Future of Denominations
Christian denominations in the United States must focus not on surviving short-term but thriving long-term. To deliver on their promise, denominations face questions about their mission, vision and strategies.
Features
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Article
January 31, 2012 | The rise of independent churches and the blurring of denominational boundaries have led to a boom in Christian nonprofit organizations. The challenge for church leaders is to respond to the growth of these parachurch organizations in ways that strengthen their identity and mission. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of Christian nonprofits. Read more »
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Reflection
January 17, 2012 | Christian leaders ignore the spiritual needs of congregations at their own peril. Even the hardest-to-reach group -- young adults -- appears open to approaches that emphasize spiritual growth. Read more »
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Reflection
January 3, 2012 | Congregations seeking to remain or become vital must change to reflect the changing paradigm of the American family, says the author of a new book on the future of the church. Read more »
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Q&A
November 8, 2011 | For the Episcopal Church and mainline Protestantism, this may be a wilderness period, a time of being shaped, formed and made ready to enter the promised land, says a former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. Read more »
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Q&A
October 25, 2011 | The church needs vital leaders who can convince people in the pews to move beyond the church’s four walls and be involved in Christ’s life in the world, says the new head of the UMC General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Read more »
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Q&A
October 11, 2011 | Leadership is helping God's people take the next faithful step, says the director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Read more »
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Profile
June 21, 2011 | Staccato Powell has overseen stunning growth in his AME Zion church in downtown Raleigh, which he sees as part of a “new church” that stresses Christian fervor over denominational identity. But his goal, he says, is to revitalize the traditional church, not to reject it. Read more »
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Reflection
April 26, 2011 | Americans remain remarkably religious in both belief and practice. However, recent research shows that every indicator of traditional religiosity is either stable or declining -- with none on the rise -- suggesting that American religion has slowly but unmistakably declined in recent decades. Read more »
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Q&A
January 18, 2011 | Churches large and small are discovering that “going multi-site” -- expanding to more than one location -- is a new way to “take the church to the people,” says researcher Warren Bird. Read more »
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Q&A
October 12, 2010 | Ministry is diminished when new pastors suffer with large student debt, says ELCA Bishop Rick Foss. Read more »
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