Lewis Center Video Tool Kits and Ebooks will guide you in strengthening and renewing your congregation.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Learn strategies to identify and support new leaders and build and maintain effective ministry teams. Churches with vital, growing ministries learn to leverage leadership potential within their congregations. With the More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders Video Tool Kit, clergy and lay leaders in churches both large and small will discover a more synergistic and fruitful way of being in ministry together. Topics Include: Toward a More Effective Leadership Culture Finding and Supportin...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Phill Martin, a clergy coach and an executive with the National Association of Church Business Administrators, says a typical church invests half its operating budget in staff. So, it’s important to invest in strengthening your staff by recognizing their gifts, building trust, strengthening community, and providing honest feedback. A typical congregation invests 45 to 55| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
This 10-minute video by Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of the importance of worship attendance and ways you can improve it. Download this video free.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Karoline Lewis of Luther Seminary discusses how the notion that everything important in one’s life can be in perfect balance every day is an unobtainable myth.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Heather Bradley and Miriam Bamberger Grogan are executive coaches with a particular concern for the wellbeing of clergy. They say that spiritual leaders are often held hostage by their own belief that their work never ends, that they have to do it all, and that whatever they do, it isn’t enough. Bradley and Grogan suggest| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How can clergy thrive in ministry? In this episode we speak with Dr. Matt Bloom, Research Professor at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and Principal Investigator for the Wellbeing at Work program, about how clergy can thrive and better cope with the many challenges to their wellbeing.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Victoria Atkinson White says that pastors and Christian institutional leaders cannot do their holy work without the support of holy friendships. Mutual, sacred relationships deeply formed in God’s love combat loneliness and isolation, promote spiritual health and emotional wellbeing, and enable God’s servants to remain fruitful in ministry. An institution cannot thrive if its leaders| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary, provides up-to-date resources and research on the best practices for church leadership.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Your capital budget isn’t just about facilities — it’s about using your facilities to further your church’s mission. To assist you in this important process, we offer Building and Funding Your Capital Budget. This video tool kit helps you understand what a capital budget is and how to engage the big questions about your church and assess your current situation. You will also learn how to organize and set priorities and how to fund your capital budget. No matter your church size, this ...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Rosario Picardo says unused building space can be a goldmine of opportunity if a church has eyes to see how their space could be used creatively to reach the community and make ministry happen. A church’s property is one of its greatest assets. How many times have you driven by a church building during the| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Real estate expert Domenic Dutra outlines factors to be considered in determining whether selling church property might be a faithful course of action. The ideal selling situation, he explains, isn’t rushed by fiscal emergencies but is generated out of a careful planning process aligned with the ultimate mission of the church. Chances are, if you’re| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Churches often struggle to determine a fair price when they rent space to community groups. Partners for Sacred Places, an organization helping congregations develop creative community partnerships, says the hard costs of maintaining any shared space is an objective factor that must be considered in determining the rental value. To celebrate the Lewis Center’s anniversary,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Christine Chakoian remind us that the vitality of the Christian message rests on adapting to an evolving context while holding fast to the essentials.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr. highlights findings from "American Congregations in 2015: Thriving and Surviving" from "Faith Communities Today."| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Pastor Kent Ingram rethinks how the biblical metaphors of exile and exodus apply to the church today and calls for a return to core practices and beliefs.| 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 ...
