Congregations are born from a generative spark of interaction between stories of faith and stories of place. Some person or group looks out on a particular landscape and says, “There should be a church—or there should be a congregation of…
Read MoreKnowing Your Community, Defining Your Mission
Getting to know the community that your congregation will focus on is a critical step in defining your mission. To start, work on getting answers to several key questions: What are the primary issues in your community? How do the…
Read MoreCongregations in the Community: Making an Impact on Public Life
Congregations asked freelance writer ‘Marlis McCollum to interview key leaders in American religion about their perspectives on how congregations make a difference and why they matter. In the first of a two-part serices, Thomas Tewell, Lowell Livezey, Bob Abernathy, and…
Read MoreFulfilling the Great Commission: Congregations as Missionary Outposts
The Great Commission is Christ’s command to make disciples of the world. Reported in all four Gospels, it is the heart of a vibrant Christianity, a reflection of the kingdom of God at hand, and the source of a profound…
Read MoreWhat Matters in Ministry
Louisville Institute associate director William Brosend II discusses the five elements of ministry that are more important than anything else I quit my job. It’s a long story, and I did not stay unemployed for long. The point is that…
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