Children today are, as we well know, increasingly tech-savvy. They are practically born with iPads in their hands, and, yes, they bring them to worship. We are often slow, congregationally…
Because liturgy is a way of living God’s story, giving our human response to that story and sharing that story, the more we expand our worship life, the richer we…
More than attendance The purpose of including and encouraging children in church—as well as their parents—is not to “improve our numbers.” It’s to get the gospel into the marrow of…
I often hear churchgoing baby boomers like me say, “We don’t have any children in our church.” The implications are sad and clear: Our congregation won’t continue long beyond us….
It’s a Tuesday night. People are gathered in a back room of a restaurant in downtown Tulsa, Okla. Amid the pouring of refills and clearing of plates, someone begins to…
I entered Epiphany Lutheran Church in Milwaukee on a Pentecost Sunday in the late ’60s. As a curious young man reared and baptized Baptist, it was strange to hear someone…
“Let Us Break Bread Together” was the anthem that resounded loudly and clearly on March 26, as four Christian denominations worshiped and shared the eucharist at the United Church of…
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall—2 inches shorter than his grandfather—Christopher Heller towers over frail, elderly worshipers in wheelchairs attending Sunday service at Lutheran Care Center, a skilled nursing home…
How do we engage our whole selves in worship? Martin Billmeier, pastor of St. Lucas Lutheran Church, Toledo, Ohio, reflected on this question in a meditation last Lent, asserting he…
This was the final newsletter column of my pastoral career. I was part of four parishes in 31 years. They are all different, but they share common challenges as Christianity…
Pastors, bishops, congregations and other leaders across our country are adapting and innovating to keep up with a shifting religious landscape. Fewer people are coming to church, and a rising…
October is a time when many congregations invite financial commitments for the coming year. Would your congregation like to increase giving in the year ahead so you have more money…
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