Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on how a Connecticut church has made the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a time for intergenerational learning and service. She shares tips on how churches large or small might launch a similar effort to educate and inspire young people and connect with the broader community. In| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Tanya Campen describes how practicing respect, preparation, and presence create safe spaces where children are valued and respected. She highlights the importance of preparing ourselves and safe spaces so that we can be fully present as children claim and respond to God’s presence in their lives. In our work as leaders in ministry with children,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
The late Junius B. Dotson says that churches cannot do the hard and intentional work of making disciples unless they are clear about what a disciple is and how disciples are formed. He outlines the key characteristics of a more intentional system for forming disciples. If you say to average church leaders, “Tell me a| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says it’s common for many individuals within a congregation to be responsible for discipleship. But often, no one person is accountable for it. He suggests having a discipleship coordinator who can help define clearly the meaning of discipleship and integrate it into all areas of church life. Who is accountable| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Phil Maynard and Eddie Pipkin say education-based approaches to spiritual formation often fail to form disciples committed to Christlike living. They suggest doing what Jesus did — focusing intentionally on spiritual growth and development within a context of relationality and accountability. Despite the significant investment of time, financial resources, and amazing educational options over the| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
What are the unique characteristics of young people coming of age today? Rock Jones, president of Ohio Wesleyan University, describes a generation of digital natives who are highly connected but also lonely and anxious. Dr. Jones describes Gen Zers’ life questions, the perspectives they bring to spiritual engagement, and ways church leaders can meet them| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How can church leaders better reach Gen Z? Doug Powe, Director of the Lewis Center, speaks with Josh Packard about Springtide Research Institute’s research including what faith leaders need to know about Gen Z’s religious beliefs and mental health. Listen to this interview, watch the interview video on YouTube, or continue reading. Doug Powe: What is| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
What new approaches to youth ministry are emerging in our post-Covid era? Ann Michel interviews Deech Kirk of the Center for Youth Ministry Training. He describes some of the common challenges confronting youth ministry today and some of the characteristics of the newer, innovative ministry models that are taking shape. Listen to this interview, watch the| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand say that if we take from Jesus’s Great Commission only the call to “make disciples” we are omitting one small but important word. GO! The Great Commission isn’t about bringing people into the church building and properly Christianizing them. It’s about a community of learners, going out together,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Kenneth H. Carter and Audrey Warren describe a simple, step-by-step process for making disciples and mentoring friends to be closer to Jesus — a process of faith formation that is increasingly important as more and more nontraditional expressions of church emerge. For the unchurched, or “nones,” the language of becoming a disciple is entering a| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Child security is crucial in church ministries to ensure a safe environment for children to grow spiritually. Sam Rainer identifies ten key measures help protect children from potential harm including: avoiding one-on-one adult-child situations, conducting annual background checks, establishing check-in procedures, supervising bathrooms, and providing ongoing volunteer training. Child security is one of the most| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Vital churches know that faith formation through learning is a lifelong pursuit. Follow these 50 tips to strengthen your church's adult education program.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Through motivation, communication, organization, connection, and affirmation, these 50 tips will help your congregation increase active engagement.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Stephen Handy says we must reframe discipleship as a daily experience fostered through the practice of breaking bread together and sharing hope.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How can congregations faithfully engage in ministry with Millennials and Gen Z? Dexter Nutall shares how New Bethel Church engages these generations by fostering belonging, social justice, and leadership to create a welcoming and impactful community for young people. Watch the interview video, listen to the interview, or continue reading. Doug Powe: I want to begin| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Sharron Blezard ponders how we can cultivate gratitude and generosity by practicing thankful living in our individual and congregational lives.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
What does intergenerational preaching look like? David Csinos shares that it is an emergent, experimental, and highly contextual endeavor that disrupts traditional homiletical norms. He offers three guiding principles to help cultivate the practice of intergenerational preaching: simplify the language, encourage conversation, and share the pulpit. Intergenerational preaching is not for the faint of heart.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
A congregation can start becoming more intergenerational by simply inviting one more generation to take part in any congregational event or activity. The authors of Intergenerational Christian Formation offer these simple possibilities for bringing different generations together. 1. Host a one-day intergenerational Sunday school. Announce to the congregation, ‘We are so delighted to have| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
A family of faith more fully reflects the body of Christ when generations come together, and each individual brings their unique, God-given gifts. The authors of Intergenerational Christian Formation outline five benefits of intergenerational ministry for the church and members in different stage of life. Intergenerational faith experiences uniquely nurture spiritual growth and development in| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Liz Perraud says bringing generations together is a key aspect of Christian community. She suggests church leaders might approach the need to strengthen intergenerational connections as a child might, by asking “why” a lot. Our granddaughter is nearly four and asks “why?” a lot. We take walks on the path through the woods near our| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lovett H. Weems Jr. shares metrics for gauging your church’s effectiveness in bringing new people to faith. He also outlines three clues that can help churches of all sizes reach new believers. The Religious Workforce Project of the Lewis Center is a multiyear effort to understand the changing religious landscape in the 21st century. Funded by the Lilly| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says siloed age-level ministries often prevent congregations from worshiping together around one common table. But the pandemic provided an opportunity for us to rethink our concepts of place and space and to reimagine what it means for us all to be together. This article was originally published on June 29,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Rev. Dr. Michael L. Henderson Sr. describes how a church he planted grew to over 7,000 members through an intentional process for developing disciples grounded in the core belief that discipleship and evangelism are organically interconnected. Decades ago, I planted New Beginnings Church (NBC), a solo church plant located in Matthews, North Carolina, outside of| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How can congregations build meaningful connections with young adults? Brandi Nicole Williams, Director for the African American Church Evangelism Institute, offers eight practical strategies for bridging the generational gap and fostering relationships with Gen Z to build a more relevant church community. In today’s rapidly changing world, the church faces a critical challenge: engaging and| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
The Fuller Youth Institute’s “Faith Beyond Youth Group” research initiative explored character as the vehicle for both faith longevity and faith vibrancy throughout the week. Their research yielded five compass points to guide the formation of character in young people — cultivating trust, modeling growth, teaching for transformation, practicing together, and making meaning. The findings| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...