The Center for Congregational Health is in its 25th year! The Center has been working with congregations, clergy and lay leaders since November of 1992. As we move through the remainder of this year, we celebrate 25 years of partnering with congregations and leaders...
Blog
It’s time for action, but what action?
The latest research from the ongoing, multi-year, Hartford Institute study on American congregational life (FACT, 2015) confirms what most people involved in the life of a church already know. Most American congregations find themselves in a challenging situation:...
End of 2016
As we move toward the end of 2016, we have been reflecting on our work over the past year and diligently working on the training and event schedule for 2017. We want to hear from you what you experienced and what will be helpful for you in the coming year. (Survey)...
Do you need a church consultant?
by Rev. Chris Gambill, Ph.D. Fall is one of the seasons when the Center for Congregational Health staff typically sees an uptick in calls inquiring about church consulting. While it is often congregational conflict that prompts a call, there are many other situations...
November 9, 2016
by Beth Kennett Today, the Church—and any community that encourages belonging, love and acceptance—has an opportunity to boldly step into the present and lead the way into the future. Today, I embrace this idea more strongly than other days. Today, our nation, with...
Vital Merger: Joining Church Families Together
By Dirk Elliott DownRiver Church celebrated its first worship service as a new church start on July 7, 2013, with 186 people in attendance. DownRiver is a Vital Merger of four churches in the Detroit area. In December, 2012, each of these four churches voted, with...
Appreciative Inquiry–What is it?
Definitions of Appreciative Inquiry as shared on Appreciative Inquiry Commons at appreciativeinquiry.case.edu. “Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discover of...
Appreciative Approach to Congregational Work
by Beth Kennett An approach to working with congregations or groups of any kind is to use an appreciative approach, asking for and encouraging the group, and individuals, to focus on and appreciate what works. Several books and processes have been created to help...
Thursday Morning Conversation, Oct. 6, 10 am–What to do when your church is experiencing conflict
Join us for a conversation at 10 am, October 6. Call information: 641.715.3300, access code 165517# The Center for Congregational Health has had a lot of calls about church conflict lately, almost daily over the past month. Why is this? What is going on? I have a...
What does the “Next” Church look like?
Over the past week, I have been involved in several conversations about the church of the future, or the “next” church. People usually approach this conversation from one of two perspectives—either, fear and concern for the future of the Church, especially the...