March 13, 2017 0 It is almost impossible to overstate the difficulties long-established congregations face as they seek to move up off a plateau in size or to reverse a long period of numerical decline.Lyle E. Schaller
March 13, 2017 0 It’s common in churches to say that our budget acknowledges our priorities. How we spend our financial resources surely represents our values in a practical way. However, there is another indicator of our priorities. Our use of time is an even more accurate indication of values, yet little attention is given to the “time budget” of how our members, staff, and pastors are asked by the church to spend their time. A good question may simply be:How do we allocate our time and ask others to allocate their time?
March 9, 2017 0 It is almost impossible to overstate the difficulties long-established congregations face as they seek to move up off a plateau in size or to reverse a long period of numerical decline. Lyle E. Schaller
March 9, 2017 0 It is common in churches to say that our budget acknowledges our priorities. How we spend our financial resources surely represents our values in a practical way. However, there is another indicator of our priorities. Our use of time is an even more accurate indication of values, yet little attention is given to the “time budget” of how our members, staff, and pastors are asked by the church to spend their time. A good question may simply be: How do we allocate our time and ask others to allocate their time?
March 7, 2017 0 Celebration is often a missing component of ongoing church life. It is important to notice and name representative examples of the good your community of faith accomplishes. Celebrate those things that all can rejoice in regardless of their level of participation. All can rejoice in lives changed and communities blessed through literally hundreds of church ministries. And remember always to celebrate what you want to encourage for the future. So, the right question is:What do we celebrate here?
March 1, 2017 0 Becky Posey Williams of the United Methodist General Commission on the Status and Role of Women wrote about hearing a commencement speech by Dean James Ryan at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In speaking to the beauty and power of good questions, he offered five guiding questions that he encourages graduates to ask themselves in any situation.Wait, what? I wonder if…?Couldn’t we at least…?How can I help?What truly matters?
March 1, 2017 0 If you can’t engage or inspire a 17-year-old, you will never engage an unchurched person.Carey Nieuwhof
February 22, 2017 0 We are more likely to learn something from people who disagree with us than we are from people who agree.Michael Fullan
February 22, 2017 0 In an interview with Tony Morgan, Pastor Stephen DeFur of Cokesbury United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN, tells about the questions his church asks, beyond attendance and financial issues, in order to monitor vitality. Questions related to “reaching new people” are below. Additional questions were included in the February 8 and 15 issues of Leading Ideas.Are we meeting regular attenders’ friends?Are we connecting with unchurched people on a regular basis?
