Podcast Episode 145 How can a passion for helping people flourish lead to social innovation? We speak with K Scarry about social innovation and the ways she is supporting local artists, helping create spaces where everyone can thrive, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify Watch on YouTube Related Resources Innovating to [...] The post “Innovating to Build Communities Where All Can Flourish” featuring K Scarry first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 144 How can a faith community organize itself to combat the sin of racism? Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand share with us a practical framework for doing justice together that reimagines discipleship, leadership, and evangelism as tools for change. Listen on Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify Watch on YouTube Doing [...] The post “Doing Justice Together” featuring Michael Adam Beck and Stephanie Moore Hand first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 143 How are the trends in majority Latino congregations different from those in non-Latino congregations? We speak with Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi about her report Latino Congregations: Trends from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) Studies. It reveals that while Latino congregations face financial difficulties, a majority have [...] The post “Trends in Latino Congregations” featuring Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi first appeared...

Podcast Episode 142 Is your church facing the difficult decision to sell or repurpose property? We speak with Mark Elsdon, editor of Gone for Good?, about how a congregation can pursue creative uses of church property in a way that avoids common pitfalls and propels their mission forward. Listen on Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | [...] The post “Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transitions ” featuring Mark Elsdon first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 141 How can church leaders address the challenges of urban ministry in a transformative way? We speak with pastor and scholar Tony Hunt about reading a community well, identifying assets, and the importance of understanding your ministry context. He shares with us how to develop the transformative qualities of effective leadership. Listen on [...] The post “Transformational Leadership for Urban Ministries” featuring Tony Hunt first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 140 How can your youth ministry cultivate a faith that stays with a young person as they mature through adulthood? We speak with Brad Griffin of the Fuller Youth Institute about five compass points that can guide an impactful youth ministry. The approach emphasizes building trust and relationships while teaching in transformative and [...] The post “New Approaches to Help Youth Form Lasting Faith” featuring Brad Griffin first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 139 How can congregational leaders be both healers and agitators at the same time, especially given our fractured landscape and the diversity of contexts where congregations exist? Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz reflect on the book, Healing Fractured Communities, in which pastoral leaders write about their experiences with renewal, resilience, and resistance in congregations, [...] The post “Healing Fractured Communities” featuring Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz first appeared...

Podcast Episode 138 How would you preach next Sunday if tomorrow your community fell victim to a mass shooting or was devastated by a natural disaster? Preaching Professor Kimberly Wagner shares how pastors can approach this increasingly unavoidable homiletical task in ways that hold in tension the community’s very real experiences of loss and grief [...] The post “Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma” featuring Kimberly Wagner first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 137 How can an improv comedy show explore the intersection of faith and real life in community? In this engaging episode we speak with Katie Phillips about how Improv Church offers creative ways for engaging people in worship. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch on YouTube Learn more about Improv [...] The post “Improv Church: The Power of Connection” featuring Katie Phillips first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 136 How can your congregation function as a community of ministers rather than a community gathered around a single minister? Lydia Bucklin explains the Mutual Ministry Initiative and how this approach to shared ministry is flourishing among smaller churches in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify [...] The post “Embracing Mutual Ministry” featuring Lydia Bucklin first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 135 What are micro churches and how do they disciple missional leaders? In this episode, Bree Mills, director of Micro Churches Australia, shares the characteristics of micro churches, how they are formed, and how micro church leaders are developed. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Read in-depth interview Watch on YouTube [...] The post “Discipleship and Mission in the Micro Church Movement in Australia” featuring Bree Mills first appeared on Lewis Center...

Podcast Episode 134 Is your leadership so preoccupied with strategies and actions that you’ve lost sight of the ultimate why? Elaine Robinson shares her belief that God’s love must ground every aspect of the church’s mission. And love must be the foundational principle of all Christian leadership. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify [...] The post “Leading with Love” featuring Elaine Robinson first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 133 Is your congregation too dependent on Sunday morning offerings? Grace Pomroy from Luther Seminary shares research findings on congregations that are developing new and creative funding sources, not only to bolster the bottom line, but to better connect with neighbors and advance their missions. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify [...] The post “Funding Forward: How Congregations Can Develop New Revenue Sources” featuring Grace Pomroy first appeared on...

Podcast Episode 132 How can church leaders build an inclusive community of faith? In this episode Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff speaks with Brandan Robertson, the “Tiktok Pastor,” about social media ministry, intersectional inclusivity, and the challenges of building inclusive community. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch on YouTube True [...] The post “Building Inclusive Communities” featuring Brandan Robertson first appeared on Lewis Center for Church...

Podcast Episode 131 How can church leaders improve their time management and maximize ministry? In this episode we speak with Nicole Reilley about time management, saying “no,” and prioritizing rest and sabbath. Also, learn how digital resources can help you better manage your time. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify [...] The post “Improve Your Time Management and Enhance Your Ministry” featuring Nicole Reilley first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 130 What if congregational change didn’t focus on setting goals or planning new programs? Dwight Zscheile believes finding a faithful way forward involves discovering what God is already doing in the lives of your neighbors and then finding ways of joining in God’s action. He shares a simple three-step process for experimenting with [...] The post “Leading Faithful Innovation” featuring Dwight Zscheile first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 129 How can holy friendships sustain pastors and church leaders? In this episode we speak with Victoria White about her book Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships that Sustain Pastors and Church Leaders. She shares how to strengthen relationships into holy friendships and how to create opportunities for people to cultivate holy friendships. Listen on [...] The post “The Power of Holy Friendships” featuring Victoria White first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 128 How can professional Christians be their authentic selves when in the spotlight of public ministry? We speak with church musician and author Sarah Bereza about the challenges of being authentic, knowing how much to share, and how to avoid oversharing when in a public ministry role. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher [...] The post “How to Be Authentic in Public Ministry” featuring Sarah Bereza first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 127 What new approaches to youth ministry are emerging in our post-Covid era? Deech Kirk of the Center for Youth Ministry Training describes some of the common challenges confronting youth ministry today and some of the characteristics of the newer, innovative ministry models that are taking shape. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher [...] The post “The Changing Contours of Youth Ministry” featuring Deech Kirk first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 126 What is the economic impact of small congregations on their communities? We speak with Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt of Partners for Sacred Places about their report on the “Economic Halo Effect of Rural United Methodist Churches in North Carolina.” Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch [...] The post “The Hidden Impact of Rural Churches” featuring Bob Jaeger and Rachel Hildebrandt first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Podcast Episode 125 The rapid growth in the percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation is drastically reshaping the country’s religious and cultural landscape. We speak with Dr. Ryan Burge, a leading expert on the “Nones,” about the characteristics of the growing cohort of Americans who say their religion is “nothing in particular.” Listen on [...]

Podcast Episode 124 How can a seamless pastoral transition lead to a more effective leadership transition? We speak with Lee Kricher, the author of Seamless Pastoral Transition: 3 imperatives and 6 Pitfalls, about shared leadership, nurturing future leaders, leading with humility, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch [...]

Podcast Episode 123 How can preachers keep their preaching fresh? Teresa Fry Brown, professor of preaching at Candler School of Theology, shares strategies for preaching familiar texts for different generations, preaching for in person and digital audiences, and sermon preparation for bivocational pastors. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch [...]

Podcast Episode 122 What happens when a congregation trusts God for big change? We speak with author and pastor Dawn Darwin Weaks about the rebirth of Connection Christian Church and how to lead change well. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify Watch on YouTube Breakthrough: Trusting God for Big Change [...]