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: Worship
Articles
Blessing of the Animals as Community Outreach
How can a Blessing of the Animals reach new people in your community? Jessica Anschutz shares tips to engage pet owners and community partners as…
Four Functions of a Church Choir
Brian Hehn says a church can have a vital music ministry if its choir focuses on four key functions — leading and enlivening congregational singing,…
Leading Voices: “Leaders Empower All Generations to Lead Worship”
“Leaders Empower All Generations to Lead Worship” is presented by Rev. Jenny Cannon, lead pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester, Minnesota In celebration…
4 Ways Preaching Can Boost Worship Attendance
Popular preacher and author Charley Reeb shares four preaching strategies to grow your church, all based on the notion that we have to connect with…
Online Worship Services Appeal to Many, but In-Person Remains More Popular
A recent survey by Pew Research Center found that about a quarter of U.S. adults regularly watch religious services online or on TV, and most…
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…
How to Keep Preaching Fresh: An In-Depth Interview with Teresa Fry Brown
How can preachers keep their preaching fresh? Doug Powe of the Lewis Center staff interviews Professor of Preaching Teresa Fry Brown about preaching familiar texts…
“How to Keep Preaching Fresh” featuring Teresa Fry Brown
Podcast Episode 123 How can preachers keep their preaching fresh? Teresa Fry Brown, professor of preaching at Candler School of Theology, shares strategies for preaching…
Why Limit the Celebration of Easter to Just One Sunday?
David Manner says that many churches attract new attendees with the lure of Easter but then quickly leave the subject. He asks, if Easter really…
Pre-Pandemic Worship Attendance: Not a Helpful Measure
Many churches today lament worship attendance numbers that have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Lovett H. Weems Jr. says this is an unhelpful comparison. He…
6 Traits People Value in Online Faith Communities
In the rush to offer online worship, many churches have focused primarily on technical and programmatic concerns. Heidi Campbell says it’s more important to consider…
Reaching People Here and There, Now and Later through Hybrid Worship: An In-Depth Interview with Jason Moore
How can your worship connect powerfully not only with those in the room on Sunday mornings, but with those worshiping online in the moment and…
“Hybrid Worship: Reaching People Here and There, Now and Later” featuring Jason Moore
Podcast Episode 119 How can your worship connect powerfully not only with those in the room on Sunday mornings, but with those worshiping online in…
10 Ways to Engage People Who Worship Online
How can congregations better engage people who worship online? Jim Keat, Digital Minister at The Riverside Church, offers 10 tips for congregations to strengthen engagement…
Stop Beginning Worship with Boring Announcements
Jason Moore says churches should stop beginning their worship with boring announcements and instead give worshipers an overview of what’s coming and why it matters…
Strengthening Online Worship Beyond the Pandemic
Lovett H. Weems Jr. says a continued commitment to online worship is not a hindrance that detracts from in-person worship but rather a vital way…
10 Things Great Preachers Do Differently
What separates good preachers from great preachers? Charley Reeb, a Georgia pastor known as a gifted preacher, says talent is less important than approaching the…
5 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2023
Doug Powe, Ann Michel, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify five trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
When Christmas Falls on a Sunday
Why worship on Christmas Day? Jessica Anschutz and Doug Powe share important reasons for worshipping on Christmas Day and offer ideas for innovative, hybrid (or…
7 Suggestions for Reaching More People this Christmas
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…
Improving Worship Attendance in a Post-Pandemic World
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…
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.
Know What Season You’re In
Michael White and Tom Corcoran say people in your community are influenced less by the liturgical season and more by cultural seasons that define the…
5 Hospitality and Stewardship Lessons from a Homecoming
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…
Why Making Your Church Multigenerational Is Worth the Effort
Chuck Lawless says it is hard to be a multigenerational church, but it is worth the effort. He outlines some of the benefits of multigenerational…
How Perfectionism Gets in the Way of Ministry
Does perfectionism keep you from leading in the most impactful way? Margaret Marcuson describes the nature and origin of perfectionistic tendencies, how they can limit…
Normalizing Next
How can church leaders embrace rather than fear the future? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe interviews Olu Brown on how leaders can “normalize next”…
