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This happens in church board meetings.  A discussion is going well, with many contributions, and then one member speaks up, powerfully and at length, about how the issue has impacted them personally.  It touches on their grief, fear, pain – something deep and very difficult. …

How do you measure the vitality of a congregation? Ask almost any denominational body over the past several decades, and they’re bound to say something about the three B’s – bodies, budgets, buildings. The assumption seems to be that the fuller the pews on Sunday…

Quick survey:  what in your life is mostly the same as it was, say, 10 years ago?  Hopefully, relationships have endured and grown, along with other values, convictions, and callings you deem essential.  But what about other, less crucial things?  Do you have the same…

The Church proclaims the greatest love story ever told.  God pursued God’s people throughout the ages.  God sent God’s own son into the world out of indescribable, incomprehensible love.  Jesus lived, loved, suffered, and died…but He rose again.  And after appearing to many, He ascended…

The legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City.  Yet, when Simon & Garfunkel first went on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” and Mr. Simon was asked where he was from, he spontaneously lied and said “Macon, Georgia.” It…

Friends, as we journey into the weeks following Easter (what some of our traditions call Eastertide), rest assured that we may continue to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection with the same joy and celebration that many of our ministries exhibited on Easter Sunday. We are free to…

Holy Week is upon us, and we are into another news cycle fraught with social and political unrest – threats of bloodbaths and government shutdowns – wars and rumors of war – oh yeah and allergies. And to top things off, many of us are…

Ah, the Oscars. Viewers of this year’s award ceremony were treated to a naked man presenting the Best Costume award, a seemingly confused Al Pacino announcing the Best Picture winner, a five-star tribute to Barbie’s Ken … and a botched In Memoriam.  Every Academy award…

“I’m so bored. I have nothing to do. Let’s go to church, I’m sure they can give me something to do” said no one ever! Unlike just a couple of years ago post-pandemic when many of us opened our church doors and/or resumed in-person worship…

For most of us, surprises are overrated.  Just ask your fellow board members how much they really enjoy surprise parties.  Life as we like it thrives on certainty.  We are better able to sleep at night if we expect to awaken to a world that…

Vinyl records are making a big comeback, with over six million sold in 2023. An interesting note: half of all people buying vinyl records don’t own a record player. Why do they buy them? According to several assessments, buyers say they want a “tangible connection”…

Our post two weeks ago, on the fact that most Americans feel like they are on “the losing side” of politics, garnered many responses.  Pastors and lay leaders told us they are struggling with the ways tribalism is causing tension and division in their churches. …

“Look well to the growing edge. All around us worlds are dying and new worlds are being born; all around us life is dying and life is being born. The fruit ripens on the tree, the roots are silently at work in the darkness of…

Entering our local gym, we hear the same instructions every time.  “Stretching helps prevent bad things and enables good things – lean into it!” Despite this regular refrain, stretching remains an underappreciated practice in exercise, in life … and in how pastors and church boards…

  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps us discern…

Church boards have limited time and energy after addressing staffing, budgets, buildings, schedules, and the semi-regular concerns coming from members.  However, congregational leaders do have the opportunity, upon occasion, to change the categories of conversation within a faith community.  This election year may present one…

Among the questions I receive most often from pastors:  How can our congregation change things that need to be changed?  How can we challenge our focus for more effective ministry? In the shifting ground of post-pandemic life, with politics upstream of faith and everything up…

Digging a Deeper Well has taken an extended holiday break. What started out as a few weeks off over Christmas and New Year’s became one month, and then two, thanks to work, travel, the ACC basketball schedule, and other essential events. But somewhere in the…

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the…

Blog Series:  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps…

Blog Series:  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps…

Blog Series:  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps…

Blog Series:  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps…

Blog Series:  Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps…

Receive and embrace God’s grace for you. For your own sake, and for the sake of those around you, hear God’s word of grace declared over you in Christ. Receive the promise of that deep, sustained, sabbath rest that is always available, as the author…

On a recent podcast, my colleague Jennifer Watley Maxell offered that “hope is not scarce, and it is not fragile.”  Our conversation took other turns, leaving that important insight behind.  I want to return to it now.  “Hope is not scarce, and it is not…

Under the Wall Street Journal headline “Have You Checked Your Mailbox Today?  Neither Has Anyone Else” comes more data on changing patterns of life that we have, for so long, taken for granted. Today, only three-quarters of Americans check their mail daily.  Some go weeks—or…

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might…

Blog Series:  God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. In the weeks…

Blog Series:  God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. The other day…

Blog Series:  God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. As Advent approaches,…

We offer two cultural data points today for consideration, alongside the congregational information your church board will be reviewing as it prepares for the new year.  We don’t want to make too much of either data point, but together they seem to suggest something about…

Blog Series:  God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. “Consider it pure…

The last two weeks we have posted about how to evaluate as a church board, and what to evaluate and why.  But one question remains: what should you do with the information you collect?  Now that your board has actually conducted a thoughtful, imaginative evaluation…

Blog Series: God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. “Our spiritual…

(Following last week’s post, this is the second of three pieces on church boards and evaluation.) Ask a church board how it knows whether its ministry is succeeding, and you will likely hear two or three of the following data points. Total pledges Number of…

“Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond faithfully. Divergent…

In the history of church board work, two persistent obstacles to moving forward are (1) “I think” and (2) “what they are saying.” There is nothing wrong with an individual board member thinking (glad we could affirm that).  However, no one person can see the…

Blog Series:  “Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

It is easy.  And understandable.  And dangerous. It is easy, understandable, and dangerous for you as a church board to narrow the aperture of your vision, so that you only see: Budgets Buildings Complaints Staff problems Staff vacancies Of course, congregations consist of so much…

Blog Series:  “Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

Blog Series:  “Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

The answer to that may not necessarily be, “Faith formation begins with church boards!” Still, spiritually mature church boards understand that they need to think through how faith formation happens, as they do their work leading a congregation. Among the many definitions of faith formation,…

A few times per year, TMC curates some resources and content that our team is either paying close attention to or has developed ourselves, organized by topics that we see as especially relevant to a broad range of contexts. Pastors and lay leaders frequently utilize…

Blog Series:  “Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” – Mary Oliver, Evidence (2009)  Published in 2022, Shawn Ginwright ‘s The Four Pivots describes four shifts toward “Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves.” From Lens to Mirror From Transactional to Transformative From Problem to Possibility From Hustle…

Blog Series:  “Lost In Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

Periodically, we need a reminder of why we write this blog and what our hopes are for church boards. A recent report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) serves as just such a reminder. The PRRI report announced its findings last week with the…

Blog series:  “Lost in Translation”Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond faithfully….

The musical Wicked, which is both a prequel and sequel to The Wizard of Oz, tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch), and their relationship struggles through opposing personalities and viewpoints. In one…

Blog Series:  “Lost in Translation” Using Paul’s engagement with the Athenians in Acts 17 as a backdrop, we are reflecting on the many gaps, disconnections, and misalignments we see across the landscape of ministry, along with some hopeful and constructive suggestions for how to respond…

It’s a trap, especially for church boards. When people come back to worship post-pandemic, then we will be able to feel a vitality again. When we get the right pastor, then things can begin to fire on all cylinders. When these troublesome members leave, then…

Blog series: “Don’t Fall For It.” This time of year, it’s understandable that ministry leaders are tempted to zoom in on the nuts and bolts of fall planning and programming, trying to somehow manage everything that comes with it. For the next several weeks, we…

Unless we’ve already done so, it’s past time to have a new conversation about this topic. This includes getting clarity about changes and trends in charitable giving, broadening our perspective, relationships, and options, and also considering more deeply about how it all connects to discipleship…

What has your congregation started paying attention to recently that wasn’t front and center a few years ago? Is it racial, economic, or ecological justice? Maybe it’s the prevalence of trauma or the reality of social divides. Or it could be what to do with…

My colleagues here at the Ministry Collaborative have challenged us over the last several weeks to address the proverbial ‘elephants in the room’ when it comes to the future of the Church and our local expressions of it. We’ve been confronted with the sobering reality…

Each year “Sparkle in the Park” brings over 10,000 residents, neighbors, guests, and friends to Main Street Park in our suburban community in Georgia.  This city sponsored event welcomes food vendors, bounce houses, free family photographers, and live music that ensures that the space will…

When I was in junior high, our English teacher Mrs. Visconti made us read James Michener’s massive novel Centennial, about the settling of the state of Colorado. In it, Michener described the migration of a young Mennonite farmer, Levi Zendt, and his new wife, Elly,…

For those of us in vocational ministry, the summer holds the promise of slower days, lighter schedules, a time to catch up on some “to dos”, maybe even a little vacation time…  But around this time of year, that promise quickly gives way to looking…

When I was a pastor in downtown Denver many years ago, a well-meaning parishioner would suggest with some regularity that we revise our congregational mission statement. Now, there is nothing I enjoy more than spending months wordsmithing a statement that no one will be able…

Church boards know this.  In your faith community… Not everyone speaks with the same history. Not everyone speaks at the same volume. Not everyone speaks with the same frequency. Certainly, not everyone speaks with the same agenda(!). And, if we are honest, not everyone speaks…

  The Ministry Collaborative is excited to announce and welcome The Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker as our ministry’s Congregational and Pastoral Formation Curator! In her role with The Ministry Collaborative, Amy will draw on her decades of experience of working closely with pastors and…

Reeling from the impact of the Highland Clearances, early nineteenth-century Highland Scots were desperate to find a way to connect their region’s numerous Lochs (lakes) to provide seamless water transportation for commercial goods—both to stem the tide of emigration and to nurture a new economy….

