Every church tells a story. The question is: Is it the right one?

In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with sociologist Joel Thiessen about The Stories Congregations Tell, a research project exploring why some churches flourish through seasons of transition while others struggle. Drawing on case studies from congregations across Canada, Thiessen argues that the stories churches tell about their past, present, and future profoundly shape their identity, leadership, and mission.

The conversation explores how congregations develop a healthy sense of identity without becoming trapped by nostalgia, why flourishing is about far more than numerical growth, and how local churches are constantly shaped by the wider cultural stories surrounding them. Thiessen also explains why sociology can help churches understand themselves more honestly—not to replace theology, but to deepen it.

Whether your church is growing, plateauing, or navigating significant change, this conversation offers practical wisdom for understanding the narratives that shape congregational life—and how a healthier story can lead to a healthier future.

Joel Thiessen is Professor of Sociology, Chair of the Social Sciences Department, and Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is a sociologist of religion who specializes in religion in Canada, religious nones, congregations, millennials, and more recently, death and dying.

Mentioned Resources:

📖 The book: The Stories Congregations Tell

🌐 Website: joelthiessen.ca

🌐 Website: www.flourishingcongregations.org

📱 Socials: linkedin

🎧 Episodes Referenced: David Anderson Hooker

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Gerardo Marti & Mark Mulder

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Andrew Root

🎧 Episodes Referenced: John Hawthorne

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Cash & Wilcoxson 

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Christian Smith

 Connect with Future Christian:

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📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

Supporting Sponsors:

Martha's New Book! Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History - Available now!

Loren's New Book: The Church as Community Hub: Sharing Spaces to Help Neighborhoods Thrive - Available for pre-order!

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age.

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Joel Thiessen, The Stories Congregations Tell, flourishing congregations, church storytelling, congregational identity, church leadership, congregational flourishing, church growth research, sociology of religion, Canadian churches, church culture, congregational change, resilient churches, church transitions, church narrative, congregational resilience, intergenerational church, church mission and identity, spiritual formation, church leadership development, keychain leadership, Hartmut Rosa, Andrew Root, Christian Smith, Richard Osmer, Flourishing Congregations Institute, Ambrose University, future of the church, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.