The Adept Church: Navigating Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Learn how to determine your church’s best way forward! How can you help your congregation take an honest look at challenges in their church? And…
Browsing: Congregational Revitalization
Articles
Resurrection Hope and the Response to COVID-19
Resurrection involves transformation, and to proclaim resurrection hope is to affirm the possibility of change. Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff sees resurrection hope…
6 Silver Linings in the Clouds of Doom and Gloom
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff points to six positive factors that may offer clues to churches seeking a way forward in an environment…
Episode 50: “Finding New Resources to Support Your Church’s Ministry” featuring Sidney Williams
Is a lack of resources limiting the potential of your ministry? In this episode we speak with Sidney Williams of Crossing Capital about how congregations can develop new sources of capital in the marketplace, engage community partners, and develop unrecognized sources of social, intellectual, and human capital within the pews.
7 Things to Do When a Church Is in Decline
Ron Edmondson says addressing decline promptly and honestly is difficult but critical work for congregations in a slump. Objectively evaluating problems, avoiding blame, and charting…
3 Keys to Congregational Success: Meaning, Belonging, and Values
Dave Brubaker says making meaning of life, providing a network of relationships, and transmitting essential values are three essential ways congregations respond to core human…
Episode 49: “What is Messy Church?” featuring Johannah Myers
Looking for a creative, new way to bring people of all ages into a space where they can meet Jesus? In this episode we speak with Johannah Myers about Messy Church, a global movement born of the desire to reach individuals and families not attracted to traditional Sunday morning services.
Ways Your Building Can Generate Income and Bless Your Community
Mark DeYmaz writes that churches should leverage their buildings and real estate not just to survive, but to thrive. Using your building more creatively can…
Leading When You Don’t Know the Way
Consultant Susan Beaumont says church leaders need a different set of skills in ambiguous, disorienting periods of transition. In such seasons of change leaders must…
F.I.S.H. Differently! Take Stock of all Available Capital Resources
Sidney Williams says that established congregations seeking to develop transformational ministries must learn to fish differently by taking full advantage of all the capital resources…
5 Emerging Trends Impacting Church Life
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe and Associate Director Ann A. Michel reiterate the importance of nine major trends they outlined last year. They also…
It Used to Work So Well
Lovett Weems says that a congregation’s success can lead to its demise if the creativity and adaptability that made the congregation vital becomes frozen in…
What Question is Your Church Trying to Answer?
Quincy Brown says most churches are focused on answering questions related to their own survival rather than answering the life questions that people beyond the…
Episode 41: “The Contours of the Church of the Future” featuring Paul Nixon
How can the church be more receptive and open as neighborhoods become more complex and culture more multi-faceted? In this episode we speak with consultant Paul Nixon who works to help churches meet the demands of a rapidly changing age.
Is Nostalgia Sabotaging Your Church’s Future?
Matt Miofsky says that a sentimental longing for the past often distorts a church’s perspective on change and keeps it from seeing new paths. While…
7 Simple Mind Shifts that Unlock Outreach Potential
Every church wants to reach new people, but unhelpful attitudes and practices get in the way. Kevin Harney outlines seven simple adjustments to our ways…
Is Your Church Like Fine China? Proper, Pretty, and Only for Special Occasions?
Cynthia Weems says that our churches have become like fine china — perfect and proper but locked away in a cabinet except on special occasions…
Episode 36: “Think Big” featuring Joe Daniels
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.
New Possibilities are All around You
Churches often see their circumstance through the lens of scarcity and fail to recognize assets and opportunities within their grasp. Joe Daniels and Christie Latona…
Episode 35: “Doing Innovative Ministry” featuring Kenda Creasy Dean
How can leaders think outside of the box? In this episode we discuss innovation, entrepreneurial ministry, and leadership with Kenda Creasy Dean, the Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Episode 34: “It’s All about the Building” featuring Bob Jaeger
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.
Prayer is the Spiritual Electricity of Congregational Revitalization
Sue Nilson Kibbey says a robust prayer life can be a powerful catalyst for congregational renewal. It can shift a church’s gaze “up and out,”…
How Much Should It Cost to Plant a New Church?
Church planter and consultant Paul Nixon responds to the frequently asked question about the cost of new church starts drawing from his own experience and…
Two Church Developers’ Experience with Funding New Church Starts
Two knowledgeable new church developers, Phil Schroeder and Dan Jackson, reflect on Paul Nixon’s six observations about “How Much Should It Cost to Plant a…
Episode 32: “Becoming a Rapidly Growing Church” featuring Matt Miofsky
Why do some congregations grow more quickly than others? In this episode we speak with Matt Miofsky, founding and lead pastor of The Gathering in St. Louis, about the book he wrote with Jason Byassee, 8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches.
7 Mindset Shifts that Can Reshape Your Church’s Future
To reshape the future of your church you must set aside old assumptions, fears, and stereotypes and embrace new experiences and methods. In the new…
7 Steps to Reengage Your Community
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.…
Episode 26: “Every Sunday is the Superbowl” featuring Bishop Robert C. Wright
How can you effectively change a church culture? In this episode, Bishop Robert C. Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta shares insights with Lewis Center Director Doug Powe about leading struggling congregations through change.
Believe in Miracles and Act Accordingly
Research on rapidly growing churches helped Matt Miofsky and Jason Byassee understand that miracles are happening in all our churches and communities all the time.…
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…