In American culture, Memorial Day usually signals a different routine.  Not just more activities outdoors, but a little less intensity indoors … in the workplace, and in church as well.  For a church board, so much of the year is taken up with tasks that…

When I visit my in-laws, they usually greet me by asking, “Have you eaten?” Even when I call them, they usually greet me by asking, “Have you eaten?” When my parents were alive, that’s how my parents greeted me when I visited them or called…

Maybe there was a time, decades ago, when serving on a church board meant that you could pretty much guess what folks in your congregation needed and what you should try to provide for them. Maybe. But realistically, ministry today (as probably then) is practiced…

Talking with a colleague this week, I was asked, “What common denominators are vital, flourishing churches displaying today?” The following response is unscientific, more story-driven than data-driven, and by no means an exhaustive list. (In fact, we would love to hear from you about what…

Our friend and colleague, Elizabeth Lynn, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, recently published an incredibly helpful article in Faith and Leadership that outlines the myriad challenges many congregations face when it comes to church buildings, property, and space. In addition to summarizing the challenges, Elizabeth…

Signs of post-Easter and summer’s promise seem to be everywhere in churches now – including, we imagine, in the changing rhythms of your church board. The planning, the work, the worry, the decisions that have consumed your board’s time and energy throughout the “program year”…

My church folx have teased me for years with the prospect of a gift that never materializes: a t-shirt that says “I’m not the boss of that.” It’s something I say frequently to remind them and me both that I’m not the final arbiter on…

Welcome to our once-a-year post that uses a sports metaphor.  Some folks may be aware that major league baseball, following decades of declining interest and increasingly looonngg games, instituted several rule changes this season.  One of these changes created a clock for pitchers and batters. …

Last month, several of us – staff and facilitators for the Ministry Collaborative, met in Boulder, Colorado to discuss the future of what it means to be church.  The amazingly creative ways many of us are navigating the uncertainty of the times is both encouraging…

As the Church of Jesus Christ, what do we have to offer to the world? The whole world—those who packed your pews on Easter Day, those who really meant to get there, and those who couldn’t care less that we were celebrating the Day of…

Easter Sunday is the ultimate Good News Sunday. Lent is done. The true triumph of Palm Sunday is revealed. The lurking doom of Maundy Thursday is over. The pain of Good Friday is finished. Finally … Easter! Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed! Now…

Whenever your church board meets for the first time after this Easter Day, there is a good chance that hope will be echoing through the corridors of your church.  That is Easter.  Easter offers hope to the faithful.  Easter does this in good years and…

At a recent Ministry Collaborative gathering we were invited to reimagine church. The folks at my table meandered onto the topic of language, specifically the larger culture’s (understandable) suspicion of Christian language in light of its all too frequent use as a weapon to wound…

A Wall Street Journal/NORC poll conducted this month confirms and amplifies the air of uncertainty and anxiety pervading so many conversations – in and out of church – these days. When asked about their level of confidence that life for their children’s generation will be…

Can you hear it? “I am the good shepherd.” It’s the voice of our faithful and steadfast shepherd, Jesus the Christ. He’s calling you by name. He knows you – He knows all of us – as intimately as the Father and the Son know…

I love to travel. I took a plane for the first time when I was a teenager and recognized the privilege of experiencing and exploring new places. As the daughter of a coalmining father and a stay-at-home mother, the luxury of travel was not lost…

A conversation last week with a group of pastors sounded a familiar theme.  Although these pastors belong to different denominations, their refrain was the same when it comes to annual reports.  “Why aren’t we ever asked to report on something that actually matters to a community…

I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.   John 15:5 In a Denver-area congregation I served some years ago, there was a family who had…

One hundred years ago this week, the poem that Robert Frost called “my best bid for remembrance” was published in The New Republic.  Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is one of the best known and loved poems in American literature. Here it…

One of my favorite moments in TMC’s immersion experience to Glacier National Park is the evening we spend stargazing at Logan Pass. Surrounded by mountains and miles removed from any ambient light, you are blanketed with darkness. Upon the pitch-black canvas of the night sky,…

As we continue to respond to the needs we’re encountering nationwide, we’ve once again curated some of our articles, podcasts, and other resources, organizing them under key areas of need and opportunity. Please use these resources in whatever way is most helpful to you in…

For a few months last year, the church I pastor practiced pausing at “thresholds” throughout the week. Each time we came to a doorway, we were asked to pause, to become aware of our leaving one place and going to another and to prepare for…

“OK, I get it.  Out with our three-minute devotion,” wrote one colleague last week in response to our previous two posts.  “But what now?  If I go to our board with a poem or a longer Bible study, that’s a sudden change.  I don’t think…

Over the next several weeks, my colleagues and I will be reflecting on the “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John.  The practice of reflecting upon, and recalling who God is, should be a source of comfort for us – especially in times of trouble,…

Last week, we shared responses from colleagues around the country to the question: What makes it hardest to go deeper (spiritually) with your church board?  Now, we turn to responses to the second question we asked:  What are you doing, right now, to become a…

Over the next several weeks, my colleagues and I will be reflecting on the “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John.  The practice of reflecting upon, and recalling who God is, should be a source of comfort for us – especially in times of…

Responses to our last two posts about the turnaround at Barnes & Noble and its parallels to church life led us into some extended conversations with colleagues who, perhaps like you, face the challenge of crafting an effective board agenda each month. We followed up…

Writing in The New York Times last month, Margaret Renkl brought back to me a key moment in this past season of “The White Lotus:” Not quite halfway through the new season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” a young woman, Portia, breaks into tears at…

Our post last week on the turnaround of bookseller Barnes & Noble (big takeaway: they got a leader who loved books!) generated a lot of thoughtful response from those who read the piece. One colleague wrote to us: My friend has worked for them for…

Years ago, when I was invited to participate in a cohort for the Ministry Collaborative (then called Macedonian Ministry), I had no idea of the impact it would have on my life.  I admit that I was more than a bit skeptical about the outcomes…

What do you love that keeps you in church leadership?  In the last chapter of 1 Corinthians, after Paul has thrown every theological argument he can muster at the church at Corinth to encourage them to love one another, and three chapters after his iconic…

  For me, one of the most striking images of the Civil Rights movement is the photograph below. It’s from the march from Selma to Montgomery, March 1965. On the far left is Martin Luther King, Jr. and on the far right is Rabbi Abraham Heschel,…

“Tell them that I am a good Christian and I’m going to heaven.” Many of us saw parts of the drama play out in the U.S. House of Representatives two weeks ago, as the majority party struggled to elect its speaker.  The person presiding over…

The Ministry Collaborative is excited to announce and welcome the Rev. Beth Daniel as our ministry’s Facilitator Curator! Beth is joining us – the first addition we have made to our staff in three years – to make sure we keep a strong relational focus…

Snapshots of the Life-Giving God. Week 2: God Our Constant Companion Snapshots capture unique moments of our lives that often suggest something about who we are, what and who we care about, where we find joy, and how we make meaning. In a similar way,…

Snapshots of the Life-Giving God. Week 1: God the River. Snapshots capture unique moments of our lives that often suggest something about who we are, what and who we care about, where we find joy, and how we make meaning. In a similar way, scripture…

At the end of this year, we want to thank you for reading our weekly pieces and for your many comments, suggestions, and stories about how you have used this material.  We started Digging a Deeper Well over three years ago with a singular conviction: …

December is no sooner over than January is upon us, trailing annual meetings and new officer trainings with it.  Even if your church board turnover keeps a different calendar, this is always a good moment to think about how to do that turnover well. How…

The story goes that a couple trying to find a country inn got hopelessly lost, so they stopped at a local store to ask for directions.  “Sure,” the clerk offered. “Just go down this road for a couple more miles.  You’re going to turn right…

I think one of the most important words Jesus ever spoke was the word “today.” Give us today our daily bread. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing….

