Marie Fleming

Marie Fleming was a contract resource consultant for the Center for Congregations. Her consulting practice includes congregation-based Permaculture Design and equipping congregations for creation care.

Contributions From Marie Fleming

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Collection

Leading Small Groups

Marie Fleming

4 resources

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Hope For Children In Poverty: Profiles and Possibilities

This collection of essays, testimonies, and reflections offers inspirational and practical...

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Urban Ministries, Inc.

This website offers African American resources for a wide range of denominations and...

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Children's Ministry Magazine

This website aims to serve children's ministry leaders, teams, teachers, and parents by...

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Holding Your Family Together: 5 Simple Steps to Help Bring Your Family Closer to God and Each Other

This resource outlines a five-step method any family can use to create "a home where every...

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Family Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide

This resource uses biblical and contemporary frameworks to help congregations minister to...

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Dreaming of More for the Next Generation: Lifetime Faith Ignited by Family Ministry

Scripturally-based, this book equips congregations to attend to the family as the center of...

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Building Church Leaders

This website of practical training packs quickly equips leaders and teams for effective...

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Real Kids Real Faith: Practices for Nurturing Children's Spiritual Lives

This user-friendly resource sets to inform, inspire, and guide parents, covering a range of...

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Young Children and Worship

This book introduces a Montessori-style curriculum for children, connecting their capacity for...

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Child by Child: Supporting Children with Learning Differences and Their Families

This how-to guide offers tips and tools for integrating special needs children and youth into...

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The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School: Transformational Techniques for Reaching and Teaching...

This resource offers practical tools and approaches that will help any children's ministry...

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Curriculum Overview for Children's Formation

This chart contains a comprehensive list of currently available children's faith formation...

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Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities

This practical book contains information and tools to assist congregations in their quest for...

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My Jewish Learning

My Jewish Learning is a one-stop resource for individuals and families looking for information...

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Praying in Color, Kids' Edition

In a voice addressed to children, this resource introduces a form of purposeful doodling that...

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Kids Hope USA

This organization connects congregations with at-risk children for mentorship opportunities. ...

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Take Me Home: Notes on the Church Year for Children

Addressed for Catholic children, this resource contains richly illustrated entries featuring a...

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Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: How the Church Can Nurture the Spiritual Development of Kids

This resource discusses the six principles needed to help children develop a three-dimensional...

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Simply in Season Children's Cookbook

This book seeks to restore a relationship between children and their food, offering wisdom and...

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Jewish Lights Publishing: Children's Books

This web resource provides books which take on universal topics like grief and loss,...

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International Network of Children's Ministry

This organization provides resources for and fosters connections among children's ministry...

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Strategies for Educating African American Children

This resource combines knowledge of the African American Sunday School tradition with insights...

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Enduring Connections: Creating a Preschool and Children's Ministry

Written by a children's ministry specialist, this resource launches a conversation on a...

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9 Things They Didn't Teach Me in College about Children's Ministry

This book offers practical tips and tools for children's ministry staff, covering topics such...

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Faith Forward: A Dialogue on Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity

This resource draws from a 2012 conference on Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity,...

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Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

This resource draws from the authors' experience in addition to a range of traditional and...

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It Worked for Us: Best Practices for Ministry with Children and Families

This series of essays weaves wisdom and practical suggestions from dozens of experienced...

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Youth Specialties Blog

This web resource offers topics and trends in youth ministry - from Holy Week devotional...

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You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving the Church and Rethinking Faith

This web resource provides an interview with the author of a book and ground breaking study...

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Youth Ministry in the Black Church: Centered in Hope

Based on a study of more than 800 congregations, this resource draws from the experience of...

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God's Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens

This resource turns to scripture for examples of people who encountered and overcame difficult...

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Relationships Unfiltered. Interviews and full length video presentations featuring Andrew Root.

Relational youth ministry at its most authentic is not a means of influencing young people. It...

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The Best of Building Assets Together: Favorite Group Activities that Help Youth Succeed

This resource provides over 100 different activities to foster developmental assets in middle...

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Mission Trips that Matter: Embodied Faith for the Sake of the World

This resource seeks to optimize the impact of short term mission trips on young people by...

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Playbook for Christian Manhood: 12 Key Plays for Black Teen Boys

Using the game of football as a conceptual framework, this resource guides young male...

