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Church Vitality

Church Growth Articles

Church Growth Webinars & Podcasts

Consulting Groups

Hospitality/Welcoming Visitors

Presbytery of Arkansas Recorded Theological Discussions

Reaching Millennials/Gen Z

Suggested Resources

Church Growth Articles

How Do Congregations Grow, a 6/2024 article from Convergence

Does your church need a sabbatical? 3/2022 PRC webinar, Explore how you can use the sabbatical concept through the next year as a way to build momentum for what’s next?

Growth and Renewal resources from PRC

The Reclaimed Leader podcast with Jason Tucker & Jesse Skiffington

The Unstuck Church Report on church staffing trends, 5/2024

How Does Church Photography Help You Reach People? Photography could be the breakthrough your church needs to reach more people. A Church Marketing University 2024 article

10 Ways to Grow Your Church Through Engagement, 7/2023 article by Carey Nieuwhof

What Is Your Why, 4/2023 article by Debi Nixon of The Resurrection Church

Planning Center software – a set of software tools to help you organize information, coordinate events, communicate with your team, and connect with your congregation

Manual for Developing the Seven Marks of Congregational Vitality from the PC(USA)

Fresh Expressions, a website helping pastors and leaders equip their church to reach more people for Christ

Hemorrhaging Faith: Why and When Young Canadian Adults are Leaving, Staying, and Returning to the Church, a Family Faith Formation Research Project

Starting Small Groups… Connection before Content, an 8/2023 blog article from Sharechurch

7 Ways To Build Teams of Great Leaders(when you feel like your team is lacking), 6/2021 (Carey Nieuwhof article)

The ‘Great Realignment’: Pastors come and go, 6/22/2022 PC(USA) article with stories of several congregations and church leaders who have successfully navigated transitions and offers guidance on how to survive and even flourish in these trying times

8 Steps 4 Change: Steps Required to Transition a Church, Bob Whitesel (article)

Church Growth Webinars & Podcasts

“Becoming a Future-Ready Church” featuring Adelle Banks, a 3/2025 podcast from The Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Leading Faithful Innovation, a free PRC on demand webinar, 2/2024

Using the assets we have: Innovation in ministry, A 3/2023 Outlook on-demand webinar

Church Growth Barriers: How to Break Through the 4 Most Common Plateaus, 5/2023 webinar from the Unstuck Group: Click here, and the workbook

Discipleship Pathways: Common obstacles of faith formation, a recorded PRC webinar

Fun and Meaningful Ideas to Reinvigorate Your Community Outreach, 5/2022 PRC webinar

Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change, 6/2022 PRC webinar

Strategic Ambiguity: 5 things every church can do in times of uncertainty to move towards health, 5/2022 PRC webinar

Consulting Groups

AE Sloan Leadership

Convergence Group, strategic planning, resources, online learning

Cyclical – Founded by Presbyterians, it is an organization working to pave the way for churches to innovate in new ways, and to see what is possible for the future

Project Regeneration from the Presbyterian Foundation walks alongside congregations as they work to discern their path into the future, free

Pneumatix – provides adaptive change leadership skills for congregational transformation

Center For Healthy Churches

The Unstuck Group – helps equip churches to grow their impact and effectiveness

Holy Cow Consulting & Data

Broken Sheep – helping churches reach the lost in their community, welcome them into the church and introducing them into a life long relationship with Christ

CCG (Congregational Consulting Group)

Church Marketing University

Hospitality/Welcoming Visitors

Why Guests Aren’t Coming Back & What You Can Do About It, a 2025 article from Text in Church, shared by Church of the Resurrection

Open Network videos: 3 Steps for Engaging First Time Visitors, Create a welcoming Environments For New Guests, and Practical Strategies For Recruiting New Volunteers

Seven Reasons Your Guests Aren’t Returning, a ShareChurch article (UMC)

Three Characteristics of Excellent Follow-up, a ShareChurch article (UMC)

Getting First Time Visitors to Come Back, a 10 minute video from Church Marketing University with some great ideas to try

Three Characteristics of Excellent Follow-Up (with visitors), a blog article from ShareChurch (UMC) 11/2023

Operations page (think hospitality & events) of Open Network church

Plan a visit blueprint from Text At Church

Secret Shopper Form – Hand this to someone so they can give unfiltered feedback on your church experience

A Fresh Start at Strengthening Relationships in Your Church, 6/2021 PRC webinar on getting to know people who are new to your congregation and reaching out to include people on the “fringes” of congregational life