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn,…

In order to properly serve their church members and communities, ministry leaders often commit to joining learning communities known as a church cohort program. These programs include other leaders for a set amount of time, usually lasting around two to three years. Let’s take a…

We all need a little extra love and support at some point in our lives. Whether facing a new challenge, you’re at a fork in the road with your faith, relationships, job, or any other difficult season or transition, many people reach out to their…

If you were to ask someone from the 1st or 2nd c. CE what they thought the church needed to be talking about, I’m pretty sure they would say “the resurrection.” It’s front and center in Paul’s letters. It is there in the church’s first…

What is the thread that binds together your faith community, especially in a time when our whole social fabric seems so ready to unravel? For sure, it is not Robert’s Rules of Order, or a contentious vote on the issues of the day where you…

In what follows, I’m essentially banging the same “The Great Opt Out” drum as I did a couple weeks ago, though at a slightly different tempo. I think we should immediately discard any version of the question, “what do we do to get folks back…

So many of our posts urge church boards to risk more, to be bold, to try new things.  We continue to be convinced that this is a moment for congregations and their leadership to appreciate the ways God’s Spirit is moving us in new directions…

The last few years have taken something from all of us.  Some of us are bereaved and going through the stages of grief.  But all of us are at some stage of mourning.  It took my wife, the mental health counselor, to tell me that…

One of the terms that has found new life and meaning during the pandemic is the well-worn word pivot. Everyone, it seems, has been pivoting all over the place.  Indeed, we wouldn’t be surprised if your church board has discussed and enacted several pivots of…

Yes, people are opting out of “church.” No surprise there. But what are they actually opting out of? And what does this say about what matters, what doesn’t, and what we might more intentionally move toward? Earlier this month, Dr. Scott Thumma, director of the…

Christianity is still the most dominant religion in America, with 84% of the Silent Generation claiming they are Christian, 76% of Baby Boomers, and 67% of Generation X claiming the same, according to Lifeway research. However, it’s also a new world with amazing Christian podcast…

  Just to take a sampling of news headlines over the last ten days: Recent Rise in Robberies Leave Experts Scrambling for Answers What now? Steelers Scrambling for Answers After 1-2 Start China’s Thirst for Oil Sends Beijing Scrambling for Answers Research Has Scientists Scrambling…

In recent weeks, my colleagues and I have been writing about what conversations pastors and their congregations need to be having right now. High on that list for me is what it means to pursue shared leadership between clergy and laity. Exodus 18 offers a…

Well, the most direct answer is that, one year ago this month, Hertz ordered 100,000 Tesla electric vehicles for its rental sites around the globe. It seems like a smart move for Hertz.  Teslas require less maintenance (no oil changes, no powertrain replacements in an…

I have a confession. When my children were in elementary school, I was notorious for picking them up late. It began when I was in seminary across town and had to speed back to our side of town to get them. The teachers were amazing…

In times of stress and uncertainty, the way forward is seldom about more information.  Yet it is not surprising that church boards are currently in search of any shred of information to help them make decisions in this stressful and uncertain time. In 2015, researchers…

John and May Hakala were second-generation Finns who lived for a time in Kotzebue, Alaska. Kotzebue is remote—even for Alaska. Pastor Michael Lindvall, who knew the Hakalas when he was growing up, heard stories of their life in this far-off place, including one about eggs….

So many congregations right now are awash in uncertainty, haunted by loss, and longing for normalcy or a way back. It is imperative that church boards find ways to talk honestly, truthfully, with sensitivity and with tenderness, about where we are. We think that Tracy…

To say we have been through a lot over these past few years is a gross understatement. The seismic shifts that are still occurring across every area of our lives – the enormity of the adjustments we have had to make in our lives and…

Does your church have regular midweek events? According to Lifeway Research, only 10% of Protestant pastors say their churches don’t have regular midweek events. It’s important to participate in any community outreach services your church has. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits….

Have your ambitions for your congregation changed over the past few years?  If so, you are not alone.  Among the many things that the pandemic has altered is our sense of ambition for ourselves and for our institutions. Signs of the change are everywhere, from…

Since his recent passing, Frederick Buechner’s words have been with me more frequently, shared by friends sharing on social media, emerging from memory, and on pages that I’ve gone searching for when I couldn’t quite remember how he had phrased a particular idea or insight…

You may have noticed: we stay far away from sports metaphors in these pieces.  Quotes about winning and training and teamwork have a limited shelf life, as well as being narrow in their appeal.  So today we are making up for it by piling four…

Recently, while hanging out with friends, one friend was telling us all about the relationship she shares with her new significant other. We all smiled and shared her happiness as she spoke of their synergy and like-mindedness, of the ways they are different yet complimentary…

Church boards have returned from a summer hiatus only to find that the more things change, the more things are the same.  Plans are uncertain.   Stewardship committees are uncertain.  Pastors’ energy and resilience is uncertain.  Everyone’s ability to navigate the divisions of our polarized society…

In his 2018 TheoEd Talk, “Resurrecting Church,” activist Shane Claiborne remarks that none of the significant problems facing our communities can be solved from a distance. Social and spiritual change requires taking the risk of getting close and making connections. We see this message playing…

I’ve had recent conversations with several dozen pastors serving congregations in diverse settings.  Their descriptions of their ministry challenges were what most of us could expect these days.  One by one, they all raised the same daunting concern:  broken connections.  Broken connections within the congregation…

45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter7 said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”[1] Luke 8:45 We are years into a global pandemic, and we have witnessed the resiliency and creativity of Christian…

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you refused” Isaiah 30:15 NRSV Our pursuit of our best life will not save us. Nor will it satisfy…

“God uses all kinds of people to reach all kinds of people.”  This simple, yet profound statement was made several years ago by my friend and brother, Rev. Andre’ D. Waller.  I think a lot of us in ministry would do well to remember this. …

I love how Eugene Peterson translates the first few verses of Philippians 2. “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you,…

The movie theater in my city has $5 Tuesdays, where you can watch any movie for $5. If they have a movie that starts early enough for me to see it before I have to pick up my three kids from school, I go by…

“This is hard” the words came quick, without warning catching me off guard. I wasn’t expecting this confession. Not from her, not today. I had already reached the limits of my own exhaustion and anxiety. I had already used my comforting words for the day…

“Other seed fell into good soil…”        – Mark 4:8 In the shed at Farm Church, we have a tool that looks like it doesn’t belong. It hangs among the rakes, trowels, and digging forks, looking strangely out of place, until we need it, and…

I rushed home yesterday after work so that I could get in my yard and do some much needed trimming and clipping, but after getting about halfway through the yard the heavens opened and it began to rain – not a downpour but a gentle…

In recent months we’ve been reflecting on trust building and mending the social fabric. Concurrently, I’ve had the opportunity to lead some group facilitation training sessions and have been coaching a few individuals who inhabit systems of dysfunction and distrust. All of this has had…

One of my favorite movie scenes of all time, is the waterfall fight scene in the movie Black Panther wherein M’Baku challenges Prince T’Challa for the kingship of Wakanda (if you haven’t seen it, you may watch a clip here). There is a moment when M’Baku seems to be winning…

How can pastors work to heal the tattered social fabric of their communities? I’ve been thinking a lot about this question since recently returning from a trip to Israel-Palestine with two Ministry Collaborative cohorts. While there, we spent time in the Galilee and Jerusalem having…

hind·er  verb create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction Peter’s education as a follower of Jesus didn’t end with Jesus’ ascension.  The Book of Acts highlights God’s relentless work on opening Peter up to hard challenges.  These surprises for Peter largely…

Digging a Deeper Well will go on hiatus starting next week for what we think is a terrific reason.  Your co-authors are going to be married in nine days and then take a couple weeks to travel afterwards. When we met almost five years ago,…

I wrote these words before I learned of the mass shootings that occurred over this weekend.  My first inclination was to scrap them but then I read them again and they remain true to me… Pardon me if they seem a bit preachy but here…

It was a casual aside by Seth Godin, during a recent interview with Debbie Millman.  Talking about leadership that is resilient and bold, Godin pointed to the actor Gene Kelly in his iconic performance in Singing in the Rain.  He noted that Kelly closes the…

Over the next several weeks we’ll be reflecting on how congregations and other ministry contexts serve as spaces of trust-building, mending social fabric, and faith formation that joins people in hope across difference. Here, I want to consider for a moment what an expression of…

We had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours recently with a gifted group of church board leaders.  Among the several questions we discussed with this group, one seemed to register most deeply, judging by people’s widespread sighs, forward leans, and nods of assent….