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Youth Ministry: What's Gone Wrong and How to Get it Right

This resource details characteristics of successful youth ministries, offering tips and...

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The JGuy's Guide: The GPS for Jewish Teen Guys

Patterned after the Talmud, with multiple voices and opinions from the past and present, the...

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Student Leaders Start Here: Assessments and Tools to Help You Grow as a Leader

This interactive workbook helps young people discover and celebrate their leadership style and...

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First Third from Luther Seminary: Cultivating Faith in the First Third of Life

First Third is a web resource based on a national congregational study entitled "Exemplary...

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Head to Heart Confirmation Curriculum

This web resource by Faith5 organization offers up-to-date understandings of adolescent...

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Before You Hire a Youth Pastor: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Right Fit

This book offers how-to information to hire a youth pastor, ranging from sample job...

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Starting Right: Thinking Theologically About Youth Ministry

This resource encourages readers to view youth ministry from a practical theology perspective...

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The JGirl's Guide: The Young Jewish Woman's Handbook for Coming of Age

This resource compiles voices from scripture, tradition, and from women past and present to...

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Ministry Architects

This organization provides a wide variety of resources, such as coaching, workshops, and...

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Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids

This research-based resource identifies steps leaders and parents can take to help students...

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Please Pass the Faith: The Art of Spiritual Grandparenting

This resource looks at the role grandparenting plays in passing faith to future generations,...

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99 Ways to Raise Spiritually Healthy Children

This book invites parents and their children to embark on a journey toward deeper family...

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The Ungame

The Ungame is a non-competitive communications game that uses questions to prompt the sharing...

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Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion and Grace

Through story and reflection, this resource invites moms to cherish their child-raising years...

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Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community...

This book encourages an intergenerational approach to ministry and explores that idea through...

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Kveller: A Jewish Twist on Parenting

Kveller.com is a website for “information and inspiration that is right for your...

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Multidimensional Ministry for Today's Black Family

This collection of essays explores a range of topics that impact the well-being of individuals...

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Good Night, Sleep Tight: Bedtime Rituals

This five-page booklet from Interfaith Family encourages parents to use bedtime as an...

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LifeWay Christian Resources: Kids Ministry 101

This web resource, provided by the congregational resource center of the Southern Baptist...

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Susan Beaumont and Associates, LLC

This organization provides consulting and online resources for leaders who serve large...

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Faith Formation in Adulthood

This resource combines theoretical and practical information to cover what a congregation...

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15 Ways to Engage a Young Man's Faith

This article draws from a study and key findings to detail 15 ways congregations can reach...

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Pilgrimage into the Last Third of Life: 7 Gateways to Spiritual Growth

Written by senior adult experts, this resource points to seven paths to a flourishing old age...

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Our Help in Ages Past: The Black Church's Ministry Among the Elderly

This thoughtful guide offers tips and tools for congregations ministering to elder...

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Reaching Out to Singles Assessment Pack

This training pack contains eight stand-alone assessment tools designed to guide conversations...

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Next Avenue: Where Grownups Keep on Growing

This website, by National Public Radio’ s Next Avenue, is a one-stop shop for...

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Parent Talk: Nine Conversations to Have with Your Aging Loved Ones

This resource equips caregivers for having difficult conversations with one's aging parents,...

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Safe Sanctuaries: The Church Responds to Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Older Adults

This resource provides congregations with information and strategies to protect older members...

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Young Adult: Taking a Coalition Approach to Young Adult Ministry

This brief article provides rationale and models for imaginative and fruitful engagement with...

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Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passion of Adults Over 50

This book explores how Baby Boomers reimagine life after 50 and offers guidance to minister to...

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Reaching Single Adults: An Essential Guide for Ministry

This guide for congregational leaders addresses how to minister to and with single adults.

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Faith Communities Today: Increasing Young Adult Participation in Churches and Other Faith...

Faith Communities Today is a web resource that examines congregations across an interfaith...

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Elderly & Living Alone in Rural Mississippi

This article details the story of an elderly man as a case study of how family, friends, and...

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A Heart of Wisdom: Making the Jewish Journey from Midlife through the Elder Years

This collection of essays offers Jewish perspectives on aging, ranging from intergenerational...

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Susan Nienaber Consulting, LLC

This organization provides consulting for congregations in conflict, needing structural...

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Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible, and the Ecological Crisis

This resource turns towards scripture for inspiration and direction related to humanity's role...

