63 episodes
Center for Congregations Podcast Center for Congregations
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- Religion & Spirituality
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5.0 • 22 Ratings
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Your congregation is important. And we know that leading and serving in congregations is hard work. Join Ben Tapper, Matt Burke and other Center for Congregations consultants as they interview thought leaders and experts to encourage, inspire and help you find the right information and resources to address your congregation's needs. Center for Congregations staff will share what they're learning through work with congregations. Speakers, authors and congregational practitioners will share their stories and best practices to help your congregation thrive.
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What Do YOU Mean by Community Ministry?
Aimee Laramore joins Ben and Matt to talk about community ministry. Topics include the nature of what the different definitions of congregation and community are, focusing on different needs, and defining what your congregation means by ministering to the community.
Resources
Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown
American Generosity by Patricia Snell Herzog and Heather E. Price
Mutual Ministry (article)
Kitchen Table Giving by William G. Enright
The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving
Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy -
Conversations about Race are Hard
The hosts of the Shades of Hope podcast, Pastor Jeff Krajewski and Rev. Dr. Clarence Moore join Ben and Matt to candidly discuss racial justice in congregations and in our society.
You can find the Shades of Hope podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts:
https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/INV6649343524 -
Ghosts of Congregations Past, Present and Future 2022 Edition
President of the Center for Congregations Tim Shapiro joins Ben and Matt to discuss what the Center for Congregations has seen in regards to trends, happenings and work in congregational life. They also discuss what the future might hold and share a number of resources.
Resources
Shades of Hope Podcast - https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/INV6649343524
Frederick Beuchner - Telling Secrets https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060609362/
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - https://www.nami.org/Home
Springtide Research Institute: The State of Religion and Young People 2022 - https://www.springtideresearch.org/product/the-state-of-religion-young-people-2022-mental-health
SAVI - https://www.savi.org/ -
Building Relationships: What We Can Learn from Congolese Christians
Ben and Matt spoke with Emmanuel about the ways that the Congolese Christian community is learning to adapt to life in Indiana. As they unpacked both the challenges and opportunities of that work, they also explored the lessons that non-immigrant congregations can learn from our Congolese kin.
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The Next Faithful Step: Discernment in Congregational Life
Understanding how to determine your next faithful step is critically important in congregational life. Center for Congregations president Tim Shapiro and Rev. Stephen Lewis join the podcast this week to discuss the importance of discernment and mutual nature of discernment for both the individual and the community. Our conversation also leads to reflecting on the wisdom of Howard Thurman and the importance of intergenerational discernment.
Resources
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things-with-glennon-doyle/id1564530722
https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/
https://emilypfreeman.com/next-right-thing-book/ -
Cultivating the Edges: Belonging and Racial Equity in White Congregations
Rev. Dr. Seth Richardson of Gravity Leadership joins the podcast this week to discuss the cultural challenges white congregations face when they get serious about racial equity. The conversation centers on a specific case study of a Texas congregation and how they navigated a shift towards racial equity and what these lessons mean for any congregation wishing to become more equitable.
Resources:
Crossroads Antiracism Training
Racial Equity Tools
Gravity Leadership
Customer Reviews
Very helpful resource
The Center for Congregations’ podcast is just one more tool they use to help congregations to explore what God wants them to become. I’m a fan!
A Truly Useful Congregational Resource
This podcast is an incredible resource for all church leaders, whether clergy or laity. By this point (Oct. 31, 2021), they have an episode on almost any topic that your church might be interested in. And the advice in the podcast isn’t just useful for those large churches with unlimited money, time, and volunteers. They understand the situation of most small to middle sized churches with very limited resources, and the advice is designed to help you find ideas to help you serve God through your ministry better. And the hosts do a good job of keeping the podcast light and enjoyable.
Amazing resource
Center for Congregations is an Indiana-based organization that provides live workshops in the faith-based setting. Check it this podcast for plenty of information to help churches advance their mission. I especially recommend “Tech: It’s not as Complicated as You Thought.”