Gen Z and Mental Health: An In-depth Interview with Josh Packard
How can church leaders better reach Gen Z? Doug Powe, Director of the Lewis Center, speaks with Josh Packard about Springtide Research Institute’s research including…
Browsing: Reaching Younger People
Articles
Lessons from the Fresh Expressions Movement: In-depth Interview with Luke Edwards
What can we learn from the Fresh Expression movement’s novel approach to forming new faith communities? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Luke…
“Lessons from the Fresh Expressions Movement” featuring Luke Edwards
What can we learn from the Fresh Expression movement’s novel approach to reaching people unlikely to attend church on Sunday mornings? Luke Edwards discusses a process of listen, building relationships, and forming community that can lead to deepening discipleship and the formation of new, nontraditional worshipping communities.
Youth Ministry by Any Other Name
Kenda Creasy Dean writes that today ministry with young people often means finding young people where they live and work and embedding the church beside…
Building Vibrant Community Connections in Digital and Physical Spaces
How can your congregation connect with new people in both physical and digital spaces? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Jordana Wright on…
“Building Vibrant Community Connections in Digital and Physical Spaces” featuring Jordana Wright
How can your congregation connect with new people in both physical and digital spaces? Jordana Wright shares creative strategies for transforming congregations into vibrant community hubs.
Thanking God It’s Good Friday: Intergenerational Children’s Ministry
Jessica L. Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on an intergenerational ministry that teaches children about the significance of Holy Week and Easter. She…
“How Parents Pass Religious Faith to their Children” featuring Christian Smith
What determines whether children will carry on the faith of their parents? Past research established that parents play the critical role. In this episode noted sociologist Christian Smith shares new research examining how parents shape their children’s faith and the critical factor of talking about religion in the context of day-to-day life.
4 Principles for Engaging Donors Who Care About Making a Difference
Baby boomers and Gen Xers are currently the most critical donor base for most congregations. James Elrod says these generations want proof that their gifts…
How to Organize an Intergenerational Morning of Service for MLK Day
Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on how a Connecticut church has made the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a time for intergenerational…
4 Approaches to Keeping Small Church Worship and Education Vibrant During the Pandemic
Rebekah Simon-Peter outlines four models small churches have used to survive the pandemic — the church at home model, the shut-in model, the never shut…
What Might the 2020 Census Mean for Churches?
Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights key findings in the 2020 U.S. Census Report of significance for churches including an aging overall population, the first-ever decline…
Number of Young United Methodist Elders Hits Historic Low
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership has released its annual report on clergy age trends in the United Methodist Church. This year’s statistics show that…
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.
How Parents Help Children Grow in Faith
New research on how parents pass faith to their children provides strong evidence that talking with children about faith in the context of daily life…
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…
Understanding Generation Z and Connecting with Their Passions
What are the unique characteristics of young people coming of age today? Rock Jones, president of Ohio Wesleyan University, describes a generation of digital natives…
Episode 75: “Understanding Generation Z and Connecting with Their Passions” featuring Rock Jones
What are the unique characteristics of young people coming of age today? Rock Jones, president of Ohio Wesleyan University, describes a generation of digital natives who are highly connected but also lonely and anxious. Dr. Jones describes Gen Zers’ life questions, the perspectives they bring to spiritual engagement, and ways church leaders can meet them where they are.
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…
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,…
Connecting with Young Adults through Online Ministry
Chris Wilterdink writes that a critical strategy for engaging young adults is to create discipleship opportunities and build relationships in the existing online communities where…
A Call to Overinvest in the Young
Bishop Janice Huie calls for a new approach to engaging younger people in the church. She argues for overinvesting in young people who don’t sit…
Episode 65: “The End of Youth Ministry” featuring Andy Root
How can youth ministry be more than fun and games? In this episode we speak with Andy Root about how youth can find identity and deep joy in shared narratives and intergenerational connections.
Young Elder Numbers Return to Near Historic Low in UMC
Lovett H. Weems Jr. reports that the number of young elders in the United Methodist Church has dropped precipitously in the past two years. The…
Asking Millennials to Give
John Wimberly dispels the myth that millennials aren’t willing to contribute to church. The problem is the church has not adapted to the 21st-century ways…
Episode 43: “Resurrecting Youth Ministry” featuring Jen Bradbury
Are you longing to connect with youth in relevant and faithful ways? In this episode we speak with Jen Bradbury about fresh approaches to youth ministry and how to conduct youth mission trips with integrity and purpose.
5 Reasons Why the Church of the Future Will be Online
With more and more people working, learning, and dating online, Paul Nixon predicts an explosion of online ministry. And rather than just broadcasting things meant…
What Happens When a Millennial Walks into your Church?
Jeremy Steele says that reaching millennials requires more than marketing and invitation. You need a plan for how to connect with them once they arrive…
Episode 38: “Young Adult Ministry: Moving from Aspirational to Instructional” featuring Emily Peck-McClain
How can you better engage young adults today? In this episode we speak with Emily Peck-McClain, Visiting Professor of Christian Formation and Young Adult Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary, about ways congregations can connect with young adults more effectively.