A couple years ago when I started the Digital Hospitality Retreats as an experiment, the driving need I imagined was people needed space to connect with God in the midst of the unknown. We were just entering the widespread pandemic of COVID-19, shelter-in-place, school at…

The history of exploration is punctuated by accounts of those who sought to forge a new path, only to find that what they thought was the endpoint turned out to be just a stop along the way.  Scaling one of the world’s highest peaks for…

I like how Eugene Peterson translates this section of Hebrews 13: 10-12 The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of…

Not long ago, we asked a board member of a Protestant church, “What is it like to serve on your church board?” After a pause, she replied, “It’s pretty much like the times I have to go to the DMV to get my driver’s license…

It’s no wonder that most pastors and church folk would like to never think or have to talk about the political/social divide in our society ever again.  It is literally tearing churches – and pastors – apart.  Accepting the warring categories in our culture as…

For this Holy Week, we have no questions for you or your church board.  No agenda.  No “let us go and do.”  Instead, just a joyful reminder of the source – and the enduring hope – of the work we all share, from Frederick Buechner’s…

As a third-generation preacher I have been in the church my whole life, however, there were times where my church involvement and attendance was episodic at best. Yes, I was one of “those people” who didn’t attend church regularly despite my deep relationship with Jesus…

We once met a woman, well into her 80’s and confined to a wheelchair, in a nursing home. On the wall opposite her was a print of Andrew’s Wyeth’s painting, “Christina’s World.”  Asked how she was doing, the woman pointed at the frame and said…

When I think of the “where” of the formation that has taken place in my life, there are certainly some places and spaces where I can “drop a pin” and say, I was changed here. In reality, I was not changed in that place. The…

Change is a word often surrounded by flashing caution signs for church boards.  Mention “change” and you just know someone will be upset.  (Curiously, we often overlook the upset caused by our failure to consider change.) Change in the congregational context can be like atomic…

The end of Luke’s Gospel can teach us a lot about where spiritual formation happens. It’s Easter afternoon. Two individuals, likely a man and a woman, are traveling the road to Emmaus after having been in Jerusalem for Passover. The recently resurrected Jesus appears to…

Over the next several weeks my colleagues and I will be reflecting on the “Where of Faith Formation.”  The challenges of doing our work as pastors and clergy are already numerous. With so many of us displaced from our places of worship over the last…

Chances are, if you find yourself scrolling through cable channels late at night, you will come across a 1950s sitcom filmed in grainy black and white and called The Honeymooners. It starred Jackie Gleason, one of the biggest stars of stage and screen in those…

Navigating the complexity of vocational discernment has always been a tricky dance to learn, not to mention master. Too many times, we find ourselves stumbling through the process trying to learn the steps or the choreography as we go while trying to convince those around…

Well-written obituaries offer a treasury of cultural observation and life wisdom.  Take the New York Times obituary of Joni James, a best-selling singer in the 1950’s who died last month at the age of 91.  James recorded over 700 songs in her career, sold more…

Many years ago, we moved to a new community. As the moving van was unloading the last of its boxes, a neighbor came over to introduce herself.  Looking at the out-of-state license plates on our cars, she asked what brought us to town.  I explained…

At first glance, the title of the Harvard Business Review article “Managers Can’t Do It All” elicited the response, “Well, Who on Earth Can?” The article summarizes so many shared feelings of this moment:  everything out of control, one-time work satisfactions seeping away, the erosion…

What is the goal of vocational discernment? For many, it’s arriving at a clearer sense of what job they should pursue. Should I be a pastor, lawyer, accountant, teacher, electrician, coach, or counselor? Should I go for a solo pastor position at a small church…

Writing in this space in 2018, we took a remarkably calm and measured tone:  A congregation of any size has within it those who do not agree with one another socially, politically, theologically. What does belonging to one another in a church mean when the…

A multitude of wise counselors. There are so many fascinating trends in our culture that have been accelerated by the pandemic. The one that most concerns me is the growing epidemic of isolation and loneliness. Pew, Gallup, Barna, Cigna, Harvard, and everyone else who has…

  This week, a story from The New York Times reports: The United States is enduring its most severe increase in traffic deaths since the 1940s.  By 2019, the annual death rate from crashes was near its lowest level since cars became a mass item…

Over the next several weeks, I and my colleagues will be thinking through the Complexity of Navigating Vocational Discernment during these strange and wonderful times.  If you’re like me and have a poor sense of direction, it’s very easy to get lost.  But finding one’s…

Another week, another article about the dramatic shifts in work-life balance.  Ginia Bellafante’s article in the New York Times carries the subtitle, “Even huge bonuses can’t offset plunging morale at investment banks and the rush to escape a ‘toxic’ work culture.” Many of the points…

In her lifetime of dispensing wisdom, Maya Angelou was fond of saying: “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.”  What is at stake right now is our need to invite hope to occupy the space of imagination about who our…

Maybe it’s the need for distraction as the pandemic stretches on, or perhaps it’s all those recent winning streaks, but the TV game show Jeopardy is receiving renewed cultural attention.  Since mid-summer, two contestants – Matt Amodio and Amy Schneider (pictured to the left) –…

We’ve been talking a lot the past few weeks about “what’s at stake.” As a reminder, here are some things not at stake.   God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. That you are fearfully and wonderfully made. The long arc of God’s perfect justice. The soul’s…

In mid-December, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia announced that it would be closing all its stores, warehouses, and offices from Christmas through New Year’s Day. For a company that does over $220 million in annual sales, a week off is no small thing. So, why…

Eight friends and family members gathered recently for a holiday meal.  As the meal went on, conversation drifted into talk of everyone’s jobs. A young woman who had just started her first job after graduate school shared about loving the work but struggling with the…

Over the next several weeks, as a follow-up to our recent Roundtable Podcast (Check it out if you haven’t already: What’s at Stake?), we will be reflecting on the question, “What’s at Stake?” We are surveying our experiences over the last several years to unpack the…

Over the next several weeks, as a follow to our recent Roundtable Podcast (Check it out if you haven’t already: What’s at Stake?), we will be reflecting on the question, “What’s at Stake?” We are surveying our experiences over the last several years in an…

I subscribe to lots of church newsletters, emailed weekly.  With these subscriptions often come daily advent devotionals.  You know the drill:  miscellaneous members and pastors and staff write a short devotional, usually on a Biblical text (that may be referenced in the devotional…or not) and…

One of the challenges for those who serve on church boards is that, well, it is all so church-focused.  The people in church ask you about the progress of this church thing or the problem with that church thing. You talk with your fellow leaders…

It’s official the great resignation is upon us, but you don’t need me to tell you this. Newspapers, blogs, political pundits, and your own life experiences tell the story of the masses of employees who are collectively refusing the low-wages, absent benefits, and dangerous working…

Let’s face it, finding or keeping one’s balance has never been the easiest thing in the month of December.  Calendars crowd us with events.  Cultural expectations for comfort and joy abound, keeping everyone too busy to have much of either. All the markers of the…

What does it take to be resilient? Popular opinion has it that resilience is the result of mental toughness, tenacity, grit, discipline, strength, and/or thick skin. There’s some truth to this, but each of these answers assumes that resilience is primarily about enduring through a…

Just as most pastors and church board members were easing into a few Thanksgiving days of leisure and the anticipation of a “more normal Advent,” news of Omicron filled our feeds.  The groans and exclamations—”Not again!”—could be heard everywhere.  Certainly, it was the most common…

“Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” Yeah, right. There’s been no shortage of ink spilled, thoughts spent, and lectures given over the course of the pandemic on how we can all be more “resilient.” That’s all fine and good. I’ve…

The word ‘contentment’ carries for many of us a negative connotation of complacency and ease that is the enemy of progress and productivity, so we’ve been disciplined to resist it.  We are driven, motivated, accomplished, and busy.  There is always something more to do, another…

Last week, I had the chance to spend some time with a large group of ELCA pastors from the Midwest. Despite being from the heart of Lutheran country they, like the rest of us, are facing the full litany of declining things: members, attendance, budgets,…

Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!  – Isaiah 58:1 About the last thing most pastors feel like right now – along with their church boards – is a trumpet. Worn down by months of uncertainty, discord over masks…

We are fast approaching the American holiday that will launch thousands of tweets, posts, and photos with largely the same theme:  a crowded table of people and food and some sentiment on how the person posting is “feeling grateful.” Culturally, that may work.  Biblically, it…

For many congregations, the counting season has begun.  Boards and committees are trying to determine the dollar amount of incoming pledges, gifts, and commitments for 2022.  This has never been an exact or scientific process, and the past two pandemic years have stirred in huge…

When I wake up in the afternoon Which it pleases me to do Don’t nobody bring me no bad news ‘Cause I wake up already negative And I’ve wired up my fuse So don’t nobody bring me no bad news   When you’re talking to…

Nearly fifty years ago, Studs Terkel published his landmark oral history Working, in which he observed: “Most of us, like the assembly line worker, have jobs that are too small for our spirit.  Jobs are not big enough for people.” Jobs are not big enough…

Vocation is not so much what we do, it’s how we do it. It’s not so much a question of occupation but of operation and orientation, the way in which we do things and the posture we take. One of the best ways of summing…

During a conversation with a cohort of working pastors this week, we posed the following question: What makes it hard for you to go deeper with your leadership circle?  What stands in the way of ‘digging a deeper well’ with these crucial leaders? What we…

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does…

Is this your sign-up sheet before—or after—it has been circulated? If you quickly shouted “Both!” you are not alone. Churches live on sign-up sheets.  We have sign-up sheets for ushering, for assisting in the nursery, for providing sanctuary flowers, for helping prepare communion, for helping…

Do you know what that sound is?  It’s the sound of too many voices in your head. The voices of people arguing about masks, vaccines, and policies for in-person worship. The voices of people offering more opinions than support. The voices of faith working through…

