Subscribe free to "Leading Ideas" at churchleadership.com/leadingideas. Every Wednesday, "Leading Ideas" delivers information, resources, and strategies for forward-thinking church leaders.
Why would a church discontinue its ministry to start a new one in the same place? In this episode Dan Turner speaks with Lewis Center Associate Director Ann A. Michel about how his Washington, DC, church chose to do just that to become a more fruitful congregation.
Roger Lovette shares the touching story of returning to the first church he ever served, thirty years later, to find they had finally acted on…
Ebonie Johnson Cooper describes how involving young adults in an innovative process of ministry design can enhance their church participation. She outlines five pilot initiatives…
Simple habits of congregational life, such as always sitting in the same pew or greeting the same people after worship, might seem normal and innocuous.…
Missouri Pastor Jim Hoffman discusses how a five-step process for evaluating and testing possible new initiatives can help churches develop and implement ideas in a…
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe and Associate Director Ann A. Michel outline some of the major trends evident in their research and interactions with…
How can church leaders confront the fear that prevents congregations from dealing with controversial issues or taking necessary risks? Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United…
Why does fear so often prevent leaders and congregations from taking action? Listen as Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Rev. Adam Hamilton, author of the new book Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times, about how people of faith can move beyond the paralysis of fear.
In 2014, Amy Butler stepped into the pulpit of The Riverside Church in Manhattan, a church well known for its public witness and prominent pastoral…
Chris Bennett, a Virginia pastor who helps other congregations develop strategic plans, outlines a set of questions that can help your church decide if a…
How do you balance tradition and innovation? In this episode, Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe, Jr., speaks with Rev. Amy Butler of The Riverside Church in New York City. They discuss insights for leading a historic church.
Related Resources
Unsticking a “Stuck” Institution by Amy Butler
Discovering God’s Future for Your Church Video Tool Kit
Mike Bonem says a sense of urgency is necessary to propel change, but that urgency need not come from a negative sense of doom and…
David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary, posits the metaphor of a delta region to describe the dangerous yet fertile waters the church must navigate…
In his book The Kaleidoscope Effect, Scott Chrostek says permanent, static programming doesn’t work with emerging generations. He describes how Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City…
Minnesota Pastor Lee Ann Pomrenke reflects on the painful reality of having to bring a congregation or a ministry to an end. While there is…
Unique challenges arise when a church is served by a pastor from a different racial or cultural background or as it struggles to engage a…
Originally published Dec. 12, 2017. United Methodists are facing major decisions about our legacy and future in the coming months and years. Myriad actions taken…
Pastor Vincent Howell, an expert on project management in ministry, says even when a project doesn’t fully meet expectations, it’s important to keep a positive…
Bill Wilson, director of the Center for Healthy Churches, says that while memories of the past are vital, they must be balanced with a creative…
Church consultant Bill Owen describes how effective leaders understand the importance of conversation in shaping culture. They learn the subtle art of reframing narratives in…
Lovett Weems shares the story of how a church leader brought around a critic of a new homeless ministry by approaching the individual with a…
We are pleased to announce that effective July 1, the Rev. Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr., will become the Director of the Lewis Center for…
Lovett H. Weems Jr., explains why leaders need to affirm the positive and assume the best of others — even when things aren’t what they ultimately…
Tiffany Deluccia says that for too many churches, their de facto vision is nothing more than a list of the next things to be done.…
What kind of vision helps a church finds its way forward? Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says a vision needn’t be grandiose, nor is the process…
Every ministry has a lifespan, according to pastor and author Graham Standish. When a church forces dying ministries to stay alive, it prevents new ministries…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes that effective leaders are never free from problems. In fact, as they make progress, they are likely to confront more…
Daniel Hilty says that any large-scale facility renovation requires a congregation to tolerate a tremendous amount of change and disruption. It’s critical to share information,…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says vital congregations are clear about their mission, outwardly focused, oriented toward the future, and concerned more with results than processes.…
Pastor Charles Stone, who has studied how brain chemistry impacts our ability to process change, recommends six specific strategies to help congregational leaders embrace change.…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.
