Cherry Crayton: Waiting for the words, 'We're glad you're here'
After visiting multiple churches, a potential congregant found the secret of how to choose her new church home: a congregation made her feel welcome.
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A. Trevor Sutton: Don't wait until you need a leader to find one
Developing a leadership pathway for people in his congregation helped an associate pastor avoid the last-minute scramble to fill open positions. The six-month process includes prayer, reading, discussion and discernment.
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Tommy Williams: Lessons from 20 years of ministry
The congregation and the community may change, but certain practices underlie effective ministry no matter the context, writes a veteran pastor.
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Andrea Palpant Dilley: It's time to honor the hard work of raising children
The church should be at the vanguard of a much-needed revolution in caretaking and the raising of children, says a young mother of four. We own the groundwork, the history and the theology of care.
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Catherine A. Caimano: What if church was more like a gym?
An Episcopal priest and longtime runner wonders what would happen if church was a ‘spiritual training center,’ a place that combines a drop-in feel with an established routine and considers anew how and why we gather together.
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Mike Osler: A layperson's guide to practicing gratitude
There’s no perfect church. So embrace what you have by practicing gratitude, writes a lay leader.
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Theresa F. Latini: Leading, following and a toddler's first steps
As she hovers over her toddling 15-month-old daughter, a seminary professor learns that leading and following are frequently intertwined. Watching, listening, paying close attention, this hybrid form of leadership follows life.
Discerning when to say yes to a leadership opportunity
With my gifts, experiences and limitations, how can I make my best contribution to your organization right now? Asking this question is the first step in discerning whether you are the right person and this is the right time to volunteer to serve.
Elesha Coffman: When pulpit and pew disagree
What can Christian leaders do when the official teachings of mainline Protestant churches and the political ideologies of the laity diverge?
The background of the cross
Hanging crosses in an entryway or an office is a statement of faith and connects those who pass by to a great cloud of witnesses. What strategies do you use to signal the background of your life?