Center for Congregations staff Kara Faris, Shellie Riggs Jordan and Matt Burke gather to talk about what the Center for Congregations is learning in 2025. They share several stories of congregations in Indiana that highlight some of the great things happening in congregational life.

Resources

The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller (book)

Undue Medical Debt (organization)

Rev. Dr. Darrell Hall of The Way Community Church joins John and Matt to talk about doing the hard work of understanding other generations and how it is related to loving others.

Resources

Speaking Across Generations by Dr. Darrell Hall (book)

Generational IQ by Haydn Shaw (book)

Making Space at The Well by Dr. Jessica Brown (book)

Instagram - @IAmDarrellHall

X - @IAmDarrellHall

The Center for Congregations' own Christos Reid, Communications and Marketing Strategist, joins Shellie and Matt to talk about marketing and communications for congregations. This episode is full of practical advice and tips on how to incorporate better tools and ideas into your congregation's communications.

Resources

"Ultimate Guide to Church SEO" by Paul Steinbrueck (article)

"Strategic Social Media Planning for Churches: A Step-by-Step Guide" on churchposting.com (article)

"The Top 20 Church Marketing Strategies for 2025" by Jordan Meyers (article)

Dr. Robert Mansfield joins JC and Matt to talk about discipleship and the importance of your congregation's context in faith formation. Dr. Mansfield believes that there is no copy-paste way to disciple. Each community needs to find ways to form faith based on its unique theology, traditions and specific local history.

Resources

"Insights from Research and Theory: Practices for Forming Faith with Young Adults" by Leif Kehrwald and John Roberto (article)

Discipleship Essentials: A Guide for Building Your Life in Christ by Greg Ogden (book)

Evangelistic Discipling (organization)

The 7 Questions of Discipleship by Robert Mansfield (book series)

Dr. Steven Argue, Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, talks with Shellie and Dr. Bridges about meeting young adults where they are: in the midst of their transitions. Matt and Shellie then talk about the Center for Congregation's work with congregations around young adults, unpack the interview and share practical resources that will aid your congregation.

Resources

Young Adult Ministry Now (book)

Young Adult Ministry Now (website and resources)

Fuller Youth Institute (organization)

The FYI on Youth Ministry Podcast (podcast)

S.T.A.R. for Young Adults (website and resources)

Belinda King, MBA and Financial Services Professional joins Dr. Bridges and Matt to discuss the importance of a good understanding of finance in congregations. Her insights are practical, important and implementable.

Resources

Belinda King/BGK Solutions (LinkedIn)

Rich Church, Poor Church: Keys to Effective Financial Ministry by J. Clif Christopher (book)

Simplifychurch.com (organization)

Kitchen Table Giving: Reimagining How Congregations Connect with Their Donors by William G. Enright (book)

BGK Solutions (organization)

Belinda King's Email: [email protected]

Dr. Robert Crosby joins JC and Matt to talk about how to identify trauma in children and how to create a supportive children's ministry to develop emotionally healthy kids.

Resources

Trauma Informed Children's Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids (book)

Trauma Informed Children's Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids (audio book)

ReachHurtingKids.com (organization)

Reach Hurting Kids Workshop (workshop)

Simple Interactions (organization)

Grow Curriculum (web resource)

Zach Garcia, Indiana Outreach Director for Faith in Place, joins Kara and Matt to talk about creation care. Zach believes that congregations can be a powerful force in caring for the world we've been entrusted with.

Resources

Faith in Place (organization)

"Helping Your Church Make Green Choices" by Maureen Wise (article)

Laudato Si: On the Care of Our Common Home (web resource)

Biologos' Creation Care (web resource)

Care of Creation (organization)

Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger joins Kara and Matt to talk about adaptive leadership. Tod believes that congregational leaders can learn to engage in change practices that will relieve pressure and revitalize congregations.

Resources

AE Sloan Leadership, Inc. (organization)

Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger (book)

"Ronald Heifetz: The Nature of Adaptive Leadership" from Faith & Leadership (9 min video)

Allyd (organization)

Dr. Jennifer McClure Haraway joins Shellie and Matt to talk about congregational collaboration. Dr. Haraway's new book, No Congregation is an Island, gives insights and research that will help you think about how to create partnerships in your context.

Resources

No Congregation Is An Island by Dr. Jennifer McClure Haraway (book)

Network Power by Dr. David John Seel, Jr. (book)