Mario Amé / UnsplashAt a time when our culture (and world) feels increasingly fragmented, God continues to call the church to engage more deeply with its neighbors. Many congregations struggle with how to do this work in a way that is faithful to God and authentic to their identity. Trying to cut and paste a program from another congregation rarely works; there are too many variables. Given this reality, one of the most important issues is whether the congregation is ready for this work. | Alban at Duke Divinity School
Matúš Kovačovský / UnsplashThis week’s guest contributor is L. Roger Owens. Roger serves as the Hugh Thomson Kerr Professor of Pastoral Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where he teaches in the areas of spirituality, preaching, and leadership. He has pastored both United Methodist and Presbyterian churches in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Owens is also the author of a number of books, including “Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living” and “What We Need I...| Alban at Duke Divinity School
Elijah Austin / UnsplashThe middle of the year may seem like an odd time to talk about starting something new — summer is usually when church programs shift into a lower gear. While it is important to build in a rhythm for downtime, let’s not forget that God’s timing takes precedence over the church’s calendar. Before you let yourself be lulled into a predictable routine that sustains the status quo, be discerning enough to ask yourself a critical question: “what’s God up to now?...| Alban at Duke Divinity School
The Jopwell Collection / UnsplashThe Phoenix Suns recently traded their superstar player, Kevin Durant, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for eight players (two current players, a first-round draft pick and five second-round draft picks). Trading one player in exchange for eight sounds like a lopsided deal, but it made sense to the coaches and owners who know how important it is to do whatever you can to form a great team. | Alban at Duke Divinity School
Kerin Gedge / UnsplashWe discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic that congregations can make major adjustments to do ministry without a building. We also found out that returning to the sanctuary became a priority once the novelty of worshipping online wore off. | Alban at Duke Divinity School
Steven Biak Ling / UnsplashIn a world saturated with information and divided by polarized rhetoric, preaching can be reduced to the transfer of religious ideas or moral instruction. But faithful preaching is more than delivering truth; it is an act of stirring the imagination of a people who may have forgotten how to see God in themselves and in the world. | Alban at Duke Divinity School
Suzanne D. Williams / UnsplashAre you the same leader you were five years ago? What kind of leader will you need to be five years in the future? | Alban at Duke Divinity School
In the fifth and final episode of our third season, Prince talks with Cynthia Hale, the founding and senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia.| Alban at Duke Divinity School
In the fourth episode of our third season, Prince talks with Gary Simpson, the senior minister of Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York.| Alban at Duke Divinity School
Small Group Network / UnsplashHow is your church making disciples? What pedagogical methods do you use to nurture faith among children, youth and adults? How has your congregation revised its approach to Christian formation in the last 10 to 20 years? | Alban at Duke Divinity School
In the third episode of our third season, Prince talks with Reggie Blount, who serves as the Murray H. Leiffer Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership and Culture and director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.| Alban at Duke Divinity School
Haley Rivera / UnsplashWorship is at the center of who we are and what we do as communities of Christian faith. From a biblical perspective, whenever God’s people missed the mark in relationship to worship, things did not go well. (Do you remember that unfortunate incident with the golden calf?) In this week’s episode of our podcast, Leading and Thriving in the Church, John Witvliet talks about what matters most in worship.| Alban at Duke Divinity School
In the second episode of our third season, Prince talks with John Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Professor of Worship, Theology, and Congregational Ministry Studies at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary.| Alban at Duke Divinity School
