5 Principles for Pastoring a Vibrant Older Congregation
Karl Vaters highlights the importance of building a strong, vibrant congregation of seniors with intentionality, training, and a focus on the future. He emphasizes the…
Browsing: Discipleship
Articles
Creating a Safe Space for Holy Work with Children
Tanya Campen describes how practicing respect, preparation, and presence create safe spaces where children are valued and respected. She highlights the importance of preparing ourselves…
Small Church Big Impact
Blake Bradford shares how smaller congregations can use their unique giftedness to fulfill their mission. He says smaller churches can enhance their vitality by clarifying…
Engaging Children Through Active Wondering
Tanya Campen describes how engaging children through active wondering creates space for them to share freely and nurtures honest conversation. She equips teachers and guides…
Two Approaches to Digital Playlists for Faith Formation
How can a digital playlist enhance hybrid and online faith formation? John Roberto shares two approaches for creating digital playlists to strengthen faith formation. The…
8 Lessons from Jesus on How to Engage People and Help Them Grow as Disciples
Church leaders seeking to reach new people and help them grow need only look to the example of Jesus. Phil Maynard and Eddie Pipkin highlight…
The Holy Work of Hybrid and Virtual Christian Education: An In-Depth Interview with Tanya Campen
How can Christian educators maximize the potential for learning in both hybrid and virtual classrooms? Doug Powe of the Lewis Center staff speaks with author…
“The Holy Work of Hybrid and Virtual Christian Education” featuring Tanya Campen
Podcast Episode 121 How can Christian education maximize the potential for learning in both hybrid and virtual classrooms? We speak with author and pastor Tanya…
Leading Voices: “Leadership Includes Self Care”
“Leadership Includes Self Care” is presented by Pastor Eric Hernandez of Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Lewis…
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.
6 Essential Elements of Fruitful Small Groups
What are the essential elements of a fruitful small group? Scott Hughes names and explains six elements that characterize effective small groups — prayer and…
Lessons from the Fresh Expressions Movement: In-depth Interview with Luke Edwards
What can we learn from the Fresh Expression movement’s novel approach to forming new faith communities? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Luke…
“Lessons from the Fresh Expressions Movement” featuring Luke Edwards
What can we learn from the Fresh Expression movement’s novel approach to reaching people unlikely to attend church on Sunday mornings? Luke Edwards discusses a process of listen, building relationships, and forming community that can lead to deepening discipleship and the formation of new, nontraditional worshipping communities.
4 Audiences for Digital Engagement
Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff shares how congregations can begin to reach four groups of people through ministry on digital platforms. As…
Thanking God It’s Good Friday: Intergenerational Children’s Ministry
Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on an intergenerational ministry that teaches children about the significance of Holy Week and Easter. She…
How to Organize an Intergenerational Morning of Service for MLK Day
Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on how a Connecticut church has made the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a time for intergenerational…
4 Approaches to Keeping Small Church Worship and Education Vibrant During the Pandemic
Rebekah Simon-Peter outlines four models small churches have used to survive the pandemic — the church at home model, the shut-in model, the never shut…
Imagining a Hybrid Future
How can a church develop hybrid ministry that connects both with those in the room and those who will never enter your church building? Ann…
Episode 76: “Imagining a Hybrid Future” featuring Rosario Picardo
How can a church develop hybrid ministry that connects both with those in the room and those who will never enter your church building? Rosario Picardo, one of the authors of a new book on ministry in the digital age, discusses how churches can continue to develop online ministry while resuming in-person ministries in the post-pandemic age.
Courage, Faith, and Resilient Leadership
What gives Christian leaders the courage to persist in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Tom Berlin…
Episode 74: “Courage, Faith, and Resilient Leadership” featuring Tom Berlin
What gives Christian leaders the courage to persist in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges? Tom Berlin shares how courage emerges through faith, hope, and God-inspired convictions as we deepen our commitment to walk with Christ.
Giving for the Right Reasons
The Christian faith invites us to think about giving in new and countercultural ways. Giving faithfully and for the right reasons puts us in alignment…
4 Ways to Measure if Your Ministry Is Working
In changing times standard measures of a congregation’s health may not tell the whole story. Naomi Annandale suggests a need to expand and adjust our…
5 Essential Practices of a Hero-Making Leader
Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird say that effective leaders focus less on being the hero themselves and more on making other people heroes in God’s…
Episode 60: “How to Be a Hero Maker” featuring Dave Ferguson
How can you activate the gifts of others and multiply the impact of your ministry? In this episode we speak with Dave Ferguson about becoming a “hero maker” by focusing on making those around you great leaders.
Discipling People in Midlife and Beyond
Older adults are leaving or downsizing church involvement at rates comparable to that of younger adults, says Michelle Van Loon. Churches that typically focus most…
Episode 57: “Is the Church Ignoring the Spiritual Needs of Adults in Midlife?” featuring Michelle Van Loon
Churches often put a lot of emphasis on nurturing families, children, and those at the start of their faith journey. But what about others? In this episode we speak with Michelle Van Loon about how churches can better help people in midlife continue to grow in faith as they navigate their unique life challenges.
Episode 51: “Developing a Discipleship Pathway” featuring Kay Kotan
Do you have a discipleship pathway at your congregation? In this episode we discuss discipleship and developing disciples with Kay Kotan the director for the Center for Multiplying Disciples in the Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Are You Teaching People about Faith? Or How to Practice It?
Johannah Myers describes a paradigm shift in how we form disciples with a move away from Christian education toward an emphasis on forming people in…