Hybrid Evangelism: The New Reality for Congregations
Learn practices for adapting relational evangelism to hybrid ministry. Even before the pandemic, reaching new people has long been a struggle for many congregations. Relying…
Browsing: Evangelism
Articles
Making Your Ministry Present in Its Physical Space
Does your church building express your congregation’s values and invite others to explore what you do? Does it communicate the gospel? Travis Norvell explains how…
4 Key Lessons for Vital Small Church Ministry
David Gilmore says the size of a congregation need not be a determining factor in its ability to connect with its neighbors. Small congregations who…
Building Vibrant Community Connections in Digital and Physical Spaces
How can your congregation connect with new people in both physical and digital spaces? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Jordana Wright on…
“Building Vibrant Community Connections in Digital and Physical Spaces” featuring Jordana Wright
How can your congregation connect with new people in both physical and digital spaces? Jordana Wright shares creative strategies for transforming congregations into vibrant community hubs.
4 Keys to Moving from Online Worship to Online Ministry
Nicole Reilley says posting worship services online is just the first step in developing a holistic online ministry. She enumerates four keys to developing a…
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 One-to-One Conversations Reintroduced a Church to its Neighbors
Travis Norvell, pastor of Judson Church in Minneapolis, describes the blessing and insight that flowed from his decision to schedule 110 one-on-one conversations with neighbors…
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.
4 Shifts for More Authentic Community Engagement
Dan Pezet believes churches can forge meaningful connections with their neighbors through impactful community ministries. But only if the church’s motives are perceived as genuine,…
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…
Doing Evangelism with Integrity
Is your congregation squeamish when it comes to evangelism? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, author of the new book…
Episode 90: “Doing Evangelism with Integrity” featuring Priscilla Pope-Levison
Is your congregation squeamish when it comes to evangelism? In this episode, Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. speaks with Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison on how congregations can more authentically engage a variety of evangelistic practices with confidence and integrity.
Minding the Church’s Doors
Preaching in a different church almost every Sunday, Nancy Taylor learned firsthand how often visitors go unnoticed even in churches that see themselves as “friendly.”…
Innovating to Reach More People
How can innovation help congregations reach new and younger people? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Mikka McCracken about innovation, building relationships, and…
Episode 88: “Innovating to Reach More People” featuring Mikka McCracken
How can innovation help congregations reach new and younger people? We speak with Mikka McCracken about innovation, building relationships, and creating person-focused ministries so more people know the way of Jesus and discover community, justice, and love.
Building Thriving Rural Congregations
How can rural churches break free from the false narratives and unrealistic metrics that obscure their potential vitality? Allen Stanton lays out a new vision…
Episode 87: “Building Thriving Rural Congregations” featuring Allen Stanton
How can rural churches break free from false narratives and unrealistic metrics? Allen Stanton lays out a new vision for healthy rural congregations as valued stakeholders and potent agents of change within their communities.
3 Key Components of Effective Visitor Follow-Up
Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection say a church’s first goal with first-time worship visitors is to get…
Connecting with the People God Has Placed in Your Pathway
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says churches can improve outreach efforts by focusing on people nearby. Those attending activities in your building, family…
Relationships are the Key Ingredient in Successful Outreach
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe writes that a focus on relationships helps a church connect with its neighbors in genuine and effective ways. Successful outreach…
How a Food Pantry Became So Much More
Kevin Harney describes how his church transformed their successful food pantry ministry to attend to spiritual as well as physical needs. Volunteers are offering conversation,…
From Online Worship to Online Ministry
Kay Kotan says many churches embraced online worship out of necessity during the pandemic without deliberate plans for engaging new people through online ministry. Now…
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.
7 Reasons You Must Not Abandon Your Online Services
Thom Rainer says it is a mistake for churches to give up their digital or streaming services after returning to in-person worship. He outlines seven…
Episode 72: “Faith and the Video Gaming Community” featuring David Petty and Russ Dornisch
Is there space for faith in the world of online video gaming? David Petty and Russ Dornisch discuss CROSSFIRE: faith + gaming, the innovative online Christian community they have created for gamers.
Top Leading Ideas Articles of 2020
Each December we take a look at the most popular Leading Ideas articles of the year and give our readers a second chance to glean…
