

Louis Weeks is president emeritus of Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) and served as a pastor and missionary in the Presbyterian Church in Congo (then Zaire). He is the author of a number of books, including “All for God’s Glory: Redeeming Church Scutwork” (Alban) and “To Be a Presbyterian. Revised Edition” (Geneva Press). Recently, his books with other writers have included “Faith in Words” and “Vital Signs: The Promise of Mainline Protestantism.” Weeks’ book, tentatively called “A Sustainable Presbyterian Future,” will be published in May 2012.
Congregations seeking to remain or become vital must change to reflect the changing paradigm of the American family, says the author of a new book on the future of the church.
Women’s circles are the quintessential generators of bonding capital.
Perhaps the surprising thing is not that there are so few thriving congregations in the US. It’s that there are so many.
What are the things every Christian should see before they die? What do we wish we could see that we now cannot?
Repeat after me: “I’m sorry . . . I was wrong . . . You were right . . . Please forgive me.
Is it even possible to thank all the people responsible for teaching us the faith?
A little time in mission work can challenge definitions of what makes for “Christian.”
Again and again, Louis Weeks found the same trait when he visited a dozen healthy, vital congregations. No matter how impressive their ministries, they all had the virtue of humility.
We seem to have gotten beyond the religious right and the lazy left. So how come I can’t use our word yet?
It may be common wisdom that congregational leaders should be blind to who gives how much. This is misguided.
Advice from an elder preacher and leader to a younger: let the listeners do some of the work, and leave space for the Spirit.
A free toolkit from the “Shifting Ground” initiative, “Let’s Talk About Resources” uses case studies, games and reflective discussion questions to facilitate creative conversations about how congregations can use their resources in service to their local community.
It can be used online or in person. These resources were co-created by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the innovative design team at RootedGood.
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