Peter Drucker, the pioneering twentieth-century management consultant, famously told organizations and their leaders to “face reality.”  Close on the heels of that, he would say, in effect, “what got us to today will not necessarily get us to tomorrow.” And, perhaps less famously, he would…

Can we talk? Depending on your age and social location when you read this question you may think of the popular Tevin Campbell song of the early 1990’s of the same name and the infectious chorus: Can we talk for a minute? Girl, I want…

If we feed people spiritually, all the true institutional needs of a congregation will be taken care of.  Three years ago this month, this sentence opened the first post of what would become Digging a Deeper Well, a blog dedicated to helping church boards think…

On a recent podcast, political strategist Paul Begala was commenting on the strident forms of conflict expressed in the political sphere, especially on social media.  He admitted that he was deeply involved on Twitter, with thousands of followers.  Almost as an aside, he said: For…

A happy discovery for congregations of all shapes and sizes in the first year of the pandemic was that new people sought them out for online worship, book discussions, and other activities.  These people joined in for any number of online offerings, yet they remain…

An old saying among black folks is that we laugh to keep from crying.  We sing and dance in defiance to the dreadfulness of our days.  Our joy protests the persistent suffering and instability that has so often shaded our path.  Frustratingly, it has left…

If you have been stranded on a desert island since March of 2020, this headline might be jarring. But for the rest of us who have been marinating in pandemic stress, uncertainty, and anxiety, the fact that a major airline had to remind its crews…

Lost in the hoopla surrounding this past weekend’s kick-off to the NFL season is one of America’s great sporting events: the US Open tennis finals. This year was spectacular. In the men’s final, the two top seeds squared off with a Grand Slam bid on…

“I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 Our lives are full of constantly shifting circumstances, disruptions, and potential distractions.  The one thing that is likely never to change is the reality that everything will…

Is it true that, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only eat parsley, you would die of starvation, since the effort to eat it is more than the nutrition you would receive? When I ask about the presence of parsley on…

Dear God, Right now I’m sitting in a quiet room in my home. My dog snores beside me. A cup of warm tea and a laptop, my phone, a prayer book, a novel, gifts from my nieces and nephews surround me. On my run this morning,…

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.  Luke 9:62 Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32 One of the greatest things I ever learned from running in track meets in grade school…

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 My prayer today is simple: “LORD, allow my words to be seasoned with both truth and grace; may they build up and not tear down; may they heal…

Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! 2 Corinthians 4:15 Sometimes when you are born into dysfunction, you just learn to live with things.  Sometimes when you are confronted with…

The greatest commandments are these: Love the LORD with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).  I used to think that hate was the opposite of love, but I’ve since learned that hate is the absence of…

We often face circumstances that don’t make sense – situations that challenge both our faith and our rationality.  The longer I live, the more often I find myself confronted with these types of things.  One might think that this would leave me discouraged and broken,…

My husband Josiah, a cheerful, relational sort of person, loves to comment on “that good old Nakamura pessimism.”  I, of course, prefer to think of myself as a realist than a pessimist… but I’ll definitely own up to being a “prepper.”  Not quite to the…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”  – Hebrews 12:1 Picture a church…

A few months ago as vaccines were becoming widely available, one of my biggest encouragers in the faith community I pastor, suggested I make some time to go away and rest. Pretty soon, she imagined, “we will hit the ground running.” On the one hand,…

“Here am I Lord; send me!”  Isaiah’s call, one of the lectionary readings for Trinity Sunday, captured my attention again when invited to preach on that Sunday.  We will not go into the heaviness of his call – I will save you from the sermon…

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells recently posted an article titled “What People Missed Most About Restaurants.  (It Wasn’t the Food.).”  The article’s subtitle serves up his main point: “it’s clear that the magic ingredient was the random thrill of seeing other people.” As…

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.  ….These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: …. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven…

Big goals… to change things… working together. After 60+ weeks of lockdowns, quarantines, and uncertainties, things are re-opening at a speed few of us would have guessed even a month ago.  Church boards can be forgiven for being caught both exhausted and unprepared.  We are…

One of the great paradoxes of our age is that while we’ve never been more connected to one another on social media, we’ve also never felt more alone. More than a third of Americans over 45 report being lonely. Feelings of isolation are especially acute…

She was a French philosopher, a mystic, and a political activist.  As her life progressed, she moved deeper into philosophy and became more religious.  When Simone Weil died at age 34 in the midst of World War II, Albert Camus described her as “the only…

“The rush back to normalcy is aggressive. Give us a minute.” Unknown This morning as I began my day and clicked onto Instagram, this was the quote that greeted me. I couldn’t comment “Amen” fast enough and I wasn’t alone. Within an hour hundreds of…

Most of us probably haven’t given much thought to Thornton Wilder’s Our Town since, maybe, it was the spring play during our high school years.  That is, until Tom Long’s review of Howard Sherman’s new book, Another Day’s Begun:  Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the…

37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Matthew 26:37   Life is hard. Ministry is difficult.  These are perhaps the understatements of the year.  But life and ministry are even more difficult when we…

“What you are writing is helpful – it is something for us to aspire to – but this is too hard, too challenging right now.”  “I’d love to have my church board spend a generous amount of time talking of larger topics of God’s imagination,…

For about the 20th time over the past 6 weeks, it happened again this morning. I got on the phone with an extraordinarily gifted, sharp, experienced, faithful pastor who recently began to gently nudge his congregation on some culturally controversial issues (you know what they…

Every church board faces hard choices at its meetings.  Beginning with how to structure the meeting itself. Choice One is to spend time… …on the minutes from the previous meeting, correcting typos and the list of excused absences; …making one board member uncomfortably read some…

Getting an ending right is not easy. Just ask the writers of popular TV shows like Dexter, Game of Thrones, The Good Place, or Seinfeld. The last episode of each of these series left fans confused and disappointed, muttering to themselves, “Wait, what? That can’t…

Exactly one month ago today, Gallup published significant data on church membership in a report bluntly titled U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time. Highlights from Gallup’s polling include the following: 47% of Americans report that they belong to a house of worship (a…

The Easter accounts in the gospels feature a lot of running.  Resurrection may cause that in people.  In John, the women and the disciples are practically running a relay race from and to the empty tomb.  In Matthew, the followers of Jesus are told in…

In his wise and insightful New York Times piece titled “The Unsettling Power of Easter,” Esau McCaulley recalls an Easter of his youth. I grew up in the Southern Black church tradition, where Easter was the opportunity to don your best outfit. The yellow and…

“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” Matthew 28:17 At the beginning of the pandemic, a friend was asking me about my thoughts on quarantine life. I told her I didn’t think it was going to be as quick or easy as…

It feels a lot like we have been in a darkened movie theater for the last year, watching the same pandemic picture show play over and over and over again…and now have walked out into bright light.  Our eyes are struggling to adjust and refocus….

There’s been no shortage of reflection and conversation over the past year about what’s been revealed by our multiple societal crises. So many dynamics – economic, social, political, cultural, and indeed ecclesial – that lay under the surface suddenly came to the fore in jarring…

It must be hard to contemplate the breadth and depth of your church board agenda right now.  New protocols for meeting in person, staying safe, being ready to contact-trace if needed, and tracking vaccination levels.  But also, in-person worship (or when can we do that?)…

We’ve just celebrated Easter 2021. We’ve endured a full year of this pandemic, political and social unrest, and likely an untold number of personal struggles that accompany these external pressures. We have had to discern a new way of being in a world that feels…

Featured in this week’s Christian Century, written by Carrie Graham, Austin, TX Cohort Facilitator and Founder of the Church Lab:     Rev. Carrie Graham is the founder and pastor of The Church Lab. While at Fuller Theological Seminary, she had a worshipful and transformative…

In some traditions, the story of Thomas’ encounter with the Risen Christ, following upon his earlier missed opportunity, is suggested for the Sunday after Easter. You’ll notice careful construction in the previous sentence to avoid the word “doubt.”  In the clear proclamation of John’s Gospel,…

As we enter the Lenten Season for the next few weeks, The Ministry Collaborative staff will be inviting you into conversation with us on topics that we’ve seen bubbling under the surface of our work and experience as ministry leaders. Our goal is to use…

A quick survey of recent church-related emails yields one prominent word:  return. “Return to in-person worship.” “Return in time for Easter.” “Return of regular programs.” “We know you are all wondering, when can we finally return after these long, hard 13 months?” What does the…

We’ve all heard it before, and probably even have said it ourselves: The church is dying. This diagnosis is based on troubling symptoms we’ve seen in recent years. Worship attendance is down, fewer people are participating in church programming, and an alarming number of congregations…

As we enter the Lenten Season for the next few weeks, The Ministry Collaborative staff will be inviting you into conversation with us on topics that we’ve seen bubbling under the surface of our work and experience as ministry leaders. Our goal is to use…

We have heard it said that adversity brings out both the best and the worst in who we really are. The times are telling on all of us, as we’ve had plenty of opportunity to reckon with ourselves over the last year. The compounded crises…

