Brian Witwer is the retired director of the Center for Congregations' northeast office. Brian has specialized training in leadership and group process.
Contributions From Brian Witwer
book
Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making the Church Matter
Written for a Roman Catholic audience, this resource calls for renewal in Roman Catholic...
book
Tools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better
This easy-to-read resource offers tips on how to improve areas of the Roman Catholic Church,...
web resource
Turnaround Churches
This website has a secondary title of "Ideas for Revitalizing Struggling Churches" and focuses...
web resource
Renewing Our Church
This web resource offers an engaging video presentation about how an established but faltering...
article
Revitalizing African-American Congregations for the Post-Civil Rights Generation
This article argues that the decline of the African American church arises from the...
book
Liberating Hope: Daring to Renew the Mainline Church
This resource combats the widespread loss of church participants by calling on congregations...
web resource
Ministry Matters
This website is a general purpose site containing dozens of articles and blogs on information...
book
Church Mergers
This resource offers 30 questions congregations should consider before undergoing a merger,...
book
There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth
This book uses hope as the key component to a healthy renewal of the church and offers a...
book
Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be.
This resource encourages churches to "make the change that changes everything," focusing on...
web resource
Kol Aleph
This website for The Alliance for Jewish Renewal encourages reform and revitalization of...
book
Revolution of Jewish Spirit: How to Revive Ruakh in Your Spiritual Life, Transform your Synagogue...
This book details the story of a Jewish renewal in Massachusetts, and describes successful...
book
Church Worth Getting Up For
This book advocates for the practice of radical hospitality and focusing the church's mission...
organization
Greater Orlando Baptist Association
This organization hosts an annual Renovate Conference as well as many online resources focused...
book
Choosing Change: How to Motivate Churches to Face the Future
This book will help congregational leaders move their churches towards change through...
book
Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically From the Inside Out
This resource centers on the role of leadership and how church leaders motivated by vital...
organization
The National Association of Church Design Builders (NACDB)
This organization provides congregations with information about the Design/Build method of...
book
Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won't Get You There
This guide equips congregations to move confidently through age and growth cycles, addressing...
book
Religious Giving: For Love of God
This series of essays written from a variety of faith traditions explores the relationship...
book
Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It is Necessary to Give
Written from a Jewish perspective, this book reflects on the work of twelfth-century scholar...
book
Preparing to Build: Practical Tips and Experienced Advice to Prepare Your Church for a Building...
This comprehensive book takes readers through the complete building process from analysis to...
organization
National Association of Church Facilities Managers (NACFM)
This organization connects congregational facility managers through discussion groups,...
periodical
Lifelong Faith Journal
The Life Long Faith Journal is an online free magazine available in PDF format that covers a...
book
God in Her Midst: Preaching Healing to Wounded Women
Targeted towards African American and other ethnic congregations, this resource discusses how...
organization
Fuller Youth Institute
This innovative branch of Fuller Theological Seminary provides research-based articles,...
web resource
Church Hospitality Audit
The Hospitality Audit is a free web resource designed by Chris Walker, Presbyterian pastor and...
periodical
Faith & Form: The Interfaith Journal of Religion, Art and Architecture
Faith and Form is a journal published four times annually. Its mission is to provide and...
book
Deacons in Today's Black Baptist Church
This resource examines the role of deacon in the Black Church, beginning with a discussion of...
book
Creative Ideas for Children's Worship: Based on the Sunday Gospels Years A, B, C.
Based on the Sunday Gospels in the Revised Common Lectionary, this series of books and CDs...
book
Church Planting in the African American Community
This resource brings unique insights into the difficult process of successful church planting,...
book
Church Growth from an African American Perspective
This book analyzes the ingredients for growth, providing congregations with the tools to build...
organization
The Stained Glass Association of America
This organization helps congregations learn about stained glass installation and find local...
book
Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Creating Holistic Connections, Cultivating...
This resource explores the shift from modernity to postmodernity, addressing how congregations...
book
From Jay-Z to Jesus: Reaching and Teaching Young Adults in the Black Church
This practical resource offers a comprehensive view of ministry to black young adults,...
book
Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide
This resource captures the impact congregations make when they use a more holistic and organic...
book
The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work
Part of the Thin Book Series, this resource presents a simple, yet careful approach to...
book
The Soul of the Congregation: An Invitation to Congregational Reflection
This resource calls on readers to analyze the soul of their congregation --- what makes up...
book
Leadership and Listening: Spiritual Foundations for Church Governance
This concise book presents a research-based analysis of the relationship between the processes...
book
To Walk in Integrity: Spiritual Leadership in Times of Crisis
This resource helps readers examine daily habits and choices to equip them with the necessary...
book
The Serving Leader for the People of God: Five Powerful Actions That Will Transform Your Team,...
This resource balances insight from the business world with theological constructs to produce...
book
Formational Children's Ministry: Shaping Children Using Story, Ritual, and Relationship
This resource presents a new model for how churches can equip children through faith...
book
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations
Written by the United Methodist Bishop of Missouri, this book outlines five congregational...
book
Faith Formation 2020: Designing the Future of Faith Formation
This resource presents diverse ways to look at the future of faith formation, highlighting...
book
Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling
This resource urges Christians to stop engaging in a misguided "culture war," and instead,...
book
You are Invited on a 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life
Designed as a 40-day study, this book presents a comprehensive analysis of giving as an...
book
Will Our Children Have Faith?
