By Laura Stephens-Reed The most vital skill to cultivate in congregations is curiosity. That might seem like a strange claim to make. After all, the gospels tell us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and then to love neighbor. Matthew 25 calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed It’s that time again! Many congregations launch stewardship campaigns in the fall to coincide with budgeting for the following fiscal year. Talking about money can be awkward for pastors because the largest portion of most church budgets is devoted to personnel costs. This is not a bad thing, by the way. Staff … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens Reed Ministers have the privilege and responsibility of accompanying people through all kinds of joys and hardships. We can offer a comforting presence and serve as a guide in making meaning of all of life’s events. Sometimes, though, something so devastating happens that we might feel less equipped as we’d like. Sometimes … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura-Stephens Reed When your pastor leaves your church, it is normal find yourself dealing with confusion and anxiety. Among the many questions you might ask is, “Who will lead our congregation while we look for a long-term leader?” It can feel personally and collectively de-stabilizing not to have a steady presence in the … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed Back in the 1990s, when I was a teenager, youth ministry was relatively straightforward. My peers and I met for junior high and high school Sunday school and then attended worship. We came back on Sunday evenings for a less formal worship service and youth group (which often involved outings such … Continue reading
Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed One of the primary laments I hear from pastors and laity in this pre-post-pandemic time is that many former stalwarts have not yet returned to church. Maybe these folks continue to be Covid-cautious. (After all, most of us have someone we love who is medically fragile. We might even be that immuno-compromised … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed In my coaching, I often hear themes across clergy about what is hard and what is delightful about their work. But in late August, I decided I wanted something more than anecdotal information about this season in ministry. I sent out a three-question, anonymous survey to my newsletter lists and posted … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed Recently my family moved from one town to another, which meant my son changed schools. A couple of weeks into the semester, the school hosted a Back-to-School Bash on a Friday night. What a great idea! The students would have an opportunity simply to have fun together without the constraints of … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed It is no secret that many churches, once pushing the fire marshal’s maximum occupancy to its limits, are now in numerical decline. I have my pick of statistics that I could cite, but here’s a particularly poignant visual from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research: The pews are no more than 38 … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed Thinking in general, I do not like the application of business mindsets to ministry. The Church, after all, is not out to make money for those who have invested in it. It’s not even about the number of people in the pews. Instead, the Church’s function is to grow disciples and to … Continue reading