Communities across the US are facing challenges that may seem too great to overcome. The streets have become dangerous, even deadly, and it’s tempting to think that congregations have nothing to offer. But nothing could be further from the truth. Hard times are not the moment for underestimating the resources congregations bring to the…
Ever think about the good your congregation does for the community – even when you aren’t trying? Yes, we know that congregations are critical parts of every community’s safety net. As the Boston Globe reported, with thousands of refugees needing assistance, it is often faith communities that organize the food, shelter, clothing, and other assistance…
As COP 28 opened in Dubai, the international community was called to focus on combatting climate change. Doing so is critical for the sake of those alive today, and also for those born tomorrow. Given that reality, it is important to ask what the role of religious communities might be. Considering future generations in current…
When we think about relationships in congregational life, we often think about relationships between attenders within a congregation. But what about relationships between congregations as organizations? These relationships can involve friendships between ministers, joint events, collaborations, and other partnerships. And different kinds of relationships can have different consequences. My research has looked at two…
For all the emptiness and chaos, this is also proving to be a time of creative reassessment. Many religious leaders are discovering the benefits of sharing insights with each other, and a number of organizations and programs are helping to make that possible. At the Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) at USC, the…