Ask someone why a congregation would share its facilities with an outside group or organization, and you may get the answer, “It’s all about the money.” Congregations need operating funds, and rental income is an obvious source of income, correct? National data challenge that assumption. Sociologist Nancy Ammerman’s study of more than 500 Christian and…
As a pastor, not surprisingly, I often view my congregation through a theological lens, and I’ve recently challenged my congregation to join me. In a world that promotes division through competition and having the one correct perspective to a challenge, I’ve invited them to think more deeply about our collective mission as a congregation and…
There are amazing resources available to people who want to understand — and support —congregational life. Here are a few that are worth checking out. See how these sources intersect with our Frames for Study and how they help you imagine what tools from our Toolkit you might use. Surveying the Landscape If you are…
What might we see and hear if we asked worshippers about what they experience? It isn’t always what theologians expect. For the past few decades, many Catholic liturgical theologians and others have expressed concern about the return of a ritual practice that they worried signaled a regression from the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.…
There’s been a lot of buzz recently about the state of health and happiness among the people who lead U.S. congregations. One widely-circulated blog post expounded on the stresses and strains that led one pastor to call it quits – not just from his church, but from the profession itself. The responses to that post…