As we enter the Lenten Season for the next few weeks, The Ministry Collaborative staff will be inviting you into conversation with us on topics that we’ve seen bubbling under the surface of our work and experience as ministry leaders. Our goal is to use…

As we enter the Lenten Season for the next few weeks, The Ministry Collaborative staff will be inviting you into conversation with us on topics that we’ve seen bubbling under the surface of our work and experience as ministry leaders. Our goal is to use…

These days, whenever churches get mentioned in the company of banks, Congress, journalism, and big business, the news is probably not good. Case in point: Amanda Ripley’s recent piece in Comment Magazine on The Mystery of Trust. For decades, at least four different research organizations…

“Seminary didn’t prepare me for this.” I hear this sort of statement all the time, from senior pastors to newly minted MDiv grads. These are really talented folks who have gone to great seminaries and who care deeply about the church and the world. Yet…

“No one around here trusts the other side at all.”  – a U.S. Congressperson, January 2021 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”  – Psalm 56:3 Former Secretary of State (and Secretary of Labor and Treasury at different times) George Shultz died…

If you’re reading this, then congratulations, you have successfully navigated almost one whole year in the pandemic. One year ago we were all bracing ourselves for the onslaught of fear, pain, death, anxiety and grief that none of us could’ve foreseen. In some ways 2020…

Late last spring (mere months into the pandemic, although it already felt like a lifetime in lockdown), Lake Institute on Faith & Giving asked its extensive network of religious and philanthropic leaders to look ahead a year. What did they hope would be happening with…

Among the top three questions we are getting these days from pastors and congregational leaders:  How can we plan for our ministry in the next year?  Or, do you have strategic planning tools to recommend? In every office I have moved into upon starting a…

Well, that didn’t take long.  For all the talk of unity on January 20th (and the gifts to the new president from Republicans and Democrats alike, and Lady Gaga’s memorable national anthem, and Amanda Gorman’s gorgeous spoken word poem, The Hill We Climb), by January…

In all my work as a pastor and alongside pastors over the past 12 years or so, I’ve never witnessed a time when clergy were feeling more stuck, beaten down, conflicted, exhausted, and, for some, simply hopeless, than I have over the past nine months….

On the Sunday morning after the deadly riot at the United States Capitol, Father William Corcoran put on his black suit and clerical collar and stepped into St. Elizabeth Seton church in the Chicago suburb of Orland Hills to celebrate the 7:30 a.m. Mass. So…

My mother used to tell me that, “If you lie, you will cheat, if you cheat, you will steal, and if you steal, you will kill.”  She would follow by telling me that there’s nothing worse than a liar.  “You can guard yourself against a…

As our nation reels from the violent assault on the women and men of Congress and the Capitol Building last week, church boards need to direct their feet. They need to walk toward conversations about shared truth and walk away from the language of false…

It’s January, and that means one thing: New Year’s Resolutions. Eat better. Exercise more. Spend less. Make it through one of those read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year programs. Whatever the goal, New Year’s Resolutions produce two contrasting impulses in me. The first is hope. January heralds the possibility of…

Dear friends and colleagues, At the outset of this new year, we wanted to express several pressing things to you. First and foremost, thank you.  Thank you for the faithful, inspired, life-changing work you’ve given yourself to over the past year. You’ve been sharing in…

Colossians is a guide for every church board in every season, but perhaps in no season more than this one at the end of 2020. At the beginning of the letter, we read: In our prayers for you we always thank God, for we have…

Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com revealed their “word of the year” last week.  Unsurprisingly, that word was “pandemic.”  More interesting were the words that were “runners-up”- including “bubble,” “pod,” “social-distancing,” “face-masks,” and “lockdown.”  There was another set of runners-up that dug deeper into how this year has…

It’s rare that a major news outlet covers the charitable work of American churches. (Is that the fault of the news media, or the churches?) Bucking this trend, a recent New York Times Op-Ed by Elizabeth Bruenig, “Churches Step In Where Politicians Will Not,” highlights…

The Birmingham 2.0 Cohort of The Ministry Collaborative have transitioned to the next phase of our journey together.  Our official time together ended this month, but the relationships that began over three years ago have been deepened and our commitment to support on another has…

One of the things we’re learning during COVID-19 is that many in our communities are longing for “thirdspaces.” Thirdspace is a term used by sociologists to describe where we spend time when we’re not at home (“first” space) or at work (“second” space). Thirdspaces can…

As I sat down to write today’s article pondering the prompt, “What have we learned?” I immediately began pulling up emails, and scouring studies, and statistics. I then turned to several bloggers I respect and read their brilliant think pieces. I even logged onto some…

The year 2020 has launched an armada of articles that bear the same rippling banner.  “The coronavirus could be the crisis that finally propels X industry into the 21st Century.” This week’s flotilla led off with a New York Times piece by Stefanos Chen about…

As we enter the last stretch of 2020, we want to share what we’re seeing and learning about pastors and congregations across the country.  I’m sure we’ll get into to some nuts and bolts analysis of these themes in the coming weeks, but I simply…

They had become so focused on the aches and pains in the system that they had been thrown off course by the complaints. They had stopped supplying vision or had burned out fighting the resistance; they had ceased to be the strength in the system….

Over the past week, many of us have held our breath as we awaited results from the election. In the agonizing period between Tuesday and Saturday, I must have hit refresh on the blue-and-red map a thousand times. Never have four days felt longer. Yet,…

Our inboxes—perhaps like yours—have been flooded with election-related emails in the last month.  There have been requests for money (and more requests, and more requests), pleas for volunteers, and updates on polls and strategy.  As we headed into election week, however, there came a change. …

One of the strong impressions this year has made on me is the growing distrust – or disdain – of words.  There are active attempts to undermine the words of those in positions of responsibility.  But there is something more personal involving so much hard…

Macedonian Ministry Foundation has received a grant of $1,000,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish and build collaborative, adaptive, and joyful congregations. The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the national initiative is to strengthen Christian congregations so…

It is inevitable for most church boards that, during times of uncertainty (like now) or contentious board discussions (potentially like now), people get to thinking, if only we knew more … or if only the people on the other side of the issue understood more…

Growing up my mother always warned us, “There’s no safe place down here.” Whenever we went to her for an explanation of something crazy happening in the world she reminded us that this world is not our home and safety wasn’t hers to give. Yesterday…

What is the church for? Increasingly, this question is coming into focus as an essential question to ask – and answer – for congregations, their pastors, and their church boards.  Most faith communities have long assumed they know what they exist for.  Sadly, the year…

2020 is one for the books for sure.  We have all been riding this ridiculous rollercoaster for months now and are likely worn thin by worry and anxiety.  Our souls are disquieted by the uncertainty of the times.  But amid these crises, I offer you…

Before writing our piece this week, we called a colleague who is a gifted pastor of a mid-sized healthy congregation.  “So, what are you thinking about in the midst of this fall’s stewardship emphasis in your church?” The pastor’s succinct response:  “Ugh.” Among pastors and…

Half-hearted ministry is killing us. Every bit as much as half-hearted living leads us into dead ends, half-hearted ministry is leaving congregations adrift and clergy and other church staff looking for, as more than one pastor has said to me lately, “a ticket out.” This…

For some, it is the loss of salad bars.  As the Wall Street Journal reported last week: A casualty of the pandemic, the days of the salad bar are gone for the foreseeable future. …[T]o devotees, the banishment of buffet bars signifies the closing of…

“The antidote to exhaustion is not rest, it’s wholeheartedness.” – David Whyte. This simple yet profound statement has captured the imaginations of The Ministry Collaborative (TMC) staff since we discovered it last spring. At that time, we were all new to pandemic life and experiencing…

Once you reach your 60s (or so we hear . . .), the annual physical at the doctor’s office may include a memory test. Spell “world” backward.  Sure. Subtract 7 from 100 until you get less than 50.  Got it. What day of the week…

“The antidote to exhaustion is not rest, it’s wholeheartedness.” – David Whyte. This simple yet profound statement has captured the imaginations of The Ministry Collaborative (TMC) staff since we discovered it last spring. At that time, we were all new to pandemic life and experiencing…

As the multiple challenges of 2020 lengthen and deepen, and the pressures on pastors and  church boards proliferate, it is helpful to hold onto some Biblical and theological truths and then follow those truths wherever they lead.  Here’s one such truth, supported by creation accounts…

“The antidote to exhaustion is not rest, it’s wholeheartedness.” – David Whyte. This simple yet profound statement has captured the imaginations of The Ministry Collaborative (TMC) staff since we discovered it last spring. At that time, we were all new to pandemic life and experiencing…

Today, we take you to the NBA three-point line. We tend to stay away from sports analogies, but this one is less about basketball and more about risk, efficiency, change, and the development of new skills. The three-point shot was introduced to NBA games in…

Dear friends and colleagues, Your continued support for one another from coast to coast is inspiring. We have the privilege of being able to observe how you all are connecting, communicating, encouraging, and challenging one another in this truly remarkable time of ministry, and we…

