Workshops

While Americans remain deeply spiritual, they’re leaving congregational life behind. This is especially true of Millennials – about 1 in 10 regularly attend a congregational worship service.

Surveys report that young people feel more isolated and lonely today than at any other point in modern history. Your congregation can offer valuable connection to these young adults, but only if you are willing to adapt to meet the needs of those you want to welcome. Writer, speaker and podcaster Mike McHargue leads this one-day workshop. He will explore the sociological, psychological and neurological underpinnings of a generation leaving the church behind, and offer insights on how to invite them back.

By the end of this workshop, you will:

While Americans remain deeply spiritual, they’re leaving congregational life behind. This is especially true of Millennials – about 1 in 10 regularly attend a congregational worship service.

Surveys report that young people feel more isolated and lonely today than at any other point in modern history. Your congregation can offer valuable connection to these young adults, but only if you are willing to adapt to meet the needs of those you want to welcome. Writer, speaker and podcaster Mike McHargue leads this one-day workshop. He will explore the sociological, psychological and neurological underpinnings of a generation leaving the church behind, and offer insights on how to invite them back.

By the end of this workshop, you will:

Congregational life and activities are often absent from secular public media sources. It is assumed that these media outlets are not interested in stories about religion, but this is not necessarily the case.

In this luncheon workshop, you can learn how to create an awareness of what congregations are doing and showcase the good work being done in our communities by people of faith.

During her time at mainstream newspapers in Florida and the Philadelphia area, workshop facilitator Sharon Tubbs found that news outlets are interested in news from congregations because they reflect an aspect of community life in which the public is interested. Tubbs shares the story of how a short press release led to extensive newspaper, television and radio coverage of a local prayer… more

Are guests intimidated when they first visit your congregation? Before you answer “no,” think about how long you’ve been there. When you’re a seasoned attender, it can be easy to overlook the unspoken rituals, facility navigation or other issues that can impact someone’s first experience. But how can you assess what it’s like to be new when everything is already familiar?

Jason Moore, a consultant and frequent “secret worshiper,” knows that the first time experience can be intimidating for guests. Moore will guide you through the top five questions on the minds of visitors and help you explore how you can provide an experience worth returning to. He’ll help you see your worship experience through the eyes of first time guests.

By the end of this live online event, you… more

Like most ministry leaders, you’ve probably heard ominous reports of the demise of faith all around us. From the disillusionment of young people to the aging of the church to the rise of the “Nones,” the list is long and disheartening. But what if that’s only part of the story? What if there are bright spots breaking through the clouds revealing energized congregations brimming with young people?  What if there are congregations that are actually growing young?

The good news is that those bright spot churches exist. The Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) team spent the past three years studying congregations effectively capturing the imaginations and hearts of young people ages 15-29. Through this landmark investigation of more than 250 diverse congregations of all sizes, FYI… more

Every day we experience the reality that we are living in an era of change. But more importantly we are living in a change of eras. The models of faith formation and discipleship developed over the past decades cannot keep pace with the challenges of this new era. We need something new to address the lives of 21st century families, children, adolescents and adults.
    
In this live online workshop, you will envision a whole new way of forming faith—a new ecology of intergenerational relationships and faith experiences in congregations, lifelong faith formation from childhood through adulthood, family faith formation at home, and missional faith formation to the uninvolved and unaffiliated. LifelongFaith Associates President John Roberto explores these innovative approaches… more

Your congregation is always learning. New ideas, methods, tools – you learn whatever you need to achieve your goals. But have you ever thought about how your congregation learns? When you can see the “how” of learning and where you are in the learning journey, you can move with greater confidence from your creative ideas to stand-out programming.

In this luncheon workshop Center for Congregations President Tim Shapiro introduces you to the learning journey that is part of almost all successful congregational projects. He will also help you identify where one of your current projects stands in light of that journey.

You will learn how to:

Like most ministry leaders, you’ve probably heard ominous reports of the demise of faith all around us. From the disillusionment of young people to the aging of the church to the rise of the “Nones,” the list is long and disheartening. But what if that’s only part of the story? What if there are bright spots breaking through the clouds revealing energized congregations brimming with young people?  What if there are congregations that are actually growing young?

The good news is that those bright spot churches exist. The Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) team spent the past three years studying congregations effectively capturing the imaginations and hearts of young people ages 15-29. Through this landmark investigation of more than 250 diverse congregations of all sizes, FYI… more

This on-demand series focuses on learning gleaned from Indiana congregations by the Center for Congregations in 2015-2016. Tim Shapiro, president of the Center for Congregations, shares the six principles distilled from the Center's experiences with Indiana congregational youth ministries.

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