More congregants joined churches from 2020 to 2025 than in previous years
The COVID pandemic may have caused a bump in church attendance, researchers say, but new attendees have varied reasons for joining churches.
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Ryan Burge and Tony Jones: Understanding people’s engagement with religion is far more nuanced than current conversations would indicate
Two of the nation’s leading experts on people who have disengaged from organized religion say that trend is both more complex and simpler than some church leaders realize.
Many churchgoers are engaging with multiple churches, new research finds
The study led by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research reveals new data about today’s church attendance and commitment levels.
Link to author Leslie Quander Wooldridge
By
Leslie Quander Wooldridge
Journalist
Is your organization’s base strong enough to answer God’s call?
A painting must be created on canvas sturdy enough to support it. Likewise, congregations and organizations need a solid foundation if their ministries are to flourish, writes a director of programs and grants for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Link to author Mycal X. Brickhouse
By
Mycal X. Brickhouse
Director of programs and grants, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Kara Powell: How to bring about change in your church
It’s a difficult time for the church but it has a bright future if leaders help their congregations adapt to a new, diverse world, says a co-author of the book “Future-Focused Church.”
James Fawcett: Learning to be with others as God is with us
Being With, a 10-week course based on the theology of the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, models the message it seeks to impart.
Composting the church offers flourishing in the shadow of decline
As with a garden, so with the church — the remnants at the end of one season enrich growth for new opportunities in the next, writes a Presbyterian pastor.
Link to author McKenna Wallen
By
McKenna Wallen
Pastor, Maryland Presbyterian Church
Allen T. Stanton: What do small churches do well?
Small churches aren’t just waiting to grow or to die but are vibrant and healthy places with particular gifts, writes the author of “The Gift of Small.”
Five tips for churches considering property development
Churches are learning how to get started well with adaptive reuse and property development, writes the co-founder of a nonprofit that has worked with hundreds of churches.
Link to author Mark Elsdon
By
Mark Elsdon
Social entrepreneur, strategic executive and author
Don’t miss the significance of congregational toads in your church’s ecosystem
If we pay attention, the presence or absence of certain indicators can help us assess the vitality of our faith communities, writes a director of grants for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
Link to author Victoria Atkinson White
By
Victoria Atkinson White
Director of Grants, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Three historic Black churches come together to make a new congregation
When a fire destroyed a historic Philadelphia church building, the congregation merged with two others to form New River Presbyterian Church, dedicated to loving God and serving their neighborhood.
Link to author Annette John-Hall
By
Annette John-Hall
Journalist
