Two participants at the 2016 Leadership Academy give each other high fives.
wadmin News

If you were to imagine the Church in ten years, what would you describe?

The religious landscape of North America is changing rapidly, with church membership and attendance on an accelerated decline. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of adults in the United States who self-identify as Christian has fallen by more than 10% during the last decade, and in Canada, that trend has followed the same downward trajectory. With statistics like those, it’s easy to feel discouraged. 

But is it hopeless? Let’s look at the numbers.

During the same ten-year time period, hundreds of Disciples have launched churches become affiliated with our denomination. 519 new church leaders attended Leadership Academy, where they received cutting-edge training on how to start and sustain young faith communities. More than 300 church planters were nurtured by 56 skilled coaches, as they walked together through the early years of their new church. These bold church leaders refused to let national trends stand in the way of sharing the Good News in their communities, and are inspiring hope across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

You can join these new church planters in their faith (and action!) by making a gift to the New Church Ministry Annual Fund today. Your contribution will ensure that more leaders will receive the innovative training and expert coaching they need to start and sustain the next decade of new Disciples congregations. New Church Ministry is developing new programs and resources every day, like New Church Hacks, a webinar series that helps pastors solve their new church problems with tools, tips and how-tos.

To help start the next generation of new churches and bring even more believers into the Disciples family, make a secure donation online by clicking here.

Thank you for your faithful support of our courageous new church leaders.

P.S. Did you know that we surpassed our goal to start 1,000 Disciples churches in the first two decades of the 21stCentury? We did! And there’s still more to do…

Minister of Coaching for new church pastors
wadmin Stories

Why I am grateful for pastors

During the month of October, we have an opportunity to honor the ones we so often take for granted.

The ones that we desperately seek out for advice before making a major decision; the ones we long to see in times of sorrow, bereavement or illness; the ones who encourage us and/or correct us with a heart of love and concern; the ones who celebrate our achievements – no matter the magnitude; the ones who cast a vision and work diligently to bring it to fruition; the ones who teach us God’s Word not only through preaching behind a pulpit on Sundays, but also through their lives lived before us Monday through Friday; the ones who bombard Heaven for mercy, grace and blessings to be added to our heavenly accounts.

Pastors, we honor you! From our General Minister and President Terri Hord Owens, to our thirty-two Regional Ministers, to each and every Commissioned and Ordained pastor – THANK YOU!! For your tireless sacrifice to walk with us through all kinds of trials and tribulations at a time that is RARELY, IF EVER convenient for you – THANK YOU!! For being an instrument used for peace and reconciliation in a time of such turmoil and angst – THANK YOU!! We value and appreciate you for giving of yourselves so that Colossians 1:9-10 may be evident:

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Happy Pastor’s Appreciation Month!! Know that Your Labor is Not in Vain! God’s Choicest Blessings Upon You!

– Rev. Dr. Joi Robinson, Minister of New Church Ministry Coaching

Rev. Dr. Joi Robinson oversees our Coaching program. In this capacity, she recruits and trains coaches that reflect the demand of New Church Ministry and the diversity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to walk alongside New Church pastors and leaders as they move through the various stages of the new church process. To help them remain on track and accountable for the goals they have set for themselves and their new church plant, Robinson matches New Church pastors and leaders with experienced coaches who – through prayer, encouragement, active listening and strategic questioning – provide support to New Church pastors and leaders as they encounter the various aspects of church planting.

Nadine Compton Stories

What it means to be free: a conversation with womanist preachers

Women’s Equality Day was observed in the US on August 26 to commemorate the passing of the 19th amendment, which prohibits states from denying the right to vote to any citizen based on sex.

In honor of this day, Nadine Compton conducted an interview on behalf of New Church Ministry with Rev. Dr. Irie Session and Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp, two female preachers who started The Gathering in Dallas, TX. They talked about church planting, womanism, and the importance of not only equality, but inclusion.

Continue reading “What it means to be free: a conversation with womanist preachers” →