A More Empowering Christmas Gift Give-Away
The gifts of the Magi make perfect sense theologically, but the presents certainly weren’t practical. The arrival of a child requires diapers and bottles, cribs…
Browsing: Mission
Articles
The New Realities of Engaging Newcomers
This five-minute video by the Lewis Center’s Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of how new people are coming into church communities in different…
Bringing about Systemic Change through Social Entrepreneurship
I believe that an understanding of the concepts of social entrepreneurship is critical for church leaders who seek to effect real, sustainable change and address…
Five Guidelines for Doing Good Well
A few years ago, I ran into Tony Campolo, prominent leader in missional evangelism. He had been at the Clinton Global Initiatives meeting. We sat…
Expanding a School Partnership through Community Dinners
For the past 20 years, First United Methodist Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been in a partnership with the Eugene Field Elementary School. About ten…
Best Practices for Short-Term Mission Trips
There is no single “right” way to do a mission trip. What works depends very much on the goals of the congregations and participants, the…
Your Community is Your Congregation
One of the greatest challenges to the church in the twenty-first century is its lack of connection to its community. Far too many churches today…
Eight Reasons I was Wrong About Short Term Mission Trips
I used to think short term mission trips were a complete waste of resources and a distraction from our church’s core mission. They basically amounted…
Effective Church-School Partnerships
Effective church-school partnerships take a true commitment and willingness to build long-term, sacrificial relationships. Learning from the many congregations that have begun partnerships with low-income…
Leadership Lessons from The Salvation Army
For most of us, The Salvation Army has been an icon of service throughout our lives. The inner workings of the Army are unknown to…
