Author

David Briggs

Journalist

David Briggs is a former national writer for The Associated Press who holds a master's degree from Yale Divinity School. He writes the Ahead of the Trend column for the Association of Religion Data Archives.

The rise of independent churches and the blurring of denominational boundaries have led to a boom in Christian nonprofit organizations. The challenge for church leaders is to respond to the growth of these parachurch organizations in ways that strengthen their identity and mission. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of Christian nonprofits.

Quiz: How to fill the collection plate

Nurturing cheerful givers is more challenging than ever during an economic downturn. New research provides important insights that could boost the financial and spiritual health of congregations. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of church giving trends.

Quiz: Investing for sustainability

Many congregations have endured staff cutbacks, salary freezes and deferred maintenance in response to the recession. But one budget area that may need to be increased, even in hard economic times, is programming, recent research suggests. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of the relationship between economics and congregational health.

Periods of change can stress the relationships among church members and leaders. But there's also good news related to such conflict, research shows. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of issues and trends related to congregational conflict.

FOCL alum portrait

Foundations of Christian Leadership

“I’m grateful for programs like Foundations of Christian Leadership where I had the privilege of meeting courageous souls who love Jesus deeply and are devoted to following him by loving their neighbors in practical, tangible ways.” 

— Gabrielle Leonard (Founder, Returning to Joy)

Do you care about the church in the world and want to build skills to lead Christian-inspired projects with joy and creativity?

Foundations of Christian Leadership brings together emerging leaders from a variety of faith-based organizations as colleagues in an encouraging and collaborative learning environment.

Applications for our Chicago sessions are due February 14, 2025.

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