Imagine sitting on chairs in the church’s parking lot; multiple “campfires” are burning safely in their containers, and people are roasting marshmallows and telling stories. They smile as they tell small “c” campfire stories about …
The Importance of Campfire Stories
When I served as a counselor at Camp Roger, a camp in Rockford, Mich., we would head out each week for a night in tents. After dark we gathered around the fire and told stories. …
Is Your Church Healthy?
To pursue your congregation’s vision and calling well, it is essential to have a healthy congregation. In our Renewal Lab, we teach that at least two things are critical to church health: Grace – In …
Facing Reality: Stalled Outreach
In this series of newsletters, we have been naming six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed aging congregations, leadership pipelines running dry, and the decline of volunteerism. Today, we’ll turn to the fourth challenge, stalled …
Facing Reality: Volunteer Decline
In this series of newsletters, we have named six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed the first two challenges, aging congregations and leadership pipelines running dry. Today, we’ll turn to this third challenge, the …
A Look Back: Fresh Ideas From 2025
This year, we shared many ways to help your church take bold steps of renewal. Below are ten fresh ideas we think are worth re-visiting as the year comes to an end! Ten Fresh Ideas …
Navigating Our Fractured Reality
As we noted in the last article, there is a deep fracturing in the evangelical church that can lead people in the pews to suspect those sitting next to them of not being sufficiently Christian …
Facing Reality: Aging Congregations
Last week, we named some of the most common hard realities churches today are facing: aging congregations, leadership gaps, volunteer decline, stalled outreach, blurry vision, and conflict. We said that acknowledging the hard realities your church is …
Facing Reality: Naming the Challenges Churches Today Can’t Ignore.
Renewal never begins with denial. Renewal begins with telling the truth. And the truth is that churches today are facing daunting challenges. It can be tempting to look the other way. Whether it is stalled growth, …
One Door and Only One?
“One door and only one, and yet its sides are two. I’m on the inside. On which side are you?” I remember this song from my childhood, but I am not sure how to think …