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Stewardship expert Charles Lane says that thanking your church’s donors isn’t difficult but remembering to do it often is. He outlines key elements in developing a thank you plan and stresses the importance of sticking to it. I was at our local zoo a few weeks ago and watched a family of four emerge from […]
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How can the church confront its complicity in sexual abuse and misconduct? In this interview, Ruth Everhart, a leading voice on issues of sexual abuse in the church, says congregations must create safe spaces for victims to share their stories while committing to appropriate measures to both prevent and respond to incidents of misconduct and […]
The post The Church’s #Me Too Reckoning appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Michael Adam Beck and Tyler Kleeberger describe how the unique demographics of rural churches bring not only the potential for intimacy and neighborliness but also an inherent diversity that forces smaller churches to do the hard work of creating unity amid differences. Sometimes it’s easier to love the idea of people rather than the people […]
The post The Rural Church’s Gifts appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
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 surveyed about their experiences of visiting a church. To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary, we are highlighting Leading Articles — some of our most popular posts of the past 20 […]
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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 to reach new people and accomplish the church’s mission. But as this new worship option continues to evolve, congregations must commit to mastering the medium by learning, seeking feedback, and […]
The post Strengthening Online Worship Beyond the Pandemic appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Meghan Hatcher outlines 10 guiding questions at the heart of a five-phase theological innovation process that helps churches develop, launch, and implement creative new ministry ideas. She shares how one Texas church employed this process, developed by the Innovation Laboratory, to design a new way of addressing an epidemic of teen anxiety and stress. Successful […]
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Discerning a New Vision to Guide Your Church Forward In this first Special 20th Anniversary Edition of Leading Ideas we re-present some of the most pertinent and popular articles on leadership and vision. “The very essence of leadership,” according to longtime president of Notre Dame, Father Theodore Hesburgh, is that “you have to have vision. […]
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How can church leaders address conflicts? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff speaks with attorney and mediator, Charlie Pillsbury, about mediating conflicts in congregations. Listen to this interview, watch the interview video on YouTube, or continue reading. Jessica Anschutz: Welcome, Charlie. I’m grateful for your willingness to share some of your conflict mediation wisdom […]
The post Mediating Conflict in Congregations: An In-Depth Interview with Charlie Pillsbury appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Mike Bonem says that healthy organizational change will not occur unless a leader is willing to reflect, learn, and grow. To lead well, you must have the courage to allow yourself to be changed. Whether you are a young or an experienced leader, you have made a considerable “investment” in your leadership. That investment includes […]
The post To Lead Change, Leaders Need the Courage to Change Themselves appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Diversity-oriented churches, despite the challenges they face, are some of the fastest growing churches in the United States, says Brian Leander. He names seven characteristics that help explain how these churches are able to embrace greater racial, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic diversity. To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary, we are highlighting Leading Articles — some […]
The post 7 Key Characteristics of Diversity-Oriented Churches appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.