CongregationsInnovationCongregational innovationMissions & Community
Considering the future of the 'Old First Church'
In this two-part series, United Methodist Church Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. and the Rev. Audrey Warren reflect on First Churches -- those anchor congregations in American downtowns. How can these institutions, which may be rich in tradition but strapped for cash, adapt to a changing society?
Entertaining angels can be harder than it sounds, but it’s also worthwhile and important
While the Bible encourages us to be hospitable to strangers, the possibilities can be frightening. Some churches provide models for bringing people together beyond weekly services or liturgical ties.
When songs become sermons — a different way of preaching
No longer able to sustain a choral program and facing clergy overload, members of a Maryland congregation now tell the old, old story by leaning into music, their pastor writes.
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.
Street Psalms trains and connects leaders around the globe to build communities of peace
An international religious order uses a teaching framework based on abundance, practice and peacemaking. Street Psalms offers a seminary, design studio and resources to its partners.
Pentecost reminds us that God speaks in the ways that we each hear best
We can look to faith communities that welcome people well for models of listening and speaking differently through ministry, writes an associate director of the Thriving Congregations Coordination Program.
‘Parks & Recreation’ is the comfort our souls need
Rewatching a decade-old sitcom reminds us of hope in community and the value of local action, writes the director of communications for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
