Rebekah Simon-Peter outlines four models small churches have used to survive the pandemic — the church at home model, the shut-in model, the never shut down model, and the hybrid model. She shares tips for how these approaches can keep worship alive and Christian education vibrant in smaller congregations.

Is your congregation squeamish when it comes to evangelism? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, author of the new book Models of Evangelism, on how congregations can more authentically engage a variety of evangelistic practices with confidence and integrity.

More and more faith communities are asking how they might make better use of expensive and underutilized facilities. Rick Reinhard offers practical advice in the form of seven dos and don’ts to help a congregation approach property redevelopment realistically and faithfully.

Dave Ulrich believes that effective leaders combine personal credibility and organizational capability or “credibility x capability.” Examples of questions for each include:

Do individuals trust, respect, admire, and enjoy working with this leader?

Can this leader shape a vision, create commitment to the vision, build a plan of execution, develop capabilities, and hold people accountable for making things happen?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

Wesley Theological Seminary and the Lewis Center together offer the Doctor of Ministry in Church Leadership Excellence. With this track, clergy will receive the enhanced knowledge, skills, and motivation to increase congregational and denominational service, vitality, and growth.

How can a small congregation engage the community in a significant way? With the right approach, a small church can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry. Read To the Point: Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church to learn how.

Protect your congregation and your ministry with Keeping Our Sacred Trust — online training on the ethical boundaries in ministry. Courses include “Understanding Clergy Sexual Ethics” and “Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age.” Keeping Our Sacred Trust is open to clergy of any denomination and non-denominational pastors. Courses are $49 and include .5 CEU.

“The primary reason we do too much is that we have never taken the time to discover that portion of what we do that makes the biggest difference.”

Andy Stanley

This 10-session video-based congregational study addresses questions of the reasonableness of the Christian faith in the modern world. Simply Christian is an excellent course for both established believers and seekers and is ideal for your congregation's online or in-person small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes.