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…
Browsing: Mainline Challenges
Articles
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…
“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…
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…
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.
Do You View Your Church as an Organization or a Movement?
Sue Nilson Kibbey says churches often focus so much on organizational maintenance that they lose sight of the church’s ultimate spiritual mission. She challenges us…
Understanding the Nones
What accounts for the rapid increase in the percentage of Americans who claim no religious preference? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff shares key…
10 Paradigm Shifts for Mission Renewal
Tim Snyder and Paul Erickson say that congregational renewal involves a new way of being church and new approaches to our foundational callings. They outline…
What’s Keeping Younger People from Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church?
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff shares the results of an informal survey among younger adults who have sensed a call to ministry in…
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…
Addressing the Root Causes of the Crisis of Younger Clergy
Few doubt that struggles over the United Methodist Church’s stance on homosexuality and uncertainty about the future of the denomination are factors in the recent,…
Is Closing a Church Ever a Good Thing?
Tim Snyder of the Lewis Center Staff writes that closing a church often brings conflict, denial, and shame. But death is a natural passage in…
The Challenging Climate for U.S. Congregations
The average congregation is getting smaller with a median size of around 60 attenders, reports Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religious Research.…
6 Silver Linings in the Clouds of Doom and Gloom
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff points to six positive factors that may offer clues to churches seeking a way forward in an environment…