Church leaders seeking to reach new people and help them grow need only look to the example of Jesus. Phil Maynard and Eddie Pipkin highlight how Jesus engaged people in ways that were personal and practical, intimate yet inclusive, and inspired by a compelling vision of God’s kingdom. 1. Jesus cast an extraordinary vision of| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Looking for ways to connect with new people, organize them for action, and lead them to a deepening commitment? Joe Daniels and Christie Latona remind us of five basic practices Jesus used to organize and engage people. Jesus put energy into connecting people and pulling individuals together for the common good. He did so persistently,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Mark Gornik and Maria Liu Wong have been working to understand new practices of ministry that are emerging in vital and diverse urban settings. They have discerned five important themes and practices in how good, sustainable, and flourishing ministry occurs in cities, and in other settings as well. Practices of Ministry in the City is| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Anthropologist Laurie Occhipinti has researched short-term mission trips to learn what makes them most effective and offers a series of best practices.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
We’re excited to celebrate 20 years of providing leadership resources for every church! Throughout 2023, we’re highlighting Leading Articles, some of our most popular and relevant Leading Ideas posts of all time.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Pastor and author Adam Hamilton shares how you can be a more effective speaker or preacher by asking three simple questions: "Why?" "Who?" and "What?"| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Ann Michel reviews Craig Saterlee's Preaching and Stewardship and Matthew Tennant's Preaching in Plenty and in Want.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lovett H. Weems Jr says few areas require more sensitive and creative leadership than worship, which requires attention to theology, history, and preferences.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How do you do ministry with people who don’t look like you, sound like you, or think like you? Listen as Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe speaks with thought leader Rev. Jasmine Smothers about insights for doing effective ministry outside one’s native culture.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe, Jr., says evangelistic strategies often fail because they don’t meaningfully and respectfully engage those we are trying to reach. Powe highlights key values and practices for reaching others while honoring differences, gleaned from a recent study of the renowned 20th century evangelist, E. Stanley Jones. It’s tempting to imagine| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Ann Michel discusses the book Attract Families to Your Church and the book’s message of ministering to nontraditional families in appropriate ways.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Johannah Myers describes a paradigm shift in how we form disciples with a move away from Christian education toward an emphasis on forming people in the practices of the faith. In place of age-level classrooms she sees a need to help people of all ages live out their faith through intergenerational mentoring and experiential learning.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Bryan Collier says the church can no longer wait for people to come to us; we must go out into the world and meet the needs of people in our communities.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. writes about the importance of knowing the people of influence in a community -- people he views as the informal mayors of a community.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
C. Anthony Hunt reflects on the church and race relations over the past forty years.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Drawing on the example of Moses, Emanuel Cleaver says true leaders guide people to God's vision and stay connected to God as the wellspring of authority.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird explain that for our ministries to have a truly exponential impact, we need to be mentoring, developing, and multiplying disciples. They share four key learnings about how Jesus nurtured his followers by investing time in them. In John 3:22, the Bible makes an easily overlooked, seemingly mundane statement: “Jesus and| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
David Brubaker points to significant lessons in Acts 6 -- the first recorded church conflict -- noting that conflict can bring both crisis and opportunity.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Patricia Farris says confronting leadership challenges and crises requires not just a nonanxious presence but proactive response and a constructive way forward.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Some people misuse the cause of religious freedom by making it a weapon against their opponents, says Lovett H. Weems Jr. However, this cherished freedom was established on behalf of those with minority views and beliefs. It is not a pretense for discrimination, a license to do anything in the name of religion, or a| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lovett H. Weems Jr. outlines seven strategies for responding to Christian nationalism in measured and faithful ways. Church leaders should try to help congregants put their love of country in perspective as people of faith while not expressing judgment or devaluing the feelings of loss that often give rise to today’s iteration of Christian nationalism.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Attorney Holly Hollman of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) cautions churches and nonprofits about partisan political actions and endorsements, even with recent changes to the administration of the IRS regulation that has forbidden tax-exempt entities from such activity. The BJC, founded in 1936, carries on the historic Baptist focus on separation of| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Wesley Seminary Professor F. Douglas Powe, Jr. outlines how congregations begin more fruitful dialogues on race by focusing on the meaning of communion liturgy.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Citing a decrease in interfaith engagement, Lewis Center Director Lovett Weems says churches should promote dialogue within and beyond our faith traditions.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Michael Lamb shares how the humanities reveal leadership as a liberal art rooted in virtue, freedom, and relationship—vital for church leaders today.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Minnesota Pastor Lee Ann Pomrenke reflects on the painful reality of having to bring a congregation or a ministry to an end. While there is a tendency to see closure as a failure and assign blame, she considers how closing a congregation can be an act of faithfulness and responsible stewardship that can open the| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Lewis A. Parks, author of Small on Purpose, describes how smaller congregations can easily squander their last resources for ministry attempting to keep up with the mounting demands of an aging facility. He says such churches must decide for the people of God rather than their present building, before it’s too late. I came to| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
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 ...
