Matt Burke is the director of the Northeast Center for Congregations in Fort Wayne and serves as the Center’s Education Director statewide. Matt has a background in classroom, digital and experiential education. He is passionate about using education to develop deeper faith in congregational participants.
As a consultant with the Center for Congregations, I travel a good bit. Sometimes I spend...
Podcast
S4 E4: Pandemic and Purpose
Matt and Shellie explore the changing nature of congregational life with Pastor Rob Dyer of Ministry Architects. Rob encourages congregations to explore the question...
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S4 E3: Is Race The Real Problem?
Racial division is a current topic in many arenas of life. However, Rev. Wallace Butts asks the question "Is race the real issue here?" Matt and Ben talk with Rev....
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S4 E2: Providing Touch in a Touchless Time
Dee Dee (Deidre) Gray and Adrian Warren join Ben and Matt to talk about how congregations can improve their digital presence.
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S4 E1: 3 Big Questions
Kara Powell from Fuller Youth Institute joins Ben and Matt to discuss the new book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager.
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S3 E11: Ghosts
Riffing off of Charles Dickens' classic novel, Ben and Matt and Tim Shapiro, reflect on trends in the life of congregational ministry.
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S3 E10: Gloriously Out Of Place
Joe Johns and So Min Oo join Ben and Matt to discuss the relationship their congregations have built while celebrating their differences.
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S3 E9: The Joys of Evaluation!
Kelly Minas, the Center for Congregations' Associate Director for Evaluation, joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of evaluation, metrics and analytics for...
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S3 E8: Forced Into The Water
Mike Palmer joins Ben and Matt to unpack emerging trends in education. They explore how these trends will affect religious education and congregational life moving forward....
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S4 E6: Navigating Grief and Lamentation
Matt and Ben talk with Chaplain Jon Swanson about what it means to explore the ways we manage loss and disappointment.
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CRG-Strategic...
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S3 E7: Memento Mori
Rev. Sabrina Gray joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of end of life planning, and talks through how leaders can initiate those conversations within their community....
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S3 E6: Don't Be A Clergy Killer
Rev. Callie Smith and Dr. Rob Saler join Matt and Ben to discuss the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program. They unpack the importance of rest and renewal for both clergy...
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S3 E5: Who Are You? Marketing and Branding for Congregations
Manuel Corazzari joins Matt and Ben to discuss marketing and branding for congregations including the importance of knowing your unique identity.
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S3 E4: Make It Personal
Pastor Javier Mondragon joins Ben and Matt to discuss the challenges and benefits of leading a multicultural congregation.
Resources:
Access the resources mentioned...
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S3 E3: Worship as the Work of the People
David Gungor joins Ben and Matt to talk about how worship is more than just singing together. He also discusses how Good Shepherd New York is an integrated community where the...
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S2 E12: The Value of the Enneagram in Congregational Spaces
Enneargram writer, teacher and coach Leanette Pokuwaah joins Ben and Matt to talk about how the enneagram can be used well in congregational contexts. She also discusses the...
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S2 E11: The Marriage of Mental Health and Ministry
Dr. Christina Jones Davis, Clinical Professor of Pastoral Theology and Marriage and Family Therapy at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS), sits down with Ben and Matt to...
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S2 E10: Storytelling that Changes the World
Musician, speaker and activist Propaganda joins Ben and Matt to discuss how storytelling is foundational to being human and to fostering change. They also also talk about his...
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S2 E9 Rural Congregations: A Story of Pain and Promise
Allen Stanton joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of congregations in rural communities. He highlights their work as anchor institutions while also addressing the...
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S2 E8: Getting Schooled on Interim Ministry
Rev. Janae Pitts-Murdock, senior pastor of Light of the World Christian Church and former interim pastor, joins Ben and Matt to unpack what it takes to have a successful...
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S2 E7: A Primer on Racial Equity
McKenzie Scott Lewis, the northwest director of the Center for Congregations talks with Ben and Matt about the challenges and opportunities faced by congregations in seeking to...
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S2 E6: Fear and Anger: Christian Nationalism among Young Adults
PhD candidate Michael Rotolo joins Ben and Matt to unpack the research around Christian Nationalism as it relates to congregations and young adult engagement. Michael's...
