Congregations

Congregations

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Artists Caleb Clark, Christopher Holt and Jill Hooper compare a tracing of preliminary drawings to the final composition of the fresco at Haywood Street Congregation. Holt is an artist trained in making frescoes; Clark and Hooper assisted him in the two-year-long project. Photos by John Warner/Warner Photography

Arts & Culture, Visual arts, Congregations, Innovation, Congregational innovation

A church's fresco project shows that everyone has sacred worth

A church dedicated to radical hospitality and welcome creates a fresco that permanently enshrines those values and the faces of those it serves.

Unsplash / SwapnIl Dwivedi

Congregations, Christian Leadership

Alaina Kleinbeck: Formation is collective work

The prophet Jeremiah presents a vision for spiritual formation that includes the faith-related institutions and organizations that surround families and congregations.

Josary Moreno Mejia interprets as the Rev. Dr. D.K. Kearney preaches and the Rev. Cesar Moreno prays during a revival on the grounds of Turner Memorial AME in Hyattsville, Maryland. The two pastors and their congregations jointly hosted the four-week event in September. Photos by Pete Marovich

Congregations, Buildings, Reconciliation, Racial & ethnic, Missions & Evangelism

Sharing a building leads to a shared mission for an AME church and a Latino congregation

Two pastors built a friendship across barriers of language and culture, uniting their congregations and together reaching out to their community.

Photo illustration by Jessamyn Rubio

Congregations, Christian Leadership

What can churches do in response to the #MeToo movement?

Christian leaders who want to respond faithfully to survivors of sexual misconduct can find guidance in a #MeToo toolkit and other resources.

Mathieu Turle / Unsplash

Money, Stewardship & fundraising, Congregations

Afraid to preach and teach about money in your congregation? Don't be.

Breaking the taboo about money talk can be fruitful for congregations, a new study shows. The more congregations talk about money, the more likely they are to see a corresponding increase in giving, according to the National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices.

San Antonio skyline. Matthew LeJune / Unsplash

Congregations, Vocation

Ann Helmke: Working together at the intersection of society and faith

As a ‘faith liaison’ for San Antonio, the ELCA minister connects the city government to its faith community through activating partnerships and networking.

Photo Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio. Unsplash / Photos by Aaron Burden and Mathew Schwartz

Arts & Culture, Society, Congregations

Cleve Tinsley IV: Black Protestants have a unique relationship with science

In trying to expand definitions of religious expression in the black community, the religious studies scholar says black Protestants can offer insight into collaboration between faith and science.

"Christ Healing Lepers" by Andrea Schiavone (c. 1540). Wikimedia Commons

Congregations, Growth & renewal

Jennifer McClure: Jesus' social network connects the stigmatized to society

An analysis of Jesus’ social network helps us better understand and imitate his relationships with the marginalized, says a professor of religion and sociology.

Emiliano Lerda speaks at a rally at the Nebraska Statehouse in September 2017 to support DACA recipients in response to the Trump administration's decision to end the DACA program. Photo courtesy of Immigrant Legal Center

Congregations, Reconciliation, Racial & ethnic

Emiliano Lerda: A growing Nebraska nonprofit with faith roots focuses on free legal aid for immigrants

The executive director of the Immigrant Legal Center discusses his own journey as an immigrant and the rapid growth of the legal center founded by Methodists.

David Grandmougin / Unsplash

Congregations, Worship

Together on the borders: A worship experience

This service invites reflection on Isaiah 43:1-7 and border crossings, leading participants to wonder: What can Christians do in the face of restrictive and unjust boundaries? In what ways does Christian hope reside on the borders?

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As Christian leaders, how can we recognize and honor both the new and innovative and the old that grounds and roots the new? A managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity ponders this when she sells an antique spinning wheel.

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