What was once the sanctuary of Asbury UMC is now home to Servant Church, where the Rev. Eric Vogt, left, leads worship -- and the church -- in a new direction. Photos by Brian Diggs
After years of decline, Asbury UMC in Austin, Texas, faced a question steeped in resurrection theology: Would they be willing to let their church die in order to have new life?
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
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.
Children in the Pray Ground occupy themselves during worship at Raleigh Mennonite Church. Photo courtesy of Melissa Florer-Bixler
Giving kids a place in the front of the sanctuary allows them to worship in a way that comes naturally to them: through play.
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An astonishing half of all U.S. churchgoers attend the largest 7 percent of congregations. An assistant professor of church history wonders: What does the era of ‘big’ have to teach us? And what new connections must be forged to keep us all vibrant?
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In a time when congregations are customizing or developing their own events and services, all church leaders are designers. The design process centers around questions about audience and needs, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
Bread Church participants gather ingredients for an evening of baking and spiritual discussion. Photos by Brian Diggs.
Despite years of decline and worries about the future, Austin's Memorial UMC is moving forward in ministry, with bread baking, ESL classes and a decidedly Wesleyan model of church focused not on themselves but on their neighbors.
After visiting multiple churches, a potential congregant found the secret of how to choose her new church home: a congregation made her feel welcome.
After the police shootings in Dallas and incidents of police violence against African-Americans, the church can no longer afford to conduct business as usual, a prominent African-American pastor says in this interview. The church must radically return to what it means to be people of faith.
The congregation of Turner Memorial AME Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, where Natasha Jamison Gadson recently joined the staff. Photo courtesy of Turner AME
Resigning from a thriving megachurch was emotional and difficult for a minister on the staff. But once she realized that staying in a comfortable place was not the best use of her gifts, she knew it was time to go.
Photo courtesy of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
An Episcopal priest spent all night walking through Manhattan in a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Along the way, she picked up some lessons for congregations about hospitality, fellowship, faith and stewardship.