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S2 E5: Courting Justice
Ben and Matt connect with Pastor Bere Gil Soto, lead pastor of Iglesia Hermandad Cristiana, to talk about what it's like to lead a multi-cultural and multi-lingual...
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S2 E4: Bring Your Whole Self
Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty, one of the co-founders of the Prickly Pear Collective, joins Matt and Ben to discuss creating authentic community where everyone is encouraged to bring...
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S2 E3: Tech: It's Not as Complicated as You Think
Pastor John Girton joins Ben and Matt to talk about excellence in online worship experiences using technology. They also discuss what's next for congregations and the...
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S2 E2 Waving the Banner for Youth Ministry
In this episode Ben and Matt are joined by Center for Congregations director Shellie Riggs Jordan as they interview Mark Oestreicher (a.k.a. Marko) of The Youth Cartel. Marko...
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S2 E1 Wisdom to Start Your New Year
Aimee Laramore, lead consultant at AlLyd Solutions, joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of recognizing the assets your congregation has and the importance of using...
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S1 E8: What Went Right in 2020
Ben and Matt are joined by southwest director Wendy McCormick, northwest director McKenzie Scott Lewis and president of the Center for Congregations Tim Shapiro. Each guest...
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S1 E7 Exchanging Pews for Strollers
Victoria Sun Esparza joins Ben and Matt to talk about Human Centered Design and applying it in congregations. This process is a way for you to listen well to the needs of your...
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S1 E6 Agents of Unity
Bishop Grant joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of getting back to the basics of faith. He challenges faith leaders and congregations to remember to center the people...
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S1 E4: Kicked Off a Cliff
Pastor Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes of the Double Love Experience joins Matt, Ben and Wendy to discuss what she's observed about rapidly changing systems in congregational life....
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S1 E2: Tapping into Experience with Tim Shapiro
This week Ben and Matt talk with the president of the Center for Congregations, Tim Shapiro. Tim shares his experiences as a senior pastor for 18 years and from his 18 years of...
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S1 E1: Where have all the young people gone?
Matt and Ben sit down with Science Mike to discuss the problems and possibilities with engaging young adults. Congregations across religious and denominational lines are...
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S1 E3: Do we have to hide our pain?
Hillary McBride joins Ben and Matt to talk about how congregations can be places of healing for those dealing with mental health issues. We explore Hillary's own experience...
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S4 E9: What's Right with Congregations
Former Center for Congregations staff members Nancy DeMott and Doug Hanner join Matt to share stories about their work at the Center. These stories highlight what congregations...
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S4 E8: When Digital Ministry Is Not Plug-And-Play
Rev. Dr. Rosario Picardo joins Ben and Matt to discuss digital ministry in congregational life. Roz is the co-author of Fresh Expressions in a Digital Age. In this interview...
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S4 E7: Remembering Our History In Order To Heal
Ben and Matt talk with Rev. Sue Park-Hur about the challenges facing the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. They discuss the model-minority myth, the rise in...
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S4 E11: Beyond Feisty and Divisive: Caring for LGBTQ Youth
In congregations many have questions and concerns about LGBTQ+ issues. Regardless of your theological stance, it's important to know how to care for youth that may identify...
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S4 E14: Are You Seeing What I'm Seeing?
You likely deal with some kind of diversity in your congregational life. Whether that be ethnic, cultural, generational or some other kind of diversity. Wilisha Scaife believes...
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S4 E15: Suffering in Silence: Addressing Mental Health
First, the bad news: mental health issues exist in your congregation. The good news is that there are a wealth of resources and people who can help and a myriad of ways to...
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S4 E16: Invisible People: Multiculturalism in Your Community
Your community is likely more multicultural than you may realize. In this episode of the Center for Congregations podcast, we speak with Sandy Garcia of Amistad Cristiana...
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S4 E17: Be the Bridge: Spanning Cultural Gaps
As people of faith, we are often called to be cultural brokers within our communities by identifying gaps that exist, asking the right questions, and harnessing the power of...
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S4 E18: Clergy Are People Too: No, Really.
In this episode of the Center for Congregations podcast, Marty Sawyers of the Full Strength Network and John Opalewski of Converge Coaching share their experience and insight...