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The Story of Stuff Project

This web resource, provided by Annie Leonard, details her Story of Stuff Project and has added...

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Care for Creation

This 10-minute presentation focuses on key words of the Genesis 2 and 3 stories that...

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Food & Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread

This resource reflects on the sanctity of eating, alongside the moral, spiritual, and...

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Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People

This resource guides individuals and congregations towards a path of responsible...

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ENERGY STAR® Action Workbook for Congregations

This government publication provides congregational facility managers with useful information...

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National Religious Partnership for the Environment

The goal of this website is to express a united commitment to “seek justice and healing...

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Blessed Tomorrow

This website offers resources to equip leaders to engage their communities for meaningful...

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Eco-Action

This web resource is perfect for any denomination and persons of faith who are looking for...

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Claiming Earth as Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis through the Lens of Faith

This collections of essays calls for urgent and cooperative action among disparate faith...

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50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference

This book provides spiritual direction and practical tools to address causes of climate...

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Making Peace With the Land: God's Call to Reconcile with Creation

This resource urges readers to respond to the present and future challenges of sustaining life...

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The Mission Table: Renewing Congregation and Community

This resource intertwines personal story and biblical insight with tools for leadership...

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Let All Creation Praise

This ecumenical website resource includes a focus on “God the creator, Christ the...

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The Missional Network

This organization provides extensive resources and consulting to promote missional church...

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Adult Milestones Modules

This website offers discussion guides for adult milestones, such as buying a home or retiring....

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North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) Bullying Initiative

This website for Jewish youth and leaders contains curricula reviews and recommendations,...

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Seeing Red: An Anger Management and Anti-Bullying Curriculum for Kids

Written in a small group format, this resource helps kids learn to self-regulate their...

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Where All Can Safely Live: A Guide to Understanding Bullying in our Communities, How to Talk...

This four-session curriculum is designed for teenagers and adults, equipping participants with...

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Starting Missional Churches: Life with God in the Neighborhood

This book provides the reader with knowledge and inspiration to start a missional church from...

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Incarnate: The Body of Christ in an Age of Disengagement

This book calls Christians to embrace the "dirt, worms, and compost" and to serve the world...

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Sentness: Six Postures of Missional Christians

This book outlines six postures that will spark a shift from consumer Christianity to a...

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Book Review: "The Vanishing Neighbor - The Transformation of American Community Culture" by Marc...

This article looks at the loss of neighborliness and offers analysis to support the missional...

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Journal of Missional Practice

This web resource offers a collection of articles that explore a featured missional topic or...

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An Akathist in Praise of God's Creation

The text of this akathist, or hymn, evokes tender and joyful images of humankind's kinship...

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'Thine of Thine Own': Orthodoxy and Ecology

This essay presents a spiritual framework for thought and action regarding climate change.

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Shaped by the Story: Discover the Art of Bible Storying

This resource presents a new method of oral storytelling to connect teens with the Bible,...

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A Sabbatical Primer for Pastors: How to Initiate and Navigate a Spiritual Renewal Leave

This book advocates for practices and policies that ensure a sabbatical for every pastor,...

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Davidson Centre for the Professions – The Clergy Program

This program for clergy offers a weeklong residential retreat that takes a holistic...

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Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary

This organization provides annual sabbatical grants for Christian clergy of up to $50,000,...

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Journeying Toward Renewal: A Spiritual Companion for Pastoral Sabbaticals

This resource uses the journal entries of the author in addition to interviews with sabbatical...

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Sabbaticals for Ministers: The Benefits for Pastors and Congregations

This well-researched article makes a clear and compelling case for the ministry sabbatical...

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Enter the Bible

This web resource offers free study help curated by the professors at Luther Theological...

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God's EPIC Adventure: Changing Our Culture by the Story We Live and Tell

This book provides a thoughtful and thorough guide to the narrative thread that connects...

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Six Weeks with the Bible: Catholic Perspectives

Written by experienced teachers and biblical experts, this multi-volume series explores the...

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Children of God Storybook Bible

Designed for children, this illustrated book retells over fifty Bible stories from the Old and...

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Telling God's Story: The Biblical Narrative from Beginning to End

Based on a curriculum developed by veteran college teachers, this resource explores the Bible...

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YouVersion

The YouVersion app offers free mobile application from the folks at LifeChurch.tv and makes...

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Edible Idaho: God in the Garden

This brief video is a compelling introduction to the concept of congregational garden...

