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How can a congregation be more effective in developing a missional presence? In this episode we speak with Tom Berlin, lead pastor at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, about how being adaptive can help churches live into a more fruitful missional sensibility.
Krin Van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller remind us that a congregation’s physical assets are resources to be stewarded to advance the kingdom. They recommend examining…
Luke Edwards says we can explore our communities with the same spiritual practices that deepen our understanding of God’s Word. He has adapted the practice…
How is your congregation practicing evangelism? In this episode we speak with Kevin Harney about ways to improve your church’s organic outreach to connect better with those outside of your congregation.
How can pastors be on the frontlines of community activism while also being faithful to their call? In this episode we speak with Heber Brown, III, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, about his work for racial justice in Baltimore and beyond.
How can a congregation make an impact no matter its size? In this episode we speak with Joe Daniels, the pastor of Emory Fellowship in Washington DC, and co-author of the new book, Connecting for a Change: How to Engage People, Churches, and Partners to Inspire Hope in Your Community.
How can congregations imaginatively use their space? In this episode we speak with Bob Jaeger, president of Partners for Sacred Places, about re-imagining the space in your church building.
Kevin Harney says your church is already doing all sort of things with evangelistic potential. It’s just a matter of identifying what you already do…
How can you get outside the doors of your church, learn about your community, and meet people where they are? In this episode we speak with Laura Heikes, pastor of Bee Creek United Methodist Church in Spicewood, Texas, about strategies for bringing a missionary mindset to your own neighborhood.
How can your congregation be more attentive to those in the community? In this episode we discuss leading in a changing culture with Dr. Juan Francisco Martínez, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Pastoral Leadership at the Fuller School of Theology in Pasadena, California. His most recent book is The Story of Latino Protestants in the United States (Eerdmans, 2018).
Sam Marullo and Doug Powe, both Wesley Theological Seminary faculty members, have developed a simple model to help congregations engage their communities in meaningful ways.…
Candace Lewis and Rodney Smothers say that churches must leave their buildings, identify community needs, and walk alongside neighbors in order to make a difference.…
Many congregations find that reaching out to their local schools is an important way to serve children and their families and strengthen ties with the…
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center Staff outlines four ways a church can lay a solid foundation for a church-school partnership before jumping in headfirst.…
Many churches provide meeting space for community groups hoping that building users will eventually show up for worship. But for a church to reach new…
Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal church in downtown Washington, DC, considers what it means for an older…
What does it take for an older church to thrive in a changing urban context? Listen as Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Rev. William Lamar, pastor of the historic Metropolitan AME church in downtown Washington, DC.
Related Resources
Begin with Where by Bill Lamar
5 Key Practices for Connecting with Your Context by Mark Gornik and Maria Liu Wong
Is Your Building Impeding Your Mission? by Mark R. Teasdale
Mark Gornik and Maria Liu Wong have been working to understand new practices of ministry that are emerging in vital and diverse urban settings. They…
Pastor Carey Nieuwhof says congregations need to break free of the mentality that people need to come to church at a set time and place…
How can we really see and hear the people in front of us? Listen as Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe speaks with thought leader Rev. Junius Dotson about moving from being inward-focused to outward-focused.
Moving Faith Communities to Fruitful Conversations about Race is a dialogue about race in America that may be used to help your church bring people…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes that congregations all start not for themselves, but to serve other people. But with the passage of time, they tend…
Incoming Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says that demographic shifts will bring increased diversity to the neighborhoods around most churches in the coming decades. Rather…
Sue Nilson Kibbey, who works with missional church initiatives in Ohio, shares the story of a church that engaged the mission field immediately around its…
Rosario Picardo says unused building space can be a goldmine of opportunity if a church has eyes to see how their space could be used…
Jake McGlothin, author of The Mission-Minded Guide to Church and School Partnerships, explains how compelling messages that align your congregation’s vision to the task of…
Baltimore pastor Dr. C. Anthony Hunt says congregations need to work proactively to strengthen community relations and build trust with police and public officials. He…
When Rev. Nathan Adams was invited to become a Lewis Community Leadership Fellow it was like being asked to come home. “I was a Lewis…
The idea of a Blessing Box, shared widely on social media, has inspired many congregations to take direct action to meet community needs. Amy Forbus…
Hal Knight and Doug Powe discuss nine characteristics of transformative Christian communities that allow them to nurture spiritual growth while also remaining open to others…
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.
