The Church Renewal forum provides fresh conversations and new ideas to help churches renew their atmosphere and journey towards mission in a post-Christian culture.
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In Charles Olson's book, Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders, he asks: what if there is another way of looking at the work of the church council?
A Prayer for God's work in us to make us one, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one.
Designed to equip churches for Spirit-led, group-engaged, mission-oriented discernment, the Crossroads Discernment Toolkit was birthed out of a unique collaboration between Resonate Global Mission and the CRCNA's Pastor Church Resources.
One small word can change the entire paradigm of missions at your church. Don’t believe me? Read on!
Self-identified North American church goers attend church, on average, just once per month. Providence CRC recognized this challenge and is choosing a proactive approach to keep people connected even when they not present on Sunday mornings.
If all agree that prayer is important and powerful, why doesn’t prayer hold a more prominent place in most council meetings?
I think we have failed to recognize the power that we have to form the Christian identity of the young people sitting in our pews. Won’t you consider giving young people a voice at the table?
In 2010, Pastor Brian from Immanuel Reformed Church asked his congregation if anyone wanted $10. Many hands went up. Then he said, “If you take this $10, then you need to use it to help someone who has a need.”
As my exposure to congregations has increased, I’ve discovered greater creativity than I anticipated. Let me share a story about The HUB's creative approach to “doing” church.
Giving is the life-blood of every church. In today’s world of PayPal, ApplePay, and Venmo have we kept pace with how our people like to give? Here are some suggestions for creating a more giving friendly church.
Connecting with a public school links the church to the beating heart of the community. Here are a few ways churches can serve their local public schools.
Someone once said that if you can teach your congregation to smile you’ll grow by 20%. Churches would also do well to teach their facilities to put on a smile.
The Ultimate Frisbee community, like any other group coming together over a shared affinity, has its own special values. As we integrate into these communities, we have an incredible opportunity to live out our faith.
Many people that we meet at the farmer's market don’t know where our church is located. The market has provided an opportunity to tell them both where we are and a bit more about who we are.
As I sit at the table, I have not said one single profound thing or come up with any solutions. But I am hearing stories, learning about the brokenness, and gaining a sense of the opportunities that exist.
Are you from Amy’s church? Is there ice cream tonight? How much cheese did you bring? These are just some of the questions we commonly receive from the residents of the People in Need House (PIN House).
A few years ago Providence Church (Holland, MI) harnessed the energy of HGTV and remodeled a home while also raising thousands of dollars for a Uganda missional move. Here's a to-do list if your church is interested!
Even with all the books and coaches and renewal team retreats, no change was going to happen in our congregation if I didn’t lead it. This was the quintessential money-where-my-mouth-was moment.
Sunnyside CRC in Sunnyside, WA, discovered a powerful way to demonstrate the love of Christ to neighbors while also building deeper fellowship among believers.
With the growing trend toward digital media in society, it should come as no surprise that churches can, and should leverage this opportunity to connect with a wide variety of people. Learn about how LifeQuest is using Facebook to grow membership.
Rock and Roll and Food Trucks was easily the largest outreach event that Faith Community has undertaken in the last twenty years. It grew out of the ideas and culture cultivated by the Church Renewal Lab.
Up and coming writers are often given a simple piece of advice: write about what you know best. I think the same could be said of starting new ministry opportunities!
I was the only pastor there among people with graduate degrees in environmental science and ecology. When it was my turn to present, I unapologetically said that we are a church and are called to care for God's creation.
Our stately, traditional church building and dated signage gave the impression that the people inside were old, boring, and stoic. Our new image is fresh, modern, welcoming, and rooted in our identity.