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Help and Hope: Disaster Preparedness and Response Tools for Congregations

Prepared by nearly two dozen experienced disaster relief practitioners, this guide gives...

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Coming Home: Ministry That Matters with Veterans and Military Families

Written by a military chaplain, this book argues that the return of military service members...

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Charity Detox: What Charity Would Look Like if We Cared About Results

This resource advocates for charitable approaches that create systemic change, describing...

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Research Strategies for Congregations: Tools for Understanding the People in Your Church and...

This article explores a variety of research-based strategies to help congregations gain a...

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Finding the Right Church Plant Model

This article introduces and describes five church-planting models.

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Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Ministering to Returning Combat Veterans

This resource equips congregations with sensitive and informed approaches to military...

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Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary Featuring 22 New Holy Days for Justice

This three-volume set examines the Revised Common Lectionary through the lens of "God's...

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Preaching Climate Justice

This article explains why climate change is a Gospel issue and offers suggestions for framing...

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Preaching That Matters: Reflective Practices for Transforming Sermons

This sensitive and informative book is designed to help preachers deepen their skills and...

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Festival of Homiletics

This annual conference offers extensive workshop options, speakers, and lectures focused on...

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The Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentary

This four-week liturgical will help congregations connect more fundamentally with creation.

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The Ten Commandments of iPad Preaching

Written by a pastor, this article offers suggestions for pastors considering using computer...

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Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism

This resource uses a two-fold approach to form the basis for a thoughtful and practical guide...

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Feasting on the Word Worship Companion

Based on the Revised Common Lectionary, this six-volume set of liturgical resources contains...

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Foundation Center

This center helps congregations find potential funders for special ministry projects, as well...

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Church + Home: The Proven Formula for Building Lifelong Faith

This resource presents a home-centered faith formation approach as a way to establish lifelong...

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Our Day to End Poverty: 24 Ways You Can Make a Difference

Written by a long-time justice advocate, this family-friendly guide connects everyday tasks to...

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Working with Consultants

This guide walks leaders through basic considerations to make before engaging an outside...

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Calling Forth New Life: Becoming Your Freshest, Finest, and Fullest Self

This brief guide inspires and offers practical help for individuals seeking personal...

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Social Movements for Good: How Companies and Causes Create Viral Change

Based on research of millennials and their patterns of giving, this resource helps readers...

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Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century: Engaging All Ages and Generations

This book offers a conceptual framework for faith formation in a changing world. Practical...

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Mastering the Art of Instruction: The 9 Essential Instructional Skills Every Teacher Needs to Master

Aimed at religious educators, this resource identifies 121 instructional behaviors that...

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Ministry Incubators: Bringing Ideas Home to Roost

This organization is a incubator program and consulting group for early-stage missional...

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Natural Church Development

This organization strengthens congregations by surveying congregants, planning for growth, and...

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D6 Family: Connecting Church and Home

This organization provides resources for parents to jump-start ministry at home for their...

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StartCHURCH

This organization gives church planters resources to address the organizational,...

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Sticky Faith

This organization provides resources for youth ministers, congregations, and parents to help...

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Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)

This organization provides congregations with legal means for utilizing copyrighted music in...

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America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America

This book brings together history, current events, and faith resources to address America's...

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Group Processes that Facilitate Positive Change

This article discusses four effective processes that leaders can use to take a positive...

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Working with Architects

Written by the resource experts at the Center for Congregations, this article details things...

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Getting the Most from an Education Event

This article provides practical guidance on how to get the most out of educational events.

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Know the Best Time to Relocate Your Church

This article urges congregations to examine their identity and mission before moving...

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10 Reasons to Consider Purchasing an Existing Building for Your Church Expansion or Relocation...

This article argues that congregations seeking additional space may find their answer in...

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Should Our Church Remodel or Relocate?

This article asks 16 questions to help congregations think clearly about their options when it...

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Dealing with Neighborhood Transitions in Your Church, Part 2: Congregational Relocation

Part of a four-part series on ministry in changing neighborhoods, this article offers five...

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Walking with Nehemiah: Your Community is Your Congregation

This book uses the biblical story about rebuilding Jerusalem's wall as a guide for how...

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These Are Our Bodies: Talking Faith & Sexuality at Church & Home

This curriculum equips congregations and families for faith-based conversations on human...