“The antidote to exhaustion is not rest, it’s wholeheartedness.” – David Whyte. This simple yet profound statement has captured the imaginations of The Ministry Collaborative (TMC) staff since we discovered it last spring. At that time, we were all new to pandemic life and experiencing…

It’s helpful for those of us working in or with churches to remember that we – and our institutions – are not as special as we often think we are. For every invaluable reminder that the church has a unique calling in our world (the…

32 Remember Lot’s wife. [1] Luke 17:32   When are we going back?  One of the greatest things I ever learned from running in track meets in grade school and high school was never to look back.  Even if you thought you were winning a…

When, in July, Lifeway Research asked pastors what was causing them the most stress, the number one answer was not what you might expect. It was not congregation members’ safety and well-being (that was named by 13 percent). It was not personal exhaustion (that was…

Everyone loves a superhero. At least I do. There is something about the way ordinary people, with ordinary lives are transformed by some hidden ability allowing them to do extraordinary things. We recently lost a beloved actor, Chadwick Bosman, who gave us King T’Challa in…

While we hope these pieces are helpful and relevant whenever they are used, we do not write them to be “evergreen.”  That is especially true this week.  Conversations with pastors, church leaders, and church board members in diverse settings in the last several days have…

The pain, grief, dislocation, and uncertainty generated by this pandemic feel endless.  As it turns out, so do the lists. Top Ten Comfort Foods in Quarantine Fifteen overlooked movies of the 1980’s Essential TV shows to Binge Today (yes, it is time to watch The…

In the days after the deaths of C.T. Vivian and John Lewis, which happened on the same weekend in July, the digital displays outside Lincoln Center in New York City – usually pre-occupied with upcoming performances but mostly blank amid the pandemic –  displayed alternating…

  A member of Macedonian Ministry’s Atlanta 4 Cohort, Matt serves as Executive Pastor at The Living Room Community Church in the Tri-Cities of Washington where he architects structures and processes that support the vision and mission of the church. He leads change, builds culture,…

Is it me or does it seem like we are stuck in the movie Groundhog Day? For some reason the past couple of weeks feels oddly like the first weeks of quarantine life back in March (April or May depending where you live). Although we’ve…

In recent weeks, I’ve begun hearing people talk about social justice fatigue. This refers to the physical, mental, and/or emotional toll incurred through advocating for social change. There’s no doubt, standing up against racial injustice or any other form of violence and marginalization is exhausting…

“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” ― Frederick Buechner  In this moment, there are a lot of variables that seems out of our control, and a lot of variables that simply aren’t going very well. But we can make a…

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29 The…

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For…

Our colleagues at RootedGood are offering a terrific tool to help pastors and church boards navigate the challenging decision making that is inherent in ministry today as we seek to be faithful to the urgent demands of the moment.  Though Digging a Deeper Well is taking a…

A recent post by my favorite daily blogger, Seth Godin, contains a great deal of complexity in its few lines: When you talk about your last job, your last vacation, the things that happened when you were 12… What do you lead with? Do you…

Over the past several weeks, I’ve found myself reflecting on Richard Rohr’s notion of “The Edge of Inside.”  Being on the edge of inside means being connected to an established system but not being beholden to it or reliant upon it. Sometimes, being too far…

Last weekend, The New York Times ran a front-page story about Chris Thomas, pastor of First Baptist Church of Williams, Alabama. In early 2017, President Trump had been inaugurated the week before, and the new administration was already making headlines with a travel ban that…

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 When we think about naming and labeling, recall how God gave Adam the job of naming what He created. That naming was not just a vocabulary challenge, but it…

If the current season of crisis and change doesn’t end “strategic planning” and consign it to the dustbin of history, nothing will. Speaking of dustbins, go into most pastors’ offices, and there on the highest shelf you will find the last four strategic planning reports,…

“Anger and tears create the space for the work of the Spirit. They are the groaning of the Spirit for renewal of creation and an expression of compassion thus revealing a deep spiritual well. To fear our tears or to suppress our anger is to…

In a recent Ministry Collaborative podcast we were talking with Tod Bolsinger, who teaches and directs leadership formation at Fuller Seminary and is also a member of our advisory board.  Tod was asked what he learned after writing the widely read Canoeing the Mountains that…

This past weekend I participated in a protest here in Atlanta, Georgia organized by my daughter and some of her former classmates at The Lovett School. The small group of college freshman and sophomore’s decided to hold a protest in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta,…

We can only imagine the items on your church board’s agenda as you head into June. If/when/how to open the building and for what purposes. If opening, how to establish new cleaning and seating and singing and greeting protocols. Which programs to postpone, and which…

Christian Conscience in Crisis: A Statement About The Most Recent Painful and Poignant Examples of Racial Injustice In Our Society.   The Ministry Collaborative has long been committed to creating spaces and processes for nurturing deep, trusting relationships across perceived barriers in communities, especially between…

To assume that peace exists or can be maintained simply by remaining silent, is a misrepresentation of what peace is. To remain silent in the face of oppression or violence, is not “peace,” and that silence is not “golden.” This false peace is more akin…

Over the past two months, we’ve been listening and learning alongside pastors and lay leaders from all over the country, from a broad diversity of backgrounds and contexts, about the complexities of ministry right now. Below, we’ve attempted to compile a list of quotes, questions,…

Digging a Deeper Well will return on June 4.  Our 18- month archive of past articles is available at any time, here. Also, if you would like a more focused conversation about the challenges and opportunities of engaging your church board, the Macedonian Ministry Team…

Our Advisory Board here at MMF is an amazing group of women and men  who are engaged in ministry from many different angles in diverse places around the country.  On a call with them last week, we were talking about all the challenges facing pastors…

For some time before the Covid-19 crisis (if we can remember back that far), we were hearing concern from pastors that they were becoming “soft targets” for the frustration boiling over in our society.  Clergy told us that they were increasingly on the receiving end…

Last December I read the book, “Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose” by Jean Case who uses compelling storytelling to illustrate how bold decision-making and acts of fearlessness have changed the world. I remember it as a decent read, but…

by:  Elizabeth Lynn and Mark Ramsey  I  May 7, 2020   8 …You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before…

  And actually, the question is about a question. What do you think are the most important questions that pastors in congregations can be asking right now? Click here to respond. Our aim is to gather as much information as possible from ministry leaders everywhere…

by:  Elizabeth Lynn and Mark Ramsey  I  April 30, 2020 Recently we invited you, our readers, to tell us what issues you would like us to address in the area of church board leadership. Among the responses we received, one theme predominated:  the challenge of thinking together deeply about…

“Joy is resistance to disorder, cynicism, entropy and despair. It is not simply resistance but courageous resistance that, I suspect, transcends reason. Most miraculous experiences baffle reason…”  ~ Toi Derricote, African American Poet As Christians, our joy is rooted in the living hope we have…

Some things that seemed rock solid before the global crisis are suddenly not so reliable anymore, a reality humorously captured in this three-minute video from Julie Nolke.  Think regular haircuts. In-person doctor visits.  Annual conferences. The right to accompany your loved ones into surgery. Other…

Last week Mark Ramsey wrote a thought-provoking article titled “Timing,” wherein he challenged us as clergy to open our thinking to the wondrous things that Jesus is doing “out there” in the world. He stated that the resurrected Jesus had gone ahead of the disciples and their…

We will return next week with a new post on Digging a Deeper Well. Now that every congregation has done the hard work to celebrate Holy Week in this challenging time, the question for many is becoming: now what? What questions do you have about…

Last Friday afternoon – Good Friday – I talked with three pastor colleagues, all of whom had “finished” their work for the weekend.  They had concluded recordings of their Good Friday and Easter services.  Now, they were contemplating what was usually the most stressful weekend…

We hope that every pastor – and every church board member – who has been working so diligently to lead through these challenging times will be able to find rest and restoration in this week where, biblically speaking, God performs the work of resurrection! There…

Matthew 28:6–8 ESV 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[a] lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to…

To all you pastors, lay leaders, volunteers, and congregation members who are rapidly adjusting, adapting, and trying new things, some of which are going well and others which aren’t going well at all, don’t forget… God is rejoicing over you! In the midst of an…

So much bold, imaginative, and tiring work has gone into the last few weeks, for pastors and church boards alike.  It’s been a time full of “how on earth do we …?” questions.  Those questions will keep coming, but the urgency of answering them all…

In faith communities all over – large and small, rural and urban – church leaders are wrestling with the challenges of Easter Day. Many are trying to figure out how to do it online, in a way that captures the “specialness” that has usually accompanied…

Think back to where you were a month ago, and where you thought you were going to be this week and what you thought you were going to be doing. Now think about where you are and what you have been doing instead. The pace…

We’ve been in awe over the last couple of weeks witnessing the extraordinary resilience, creativity, and faithfulness of pastors and lay leaders all across the U.S. and the world.  It’s amazing to see how quickly we can interpret the circumstances and adapt when necessary.  It…

On one of the Sunday morning news shows this week, Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health was talking about the COVID-19 crisis. “You know, we think we are over-reacting in our plans to deal with things like this,” he noted, “only to find…

