by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Feb 13, 2024
At a conference a few months ago, I heard a pastor say matter-of-factly, in response to a question about attendance decline, “We have been due for a reformation. It happens about every 500 years.” This may sound silly, but there is some truth to it....
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Feb 7, 2024
In this age of uncertainty, it is tempted to lean upon the past as the guidepost for the future. We built our churches as full-fledged institutions with our own buildings, staff, and programs. As much as these things are indeed helpful to ministry, they can also be a...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Feb 2, 2024
“No one wants to volunteer.” It was the common refrain I heard as a local church pastor. One person wants to start a ministry, but no one comes along. Or a longstanding ministry struggles to recoup losses when previous volunteers step away. In this article...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Jan 25, 2024
Two of the biggest issues facing churches today are income and facilities. Regular readers of this blog know we do our best to highlight creative uses for church buildings, and this article on Faith & Leadership shows one such example and asks some very good...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Jan 17, 2024
While we here at Project Thrive try to offer helpful, uplifting content for our viewers, we recognize the impact of the disaffiliations in The United Methodist Church have on the greater religious landscape. While the presenting issue in the UMC has been on human...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Dec 13, 2023
We have all heard it, perhaps so many times it borders on cliche: “We have always done it this way.” I’m sure – if you are reading this – have sat in on a meeting where everyone pitches ideas and someone pipes up with the above retort. We...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Dec 9, 2023
Advent and Christmas highlight a season of giving. Some of us love to give, some of us struggle to give. This dynamic of what to give and how much are highlighted in how we choose to participate in worship. Small churches often struggle with the same few doing all the...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Nov 25, 2023
Christmas and Advent are just around the corner! As churches seek to celebrate the Incarnation, big plans often go into place. We decorate the whole church, plan special services, and even host Christmas parties with a particularly jolly special guest. But would...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Nov 16, 2023
Sunday School? Bible study? Series study? These are all possible ways to include adult education into the life of your church. In this handy list from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, there are 50 tips for improving your church’s adult education...
by Nick Baird-Chrisohon | Nov 14, 2023
As all of our Project Thrive churches well know, church buildings can be both an asset and a liability to ministry. Within those buildings are decades (and in some places centuries) of history and heritage. In the South, predominantly Black churches carry a special...
