One of the projects I’m working on these days is to help three presbyteries in the Mountain West think about their future. All … [Read more...] about Speaking the Truth in Love
Helping Your Congregation Survive and Thrive
Our Methodist colleagues in Minnesota made national news this week as they made the difficult decision to close and relaunch the Cottage Grove campus … [Read more...] about Helping Your Congregation Survive and Thrive
Healthy Congregation: A Community of Jesus Followers
What is a “healthy church?” At the Center For Healthy Churches we focus on four major characteristics of church health: A Community of Jesus … [Read more...] about Healthy Congregation: A Community of Jesus Followers
Are you Ill?
My grandmother often used a word to describe herself or other people. It was the word “ill”. She did not use it to describe someone who was sick with … [Read more...] about Are you Ill?
Bullies in the Church
I had the privilege of volunteering in a local elementary school in its drug awareness and violence prevention program. The fourth graders were … [Read more...] about Bullies in the Church
Asleep at Church
Several years ago, we tried something radical on Wednesday evenings at our church. Over the course of five weeks, we had prayer meeting. This was not … [Read more...] about Asleep at Church
The #metoo Movement and the Church
#MeToo, a social media movement that began in November 2017, has ignited awareness of and accountability for sexual harassment. This new awareness of … [Read more...] about The #metoo Movement and the Church
Two Ways to Say the Same Thing
Not many people quote Chuck Colson and William Sloane Coffin in the same breath. That is one of the problems in the church today. We draw lines in the … [Read more...] about Two Ways to Say the Same Thing
Necessary Leaders
I have known dozens of churches well. Some I served; some were served by colleagues. Others were neighboring congregations. A few of these churches … [Read more...] about Necessary Leaders