How can a struggling congregation be transformed into a thriving multicultural ministry center? Co-pastors Beth and Nelson Neil share how Culmore Church was transformed through shared space, mutual respect, creative collaboration, and intentional relationships. Their story demonstrates how transparency, flexibility, and mission alignment can revitalize ministry and serve as a model for holistic community engagement. Co-pastors Beth and Nelson Neil share how Culmore Church was transformed thro...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
When Rev. Nathan Adams was invited to become a Lewis Community Leadership Fellow it was like being asked to come home. “I was a Lewis Fellow five years ago,” he said, speaking of a Wesley program that offers leadership development to clergy under age 35. “I had a great experience. The work was very influential| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Jake McGlothin, author of The Mission-Minded Guide to Church and School Partnerships, says it’s only logical that the two most important social institutions in our society should work together. He outlines what churches can share with schools as well as how engagement with schools can positively impact a congregation. This article was originally published on| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Jake McGlothin, author of The Mission-Minded Guide to Church and School Partnerships, explains how compelling messages that align your congregation’s vision to the task of forming a school partnership and simple recruitment ideas will harness the resources needed to serve children in your community. This article was originally published on April 26, 2017. The content| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Through engaging with your congregation, careful planning, acknowledging unique giving patterns, asking effectively, and following up, these 50 tips will maximize your church's annual giving.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
These 50 Ways of encouraging faithful giving will help your church members grow in discipleship through faithful stewardship and extravagant generosity.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
The staff of the Lewis Center: Joe Arnold, Carol Follett, Matthew Lyons, Dr. Ann A. Michel, Sabrina O. Wallace, and Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr.| 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 ...
Stephanie Remington of the Lewis Center staff reminds us that Christmas traditions can move the spirit and renew the hope of people in our culture, even those who don’t profess faith. She suggests that in developing Advent and Christmas Eve worship, it’s important to hold tight to some familiar traditions. A friend in his forties,| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Doug Ruffle, who once served as a missionary in Argentina, shares the heartwarming story of a Christmas pageant that went off script, yet captured the true meaning of Christmas. It invites us to make room for the Christ Child in our lives. As a missionary in Argentina, I served Peace Community Church in Rosaria. It| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Tom Berlin and Lovett Weems, authors of the new book Overflow (Abingdon 2013), discuss how congregations can make the season of Advent more meaningful for people.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Brian Bauknight says churches should give great care to Christmas Eve worship so it is thoroughly welcoming to those marginal to the life of the church.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
How can bivocational ministers and the congregations they serve thrive? In this interview, Kris Bentley redefines bivocational ministry beyond traditional models, emphasizing shared leadership, congregational adaptability, and spiritual sustainability. She encourages both pastors and congregations to embrace bivocational ministry as a thriving, collaborative model of God’s call, rooted in sufficiency, creativity, and community engagement. Jessica Kris Bentley explores how bivocational minis...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Authors Susan Gillies and Ingrid Dvirnak suggest ways to engage homebound members as active leaders in ministries of prayer, encouragement, and communication.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Bishop Kenneth Carder considers how churches can be in ministry with those with dementia and their families. His practical advice to congregations is informed by his poignant personal journey and his profound reflection on the spiritual aspects of coping with dementia. One of the last words to leave my wife Linda’s vocabulary was church. Each| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
For two decades, women across the country have gathered for a simple but powerful Advent tradition: a laity-led candlelight service that brings communities together in worship. Brenda Stone brought this service to her church, then helped churches across her state create their own versions of this special event. She and Laura Heikes share how you Laura Heikes & Brenda Stone share how you can gather a small team to bring Advent by Candlelight to your community.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Jessica Anschutz describes an annual Christmas evening workship service.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Co-pastors Beth and Nelson Neil share how Culmore Church was transformed through shared space, mutual respect, creative collaboration, and intentional relationships.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Domenic Dutra says not every potential lessee makes a good partner. He lists critical questions and consideration for any congregation considering renting space in their building that promote a fruitful relationship. Leasing space in your building could give your church new life. But it could also be part of your slow, painful death. Let me| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Alan Roxburgh describes how established habits and values operating in the background of every church block renewal and participation in God’s future.| 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 ...
