The Stone Soup Recipe for Vital Small Church Worship
Teresa Stewart says that small congregations have a powerful worship planning option that expands participation, emphasizes lay leadership, ends the burnout of meetings, invites local…
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Does Your Church Really Need All Those Committees?
Are your church members kept busy doing committee work they are neither gifted for nor excited about? Andy Lunt and Ted Brown say congregations can…
Four Functions of a Church Choir
Brian Hehn says a church can have a vital music ministry if its choir focuses on four key functions — leading and enlivening congregational singing,…
Updated Report on United Methodist Disaffiliating Churches
The Lewis Center has issued an updated report on the characteristics of churches disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church that covers more than 6,100 churches…
5 Ways Your Church Can Use Text Messaging to Reach More People
How can churches use texting as an outreach and communication tool? Brandon Cox outlines five ways churches can use texting to reach more people and…
8 Key Questions to Shift Pastoral Counseling Encounters from Reflection Toward Action
Alan T. Baker identifies eight questions that help shift pastoral counseling encounters from reflection toward action. While written for use by chaplains, these questions can…
“The Hidden Impact of Rural Churches” featuring Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt
Podcast Episode 126 What is the economic impact of small congregations on their communities? We speak with Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt of Partners for…
5 Guideposts for Reshaping Your Staff Team
Susan Beaumont says many churches see a need to reconfigure their staffing in this new era. She outlines five guidelines to frame a better conversation…
Why Small Congregation Worship Matters
Teresa Stewart has faith in the future of small congregations because she has faith in a God who shows up even in small and forgotten…
7 Suggestions for Outsourcing Your Church’s Staffing Needs
How can outsourcing fill church staffing needs? Greg Rogers shares seven suggestions for outsourcing staff drawing from Oakmont Baptist Church’s response to unexpected yet urgent…
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…
7 Ways Your Church Can Respond to the Reality of Sexual Assault
Ruth Everhart, a pastor, author, and sexual assault survivor, outlines steps that any church can take to respond to the sexual victimization of women. Scripture,…
Five Keys to Successful Volunteer Recruitment
Struggling to recruit volunteers? Deech Kirk shares five keys for successful volunteer recruitment drawn from his work with youth ministry teams but applicable to other…
Report on Disaffiliating United Methodist Churches through 2022: Comparing Similarities and Differences
What are the characteristics of churches disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church? Lovett H. Weems Jr. reports that there are more similarities than differences between…
Lewis Center Report on Disaffiliating Churches through 2022: Similarities and Differences Compared to Other United Methodist Churches
Introduction Approximately 2,000 churches disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church by the end of 2022 following the passing of special disaffiliation legislation in 2019. It…
Stop Beginning Worship with Boring Announcements
Jason Moore says churches should stop beginning their worship with boring announcements and instead give worshipers an overview of what’s coming and why it matters…
The Church’s #Me Too Reckoning
How can the church confront its complicity in sexual abuse and misconduct? In this interview, Ruth Everhart, a leading voice on issues of sexual abuse…
“The Church’s #MeToo Reckoning” featuring Ruth Everhart
Podcast Episode 117 How can the church confront its complicity in sexual abuse and misconduct? Ruth Everhart says churches must restore justice by creating safe…
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…
5 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2023
Doug Powe, Ann Michel, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify five trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
Is Your Congregation Making an Impact?
What metrics are most helpful in assessing your church’s health and vitality? Susan Nienaber says that, in this new chapter of the church’s history, congregations…
5 Tips for Building True Spiritual Community
When you move from being “in church” to being “in community,” your vision of others changes. Rebekah Simon-Peter offers five tips for daring to go…
Ministering to Congregants Who Haven’t Returned Post-COVID-19
One in every three churchgoers has not returned to in-person worship services since the pandemic. Tricia K. Brown offers ideas for ministering to members of…
Finding Sanctuary: Ministries with Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers | An In-Depth Interview with Elizabeth Shulman
How can congregations support persons with dementia and their caregivers? Jessica Anschutz interviews Elizabeth Shulman, who offers an organic, three-part program to aid congregations in…
“Finding Sanctuary: Ministries With Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers” featuring Elizabeth Shulman
How can congregations support people with dementia and their caregivers? Elizabeth Shulman offers an organic three-part program to help congregations create ministries to meet the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers.
One Invitation Away from Returning
Are there folks in your church who got out of the habit of attending during the pandemic and haven’t returned yet? Rebekah Simon-Peter says that…
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…
Faith Leaders Are First Responders in Preventing Suicide
Anne Mathews-Younes writes that faith leaders and faith communities are in a unique position to prevent suicide. She shares information about how to recognize the…
The Pandemic’s Real Impact on Clergy and Congregations: An In-Depth Interview with Scott Thumma
How has the pandemic shaped the vitality and resiliency of congregations? Did it really prompt large numbers of pastors to leave ministry? Doug Powe, director…