Written by four faith leaders with deep connections to youth ministry, "Delighted" was published in April. In this excerpt, co-author Wesley Ellis reflects on how churches can offer joy and authentic friendships to young people.
The author's daughter gathers Easter eggs on Palm Sunday 2020. The community Easter egg hunt was canceled because of the pandemic, so instead volunteers scattered eggs in the families' yards, surprising each child with a personalized goody bag. Photo courtesy of Allen T. Stanton
In times of sickness and anxiety, the deep relationships in a small-membership church can be a powerfully sustaining force, writes a leader in cultivating thriving rural communities.
Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio / Photos: WikimediaCommons / CDC
Twelve Christian leaders share their thoughts on how the coronavirus pandemic might affect the financial health and sustainability of American churches.
Staff illustration / Photo by Debby Hudson / Unsplash
The minister and professor of preaching offers a method of dialogue in advance of the coming election.
Don’t let the ingrained belief that only churches with full-time pastors can thrive keep you from making the switch to part-time clergy, writes an author who has researched the effects of part-time ministry.
The Rev. George Mason speaks to reporters in 2014. Photo courtesy of Wilshire Baptist Church
Leading during a global health crisis requires trust in medical professionals and the courage to love and not fear, say two pastors who cared for a congregant whose life was upended by Ebola.
Lightstock / Pearl
A writer’s rediscovery of Sunday school and VBS in his 50s helps fuel a joyful renewal and deepening of the faith of his youth.
Photo courtesy of Alisha Lola Jones
The ethnomusicologist identifies how the stereotype of a flamboyant choir director changes someone’s gift into something to fear.
Congregants chat during a worship service at Arlington Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia. Photos by Mike Morones
After a period of discernment and community engagement, a congregation takes a risk and finds its way back home.
Photo by Jessamyn Rubio
Making worship productive misses the point and submits to the logic of capitalism, says the pastor and author.