6 Opportunities for Churches with Aging Memberships
Research undertaken by the Lewis Center’s Religious Workforce Project confirms that the over-representation of older people in churches has become more pronounced. Lovett Weems unpacks…
Browsing: Mainline Challenges
Articles
Should a Church Close?
Sustainability is increasingly difficult for the ever increasing number of churches worshipping small numbers each week. Lovett Weems captures the dilemma for church leaders and…
Risking Experiments for God’s Reign
Where is God’s movement taking place in new ways for new times? Cherished narratives, programs, language, and structures are no longer producing the fruit associated…
Restoring Trust in the Institutional Church Requires Allegiance to Our True Purpose
Gil Rendle says all institutions eventually gravitate from serving their stated purposes to satisfying powerful institutional constituencies. The current deep mistrust of the institutional church…
Twenty-Five Percent of Churches Disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church
The Lewis Center has issued a final report on disaffiliating churches in the United Methodist Church covering 7,631 churches approved by annual conferences for disaffiliation…
Some Questions for Further Research from the Disaffiliation Process
The recent disaffiliation process in the United Methodist Church leaves in its wake grief, hope, and many unanswered questions regarding the impact of prior unifications,…
Embracing Mutual Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Lydia Bucklin
How can your congregation function as a community of ministers rather than a community gathered around a single minister? Lydia Bucklin of the Episcopal Diocese…
“Embracing Mutual Ministry” featuring Lydia Bucklin
Podcast Episode 136 How can your congregation function as a community of ministers rather than a community gathered around a single minister? Lydia Bucklin explains…
“Who are The Nones?” featuring Ryan Burge
Podcast Episode 125 The rapid growth in the percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation is drastically reshaping the country’s religious and cultural landscape. We…
How Can the Church Respond to the Rise of the Nones?
What is the church to do in the face of increasing rates of religious disaffiliation and the rise of the Nones? Researcher and pastor Ryan…
Number of Young Elders in the United Methodist Church Reaches a Record Low Number in 2023
Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights the decline in numbers of young clergy in the Lewis Center’s annual Clergy Age Trends Report. A dramatic decline in…
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2023
Download the 2023 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2023 Report Young Elders Reach New Record Low Number The recent decline in the…
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…
Leading Faithful Innovation: An In-depth Interview with Dwight Zscheile
What if congregational change didn’t focus on setting goals or planning new programs? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center Staff interviews Dwight Zscheile, coauthor of…
“Leading Faithful Innovation” featuring Dwight Zscheile
Podcast Episode 130 What if congregational change didn’t focus on setting goals or planning new programs? Dwight Zscheile believes finding a faithful way forward involves…
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…
Who are The Nones?: An In-Depth Interview with Ryan Burge
The rapid growth in the percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation is drastically reshaping the country’s religious and cultural landscape. Ann Michel of the…
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…
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…
A New Model for Leading Change
What is God calling your church to do in the near future given your church’s mission and context? Doug Powe and Lovett Weems outline key…
Does an Aging Population Explain High Clergy Ages?
For most traditions, the disproportionate aging of clergy is a crucial challenge. Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights some of the findings in the National Congregations…
Still Fewer Young United Methodist Elders in 2022
Lovett H. Weems Jr. reports that the declining number of young elders in the United Methodist Church has accelerated while the number of young deacons…
Improving Worship Attendance in a Post-Pandemic World
Free Webinar — Register Now Learn best practices your church can use to increase in-person and online worship attendance. Tuesday, October 25, Noon-1:30 p.m. Eastern…
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.
Evangelism Insights from The Methodist Church in Britain: An In-Depth Interview with Trey Hall
What can we learn about congregational revitalization, Fresh Expressions, and evangelism from the Methodist Church in Britain? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews…
“Evangelism Insights From The Methodist Church in Britain” featuring Trey Hall
What can we learn about congregational revitalization, Fresh Expressions, and evangelism from the Methodist Church in Britain? Trey Hall shares insights on these subjects drawing from his experience in the United States and Great Britain.
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…
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…