The prophet Nehemiah provides modern day leaders a wonderful model of leadership, teaching us to lead toward what God is calling us to do, according to Lovett Weems.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Candace Lewis and Rodney Smothers say that churches must leave their buildings, identify community needs, and walk alongside neighbors in order to make a difference. They outline seven steps to engage people and the real issues they confront. In many communities, it seems as if a number of traditional churches are disconnected. Many have become| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Pastor Carey Nieuwhof believes the church is uniquely positioned to respond to the political tension and division that characterize our age. He discusses four ways Christians can bring hope to the increasingly fragile culture around us. You don’t need to be anything more than a casual observer of American (and Western) culture to know that| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
A Lewis Center Video-based Adult Christian Study Curriculum Church leaders have always looked to scripture for wisdom on how God’s leaders are to fulfill their callings. One such leader is Nehemiah, who led the effort to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian conquest. Nehemiah accomplished this amazing feat through the exercise of leadership that was smart and savvy while also deeply grounded in devotion to God. This six-session video-based study curriculum lifts up key themes in Nehemiah...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
What should congregations consider when launching a social venture? In this in-depth interview, Jaleesa Hall shares how Raising A Village grew from a college initiative into a thriving nonprofit serving underserved children and families in Washington, D.C. She offers church leaders practical guidance on launching social ventures, emphasizing discernment, sustainable capacity-building, and the power of| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Anthony Hunt reflects on how Martin Luther King Jr. would address today’s social challenges by reimagining King’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Hunt posits a contemporary version of King’s letter that emphasizes the right and responsibility of voting and the need to continue to dream and hope for a better tomorrow. This year marks the| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
C. Anthony Hunt explains how Martin Luther King Jr.’s prophetic witness was grounded in four principles—call, conviction, courage, and commitment. Even 50 years after King’s assassination, these principles are still relevant to leaders engaging in prophetic witness and public ministry. Este artículo está disponible en español. — This article is available in Spanish. This article| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Need practical, actionable strategies to reach people more effectively? Our popular “50 Ways” series provides tips for building strength in areas of ministry that are vital to church growth.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Joe Park shares trends in church giving and worship, stressing digital tools, discipleship, planning, adaptive leadership, and relational generosity.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Starting a new ministry is both exciting and challenging. As you enter a fresh ministry context, you'll encounter unique dynamics within your congregation, whether you're breaking new ground as the first woman or person of color or joining a congregation facing its struggles. Andreá Cummings provides steps to take within the first ninety days to| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
What should churches consider when launching a social venture? Jaleesa Hall shares lessons on discernment, capacity, and partnerships from Raising a Village.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
These Christmas and Advent articles offer many ideas to help your congregation reach more people and unchurched people, provide opportunities for newcomers, attract children and families, offer inspiring giving for ministries, and much more.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says Christmas visitors can leave feeling shamed or belittled if church insiders project a holier-than-thou attitude. The preparation of Advent, she says, should include prayer about and discernment of how we might reflect the heart of our Father in welcoming all who seek the Christ Child at Christmas.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Tom Berlin and Lovett Weems, authors of the new book Overflow (Abingdon 2013), explain how Christmas carols can connect people with church during Advent.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
