Jesus spoke challenging words to those who would follow him. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34-35). The cross had only one purpose in the ancient…
Read MoreMissional Preaching and the Kingdom of God
Every autumn I ask my beginning preaching students to go the library and survey English and American books about preaching from the late nineteenth century to the present to see what common themes they can detect. I give them a…
Read MorePlanning to Grow
When churches plan, one of the things they often plan to do is grow. They have their reasons: the Great Commission, for one, and the fact that spreading the gospel is a main point of the congregation’s purpose. But when…
Read MorePreaching Ethically: Preaching Your Perspective
A significant starting place for preaching ethically involves developing a clear sense of one’s own experiential, theological, contextual, and philosophical perspectives. It is in the interaction of these perspectives within the mind and spirit of the preacher that specific sermons…
Read MoreCENTERview: The Congregation as Author: Sharing Stories, Listening Deeply, and Finding New Creative Vision
Once upon a time… The Center for Congregations encourages faith communities to reflect on once upon a time—that is, we listen to and encourage stories. Sharing stories builds commitment to the congregation’s mission. Stories testify to the rhythm of a…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Breaking Out: Questions for the “Stuck” Congregation
Q: Our Congregation feels stuck. How do we get unstuck? A: It’s fairly common for congregational leaders and members to sometimes conclude that their congregation is “stuck.” When this happens, the underlying belief may be that something other than what…
Read MoreTell Me a Story: Four Books Explore What Business Leaders Have Discovered About the Power of Narrative
Tell me a story.” That is one of the first sentences I can remember saying. And I said it a lot—especially to my mother. I grew up in an oral culture. Stories were the way in which my family conveyed…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Breaking Out: Questions for the "Stuck" Congregation
Q: Our Congregation feels stuck. How do we get unstuck? A: It’s fairly common for congregational leaders and members to sometimes conclude that their congregation is “stuck.” When this happens, the underlying belief may be that something other than what…
Read More“Intergenerational” as a Way of Seeing
One real dilemma of intergenerational worship is that it engages differing, and often competing, generational cohort values that live side by side in the congregation. People of different generations often like and enjoy being with one another. They may even…
Read MoreSeeing Afresh: How One Woman’s Work Became a Congregation’s Ministry
At Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, we understand the power of story—so much so that we have set up intentional structures for discovering and bringing meaningful stories to the congregation. This structure consists of a group of three people…
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