Congregations typically aspire to be stable communities. They want to be the steady, faithful center of a person’s life. The concept of a network, however, offers a new lens for looking at the church, because networks are more fluid than communities. In…
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Preaching gives pastors an incredible opportunity that most leaders do not have. At their best, sermons teach, inspire and provoke, which are three essentials for leadership and change. Whatever approach we use for sermon planning, preparation and delivery, preaching has the potential…
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In the words of the playwright George Bernard Shaw, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Have you had this problem before? You have meetings and make presentations. You think that everyone is…
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Creation care should be an urgent preaching, teaching and pastoral priority for all of our congregations. In this Weekly, we explore how congregations and other faith-based organizations participate in protecting the planet. In our current ecological crisis, theologian Grace Ji-Sun Kim…
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In a recent interview project with Christian congregational leaders, I heard repeatedly that they found navigating interfaith spaces a challenge. They worried about unintentionally offending their neighbors. They were anxious about what they did not know about the other person’s…
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Today’s polarized climate often frustrates leaders in their efforts to bring about meaningful and lasting change within their congregations and communities. Opposition can rise quickly and unexpectedly even to seemingly benign initiatives and programs. So how do we help lead…
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If you’re like me, you’ve read a lot about generational differences in participation in religious communities. These differences mean that congregations are having to find creative and diverse ways of engaging younger generations in ministry and service. In this edition…
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As congregations developed online worship offerings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many learned that their reach could be far greater online than it had been previously. Some churches report people regularly logging on from across the continent or across…
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Powerless. Helpless. That’s how many of us have felt during the long months of the COVID-19 pandemic. What can we as congregational leaders do beyond providing pastoral care, supporting connections that come from being part of a faith community, and…
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“It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1960. This quote remains true and begs the question “How do we heal the church divide?” Mario…
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