congregational life
Five ways your church might already welcome autistic adults
And some ideas for expanding that welcome
The wonderful ordinariness of congregational life
Sometimes it’s boring. Sometimes it’s thrilling. Sometimes it makes me cry.
What happened after my mostly white church put up a Black Lives Matter sign
It got stolen, and I got scared.
Everyone in ministry gets their feelings hurt
Congregations aren’t paradise. They’re communities in which we constantly hurt each other’s feelings.
A parishioner with Alzheimer’s speaks for herself
She came to our events on dementia and faith. She believed we could do better.
I’m a “church leader” who doesn’t really go to church
I love the church. It's harder to love specific congregations.
Church buildings aren’t just buildings
The church is made of people. But they need a home.
Why our church's centennial was worth celebrating
“The history of a church,” one member wrote in an old scrapbook I found, is “an unfolding pageant of life.”
California churches address housing crisis
Amid rising homelessness, congregations are building affordable housing.
My church changed when ICE took one of our own
Shouting against injustice is harder than lamenting it from afar. But it gets easier.
God's love, our bodies
Turned toward one another in worship, we experience the grace of God's gaze.
8 ways to recruit, engage, and keep volunteers
Churches need volunteers. Those volunteers need something in return.
When churches fly like starlings
The birds fly without a designated leader. It takes them about 50 milliseconds to reach consensus.
Listening all the way into the pulpit
The preacher maintains a sacred conversation between God and the congregation.
A birthday present in the manger scene
We found a small, wrapped box next to Jesus. Should we open it?
Why my church stopped decking the halls
A new family skipped a lot of our holiday activities—and got me thinking.