faith formation
What We’re Learning: Entering Into the Brokenness
In 1997, Lutheran pastor Dr. Merton Strommen and his wife Irene founded The Youth & Family Institute in memory
April 24, 2024
Category: Leadership Development
faith formation
Sabbath Practices to Renew Your Soul
We all know: “You can’t draw water from an empty well.” And ministry is a water-depleting adventure, in the
April 22, 2024
church leadership
The Surprising Resilience of American Pastors
It’s been a rough four-year stretch for pastors and ministry leaders… The pandemic emptied the pews and profoundly disrupted
April 18, 2024
Leadership Development
The Pro’s & Con’s of Over-Vetting Leaders
I have a ministry friend who’s willing to take a chance on plugging people into leadership roles with (in
April 16, 2024
church leadership
The High Cost of Pruning
For years we’ve been inundated with dire news and dire predictions about the “decline of the church.” As a
April 13, 2024
Fred Oduyoye
The ‘Maintenance Check’ Light
By Fred Oduyoye and Rick Lawrence All our relationships have one thing in common—broken people are involved, so broken
April 10, 2024
Leadership Development
Are We (Really) All In This Together?
I was speechless as I listened to the teenager and her mom—and my silence was intentional. They’d asked to meet
April 8, 2024
faith formation
Creating a Welcoming Environment for New Families
In our post-Easter journey we have fresh memories of new faces, drawn to the church through the magnet of
April 1, 2024
Fred Oduyoye
Loving Difficult People
By Fred Oduyoye and Rick Lawrence Got a difficult person in your life? It’s hard to imagine you don’t—either at
March 26, 2024
Leadership Development
How Accompaniment Transforms Ministry Leadership
Other people are as important as you are. You likely know that. On the surface, we all know that. But
March 25, 2024