Building Inclusive Communities: An In-Depth Interview with Brandan Robertson
How can church leaders build an inclusive community of faith? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff interviews Brandan Robertson, the “TikTok Pastor,” about social…
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“Building Inclusive Communities” featuring Brandan Robertson
Podcast Episode 132 How can church leaders build an inclusive community of faith? In this episode Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff speaks with…
10 Ways to Make Your Church More Inclusive
How can a church community move beyond conversations and aspirations to practice true inclusion in their daily life and ministry? Brandan Robertson shares ten key…
13 Do’s & Don’ts for Incoming Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural Pastors
How can an incoming pastoral leader lay the groundwork for successful ministry in a congregation where most members are from a different racial or cultural…
How Inclusive, Participatory Leadership Revitalized the Girl Scouts of America
Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights leadership lessons from the life of Frances Hesselbein and her impact on the Girl Scouts. She was a passionate servant…
Leading Voices: “All Great Leaders Need Contextual Intelligence”
“All Great Leaders Need Contextual Intelligence” is presented by Lewis Center for Church Leadership Director Doug Powe. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the…
The Rural Church’s Gifts
Michael Adam Beck and Tyler Kleeberger describe how the unique demographics of rural churches bring not only the potential for intimacy and neighborliness but also…
7 Key Characteristics of Diversity-Oriented Churches
Diversity-oriented churches, despite the challenges they face, are some of the fastest growing churches in the United States, says Brian Leander. He names seven characteristics…
Leading Voices: “All Leadership is Cross-Cultural Leadership”
“All Leadership is Cross-Cultural Leadership” is presented by Laura Heikes, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in McAllen, Texas. In celebration of the 20th…
Leadership Lessons from Jackie Robinson
Lovett H. Weems Jr. shares inspiring leadership lessons from the life of Jackie Robinson. Robinson faced challenges and adversity with courage and faith, while striving…
Why Making Your Church Multigenerational Is Worth the Effort
Chuck Lawless says it is hard to be a multigenerational church, but it is worth the effort. He outlines some of the benefits of multigenerational…
Anti-Racism 4 Reals
How can church leaders counter racism in real time? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff interviews Sheila Beckford about strategies for equipping church leaders…
“Anti-Racism 4 Reals” featuring Sheila Beckford
How can church leaders strive to be anti-racist? We speak with Sheila Beckford about strategies for equipping church leaders to do the hard work of anti-racism in order to work toward real change.
Centering Marginalized Voices to Lead Change
What practices can help church leaders learn from failures and address conflict in ways that lead to fruitful ministry? The Lewis Center’s Jessica Anschutz interviews…
“Centering Marginalized Voices to Lead Change” featuring Tyler Sit
What practices can help church leaders learn from failures and address conflict in ways that lead to fruitful ministry? We speak with Tyler Sit about centering marginalized voices, meeting the needs of the community, managing conflict, and other leadership lessons he has learned as a church planter.
Challenge and Opportunity for Predominantly White Churches
The demographic makeup of localities across the U.S. is rapidly diversifying. Some predominantly white congregations perceive this as a challenge or even a threat. But…
Diverse Congregations Are Stronger Congregations
One hopeful trend in Faith Communities Today’s 2020 survey findings is that the percentage of multiracial congregations in the U.S. has doubled over the past…
What Might the 2020 Census Mean for Churches?
Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights key findings in the 2020 U.S. Census Report of significance for churches including an aging overall population, the first-ever decline…
Understanding Generation Z and Connecting with Their Passions
What are the unique characteristics of young people coming of age today? Rock Jones, president of Ohio Wesleyan University, describes a generation of digital natives…
What’s Wrong with Thinking of Church as Family?
Lee Ann M. Pomrenke says the beloved metaphor of church as family can stand in the way of a congregation being truly open and inclusive.…
Episode 75: “Understanding Generation Z and Connecting with Their Passions” featuring Rock Jones
What are the unique characteristics of young people coming of age today? Rock Jones, president of Ohio Wesleyan University, describes a generation of digital natives who are highly connected but also lonely and anxious. Dr. Jones describes Gen Zers’ life questions, the perspectives they bring to spiritual engagement, and ways church leaders can meet them where they are.
A Different Approach
Doug Powe of the Lewis Center suggests congregations take a different approach to Black History Month this year. He outlines ideas to encourage church members…
Episode 62: “Honest Talk about Race and Racism” featuring Michael R. Fisher Jr.
How can your congregation initiate conversations about race? And how can pastors prepare themselves for this important work? In this episode Michael R. Fisher Jr. shares perspectives, questions, and resources that can help church leaders confront the challenging issues of structural racism and white privilege during these turbulent times.
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.
Episode 33: “How Can Your Church Draw the Circle Wider?” featuring Jacqui Lewis
How can we live into a more multi-ethnic vision for our congregations? In this episode we speak with Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church about multi-cultural and multi-racial congregations, plus the joys and challenges of being a multi-ethnic congregation.
Key Observations for Reaching Latino/a Populations
The growing Latino and Latina population in the United States is transforming the religious landscape, reshaping virtually every Christian tradition. Drawing on the work of…
Cross-Cultural Pastor as Spiritual Bridge Builder
HiRho Y. Park has studied how pastoral leaders can be more effective in cross-racial and cross-cultural ministry contexts. These pastors can be bridge builders, she…
Telling a More Inclusive Story
Amanda Poppei’s Washington, DC, congregation is engaged in an anti-racism effort aimed at countering racist assumptions embedded in their congregational life and practices. This effort…
Episode 27: “Breaking Free of Racist Systems and Structures in Your Congregation” featuring Amanda Poppei
How can a congregation focus intentionally on addressing implicit racism within its own institutional and community life? In this episode Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader of the Washington Ethical Society, describes how her community has made anti-racism work an overarching priority — shaping its identity and congregational practices.
Is It Time to Acknowledge Where We Got It Wrong?
A recent editorial in Christianity Today magazine acknowledges how the magazine failed in confronting racism during critical years of the civil rights movement. Lovett H.…