What’s it like for parents to raise children today, especially if a growing relationship with God is important to them? And what can ministry leaders do to help? These are the two questions we’re trying to help the ministry leaders explore in our 4th–Soil ParentingProject, supported by the Lilly Endowment. We’re asking
By Fred Oduyoye and Rick Lawrence Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a shorthand way to spotlight our need for the advance of justice in our culture, and for our call to reconciling relationships. Many academic institutions, and many public/private organizations, now have DEI departments and executive-level officers. But,
Esther Wojcicki is a popular 78-year-old Media Arts teacher at Palo Alto High School who’s raised three wildly successful daughters—CEO’s of major corporations (YouTube and 23andMe) and an epidemiologist/professor (UC San Francisco). Naturally, many have been curious about how Esther’s approach to parenting fueled these public-sector superstars—what’s the “secret sauce”
Every now and then, it is good to be reminded that God doesn’t call any of us into ministry, professional or otherwise, because we’re good at it. A quick glance through the Scriptural address book of God’s chosen is humbling: not a valedictorian among them, not a single CEO on
I’ve been leading deep-growth experiences for groups—from a few people to thousands—for more than two decades now. I’ve learned that when we are leading people in a ministry environment, we’re less like technicians and more like artists. That’s because our chosen “medium” is people, and our art form is relational.
We’re people created in the image of a triune God, and that means we’re fundamentally relational. That also means we’re in constant need of repair in our relationships—we hurt others, and they hurt us. So, how do we navigate when repair is needed in a relationship? In this Reachable Reconciliation
As ministry leaders our primary influence is stored-up in the treasure-house of our presence. Just as the presence of God in our life transforms us, our presence in the lives of those we serve has a kind of “radioactive” impact. We radiate the treasures of our soul when we interact
In his famous TED talk, author and former ad man Simon Sinek argues that the genius of successful companies is that they start with why. Unlike most of us, who try to win a hearing by explaining what our organization does, world-class innovators like Steve Jobs start with the purpose
Summer moves at a different pace in our church communities. Some ministries are on hiatus and others are in maintenance mode. And while we may not intend to do so, this may include our hospitality ministries. As we look ahead to the fall, now is the time to consider what
In Vibrant Faith’s ongoing Fourth-Soil Parenting Project, we coach church ministry leaders to: Honor (uphold) parents as the primary faith-forming agents in the lives of their children. Experiment with new ways to support and encourage parents to live out and talk about their faith in Jesus in daily life.
I’m telling this story backwards. Stay with me… I’m moving. Again. People who know me are laughing. When we bought our condo three years ago I declared: “This is it, we’re home. I’m never moving again.” Now this will be the sixth time my husband and I have moved
With church partners in our Fourth-Soil Parenting Project, we’re experimenting with new ways to plant and nurture a story-sharing environment in congregations. Why? Because discipleship and faith formation are profoundly hindered when people have not yet explored, acknowledged, and witnessed to their own story. As more people in your
A few weeks ago I was in a staff-meeting discussion about our Lenten ministry plans. After a pregnant pause, we looked at each other and someone said, “Last year went well, let’s just do the same thing.” We let out a collective sigh of relief and Lent, once again, became
The mission of the church is to invite the broken and needy into a healing community, where they can find or deepen their relationship with Jesus and experience restoration in all aspects of their life. And so, as the pandemic set in, I helped launch a new online class
If you’ve been involved in ministry leadership for more than a year (and that includes almost all of us), you know that weekly worship-service planning can devolve into a mundane, lifeless routine. The struggle is real—I’ve been there for the past four decades. So let’s break free from the shackles
Parenting tips, strategies, and philosophies are well-resourced in our culture—through books, seminars, social media, and online resources. And in the contemporary church we’ve always been focused on the needs, developmental pathways, and spiritual formation of children. But, in many ways, we are just waking up to the needs, developmental
“For more information, please check the bulletin…” How many times have you heard that instruction at church? More important, how many people never hear it, or are tone-deaf to it? Church Communication should move from impersonal to personal Many churches still rely on traditional bulletins and emails to communicate to
When you think about the families in your congregation, what do you hope they can become? If you consider their “floor,” what is their “ceiling”? Consider the curious case of “Bandit and Chilli Heeler” (above), the dog-parents on the international hit kids show Bluey. Their floor is already the
