church leadership
The Cycle of Religious Disillusionment and Hope
Americans are navigating a cycle of disillusionment with religion, and more specifically, the Christian church. But new research shows why
June 13, 2025
Author: Rick Lawrence
church leadership
The Importance of Being Dad
In Eighth Grade, writer/director Bo Burnham’s quiet sledgehammer of a film, Kayla is a socially awkward girl with her own
June 6, 2025
church leadership
The Power of Our Incarnational Magnet
At an international gathering of ministry leaders called Simply Jesus, I interviewed 15 leading Christian influencers, all of them well-known
May 30, 2025
church leadership
Dirt-y Ministry
Soil matters in botany… And it matters even more in ministry. At least, that’s what Jesus believes… 🙂 Consider the
May 23, 2025
church leadership
The Magnet of Belonging
New York Times reporter Lauren Jackson has spent a year deep-diving into America’s religious landscape, publishing regular updates through the
May 9, 2025
church leadership
What Jesus Wants Us to Know on Good Friday
The gospel of John has just 21 chapters, and five of them (one-quarter of the narrative) are dedicated to Jesus’
April 17, 2025
church leadership
Warriors for Parents In a Family-Unfriendly Culture
A quarter-century ago I worked with family ministry pioneer Ben Freudenburg on his groundbreaking book The Family-Friendly Church. Together, we
April 10, 2025
church leadership
The Superglue In Relational Ministry
Last fall, at a gathering of ministry leaders who are all part of a Lilly Endowment grant program called “Christian
April 4, 2025
church leadership
The Surprising Connection Between Religion & Happiness
Our Vibrant Faith team just returned from our first in-person retreat of the year, where (among other things) we focused
March 28, 2025
church leadership
How Covid Is Still Impacting the Church
I met Dr. Scott Thumma years ago, at a Future of the Church gathering when I served on the executive
March 21, 2025