A sleepy, suburban parish has been awakened. Pastor Rebekah Maul, at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon, Florida, arrived 16 years ago to what she describes as a congregation that had trouble believing in itself – then she began giving permission. In this interview, Rev. Maul describes how this liberation has transformed First Pres, bringing out [...]

St. James’ Cathedral in Seattle, WA has tripled in attendance during the two-decade leadership of Fr. Michael Ryan- growth, he says, that was ignited only after the building was renovated. Sure the building needed renewal, but Fr. Ryan says so did the parish, so the building was designed to foster Christian community in ways that [...]

Caring for a congregation’s sacred treasures is one of the Church’s most valuable and essential ministries. Yet the work of the Altar Guild is one of the lesser known and more exacting ministries in a church. So what does the Altar Guild do? How does it do it? And would you like to help? In [...]

The Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest in Christendom (est. 301), and Fr. Garabed Kochakian says a key to its health is its close acquaintance with suffering. Garabed, pastor of the 3,000 member St. John Armenian Orthodox Church near Detroit, says his tradition bespeaks God’s faithfulness and gift of strength through adversity that [...]

For Christian Piatt and his Milagro Church bridging polarizing differences, which seem intractable in today’s contemporary society, is a job more churches should be putting on the front burner. Christian, an author blogger and pastor, co-founded the congregation with his wife (before recently moving), and thinks that the witness of just getting along with one [...]

One of the more obvious places to find modern application of the Pauline admonition that, ‘all things be done decently and in order,’ (1 Cor. 14:39), is certainly in the role of a parish verger. For the uninitiated, these dedicated souls work to make public worship in the Anglican tradition an act of order, beauty, [...]

It’s a problem nearly every church faces: how to motivate the beloved to making their faith community a higher priority. Longtime pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Texas George Mason wrestles with it like everyone else. While he admittedly has not solved the conundrum, he has found some things that work, including small groups and [...]

Co-pastor Kathy Escobar says interactive worship and intergenerational participation is where tomorrow’s church is headed. Her congregation, The Refuge, is an emergent gathering in Denver that’s home to a menagerie of what she calls, “spiritual orphans” that’s experimenting with new ways to live together. Kathy’s convinced that today’s Christians no longer want to go to church, [...]

It’s one of the most obvious ministries Jesus passed on to us – but one of the most challenging for Christians to undertake: tending to those who are ill or hurting. Whether it’s in the hospital, retirement facility, funeral home, or the house across the street, Christians are called to be Jesus’ healing hands to [...]

When a pastor’s devastating moral lapse nearly closed Hill Country Bible Church, the congregation’s elders kept the church afloat – and now, nearly 30 years later, thousands of people are glad they did. Rebuilding trust was the first job the 20-something year old pastor Tim Hawks did – and the congregation responded, growing from 180 [...]

The pastor of the fastest growing urban congregation in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) says what draws people to join St. Paul’s is the energy and vibrancy that hits them the first minute they come through the door. Peter Marty says things were not that way 16 years ago when he arrived to pastor a church [...]

It may be America’s best known church – and the man at the top says his leadership style begins at the bottom. Frank Wade, Interim Dean at the Washington National Cathedral, brings a wealth of experience and intelligence to his work – and in this interview passes along some of the leadership lessons he’s picked [...]

Butts and Bucks are no longer the metrics many growing congregations are using. In fact, for Mark O. Wilson, pastor of Hayward Wesleyan Church in northern Wisconsin, his measure of success is how well his community serves the greater community.  Mark, a pastor, author, and blogger, began ministry with 60 people in the church.  21 years [...]