Discovering sustainability as a church
Tim Hart-Andersen argues that church vitality is not about relentless growth but about long-term sustainability and Spirit-filled adaptation.
Latest Posts
Presbyterians oppose detention of lawfully resettled refugees
In a statement, the Office of Public Witness calls for US to guarantee due process and halt detention of lawfully settled refugees.
Order of worship — February 1, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany — February 1, 2026
Preaching the beatitudes in an overwhelming world isn’t easy. Matthew reminds us the kingdom of heaven isn’t just coming someday — it’s already here. Rae Watson offers sermon help for Matthew 5:1–12.
A church at the center of crisis speaks: “We refuse to submit to chaos and terror”
At the center of recent violence in Minneapolis, Westminster Presbyterian Church's session calls for courageous love.
Why the PC(USA) needs the Church Growth Network
Amid PC(USA) decline, a new church growth network reframes growth as faithful, sustainable mission rooted in vitality, not gimmicks, writes Josh Erickson.
Pittsburgh Presbyterians join interfaith push for immigrant dignity
On Fridays, a group of interfaith believers holds a vigil outside the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, where over 800 people have been held amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
The Strategically Small Church
Brandon J. O’Brien reframes small-church ministry as a gift, urging leaders to move beyond numerical growth metrics toward community-rooted, sustainable measures of faithfulness, writes Jo Wiersema.
Minnesota Presbyterians mobilize after ICE shooting in Minneapolis
After an ICE agent killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Presbyterian congregations across the Twin Cities are mobilizing — through interfaith partnerships, legal observer training and public witness.
Lauryn Hill: Faith, fame and a different measure of success
Chris Burton explores how Hill’s music wrestles with faith, integrity and fame — and why refusing to “lose your soul” may be her greatest legacy.
Protecting children from gun violence: Imagining a new world
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship helps congregations implement PC(USA) General Assembly action.
Grief, choice and resurrection in “Stranger Things”
In the “Stranger Things” finale, scars remain, grief lingers, and life goes on. Timothy Wotring explores a hope shaped by choice, community and resurrection faith.
The church that gave itself away
A tiny church faced COVID with an unexpected choice: save itself or give itself away. What happened next reshaped an entire town — and reached across the globe, writes Robert Barrett.
Your light was made to shine
Small churches aren’t inadequate, writes Teri McDowell Ott. When congregations trust their God-given gifts, they rediscover confidence and shine as Christ’s light.
Order of worship — January 25, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Third Sunday after the Epiphany — January 25, 2026
Teri McDowell Ott explores what it means to love, release, and trust God with the futures we cannot control.
Praying around a bullet hole
Teri McDowell Ott offers a prayer of lament after the Minneapolis ICE shooting, naming grief, honoring the life lost and calling the church to witness, healing and hope.
Notes to John
Joan Didion's "Notes to John" is a helpful tool for pastors, chaplains and others initiating difficult conversations with families in crisis, writes Andrew Taylor-Troutman.
Amanda Seyfried sees ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ as a search for divine safety
The actress's portrayal of the Shaker movement founder has earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Remembering Richard Smallwood: how his music became modern-day psalm
Daniel Heath remembers Richard Smallwood, whose music taught the church how to pray, lament and hope.
Holding the complexities of U.S. involvement in Latin America
Can we love our country and still tell the truth about its power? Greg Allen-Pickett reflects on U.S. involvement in Latin America — holding gratitude and grief, critique and hope, under the call of Christian discipleship.
The hollow moral core of ‘Marty Supreme’
‘Marty Supreme’ is an excellent film about a despicable confidence man. It perfectly reflects our historical moment, writes Jana Riess.
The vital congregation of tomorrow
Church decline doesn’t mean faith is disappearing. It means congregations must rethink metrics, mission and community impact, writes Mark Elsdon.
Queen Latifah: The theology of dignity
From “U.N.I.T.Y.” to “Ladies First,” Queen Latifah refuses disrespect and insists on dignity. In this episode of “Theology of Hip-Hop," Chris Burton reflects on Black womanhood and the image of God.
Reforming toward hope: Why universalism belongs in the Reformed tradition
Can a Reformed Christian affirm universalism? Drawing on Calvin, Barth and Scripture, Lucus Levy Keppel argues that God’s grace ultimately reconciles all.
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