan Hatcher outlines 10 guiding questions at the heart of a five-phase theological innovation process that helps churches develop, launch, and implement creative new ministry…
Browsing: Change
Articles
A New Model for Leading Change
What is God calling your church to do in the near future given your church’s mission and context? Doug Powe and Lovett Weems outline key…
7 Key Questions to Focus Your Change Agenda
Successful change requires setting priorities. But how can a leader discern which goals are most important? Doug Powe and Lovett Weems suggest a series of…
A Way Out of No Way: An In-Depth Interview with Kimberly Daniel
How can Christian innovation address the needs of people who are under-resourced and undervalued? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff interviews Kimberly Daniel about…
“A Way Out of No Way” featuring Kimberly Daniel
Podcast Episode 113 How can Christian innovation address the needs of people who are under-resourced and undervalued? Kimberly Daniel shares how Christian innovation can begin…
The Risk of Trying to Please Everyone
Mike Bonem says a process of meaningful change can be slowed, interrupted, or completely stopped if a leader insists on trying to please everyone. What…
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…
“Sustaining While Disrupting” featuring Doug Powe and Lovett Weems
Podcast Episode 112 What is required to bring about meaningful change in your church? F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Lovett H. Weems Jr. maintain that…
Genuine Change Involves Continuity
Doug Powe and Lovett Weems of the Lewis Center staff say that successful and lasting change is likely to come through evolution rather than revolution.…
Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation
Clergy and other church leaders often feel pressed to preserve cherished traditions even as they direct people to discern the new thing God is doing.…
5 Tips for Building True Spiritual Community
When you move from being “in church” to being “in community,” your vision of others changes. Rebekah Simon-Peter offers five tips for daring to go…
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…
“The Messy Art of Leading Change” featuring Mike Bonem
Podcast Episode 110 How can you lead effectively given the inherent messiness of congregational life? Leadership expert Mike Bonem speaks about the art of leading…
3 Leadership Shifts for the Current Reality
Olu Brown says that a new paradigm of leadership is required given the challenges of the present age. Church leaders need to shift the conversation…
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…
Moving Beyond a Congregational Identity Crisis
Asking “Who are we?” helps congregations gain clarity in the midst of an identity crisis. Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. offers three priorities…
Saying “Yes” to Clear Purpose Can Require Saying “No” to Long-Cherished Ministries
Jaye Johnson says a congregation that is clear about who it is must say “no” to ministries that are inconsistent with that purpose. While this…
Forging a New Path: An In-Depth Interview with Rebekah Simon-Peter
When do things go back to normal? How do we get people (back) to church? How do we do more with less? Rebekah Simon-Peter calls…
“Forging a New Path” featuring Rebekah Simon-Peter
When do things go back to normal? How do we get people (back) to church? And how do we do more with less? Rebekah Simon-Peter calls us to the “next normal” as she explores what it means to invite people to church as spiritual community and to do more with less.
Every Church is a Work in Progress
Is your church imperfect? Youth ministry expert Deech Kirk says “welcome to the club.” Successful church leaders need to accept that every church is a…
Evangelism Insights from The Methodist Church in Britain: An In-Depth Interview with Trey Hall
What can we learn about congregational revitalization, Fresh Expressions, and evangelism from the Methodist Church in Britain? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews…
“Evangelism Insights From The Methodist Church in Britain” featuring Trey Hall
What can we learn about congregational revitalization, Fresh Expressions, and evangelism from the Methodist Church in Britain? Trey Hall shares insights on these subjects drawing from his experience in the United States and Great Britain.
Doing Planning Differently
What if you focused on making already-planned ministry events better rather than creating new events? Olu Brown offers three planning strategies for Doing Church Differently™…
What Makes Christian Social Innovation Christian?
How can church leaders approach innovation in ways that are consistent with their faith? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe interviews Kenda Creasy Dean, author…
“What Makes Christian Social Innovation Christian?” featuring Kenda Creasy Dean
How can church leaders approach innovation in ways that are consistent with their faith? Kenda Creasy Dean says it starts by focusing on people not problem, by seeking to participate in God’s new thing rather than trying to get God to participate in ours.
Understanding and Honoring Your Congregation’s Unique Culture
Roy Spore says every church has its own culture and a unique set of accumulated values. Productive leaders know how to identify these values and…
5 Principles of Dramatic Improvisation Inform a Healthier Response to Conflict
David Woolverton explains how the key principles of dramatic improvisation can provide a helpful framework for responding to conflict and change in congregations. Engaging the…
4 Critical Steps in Deploying Your Vision
Discerning a new vision is only the first step toward congregational renewal and change. Olu Brown outlines four critical steps necessary to make that new…
Youth Ministry by Any Other Name
Kenda Creasy Dean writes that today ministry with young people often means finding young people where they live and work and embedding the church beside…
Christian Social Innovation Starts with Who, Not Why or How
Churches do their best innovating when they focus less on “great ideas” or attempting to “fix the church” and more on the needs and longings…
