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 current church giving and worship attendance trends? Joe Park unpacks key trends in worship attendance and giving from Horizons Stewardship’s Church Giving and Worship Report: Key Findings from 2024. He emphasizes digital engagement, discipleship, and strategic ministry planning, while highlighting the importance of adaptive leadership, consistent generosity messaging, and authentic relationships. Watch the Joe Park shares trends in church giving and worship, stressing digital tool...| 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...