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Pastor-scholar Tony Richie says there is no Jewish-Christian-Muslim God. Nor is there a simple answer to the “Same God” question. When people realize I participate in interreligious dialogue and cooperative efforts they often ask me some version of the…
Heidi Campbell, who has studied online churches since the early days of the internet, describes three online church strategies that emerged during the pandemic. The most common strategies mirror or modify the aspects of normal worship. But she sees the greatest promise in strategies that reimagine worship to take advantage of the unique possibilities of […]
The post 3 Strategies for Doing Church Online first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post 3 Strategies for Doing Church Online appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how can it enhance your ministry? Josh Burnett offers five things pastors need to know about AI. He also shares some ideas for using AI to strengthen your ministry so that you can spend more time cultivating relationships with the congregation and the community. The era of artificial intelligence […]
The post 5 Tips for Pastors on Using AI first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post 5 Tips for Pastors on Using AI appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
How can an improv comedy show explore the intersection of faith and real life in community? Doug Powe and Katie Phillips talk about how Improv Church offers creative ways for engaging people in worship. Listen to this interview, watch the interview video on YouTube, or continue reading. Doug Powe: Katie, I’m so excited you’re joining […]
The post Improv Church: The Power of Connection — An In-Depth Interview with Katie Phillips first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post Improv Church: The Power of Connection — An In-Depth Interview with Katie Phillips appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
It’s alarming to me, actually. As a pastor and as a professor, I’ve had to deal with young people who were raised in seemingly strong Christian homes, yet who’ve now turned away from their Christian upbringing. Frankly, I’m grateful that some of these young people still trust me enough to talk to me—and in those…
The post 8 Reasons Some Young People Are Walking away from Their Faith appeared first on Church Answers.
People often apologize to me for something that happened in a church service. I’ve heard lots of great apologies. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.” “I’m sorry I had to rush out.” “I’m sorry my kid lit his hair on fire.” I love church—both the people of God and the worship services. I love the oddities…
The post What Pastors Actually Think About While They Preach appeared first on Church Answers.
Once a church reaches two thousand in weekly attendance, its sheer size becomes a self-generating attraction. Massive facilities, a sprawling campus, and numerous attendees give these large congregations more prominence than other churches. Megachurches receive more media attention than smaller churches. Their physical campuses can dominate their surrounding community. Megachurch pastors tend to have charisma,…
The post The Megachurch Movement Is Fading. What’s Next? appeared first on Church Answers.
Andy Lunt and Ted Brown say a commitment to lay empowerment must include allowing gifted laity central roles in worship, including preaching and offering prayers. Congregations that regard worship as the exclusive domain of clergy silence the powerful witness of laity that could do so much to transform the church and the world. Worship is […]
The post Expanding the Ministry of Laity in Worship first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post Expanding the Ministry of Laity in Worship appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
All of Scripture is for every part of our lives. Every single word in the Bible is powerful, purposeful, and prescient. Understanding the Bible as a whole is worth your whole effort. Every word in the Bible matters because every minute of your day matters. In Luke’s gospel, we learn that God counts the hairs…
The post Why Every Single Word in the Bible Matters for You Today appeared first on Church Answers.
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 gifts, and heightens anticipation. It’s called Stone Soup worship planning. Maybe you’ve heard it said that for lavish worship, congregations must have a “Worship Design Team” — experts gathered to […]
The post The Stone Soup Recipe for Vital Small Church Worship first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
The post The Stone Soup Recipe for Vital Small Church Worship appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.