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The Proximity Project: Orienting Churches to Serve Neighborhoods Through the Built Environment

This organization assists congregations in discerning and implementing the hospitality...

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Anathoth Community Garden & Farm

This garden and farm acts as a local community center and offers a space for spiritual growth...

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Blessed Earth: Serving God, Saving the Planet

This organization provides educational resources to equip and inspire congregations in the...

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Institute for Youth Ministry

This organization trains youth ministry leaders, creates dialogue about the contemporary...

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Jewish Sacred Aging

This organization provides resources for Baby Boomers and their families within the Jewish...

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Network of Biblical Storytellers International (NBS)

This organization offers online resources and a conference to bring together storytelling...

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North American Mission Board: Church Replanting

This organization helps dying congregations foster new life through utilizing the assets of a...

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Urban Youth Workers Institute

This organization provides training and resources for effective ministry within communities of...

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Virtual Ministry Assistants

Virtual Ministry Assistants provides administrators and information technology experts to aid...

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The Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development

This article presents a life cycle model that can help leaders understand their congregation's...

article

What Makes a Good Bible Study? The Answer May Not Be What You Think

This article provides guidance for Bible study leaders looking for a study resource,...

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Church Supply Warehouse

This online warehouse is geared mostly towards Catholic parishes, but serves non-Catholic...

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Using Facilities Assessments: A Resource from the Center for Congregations

This brief guide gives readers an introduction to facilities assessment and addresses what to...

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Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church

This resource draws insights from a study of congregations and young adults to present helpful...

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Seeking Shalom: How Reimagining Charity Can Transform Lives and Restore Communities

This 6-session, web-based curriculum brings together biblical scholars, community leaders,...

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Relating to Contractors

This two-page guide from congregational experts offers commonsense tips and tools to get the...

article

Strategic Planning

This two-page guide examines what to consider when beginning the strategic planning process,...

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Selecting Fundraising Consultants

Compiled from interviews with consultants and congregational leaders, this article is designed...

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Giving Gardening: Tips and Best Practices

This document from a Seattle-based food and nutrition group helps congregations make the most...

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Antagonists in the Church: How to Identify and Deal with Destructive Conflict

This resource offers insight on how to identify a bully or antagonist and guidance to address...

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Environmental Sustainability/ Stewardship

This article looks at ways to maximize congregational resources by minimizing the building's...

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Center for Congregational Resources at Samford University

This organization helps clergy and congregations understand their challenges and possibilities...

article

Renovation or New Construction: From Dreams to Planning to Committees

This 12-page guide breaks down the planning and building process into manageable steps.

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Interfaith Toolkit: Engage Your Neighbors

This resource offers neighborhood engagement strategies, such as identifying concerns you hold...

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Who Does What? A Guide to Design Professionals in Preservation

This article equips congregations to determine what type of building professional to hire...

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Louisville Institute

This organization provides grants for pastoral and academic leaders to study and pursue...

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Plan 4 It: The 4 Essential Master Plans for Every Church

This book outlines how to strategically plan your building project by sharing practical wisdom...

article

Community Ministry Resources

This resource compiles books, articles, websites, and more to equip congregations for mutual...

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National Human Trafficking Hotline Resources

This website for the National Human Trafficking Hotline provides concerned congregations with...

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7 Epic Youth Ministry Mistakes: How Many is Your Church Making?

This e-book shares common youth ministry mistakes and how to avoid them.

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The Mission-Minded Guide to Church and School Partnerships

This resource helps congregations strategically plan for and establish a relationship with a...

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Cancer – Now What? Taking Action, Finding Hope, and Navigating the Journey Ahead

Written in 12 sections, this pastoral guide for cancer patients and their caretakers offers a...

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Smart Compassion: How to Stop "Doing Outreach" and Start Making Change

This guide offers congregations a relationship-rich model for community ministry that can...

article

Strategic Planning in Congregations

This practical article shares the insights of six congregations who hired strategic planning...

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Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties

This resource presents a picture of emerging adult life, looking at the five common markers...

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Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training: Dismantling Racism, Building Racial Justice in...

This organization facilitates conversations and trainings for congregations to address race...

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Small Group Network Channel

This YouTube channel, provided by Small Group Network (SGN), aims to enrich...

web resource

FacilitiesNet

This website provides up-to-date information on all things related to facility management,...

