“Remembering 9/11: Leadership During a Disaster” featuring Terry Bradfield
Podcast Episode 154 How can we lead in times of disaster? As we remember 9/11, Terry Bradfield, a retired Army chaplain who was assigned to…
Browsing: Public Witness
Articles
Christians and Public Policy: Be Engaged, Informed, and Conflicted
As we navigate our opinions on public policy and electoral choices, it’s tempting to delegate our critical thinking to others. Miranda Zapor Cruz writes that…
How to Develop a Social Media Strategy That Enhances Your Ministry
What are the benefits social media can bring to your ministry? Scott Holthaus highlights ways churches can build and boost their social media strategies to…
Leading Amidst Christian Nationalism
Lovett H. Weems Jr. outlines seven strategies for responding to Christian nationalism in measured and faithful ways. Church leaders should try to help congregants put…
“Engaging in the Public Sphere” featuring Kevin Slayton
Podcast Episode 146 How can church leaders better engage the public sphere and expand their prophetic witness? We speak with Kevin Slayton, a pastor with…
Community Transformation and Justice Require More Than Preaching
Community transformation and justice require more than preaching. Kevin Slayton calls preachers to put their faith in action by cultivating relationships and establishing partnerships with…
Doing Justice Together: An In-depth Interview with Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand
How can a faith community organize itself to combat the sin of racism? In this interview, Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand share a…
“Doing Justice Together” featuring Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand
Podcast Episode 144 How can a faith community organize itself to combat the sin of racism? Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand share with…
5 Characteristics of Effective Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma
How would you preach next Sunday if a mass shooting, a natural disaster, or a public health crisis shook your community? Sadly, such events are…
Shirley Chisholm’s Applied Christianity
Lovett H. Weems Jr. reflects on the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to serve in congress. Chisholm was an advocate for…
Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma: An In-Depth Interview with Kimberly Wagner
How would you preach next Sunday if tomorrow your community fell victim to a mass shooting or was devastated by a natural disaster? Ann Michel…
“Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma” featuring Kimberly Wagner
Podcast Episode 138 How would you preach next Sunday if tomorrow your community fell victim to a mass shooting or was devastated by a natural…
Leaders Help Their Communities Dream Big Dreams
Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech proposed a big dream for what America can become. What big dreams do you have for…
10 Ways to Make Your Church More Inclusive
How can a church community move beyond conversations and aspirations to practice true inclusion in their daily life and ministry? Brandan Robertson shares ten key…
Leading Voices: “Great Leaders Hear the Community’s Voice”
“Great Leaders Hear the Community’s Voice” is presented by Rev. Dr. Joe Daniels, lead pastor, The Emory Fellowship, Washington, DC. In celebration of the 20th…
How to Be Authentic in Public Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Sarah Bereza
How can professional Christians be their authentic selves when in the spotlight of public ministry? Jessica Anschutz speaks with Sarah Bereza, church musician and author,…
“How to Be Authentic in Public Ministry” featuring Sarah Bereza
Podcast Episode 128 How can professional Christians be their authentic selves when in the spotlight of public ministry? We speak with church musician and author…
What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Say to the Church Today?
Anthony Hunt reflects on how Martin Luther King Jr. would address today’s social challenges by reimagining King’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Hunt posits a…
The Power of Storytelling in Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Jee Hae Song
How can storytelling impact your ministry? And how can you inspire others to share their stories? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff interviews Jee…
“The Power of Storytelling in Ministry” featuring Jee Hae Song
How can storytelling impact your ministry? How can you inspire others to share their stories? Jee Hae Song believes we all have gifts for storytelling and shares part of her story to inspire others to share how God works in their lives.
How a Creative, Justice-Oriented Stations of the Cross Called a Community to Action
Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on one congregation’s unique approach to sharing the Stations of the Cross and the Stations of…
Episode 82: “What Can Churches and Businesses Learn from Each Other?” featuring Randy Casey-Rutland
What can churches, nonprofits, and businesses learn from one another? Randy Casey-Rutland, a theologically educated business executive, shares insights about what the church can learn from the business world and vice versa.
Tackling Tough Topics in Church
Do you long for church to be a place where people can discuss real life challenges openly and honestly? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center…
Episode 78: “Tackling Tough Topics in Church” featuring Elizabeth Hagan
Do you long for church to be a place where people can discuss real-life challenges openly and honestly? Pastor and author Elizabeth Hagan shares what it takes to be a “brave church” willing to tackle tough but important subjects.
5 Ways Churches Can Play a Critical Role in Vaccination Efforts
Asa J. Lee of Wesley Theological Seminary shares key learnings from a recent event at the Washington National Cathedral which highlighted the critical role churches…
Confronting 3 Crises: Pandemic, Racial Reckoning, and Political Violence
David Brubaker says congregational leaders are in the precarious position of responding to three simultaneous crises — the pandemic, racial reckoning, and political violence. This…
Leading During Turbulent Times
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe writes that the tragic events of January 6 demand our best leadership. He outlines ways church leaders can respond to…
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…
Episode 66: “Leading with the Sermon” featuring Bishop William Willimon
Bishop William Willimon says truth telling is critical to faithful leadership. In this episode he speaks about a pastor’s call to preach unabashedly the truth of Jesus Christ without losing sight of the importance of managing congregational life in this disruptive, revealing time.
The Church and Election Day
Although congregations are prohibited from endorsing candidates or parties, Doug Powe and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff say there is much a church…