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S4 E22: Building Relationships: What We Can Learn from Congolese Christians
Ben and Matt spoke with Emmanuel about the ways that the Congolese Christian community is learning to adapt to life in Indiana. As they unpacked both the challenges and...
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S5 E3: Am I Allowed to Come In?
Marketer and Millennial Kaeli Sweigard joins Ben and Matt to talk about her journey into congregational life. Topics include what congregations need to know about how they...
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S5 E2: What Do YOU Mean by Community Ministry?
Aimee Laramore joins Ben and Matt to talk about community ministry. Topics include the nature of what the different definitions of congregation and community are, focusing on...
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S5 E1: Conversations about Race are Hard
The hosts of the Shades of Hope podcast, Pastor Jeff Krajewski and Rev. Dr. Clarence Moore join Ben and Matt to candidly discuss racial justice in congregations and in our...
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S4 E23: Ghosts of Congregations Past, Present and Future 2022 Edition
President of the Center for Congregations Tim Shapiro joins Ben and Matt to discuss what the Center for Congregations has seen in regards to trends, happenings and work in...
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Community is Messy: The Perils and Promise of Small Group Ministry
This resource reveals the difficulties of small group ministry, arguing that such challenges...
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Small Group Ministries
Based on the "Purpose Driven Life" philosophy of Saddleback Church, Small Group Ministries is...
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SmallGroups.com
This web resource is a vast library of resources for small group ministry that is organized...
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Small Group Leaders' Handbook: Developing Transformational Communities
This resource argues that small groups are all about transformation, providing an overview of...
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Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An Integrational Approach
This resource provides a biblically-based theological framework for small group ministry. ...
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Healthy Church Cell Groups
This article argues that cell groups are the basic building block of any congregation and...
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Against the Current: The Unexpected Challenges of Multi-Ethnic Ministry
This article contains an interview with the senior pastor of River City Community Church in...
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Books Lay Out Guiding Principles for Small Groups in Parishes
This article highlights statistics on Catholics who have left their faith and provides...
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Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry: A Strategic Guide for Leading Group Life in Your...
The first book of a series, this resource provides a how-to guide on building and leading...
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Field Guide for Small Group Leaders
This resource focuses on the small group leader's responsibility to prepare and lead small...
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Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction: Practical Ways to Blend an Ancient Art into Your...
This resource looks at small group leadership from a counseling perspective, arguing that...
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Lead Small: Five Big Ideas Every Small Group Leader Needs to Know
This resource provides strategies for encouraging faith among children through small group...
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Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership
This resource seeks to deepen understanding of why small groups are essential to...
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The Ministry of Small Groups: Towards an Integration of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis
This article looks at six reasons why small groups fail and offers solutions.
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Making Small Groups Work: What Every Small Group Leader Needs to Know
Drawing upon the authors' experiences as psychologists, this resource looks at what makes...
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Missional Small Groups: Becoming a Community That Makes a Difference in the World
This resource shows how missional small groups differ from conventional small groups,...
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11 Principles for Improving Your Church's Small Groups
This short blog provides practical tips for implementing a small group ministry.
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Groups Matter - #TheExchange with @EdStetzer and @RealEricGeiger
President of LifeWay Research Division Ed Stetzer and Vice President of LifeWay Christian...
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Transformational Groups – Part 1 – The Exchange – Full Episode
This web resource offers a forty-eight minute interview with Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger about...
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Ministry Outreach: Growing Your Church's Small Groups
This article provides a basic framework for understanding healthy small group leadership.
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Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities and Churches
This research-based book examines the differences between "mission true" organizations that...
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GIA Publications, Inc.
This organization provides music resources for a number of different types of church music,...
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TechImpact
This tech organization supports nonprofits with IT training, consulting, and general...
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Maximum Generosity: Inspiring Open-Handed Giving in a Tight-Fisted World
Brian Kluth has created this site in order to aid congregations, nonprofits, parachurch...
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Singing from the Lectionary
This weekly blog website, provided by Natalie Sims, provides recommendations several weeks...
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You Call That Church Music?
Annie Strickland is the music and arts director of Grace Episcopal Church in Bainbridge,...