This resource provides an insightful and useful critique of Christian education, arguing that...
book
The Way of Discernment, Participant's Guide (Companions in Christ)
This study guide engages small groups in a 10-week consideration of discernment, helping...
book
The Way of Discernment, Leaders Guide (Companions in Christ)
This leader's guide goes hand-in-hand with "Way of Discernment, Participant Guide." It equips...
book
The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment
Based off interviews with several leaders of various fields, this book shows the impact...
book
The Hidden Lives of Congregations: Discerning Church Dynamics
This book takes leaders below the surface to unpack the corporate nature of church...
organization
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
This accrediting agency upholds members to high standards of financial accountability, such...
book
The Unbroken Circle: A Toolkit for Congregations Around Illness, End of Life, and Grief
This toolkit envisions how a comprehensive care ministry might work, helping faith communities...
book
To Know As We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey
This resource urges teachers and learners to recapture the spiritual dimension of education,...
book
The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know
A Fortune 500 consultant provides advice on how to communicate responsibly to make others...
book
Facilitation Skills for Ministry
This resource combines the knowledge and expertise of the three authors to form a...
book
The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts
Divided into three sections, this book will help congregations discover their assets ---...
book
Winning Grants to Strengthen Your Ministry
This thorough and practical book will help congregations write grants, develop relationships...
book
Making a Difference in a Globalized World: Short-term Missions that Work
This book provides research on the success of short-term mission trips and concludes that they...
organization
National Coalition for the Homeless
This organization does research and provides resources for those who are homeless and for...
book
Bounty: Ten Ways to Increase Giving in Your Church
This comprehensive guide will help churches create a fundraising climate centered around faith...
web resource
Megachurches
Hartford Seminary maintains this website as a service to organizations, groups, congregations...
book
Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (and How to Reverse it)
Based off the premise that charities more often hurt the people they hope to help than not,...
organization
Generis
This consulting group helps churches with fundraising and effective ministry.
article
Gateway to Church for Young Adults
This article highlights the ministry of Charlotte/One, an ecumenically-based ministry in North...
book
Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do...
This resource acts as a guide for congregations struggling with youth ministry, presenting a...
book
What We Love About the Black Church: Can We Get a Witness?
Written by two long-serving white pastors of Black Churches, this resource is both instructive...
book
Inside the Large Congregation
Written by a consultant who deals primarily with large congregations, this book is an overview...
book
Real Good Church: How Our Church Came Back from the Dead, and Yours Can, Too
Written using the author's personal experience in renewing her church, this resource details...
organization
Interfaith Power & Light
This organization provides programs and resources to help congregations act on combating...
book
The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry
This accessible question guide for facilitators empowers groups to think positively about...
web resource
Hearing Loop Technology
This webpage provides information about Hearing Loops, which allow hard of hearing individuals...
organization
Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice
This organization mobilizes Jewish resources to promote social justice within the United...
book
MissioRelate: Becoming a Church of Missional Small Groups
This resource looks at the future of small group ministry and offers the missional church...
web resource
Missional Church Network
This website offers resources for congregations engage to the missional church model.
book
Can I Ask That?: 8 Hard Questions About God & Faith
Part of the Sticky Faith curriculum produced by Fuller Youth Institute, this resource provides...
book
99 Thoughts for Smaller Church Youth Workers: Doing More with Less
This resource offers youth leaders of small churches hope and affirmation.
organization
Center for Congregational Health, Inc.
This organization provides consulting and leadership training in a wide variety of areas,...
organization
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
This organization promotes environmental stewardship through learning, action, and advocacy.
book
Practicing Witness: A Missional Vision of Christian Practices
This concise book offers a history and definition of missional theology, focusing on...
book
For the City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel
This short but engaging book dives into the work of two urban church planters, detailing their...
book
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself
This resource provides a frank analysis of poverty from a social science and community...
book
Jump Start
This downloadable PDF examines the components of a healthy volunteer culture and provides...
book
The Indispensable Youth Pastor: Land, Love, and Lock in Your Youth Ministry Dream Job
Divided into three parts, this resource is filled with realistic advice and timely information...
book
Right Here, Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everyday People
This series invites readers to seize the possibilities of embracing a comprehensive missional...
book
Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World
Ideal for congregations working on strategic planning, this book offers 10 tools that will...
web resource
The Missional Church… Simple
Provided by Jeff Maguire, lead pastor of Mariners Church in Mission Viejo, CA, this web...
book
Brim: Creative Overflow in Worship Design
This book on worship planning presents resources and exercises to engage the creative process...
book
Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood
This book looks towards the Bible to shed light on the Missional church movement, arguing that...
book
Text Messages: Torah Commentary for Teens
This resource invites teens to consider the larger texts of the Torah so that they may find...
organization
The Church Multiplication Training Center
This organization provides training programs for existing congregations to refocus their...
organization
Transform Network
This missional network provides workshops, a national gathering, and online resources focused...
book
Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks
This resource defines and explores the meaning of Midrash --- a method of interpreting...
article
Managing Church Facility Use
Published as a part of the Church Tax and Law Ministy of Christianity Today, this helpful...
article
Questions to Ask Your Architect
Published by the American Institute of Architects, this article details five categories of...
organization
Congregational Consulting Group
This organization provides guidance on many topics related to congregational finance,...
organization
National Center for Children in Poverty
This organization promotes family-oriented solutions to childhood poverty at the state and...
article
Sharing God's House
This concise article provides a helpful guide for congregations considering sharing space with...
organization
Interfaith Coalition on Energy
This organization provides congregations with resources about energy conservation and ways to...
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