Congregational innovation

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Layperson Muriel Dufendach, left, shares a laugh with the Rev. Carol Walton after a service at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Henderson, Nevada. Dufendach carries out some traditionally priestly functions, such as presiding at the weekday Eucharist. Photo by Ronda Churchill

Innovation, Congregational innovation, Congregations, New forms of church

A move to part-time clergy sparks innovation in congregations

Although church leaders often worry that switching from full-time to part-time clergy will lead to decline, congregations across the country are finding new vitality by reimagining the roles of clergy and laypeople.

As part of the CityReach program in downtown Boston, teenagers prepare sandwiches for people who are homeless. Photos courtesy of CityReach

Innovation, Congregational innovation, Social innovation, Missions & Evangelism

Boston church's program gives teens a crash course in homelessness from those who know it best

Flipping the script on who gets to tell the story of the disenfranchised, common cathedral's CityReach program empowers people who have experienced homelessness to serve as trusted experts on life without shelter.

The Rev. Ashley Goff (left) and the Rev. Jeffrey K. Krehbiel invite congregants to the communion table. Photos by Mike Morones.

Innovation, Congregational innovation, Christian Leadership, Pastoral leadership, Laity

D.C. church changes worship from passive to participatory

At Church of the Pilgrims, vulnerability is a virtue and worship is an innovative and deeply collaborative experience between clergy and congregants.

Chrismons ornament: Pelican in her Piety

This Chrismons ornament is called "Pelican in Her Piety." It's part of a series representing the seasons of Christmas and Lent called the "Christian Year Series," designed by Frances Spencer, who created the first Chrismon tree in 1957. Photos by Jessamyn Rubio

Liturgical Seasons, Christmas, Innovation, Congregational innovation

Meredith Williams: We are people who ...

Chrismons -- white and gold ornaments representing the story of Christ -- are part of the identity of the Lutheran congregation in Virginia where they originated six decades ago.

Matt Overton working with the lawn care crew.

Last spring, the Rev. Matt Overton (center) supervised teens doing yardwork. Overton founded Mowtown Teen Lawn Care to provide mentoring opportunities as well as job experience for youth. Photo by Adam Guggenheim

Youth & Children, Youth ministry, Congregational innovation

Matt Overton: Work is a great vehicle for mentoring teens

It’s important for youth and adults to have relationships that are consistent and natural. One way to do that is through shared work, writes a youth pastor.

The Rev. Faith Fowler stands in front of the first of 25 new tiny homes that will be built in Detroit by Cass Community Social Services. Photo by Diane Weiss

Christian Leadership, Pastoral leadership, Innovation, Congregational innovation, Missions & Evangelism

A Detroit pastor and her church are building something big with tiny homes

As both pastor and nonprofit executive director, the Rev. Faith Fowler is known for her outreach to the poor. Her latest effort: a village of tiny homes that will allow people to become stakeholders in their neighborhood and in their city.

Congregants and community members made prayer flags and enjoyed the shade of this temporary shelter, which was constructed as a public art project in front of First Church in Wenham, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Christine Hribar

Arts & Culture, Congregations, Congregational innovation

Christine Hribar: An art installation provides space for ministry

Creating a public work of art on the front lawn of her small-town church was a powerful experience in community ministry for a New England pastor.

Ben Smith, a volunteer with the Fondren Apartment Ministry. Photo by Mark Mulligan

Congregations, New forms of church, Innovation, Congregational innovation

Deep Listening: Fondren Apartment Ministry

A 5-minute video by Houston filmmaker Marlon F. Hall offers a glimpse into this innovative ministry, which is based in deep listening, prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit.

Engaging young adults in Jewish life was one of the goals of the Union for Reform Judaism's Communities of Practice, which sparked experiments in synagogues across North America.
Photo courtesy of the Union for Reform Judaism

Congregations, Innovation, Congregational innovation

Five tips for achieving lasting change in congregations

Synagogues that participated in the Union for Reform Judaism’s Communities of Practice identified best principles to advance change.

Haywood Street Congregation, Asheville, NC

The Rev. Brian Combs, left, and others join hands in prayer during worship services at Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville, North Carolina.
Photos by Matt Rose

Missions & Evangelism, Innovation, Congregational innovation, Congregations

Welcome to the church of 'holy chaos'

Prepare to be blown away by the Spirit at this church in Asheville, North Carolina, where a radical experiment in street ministry is supported by a mainline denomination.

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Understanding the New Testament requires grounding in the tradition of the Old Testament. The book of Leviticus and the Sermon on the Mount illustrate that the New is the fulfillment of the Old, writes C. Kavin Rowe.

A learning resource for Christian leaders and their institutions from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity