Eliminating the Downward Drag of Ministry Clutter
Michael Kurtz explains that churches are quick to add new programs but slow to eliminate older ones, creating ministry clutter and program overload. Regular pruning…
Browsing: Congregational Revitalization
Articles
5 Steps to a Fruitful Restart
Dan Turner led an older, established congregation through a successful restart, reshaping its ministry to reach a changing neighborhood. He outlines five key steps in…
5 Practices for Fruitful Congregations in a Post-Attractional Era
Robert Schnase’s five key practices — radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity — have helped thousands of…
Episode 20: “Ministry Beyond the Wall: Revisiting the Five Fruitful Practices” featuring Robert Schnase
How can congregations more effectively practice fruitful ministry? In this episode Bishop Robert Schnase discusses his revised book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, with Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe.
Overcoming Apprehension about Change
Dan Turner led an older, established congregation through a restart. The remnant of members from the previous church brought many gifts to the new church,…
Episode 19: “Dying to Restart: Choosing a Strategic Death for a Resurrected Life” featuring Dan Turner
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.
5 Steps for Putting Good Ideas into Action
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…
5 Lies We Like to Tell About Church Growth
Church consultant Dan Hotchkiss exposes some of the reassuring lies that cause many churches to stagnate at a comfortable size while ignoring well-established truths about…
The Bright Promise of Alternative Faith Communities
A new type of congregation is emerging that combines religious practice with a distinctive element of local culture or community identity, such as artistic expression,…
Episode 14: “Divergent Church” featuring Tim Shapiro and Kara Faris
Does your church have the “church plus” factor? Listen as Lewis Center Director Doug Powe speaks with Tim Shapiro and Kara Faris about their book Divergent Church. They examine innovative, alternative faith communities that combine religious practice with a “church plus” factor — a dedicated focus on some unique aspect of their church’s cultural DNA like gardening, table fellowship, artistic expression, and more.