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Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It

Written by an educator, this book reveals racist tendencies in how we speak, and details the...

article

Creating Third Place Spaces at Church

This 8-page article from a church architect offers tips and a research-based approach for...

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Kitchen Table Giving: Reimagining How Congregations Connect with their Donors

This book details how to elicit more giving by building trust.

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International Facility Management Association (IFMA)

This organization provides members with educational events, training and networking...

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Search Institute: Discovering What Kids Need to Succeed

This organization provides research and resources for congregations that help young people...

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First Impressions: Creating WOW Experiences in Your Church

This book urges congregations to treat guests with "acceptance and respect," and can be used...

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Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church

Filled with proven techniques, this book is a guide on how to welcome guests, providing...

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Orange

This go-to family ministry resource offers blogs, curricula, events, and podcasts to nurture...

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Discovering and Living God's Heart for Immigrants: A Guide to Welcoming the Stranger

This 6-session study guide from World Relief helps Christians welcome and minister to...

web resource

Pew Research on Millennials

This website offers statistics and information about millennials in a collection of...

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Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement

This research-based guide dives into how to strategically engage Millennials as constituents,...

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Families at the Center of Faith Formation

This resource combines research-based findings with practical tools to examine what makes for...

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Who is my Neighbor?

This series of articles shares the story of Westbury UMC's refugee resettlement ministry as a...

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The Stranger: Immigrants, Scripture and the American Dream

This 42-minute video puts a human face on immigration by featuring the stories of individuals...

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Sustainable Community Development: From What's Wrong to What's Strong

This 18-minute TedTalk frames community engagement positively with compelling stories and...

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The Circle Way for Communities of Faith

The Circle Way provides a process to foster open conversations and communal decision-making. ...

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Yale Youth Ministry Institute

This extensive resource hub equips youth leaders to connect with diverse youth, walking...

article

Creating a Congregational Culture of Validation

This article reveals how validation fosters flourishing congregations and lists three ways...

article

The Guide to New Church Models

This compilation of essays and interviews looks at seven novel ways that congregations are...

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Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood: A Practical Theology for College and Young Adult Ministry

This research-based book looks at the practical and spiritual implications of emerging...

web resource

What "story" does the condition of your facility tell?

This blog post argues that congregations should pay attention to building cleanliness and...

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Church Facility Stewardship

This free download provides checklists and tools to proactively manage your congregation's...

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The Developmental Relationships Framework

This printable page reminds youth leaders of healthy developmental strategies to nuture young...

web resource

Carey Nieuwhof

This web resource offers an inspirational and practical on-the-go podcast with insights from...

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Less Chaos. Less Noise: Effective Communications for an Effective Church

Written by a communications expert, this book sharpens congregational practices to better...

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A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community

Through this pastor's story, learn how to confront exclusive attitudes and build inclusive...

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Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship

This collection of essays explores themes of stewardship through various lenses using...

media

10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

This light-hearted TedTalk is an important reminder of the skills required to have a...

web resource

White Privilege: Let's Talk - A Resource for Transformational Dialogue

The United Church of Christ offers a free, downloadable curriculum for White faith communities...

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Generational IQ: Christianity Isn't Dying, Millennials Aren't the Problem, and the Future Is Bright

This book looks at generational realities through a faith lens, exploring the ways...

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Reconcile: Conflict Transformation for Ordinary Christians

This book draws from the author's experience in reconciliation work around the world, offering...

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Using Nonprofits for God's Purposes

This blog post discusses things to think about when considering a nonprofit startup.

media

Bivocational Pastors

This brief video from PBS looks at the challenges and opportunities that arise when the pastor...

article

Setting Wages and Benefits for Church Staff

This five-part guide provides technical and creative insights to manage personnel, budgets...

article

How to Have Helpful Conversations About Race in the Church: An Anti-Racism Resource

This 11-page guide offers a process and tools to engage in important conversations regarding...

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The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life...

This book analyzes four personality types as they relate to why individuals act and why they...

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MultiChurch: Exploring the Future of Multisite

This book explains that the multi-site church model is biblically and theologically faithful,...

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The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

This resource uses the Enneagram personality assessment to help individuals discover and...

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Sustainable Children's Ministry: From Last-Minute Scrambling to Long-Term Solutions

This resource provides congregations with the tips and tools to build a children's ministry...

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Growing Small Group Leaders: One Year of Resources for Small Group Coaches

This one-year program uses a variety of tools like instructional handouts and training...

