Dealing with Difficult People
If you’ve ever been on a whitewater rafting adventure, you’ll remember that rafting guides know how to address unhelpful behavior right away—if they don’t, difficult
Vibrant Faith Articles
Vibrant Faith Coaching - Articles
5 Phrases That Unlock Growth
When we’re effectively coaching others toward growth in their leadership or their faith journey, we’re asking great questions and prompting deeper responses. Effective coaches draw
4 Faith Practices for Spiritual Wellbeing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers dietary guidelines for living a healthy life—we call the structure of these guidelines the “Food Groups.” Well, what about
10 Disciplines of an Agile Church
In Dr. Dwight J. Zscheile’s seminal book The Agile Church, the professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary lays out an alternate vision for
5 Barriers to a Welcoming Church Environment
Maybe you’ve already put all the right systems in place for your hospitality ministry—training greeters, a well-staffed Welcome Center, and a follow-up system for communications.
What is Coaching?
The International Coach Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional
Breathing New Life into Ministry
Every repetitive thing we do in life is in danger of a dulling descent into rote. And our ministry rhythms are not immune. Week after
Hope and Expect
By Denise UtterVibrant Faith Coaching Team As August tails off into September, I often reflect back to my teacher days. I loved the end of
The Power of Partnering
By Rev. Dr. Mark SlaughterVibrant Faith Coaching Team Fall is on our doorstep, and that means we’re already working to reinvent what we do to
Faith Formation - Articles
The Jesus Net
Earlier this week I met with a friend who’s recently moved into the lead pastor role at his church, after more than a decade as
Christian Parenting is Gold- Laura Kelly Fanucci
Hello Friends! We want to share an amazing 54 minutes with you… In March of this year, we launched into a three-month deep dive into
The Marker of Our Maturity
What does “maturity” mean to you—how do you define it? I asked a group of young adults this question, and here’s my summary of their
The Power of Partnering
By Rev. Dr. Mark SlaughterVibrant Faith Coaching Team Fall is on our doorstep, and that means we’re already working to reinvent what we do to
Our Calling In the Face of ‘Christofascism’
On the neighborhood-focused social media platform NextDoor, a distraught woman posted this today, in the hours leading up to Independence Day celebrations… I have PTSD
The Power of Stories
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,
Faith-Filled Parenting
The goal of faith-filled parenting is to raise children who will live and love like Jesus—to experience God in daily life and to embrace their
Stages of Spiritual Growth
Over the past two years we’ve experienced what many are calling “indifference,” relative to our spiritual life. With anxiety, crisis, grief, anger, and tension infiltrating
How ‘Calling’ Fuels Church Vitality
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
Vibrant Faith Research - Articles
Thriving Congregations: Experimenting Our Way Forward
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development It was a beautiful November day as we gathered in Floresville, TX, just south of San Antonio.
What We’re Learning: Why Parents Matter More Than Ever
By Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development Research has told us for more 25 years that the faith lives of parents matter (and actually
Why Christian Parents Matter MORE Than Ever. Part 2
By Rev. Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development She teaches her daughters how to pray for people when they need support: “About four or
How Young People Experience God
By Dr. Nancy Going,the Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen, andRick Lawrence A conversation between two researchers, Dr. Nancy Going and the Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen, on the surprising
Why Parents Matter More Than Ever: One More Thing…
By Rev. Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development “Yes, yeah. I want to. I believe I hold responsibility and I have to hold responsibility
Religion as a ‘Personal Identity Accessory’
By Rick LawrenceVibrant Faith Executive Director Dr. Nancy Going and I have been leading a four-week book club for our Vibrant Faith Catalyst community (https://vibrant-faith-catalyst.mn.co), focusing
The Power of Coming Alongside- Youth Faith Formation
Yes, we believe God is at work, “telling a better story” in all our lives—whether we’re adults, youth, or children. But often, especially with young
Helping Parents Hand Down the Faith
By Rev. Dr. Nancy GoingDirector of Research & Resource Development This is part one of a series on helping parents hand down the faith. She teaches
What We’re Learning: Taking It All In
It’s been a week, hasn’t it? We thought we were getting ready to launch our new ideas for the Fall, gearing up for Fall Kickoffs
Vibrant Faith Leadership - Articles
Things that Escape our notice
One key to building relational bridges in a divisive and isolating culture is simple – we notice what we notice about others, and gently (but
Family Estrangement – The New Norm?
Many of the children raised in hovering, over-protective and over-functioning homes are now forcing the separation their claustrophobic families never allowed. According to Karl Pillemer,
Beautiful Leaders
My daughter Lucy is now three days into medical school at Wake Forest in North Carolina. For the last year, as a “gap” experience between
Beelining the Real
The planets in our solar system all orbit around the sun, because they have no choice but to orbit around the sun. We, on the
Why ‘Lowering the Bar’ Is a Cancer
In Handing Down the Faith, Notre Dame sociologist and researcher Dr. Christian Smith offers a concise description of the parenting style that most-often guides young
Under-Preparing for an Everyday Faith
We know two crucial truths from Notre Dame sociologist Dr. Christian Smith’s two decades of research into the role parents play in their kids’ faith:
4 Key Questions for Family Faith-Formation
Twenty-five years ago I wrote my first book—a collaboration with Dr. Ben Freudenburg, a pioneering family ministry practitioner, innovator, and educator. The book is The
The Path out of Ministry Anxiety
In one of my first parish assignments, I knew I was going to miss a big event soon after I assumed my staff role—the celebration
The Weakness We Need
Our most effective ministry tool isn’t what you think it is… The great weight of impact we offer those we serve is not delivered by
Vibrant Faith's writing team of certified coaches, ministry leaders, and researchers publishes three times a week on leadership development, coaching for ministry leaders, and applied ministry research.