Join us for a nationwide Zoom call on Wed, 2pm ET, at https://zoom.us/j/173865252. No registration required. Just click and join us! As the COVID-19 global health crisis continues to expand, we are in a rapidly increasing number of conversations with pastors all over the country…

It’s hard to imagine any church board meeting in the next couple of weeks in which we don’t discuss handshakes or hand sanitizers. Or how to visit the most vulnerable members of our congregations. Or how the peace can be passed without human contact. Or…

For the past couple of weeks my colleagues Adam Borneman and Mark Ramsey have been posting our reflections, observations and findings from a recent gathering we held on the economics of ministry. The fact that we are still mining nuggets of wisdom is proof of…

Last week in Atlanta, we convened about two dozen pastors, lay leaders, and other church leaders from around the country to talk about the pressing challenges of ministry economics with a focus on property, space, and buildings. Now if that doesn’t get you amped up…

Recently, Stacy Williams-Duncan of the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!), addressed ministry leaders on the topic of digital culture.  Among a score of important insights, one sentence stood out:  “Sharing on social media is not the same as curating information for your audience.” It may be…

9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9 In our previous post, Rev. Jennifer Watley Maxell, used the phrase ‘shared consumption’ as a form of collaboration.  It stuck with…

A friend who sometimes calls herself a ‘serial parishioner’ tells the story of visiting churches in her midwestern community some years ago.   I went to the United Church of Christ for several months. When I expressed interest in joining, the pastor replied: We’re so…

  “The hard thing when you get old is to keep your horizons open. The first part of your life everything is in front of you, all your potential and promise. But over the years, you make decisions; you carve yourself into a given shape….

Pastors and church leaders are quick to assert that they are not in competition with other churches.  But most will admit that, while they aren’t trying to compete, they do feel pressure to “keep up.”  This leads to many spiritual ailments:  distraction, envy, disappointment, and—most…

One of the traps we see ministries falling into revolves around this set of assumptions: We have the youth ministry lane, the worship lane, the adult education lane, the missions lane, the communications lane, and so on.  And then an individual, group, or committee is…

  Where does imagination enter into our work? How do we learn to see new possibilities in the resources available to our congregation? Who teaches us how to imagine our church life together? What possibilities do they help us to see?   We think these…

These two charts (among many others!) have been very helpful to me for understanding why so many ministries struggle with collaboration even while rightly naming it as a priority. Simply put, we tend to talk a lot about collaboration without describing what we actually mean…

In church life, January–not April–can seem like the cruelest month.  All the routine meetings, tasks, and assignments that everyone deferred in December land back on the calendar with a thud.  And there are budgets to finalize, and often congregational annual meetings, and sometimes new board…

For many of us 2020 has started the same as any other year with an endless list of task, chores, errands and to-do’s. No matter how we ended 2019, 2020 demands that some things must be done. As for pastors and church leaders, there are…

Most of us learned a certain way of doing chores:  we were told to get through with all the “compulsory things” and then we would be “rewarded “ with something fun or meaningful. First the mundane, then the meaningful. I think we’ve imported this approach…

This year has been amazing! To each of you who has joined us in this wonderful work of supporting, equipping and transforming pastors and congregations, we say thank you! Whether you have served as a facilitator, a cohort member, a presenter, a conversation partner, a…

As we conclude the year, we are appreciative of all the comments, ideas, and suggestions you have offered in response to these posts.  We are always eager to hear from you with suggestions of topics to explore.  Just let us know here if you have…

What are your church’s biggest problems?  You know – the ones that have people talking in meetings, in the hall, in the parking lot… Chances are that if you’re a leader in your congregation, you could make a list of problems in a quick minute. …

Ah, Advent! Well, certainly in church, you will hear congregational leaders saying, with at least a little exasperation, “Ah, December!”  What a month! Crowded calendars, last minute financial asks, special programs and everything else. It is unlikely that the First Century gospel writers could have…

I am a life-long Presbyterian who loves the church. I went to a Presbyterian seminary, where I was formed by Presbyterian theology. It has been Presbyterian pastors and lay people who have shaped me, and it is a Presbyterian pension and medical plan that secures…

Rev. Charles L. Howard, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, University Chaplain, Macedonian Ministry Cohort Facilitator, Philadelphia, PA. Chaz, why did you say, “Yes!” to being the Facilitator of this cohort? “‘Oh how good and how pleasant it is for brothers (and sisters!) to dwell together in…

Isn’t it ironic that a season set aside for contemplation has become so crowded? During Advent, the world crowds in on us and our churches. At closer look, though, church itself – with very little help from culture – crowds in too. There’s the sign-up…

“Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them…” Philippians 4:5a – The Message I’ve been in Alabama for twenty years now and perhaps one of the most annoying things I…

Sometimes we find ourselves trying to win at church. We don’t like to admit it, but since we’re among friends, we can be honest in this space. We track all kinds of data attempting to paint a picture of positive progress and success in ministry….

Meet Our 2019 Dallas, TX Cohort! “We have a very diverse cohort of pastors from across Dallas who are committed to engaging with their City, and who want to learn from one another and from a variety of resources how to do that more faithfully and…

At a recent cohort gathering (thank you, Denver) a question arose:  “It’s good to dig deeper in church board meetings, but what are the implications for what we do between meetings?” Practically, if monthly board meetings are going to provide enough time for prayer, Bible…

As we go about our church board business—building agendas, leading meetings, showing up for worship and programs, recruiting volunteers from a dwindling list, solving budget crises, and on and on—we need to be attuned to a voice crying, Stop!     That voice may sound counterintuitive. …

In a recent post, Seth Godin retells what he terms a “magical story.” A Gurkha rifleman escaped from a Japanese prison in south Burma and walked six hundred miles alone through the jungles to freedom. The journey took him five months, but he never asked…

Our mention last week of the recent Pew Forum report about the decline of American Christianity drew a lot of response, suggesting that many church boards and pastors are pondering their congregations in the harsh light of its findings. The Pew report is deeply researched,…

  What do people in your community care about? What are their values? What are their aspirations? What are their hopes? What are their goals? What are their needs? What are their interests? What are their challenges? Where do they experience joy? Where do they…

Recent survey results from the Pew Forum on the decline of Christianity in America have brought forth responses from across the spectrum of faith communities.  Reactions have ranged from panic and despair to renewed resolve about the power of the gospel.  No matter where your…

Because, contrary to all evidence, we treat disruption as the exception rather than the rule. While life experience overwhelmingly indicates that attaining perfect stasis and equilibrium is a myth, we continue – often unconsciously – to relentlessly pursue such conditions. On the other hand, we…

Erica St. Bernard, Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist, Macedonian Ministry Cohort Facilitator, Washington, D.C. Erica, why did you say, “Yes!” to being the Facilitator of this cohort? “I accepted the invitation to be the Facilitator for this cohort in order to create safe and…

… is crucial, as a church board discerns God’s activity, or as a faithful congregation discerns its way forward.  Hopefully we have established that polling or surveying a congregation is among the worst of the options.  But what are some wiser options for discernment? Today…

Today, the demolition of our congregation’s kitchen begins. It’s going to be a major disruption—let’s be honest, it already has been. The conversation about the kitchen was alive well before I arrived five years ago to Christ on Capitol Hill (Saint Paul, Minnesota), my fourth…

In the instructions Paul gives the followers of Jesus at Corinth about the Lord’s Supper, we may also glean some wisdom for church boards. 1 Corinthians 11:23-33 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on…

It looked like a weed – the tiny sprig of green that sprouted in the crack of my front walkway. I passed it for days as I rushed out the front door headed for work. With each passing, the growing leaves reminded me to add…

Rev. Adam Mixon is no stranger to working with Macedonian Ministry. Over the last several years he has shared his gifts with us in various ways and we are grateful that his involvement continues to increase. Adam has been engaged with the work of Macedonian…

Rev. Jennifer Maxell is no stranger to working with Macedonian Ministry. Over the last several years she has shared her gifts with us in various ways and we are grateful that her involvement continues to increase. Jennifer has served Macedonian Ministry in a variety of…

Rev. Jennifer Maxell and Rev. Adam Mixon are no strangers to working with Macedonian Ministry. Over the last several years they have shared their gifts with us in various ways and we are grateful that their involvement continues to increase. Jennifer has served Macedonian Ministry…

For the last several weeks we have been talking about the “volunteer line” and how it is increasingly difficult for congregational leaders to recruit participants for the activities and organizations under their umbrella. Sometimes, church board members, pastors, and/or those active in churches see this…

“God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” For years the words from 1 John were the crescendo of my well-crafted wedding homily, where I proclaimed to a couple that because they were in love, God…

Rev. Emily McGinley, Pastor, Urban Village Church (Hyde Park | Woodlawn), Macedonian Ministry Cohort Facilitator, Chicago, IL Emily, why did you say, “Yes!” to being the Facilitator of this cohort? “I have been blessed to participate in a few different clergy cohorts over the past…