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Everyone's Called to Youth Ministry…They Just Don't Know it Yet

This resource offers practical suggestions to engage volunteers for youth ministry.

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Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community

This resource presents the testimony of young activists and local clergy who joined forces in...

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Handling Conflict

This thorough resource, covering 12 different aspects of conflict, identifies negative and...

article

Avoiding All-Out Church War

This pack of eight articles educates readers about conflict and how to mitigate it in a...

media

Mission: Possible

This board game empowers teams to tackle problems by generating creative solutions, drawing on...

book

How To Talk With Sick, Dying and Grieving People: When there are No Magic Words to Say

This resource provides insights and stories to help pastoral caregivers and clergy walk wisely...

book

The Unstuck Church: Equipping Churches to Experience Sustained Health

This resource lays out the seven lifecycle phases of a congregation, beginning with "Launch"...

web resource

New Churches: Multiply the Mission

New Churches, brought to you by veteran church start pastor and educator Ed Stetzer and Daniel...

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Wild Goose Festival

This event is part outdoor music festival, part retreat, and part justice conference. It...

book

The Relational Judaism Handbook: How to Create a Relational Engagement Campaign to Build and...

This comprehensive guide is grounded in scripture and tradition to help transform...

web resource

ChurchSalary: A Service of Church Law and Tax

This searchable database for congregations with paid staff contains information on salary...

organization

Catalyst Leader

This organization provides workshops and online resources focused on leadership building for...

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Community and Congregational Listening: Coaching and Practices from Online Sessions

This brief article offers practical wisdom to take the pulse of the congregation and its...

article

Four Guiding Principles for Managing a Polarized Congregation

This article equips leaders to navigate conflict in the congregation.

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Principles for Online Ritual Design

This practical guide helps congregants create their own sacred spaces and rituals from home...

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Visitations and Funerals

This go-to site for loss and grief during COVID provides re-imagined rituals, practical...

book

Bridges: 15 Sessions to Connect Teenagers and Adults on Drugs and Alcohol, Decision-Making,...

This resource contains various sessions and activity options to help facilitate conversations...

web resource

Relocation Manual for Pastors and Church Leaders

This digital manual provides rich insight and practical considerations to discern about...

article

How pastors can help their congregations address the issue of immigration

This practical article offers ways to address immigration with congregations, particularly...

article

I Was a Stranger: What the Bible Says about Immigrants

This list of scripture passages reveals God’ s care for those who have been displaced. ...

media

Radical Hospitality: Responding to the issue of Immigration

This Mennonite curriculum provides a 6 to 13-week Bible study about immigration.

article

Sanctuary: A Discernment Guide for Congregations

This guide explains the immigration Sanctuary Movement and how congregations can support...

article

Welcome to the United States: A Guidebook for Refugees

This guide provides practical information and workbook activities for refugees as they...

organization

Cultural Orientation Resource Center

This organization provides cultural Information services to support refugee communities.

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Videos for Learning About Refugee Families and Youth

These short videos share what refugee youth and their families face when adjusting to life in...

organization

Jewish Family and Career Services (JFCS)

JFCS offers a wide range of services in Louisville, KY, to help new Americans on their journey...

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Phygital Church: Building Physical and Digital Space for Ministry Impact in 2021

In this 60-minute presentation, ministry strategists explain how to adjust space usage when...

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Church After COVID: 7 Predictions for How the Church Will Change by 2025

This article forecasts how online giving will take a central role in congregational life.

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8 Disruptive Church Trends that Will Rule 2021

Thought leader Cary Nieuwhof describes how congregational life will change with technology and...

article

More Collaboration, Fewer Buildings? Post-COVID

In this article, Jewish communities share practical strategies to refocus resources and...

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Praying in the Time of COVID-19: How the World's Largest Mosques Adapted

This article demonstrates how prayer and community life can take new forms during pandemic...

web resource

"What If…" Series: Faith Formation Strategies for a post-Pandemic World

These articles offer creative and practical faith formation ideas for an increasingly...

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Lessons from a Year of Ministry during COVID-19

In this article pastors share hybrid ministry practices they’ ll continue post-pandemic....

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What's Next in Digital Worship?

These Calvin Institute webinars explore post-pandemic worship including preaching, liturgy,...

book

Smart Church Management: A Quality Approach to Church Administration

This concise book provides tips and tools on a variety of administrative topics ---...