The Senior Pastor’s Guide to Reaching More People – Lots of ideas and best practices on how to reach new people PDF from Church Juice

Presbytery of Arkansas Recorded Theological Discussions

Theological Discussion with Tod Bolsinger from the 6/2022 meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas

Adaptive Change, Theological Discussion with Deborah Wright and the 148th Meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas, 10/2021

Theological Discussion with Jason Tucker from the 6/2021 meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas

Reaching Millennials/Gen Z

Strategies for Reaching and Developing Gen Z, an on-demand webinar from PRC

5 Things You Need to Know About Gen Z in 2024, a 9/2024 Barna article

Strategies for Reaching and Developing Gen Z, a PRC recorded webinar from May, 2024

Not Done Yet with Beth Seversen, a webinar from Therefore Go Ministries – A conversation focused on best practices for the church as we seek to connect with emerging adults

Returning to ritual: Gen Z and religion, 2/2024 Outlook article

A Sneak Peek into 5 Characteristics of Gen Z Church, Carey Nieuwhof 3/2023 article

Who Teens Really Listen To, Why Adults Fail to Connect with Gen Z, and Creating a Better Soundtrack for the Next Generation, 11/2022 Carey Nieuwhof podcast

Renegotiating Faith: The Delay in Young Adult Identity Formation and What it Means for the Church in Canada, a Family Faith Formation Research Report

3 Ideas For Increasing Your Influence With Gen Z, 5/2022 article from Carey Nieuwhof

What does the next generation actually want from your church? 8/2021 (Carey Nieuwhof podcast episode)

Articles on Millennials from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Articles on Reaching Younger People from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership

5 Surprising Characteristics of Churches That Are Actually Reaching The Next Generation, a Carey Nieuwhof article

What Millennials Want When They Visit A Church, 3/2015 (a Barna Group article)

5 Things Millennials Are Looking For in A Church, a Carey Nieuwhof article

Reaching Millennials: Proven Methods for Engaging a Younger Generation by David Stark, Bethany House 2016

Resource Pages

The Colossian Forum: Lead Through Conflict, free and paid

Church Answers, Tom Rainer resource page

Carey Nieuwhof resources on Leadership, (articles, podcast, & more) free & paid

Lewis Center for Church Leadership (articles & podcasts)

Fresh Expressions with Michael Adam Beck, resourcing church leaders to serve the present age (UMC)

Volunteers

Getting and Keeping Talented, Engaged Volunteers, 10/2021 PRC webinar

Getting Volunteers To Say Yes, a 1/2024 article by Susan Beaumont of The Congregational Consulting Group

Is Your Volunteer Recruitment Working, a ShareChurch article

Five Ways To Show Volunteers Appreciation, a ShareChurch article

Suggested Resources

Building Up A New World: Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact, edited by Ann Dunlap & Vahisha Hasan, 2023 The Pilgrim Press

Click here to preview

Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation into a Powerhouse for Mission by Krin Van Tatenhove & Rob Mueller, 2019 – and it’s study guide

Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission and Practice by Joan S. Gray, 2014

Part-Time Is Plenty: Thriving without Full-Time Clergy by G. Jeffrey MacDonald, 2020

The Art of Hospitality: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome by Yvonne Gentle, Abingdon 2020

Flow; Growing a Spiritual Yoga Practice in Church by Susan Springer, a 3/2023 review

The Adept Church: Navigating Between a Rock and a Hard Place by J. Douglas Powe, Jr., 5-week study, 2020 Abingdon, Paid

What Next? A creative tool from the PC(USA) to help ministries and communities of faith re-imagine our programs and life together. This tool will help you identify and discern creative new approaches, new ministries and new ways of being the big C church in a post-pandemic age.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY: Partnering with your neighbors in your Ministry Expedition (The Greatest Expedition), by Paul Nixon, 2021 $14.95

Our Connectional Church: The Hopeful Future of the PC(USA) by Gradye Parsons, Westminster John Knox Press 2018, $15

Part-Time is Plenty: Thriving without Full-Time Clergy, 4/2020 by G. Jeffrey MacDonald, recommended by Rev. Deborah Wright of Pneumatrix. $19

Six Questions About the Future of the Hybrid Church Experience, State of the Digital Church Series from Barna, $18

We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry by Mark Elsdon, 2021

100 Days to a Healthier Church/Worksheets, Karl Vaters, free downloads

The Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization & Renewal by Tom Cheyney (2016, $12.99)

From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church by Harry L. Reeder III (2008, $12.99)

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