Reimagining Church Buildings

By Dave Harder 

How can your church building be an asset rather than a liability? Dave Harder says we must interrogate the dominant narrative that says church is what happens in the building for a few hours on a Sunday and let a new narrative emerge — one that focuses on God’s hopes and dreams for the neighborhood.

The Church and the Great Resignation

Rev. Natalia Terfa

Episode 86: “Daring to Think Forward in a Time of Accelerating Change” featuring Dwight Friesen

How can churches get ahead of the curve by learning to anticipate change rather than always responding to change after the fact? Dwight Friesen shares ways to cultivate the imagination and skill set needed to think forward.

Flipping the Script on Church Owned Property

How can local churches reimagine property stewardship so that a building can fund a church, rather than a church needing to fund a building? Tom Sine and Dwight Friesen offer examples of churches that have discovered innovative ways to leverage their property to fund their church and ministry.

Not Dead Yet

by Dorothy Butler Bass

[Read this one for a little hope and affirmation!]

Church Anew's Mark Elsdon is confident that We Aren't Broke.

The Kaleo Center offers this excellent resource on Sevenfold Social Transformation: excellent reading for vision, mission, and identity discernment; outreach and organizing discussions; and community engagement decisions.

3 Unique Gifts of the Rural Congregation

Do You View Your Church as an Organization or a Movement?

Joerg Rieger and Tripp Fuller, founder of the Home-brewed Christianity podcast, host an online course: Capital Change: The End of Religion and Business as Usual.

8 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2021

By Doug Powe And Ann A. Michel On January 5, 2021

Episode 71: “Recalibrating the Church” featuring Scott Cormode

Why is change so difficult for churches? In this episode we speak with Scott Cormode about how church leaders can break free of common myths that cloud our thinking about change and how to embrace processes that sow the seeds of meaningful innovation.

From Organized Religion to Organizing Religion

Brian McLaren and Convergence provide an online, on-demand continuing education program for clergy and laity who want to strengthen their church while preparing for the cultural changes that impact ministry. Built to train lay and ordained leaders as spiritual activists in a growing, multi-denominational movement of just and generous Christianity, the courses include:

• Clarifying Your Church's Identity
• Your Message Matters
• Curating Change
• Worship Matters
• Your Congregation As a School of Love
• Church Impact

Courses can be purchased individually for $69. Small group and congregation pricing also available. Interested in purchasing all 6? Contact Convergence for pricing.

CONVERGENCE offers numerous training webinars and courses for emerging church leadership, for individuals and teams. Their, How to Use Your Church Campus As a Tool for Neighborhood Revitalization or Online Small Group Curriculum for Your Church are options to invite your entire congregation to "imagine a new future for your church".

As conservative efforts have moved the public image of Christianity to the right, it is time to reclaim alternatives. This first webinar in the Engaging Christianities and Socialisms series, featuring Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Joerg Rieger, Cornel West, and moderated by Angela Cowser, will investigate the history and future of Christian Socialisms that are deeply democratic, intersectional, and praxis oriented.

Offers free monthly webinars around the theme, Adapting to a New Reality: Living into a Fresh Vision for God's Church.

United Seminary's Karen Hutt and Sara Smalley facilitate weekly Experience for the Sake of It: For the Adventurous Seminarians. Community leaders and members can join the conversation on innovative approaches to doing church. Learn from thought leaders and seminarians in creative engagement.