Recently, I was coaching a pastor, and he made an interesting discovery. He wondered what it would look like if his spiritual journey was more closely connected to his leadership practices. His curiosity intrigued me—maybe I’ve assumed this merger happens naturally (and I’m sure it does, sometimes). However, this pastor
Every day brings a new reminder that—on both a macro and micro scale—we human beings have a very hard time getting along. Tension leads to division leads to a rupture in relationship… And that leads to harm, violence, and even war. Our natural ecosystem breeds relational weeds. And that’s why
We all know that reinventing how we do things is essential for keeping up in today’s ever-changing ministry environment. We’re always finding ways to adapt and innovate. But beyond the obvious reasons for continuous improvement, reinvention invites us into a deeper spiritual practice… At its core, reinventing ourselves requires an
In our Vibrant Faith coaching relationships with congregations, we often tell ministry leaders: “If you want to change your congregation, change what you talk about.” Our conversations must be aligned with our mission. Therefore, if we want to help our congregation live into its mission, then we have to make
Just a ballpark guess, but let’s say 95% of people hate conflict and will actively avoid it if they can. Of the remaining 5%, some relish conflict because they have bullying tendencies. And the tiny percentage that remains actually have a healthy, inspiring, and impactful relationship with conflict. They see
By Jim LaDouxDirector of Coaching & Coaching School “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28 ESV The Sabbath moments of the soul are those brief glimpses we all have of unexpected wonder and unlooked-for surprise—the feeling of being ambushed by beauty. In
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve heard an important truism more than once, so maybe that’s a nudge to sit up and pay attention… We have to name the truth about our obstacles before we can overcome them. Naming the truth about our lives is just as important for
We already know, and have known for a long time, that “status quo” is never the goal of growing organizations or thriving faith communities. Stagnation is just the first stage in the death process. And yet, we can’t seem to quit the lure of entropy. Moving beyond the status quo
I live in the upper Midwest, and like many parts of the nation, smoke from Canadian wildfires has infiltrated our sky. It can turn the best day into a gray-sky day… Likewise, for the past three years since the pandemic, we’re living in a cultural gray-zone. I’m sure you, like
We know that faith formation is fueled by stories—when the story of Jesus is woven into our story, we find our identity in Him. So, in the church, we often talk about the power of stories for the development of faith. But how are we actually helping people experience God’s
In early May the Vibrant Faith team held a final meeting with representatives from the 24 churches who were a part of our Creating a Culture of Calling Grant. We’ve been working together since the Spring of 2017 working to build church vitality and unity through the culture of calling.
Over the course of our three-year Creating a Culture of Calling project, how did the churches involved actually embed calling into their culture? Here’s sampler that includes three churches planted in the Eastern U.S…. 1. They Hosted Dinners Just to Hear and Tell Calling Stories At Round Hill Community Church
Our Vibrant Faith Team spent three years immersed in helping churches create a “culture of calling” in their congregation—working under the umbrella of a Lilly Foundation grant, we built coaching relationships with 24 churches from seven denominations. First, we focused on teaching ministry leaders a theology of calling, sourced from
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development Leaders across the Christian Church are wondering if this season of pandemic chaos and trauma has given us a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a “reset.” In response, some are developing structural changes along with new patterns of worship and content delivery and relational
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development At Vibrant Faith we’re always talking with ministry leaders—here are the common questions we’re hearing right now, as the uncertainty of our post-pandemic (?) challenges settle in… Will families come back to our programs? How much bandwidth do our people have in
I love that phrase from the story of Esther, don’t you? God’s weaving of her story and her strength, “for such a time as this” for the people of Israel in the midst of crisis. As I’ve been reviewing Dr. Patrick Manning’s practical and profound way new book Converting the
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development In 2020, we launched a new research project focusing on faith formation and congregational thriving with 30 churches from six denominations. It’s funded by the Lilly Endowment through their THRIVING CONGREGATIONS initiative. Since our focus at Vibrant Faith is the conviction that
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development In the emerging research spotlighting the impact of pandemic-induced social isolation, the outcomes are sobering. Writing in a Frontiers In Psychology report, authors Giada Pietrabissa and Susan G. Simpson report: “The most common psychological disorders emerging are anxiety and panic, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, insomnia,
