Making the Most of Your Greeting Times
Phil Maynard says that the typical greeting time during a worship service encourages people to shake a lot of hands rather than really engaging someone…
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Phil Maynard says that the typical greeting time during a worship service encourages people to shake a lot of hands rather than really engaging someone…
What do newcomers see when they visit your church? Pastor Molly Phinney Baskette invites you to see your building through the eyes of a newcomer,…
What was once perceived as welcoming may no longer resonate with the unchurched of today. How can congregations extend hospitality to the unchurched? Brett DeHart…
How can a passion for helping people flourish lead to social innovation? K Scarry share about social innovation and the ways she is supporting local…
Podcast Episode 145 How can a passion for helping people flourish lead to social innovation? We speak with K Scarry about social innovation and the…
Lee Ann M. Pomrenke says the beloved metaphor of church as family can stand in the way of a congregation being truly open and inclusive.…
Extending genuine hospitality to newcomers isn’t just good manners or a good membership recruitment strategy. It embodies the Gospel and expresses Christ’s love for all.…
How can you deepen your relationship with the children and families participating in a Vacation Bible School and stay connected with them throughout the year?…
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says special efforts to welcome visitors at Easter shouldn’t be set aside once the holiday is over. He outlines four…
What do visitors say when asked why they don’t return to a church? Thom Rainer outlines the top 10 responses when hundreds of guests were…
Why aren’t your church members inviting others to church? It’s likely you’ve been asking them to invite their friends and neighbors without giving them the…
Is your church ready to roll out the holiday welcome mat? Ann Michel offers seven suggestions for helping people meet Christ anew this Christmas. Equip…
Learn best practices your church can use to increase in-person and online worship attendance. For most congregations, attracting new people was a challenge even before…
One in every three churchgoers has not returned to in-person worship services since the pandemic. Tricia K. Brown offers ideas for ministering to members of…
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…
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.
Sam Rainer says that families visiting your church know instinctively whether you sincerely welcome the presence of their children or just tolerate them. He outlines…
How are visitors to your congregation greeted and welcomed? Ken Sloane outlines five lessons for extending hospitality and engaging new givers. While traveling earlier this…
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…
Nicole Reilley says posting worship services online is just the first step in developing a holistic online ministry. She enumerates four keys to developing a…
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…
Barry Howard names some dos and don’ts to help make your Christmas Eve service meaningful and welcoming. A festive and effective Christmas Eve service, he…
Do you want amazing worship on a small church budget? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Teresa Stewart, a blogger and creator of…
Do you want amazing worship on a small church budget? Teresa Stewart, a blogger and creator of the website Paper Bag Cathedrals, shares ways small congregations can enliven their worship.
Preaching in a different church almost every Sunday, Nancy Taylor learned firsthand how often visitors go unnoticed even in churches that see themselves as “friendly.”…
Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection say a church’s first goal with first-time worship visitors is to get…
Kay Kotan says many churches embraced online worship out of necessity during the pandemic without deliberate plans for engaging new people through online ministry. Now…
Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon believe radical hospitality means going beyond mere friendliness to surprise and delight church visitors. Three keys are letting guests know…
How can your church welcome visitors in a way that delights them and lets them know they matter? In this episode we speak with Debi Nixon of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection about the essential Christian practice of Hospitality.
Lee Roorda Schott says that unseen people you don’t yet know are likely worshiping with you online. She says this is an opportunity to enlarge…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.