Doug Powe and Lovett Weems of the Lewis Center staff say that successful and lasting change is likely to come through evolution rather than revolution. Therefore, successful change leaders are both innovators and sustainers who give adequate attention to the traditions, people, programs, and assets that make innovation possible.

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Tags: Change | Congregational Revitalization | Leadership | Leadership Best Practices

How can you lead effectively given the inherent messiness of congregational life? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews leadership expert Mike Bonem on the art of leading change, responding to those who resist change, and the courage to allow yourself to be changed.

Tags: Change | Interview | Leadership | Leadership Best Practices | Planning and Visioning | Spirituality and Leadership

How does the leadership transition from Moses to Joshua provide insights for leaders today? Lee Kricher offers insights on this seamless leadership transition.

Tags: Biblical Leadership | Lay Leadership | Leadership | Leadership Best Practices | Leadership Development | Lessons for Leaders | Pastoral Transitions | Staffing | Volunteers

Tod Bolsinger tells of two friends and mentors who used email and even postcards occasionally to ask questions that kept him spiritually grounded. Each always began with “I am praying for you.” Then came a question such as these two:

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

Discovering God’s Future for Your Church is a turnkey tool kit to help your congregation discern and implement God’s vision for its future. This comprehensive resource guides your church in discovering clues to your vision in your history and culture, your current congregational strengths and weaknesses, and the needs of your surrounding community. Discovering God’s Future for Your Church includes engaging videos, leader’s guides, discussion exercises, planning tools, handouts, diagrams, worksheets, and more.

We asked church members in several states to attend nearby churches as visitors and report on their findings. Many reflected on the difficulty churches have in viewing things from the perspective of persons new to their church. The challenge is to think of everything from arrival to departure — signage, hospitality, bulletins, and more — from the vantage point of someone who has never been to your church before.

For most congregations, attracting new people was a challenge even before the pandemic. Now, churches must focus not only on the continuing need to reach new people but also on reconnecting with the sizable percentage of those who attended regularly before COVID-19 but have not yet returned to the pews. Join Rev. Dr. F. Douglas Powe Jr., Rev. Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr., and Rev. Dr. Jessica Anschutz for this timely and important webinar to learn ways to improve your congregation’s in-person and online worship attendance.

“That which is destroying the Church is not the outward groping of those within it nor the inward groping of those without, but the professionals who control it and who have removed the bells from its steeples.” — William Faulkner, Light in August

This 10-session 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 in-person or online small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes.