Back to Search

Relationships in Ministry

Relationships are the foundation of a healthy congregation. This collection provides resources in fostering good relationship skills.

Resources

3 Resources
book
The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door
This compelling book discusses what it might be like if we actually loved our neighbors, as...
organization
Energize, Inc.
This comprehensive website provides information to manage volunteers and programs through...
media
10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
This light-hearted TedTalk is an important reminder of the skills required to have a...

Guest Contributor

Contributor
Kate White

Kate was the associate director for resources at the Center for Congregations. She managed educational resources and worked to get the best resources into the hands of congregations.

Church Relationships

Congregations are all about relationships. Today, many people are focusing on the quality of their relationships and the strength they can find with connection to others. Naturally, these relationships can come in many shapes and forms. Connecting with family members, friends, and colleagues is vital to health, stability and well-being. Anyone who is looking for ways to build stronger relationships may be considering the congregation and all it has to offer. Congregation leaders might be well-served by deciding to use every resource at their disposal to help foster good relationships among their members, visitors, attendees and staff. For those out there who might be wondering, “what is ‘relationship’ in the church?”, this can often refer to the interactions that members of the congregation and leadership staff have with each other. Building a relationship in the church can be a key element of congregational life. When it comes to church relationships, it might be good to think about how to build constructive, strong relationships.

Perhaps worth noting that there may be a lot of changes that are currently taking place in the congregation. For example, a lot of religious groups are taking advantage of the internet to help lengthen their reach. Some congregations are also going through a generational shift, bringing in a lot of younger people who are trying to find ways to relate to people who have been in the group for multiple generations. And even though these may not sound like obstacles, relationships are usually built on common ground, and if there exist a lot of differences between members of the leadership staff, then it may be difficult to build strong relationships. That is why it can be helpful for religious leaders to think about how they can relate to people of all backgrounds. Finally, all of this can also prove to be beneficial for building strong relationships in the church moving forward.

Best Sermons On Relationships

In addition to building relationships in the church, it can be a good idea for religious leaders to think about how they're going to be able to put together sermons on relationships. A lot of people attend religious sermons in an effort to learn how they can build stronger relationships with their colleagues, their loved ones, and their friends. For instance, there are a lot of church relationship scripture passages to look at. When looking at the best sermons on relationships, it may be good to remember that there were a lot of characters in sacred religious texts who had issues with their family members and friends, as well. Ultimately, though, they were able to overcome these obstacles. Therefore, it may very well prove to be beneficial for leaders to communicate this information to members of the congregation.

Furthermore, it can be good for the leader’s relationship with church members to be at the surface, as well. The relationship between the religious leader and his or her congregation can often be considered absolutely essential. It might be a good idea, then, for religious leaders to focus on the relationship between leader and congregation members. In some situations, their relationship may not go any farther than simply attending a sermon on Sunday, whereas on the other hand, there are some relationships between leaders and members that can go much further. For example, some members of the congregation may attend small group meetings, while others may come to religious leaders for individual advice on various issues. It can be good for religious leaders to be able to manage these relationships and help foster strong relationships in their lives.

First, it can be good for religious leaders to think about common themes among members of the congregation. Where do they come from? Why are they coming to the service? What are some of the problems they need help with? Then, religious leaders can look inward and figure out how they can help the members of the congregation address these issues. Doing so will help go a long way in placing religious leaders and members of the congregation in the best position possible to be successful.

Healthy Church Relationships

It may also be a good idea to focus on the importance of relationships in the church. When it comes to healthy church relationships, what does this look like? First, it might be good for religious leaders to create opportunities to build strong relationships. For instance, when it comes to running a small group setting, this may present an opportunity for the small group to do more than simply study a sacred text. Instead, they could perhaps think about looking for ministry opportunities, setting up projects in the communities, and even having local parties (as long as they can do so safely). If the relationship among small group members is not progressed beyond studying a sacred text, then this is possibly going to limit the growth of the relationship. Members of a small group session can also try to look for ministry opportunities in the area. That way, they can share their knowledge and love with other people as well.

Of course, it can also be important for religious leaders to model healthy relationships for members of the congregation. In some situations, members of the congregation may not even know what a healthy relationship actually looks like. Religious leaders are going to oftentimes have a lot of opportunities to interact with people both inside and outside of the congregation. In some situations, members of the congregation may not even know how to talk to people outside of the service about religion. In this situation, they are likely going to look to religious leaders to help model this behavior. If religious leaders are able to show members of their congregation what it looks like to interact with people outside the group, then this is going to go a long way toward helping them successfully build relationships with members of the congregation. It can sometimes fall on religious leaders to not only foster opportunities to build healthy relationships, but also show members of the congregation what a healthy relationship might look like.

Importance Of Relationship In The Church

A lot of religious leaders may find themselves still wondering about the importance of relationships in the church. Ultimately, it can be critical for religious leaders to help people build relationships with one another, as just about every sacred religious text out there focuses on helping people love one another. Therefore, it can prove to be important for religious leaders to also then demonstrate this behavior because it is often directly related to passages from multiple sacred texts.

Of course, there are a lot of people who might also be wondering about ways of maintaining relationships in the church. One of the ways to help build strong relationships with members of the congregation is to encourage interaction with them outside of a typical sermon. For example, it is one thing to have people show up for church on Sundays - but at the same time, this can likely limit the opportunities to build relationships. It can be important for religious leaders to find ways to encourage people to sign up for ministry opportunities and small group sessions outside of the group, as well. All of this can prove to be immensely helpful in aiding members of the congregation to build strong relationships with each other, in addition to the religious leader.

Building Healthy Relationships In The Church

Ultimately, for those who are wondering about building healthy relationships in the church, there are plenty of resources available out there. For instance, religious leaders can take a look at online lectures to see how they can work with members of the congregation and building the group together. It might be helpful to take a look at what other religious leaders have done, and how they have been successful. In addition, there are books that focus on building relationships in the congregation. Religious leaders can take a look at these books as well, in order to see what they can do to reach out to members of the congregation, building a stronger relationship with them.

Furthermore, it might also be a good idea to attend religious conferences on building church relationships. If someone is having difficulty in building a relationship with members of the drowned congregation, then there is a good chance that there are also other religious leaders out there who find themselves in this very same position. Attending a conference can be a great way to learn more about ways to build a stronger church. In fact, there may be ideas other religious leaders have thought about which these religious leaders have not even considered yet. Finally, it can also be good not to forget to foster opportunities for small group interactions outside of religious sermons. The more people are involved with the congregation, then the stronger the relationship is likely going to be. Therefore, it may prove to be helpful to take steps so as not to overlook the importance of having ministry opportunities for members of the congregation.

Relationship in the Community

Finally, it can also be helpful to take a look at relationships in the community and to not underestimate the importance of relationships in the congregation and in the community. Ultimately, one of the main goals of the group is likely going to be to help make their community a better place. Therefore, when taking a look at relationships in church and community, there can be a few key ways to foster these bonds.

For example, it can be good for members of the congregation to take a look at their relationship with the community - perhaps such as finding a way to set up ministry opportunities for members of the congregation. This can be a great way to give back to members of the community, while at the same time sharing some of the key lessons of the sacred texts.

Furthermore, there might also exist philanthropic opportunities. It can prove to be a good idea for religious leaders and the current members of the congregation to live the lessons that they preach. This can be one of the top ways in which the legislators can build a stronger relationship with members of the congregation. For instance, there may be opportunities to help the homeless, or it might be a good idea to volunteer at the soup kitchen, from time to time. All of these can represent great ways to build a stronger relationship in the community.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.