Parish Paper

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The Presbytery of Lake Huron's purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES

1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our website.

2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its website, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.

Congregations within the Presbytery of Lake Huron's jurisdiction to which we distribute The Parish Paper do not have permission (a) to delete the copyright ownership notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, delete, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give any third party—other than our staff and constituents—permission to photocopy or reprint (in any quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale).

 

2022

January Planning The Future By Appreciating The Past

February Prepare For Community Engagement Through Study

March Bringing A Community Project Into Focus

April New Life For Older Buildings

May Reaching Out To Low-Income Neighbors

June Small Groups Are The Church's Past And Future

 

2021

January Build a Robust Network

February Connect With Spiritual Seekers Through The Arts

March How Can We Build Trust In a Vaccine?

April Readiness Is The Key To Congregational Change

May How Can We Overcome Barriers To Vaccination?

June Is It Time To Relocate?

July Is Drive-In Church a Good Idea?

August Building Lasting Strength Through Community Development

September Bringing The Power of Groups To Prison Ministry

October Get To Know The Neighborhood With a Community Tour

November Thinking Flexibility About Our Buildings

December How To Plan a Community Project 

 

2020

January  Repurpose Worship Space, Don't Rebuild

February  Get To Know The Community Through Mapping

March  What Is The Emerging Church?

April  Enlist Specialists To Improve Outreach Ministry

May Yes, Congregation Can Learn New Habits

June Six Tools For Managing Volunteers

July Care, Leadership, and Self-Renewal in Uncertain Times

August Hospitality: Offering a Third Place to Gather

September  Getting Started With Livestreaming

October  How To Foster Deep Listening Amid Political Difference

November  Building Relationships In Livestream Worship

December  Using Surveys To Guide Decision Making

 

2019

January  Defining Church Vitality

February  What Is Contemporary Worship?

March  Media Technology For Worship

April  Building Your Community Ties With a Block Party

May  Tips For Starting and Managing a Worship Band

June  Overcoming Volunteer Burnout By Building Capacity

July  Team Talk Can Strengthen Volunteer Ministry

August  Learn More About Your Congregation Through Focus Groups

September  A Team Approach To Worship Design

October  Let's Take a Walk: The Ministry of Accompaniment

November  Learning To Love Variety In Worship Song Selection

December  Writing As a Tool For Community Engagement

 

2018

January 18 Questions for 2018

February  Best Practices for Church Members Serving As Staff

March  Finding Significance as a Small Church

April  Church Energy Use: Can We Harness Hope?

May  How To Balance Hospitality and Church Security

June  Making The Nursery a Place of Belonging

July  Inviting, Informing, and Including Newcomers

August  How To Raise Money For Your Community Projects

September  Checking Up on Clergy Health

October  Don't Disagree, Deliberate: How To Lead Community Conversations In Your Church

November  How To Develop Habits For Well-Being

December  Getting To Know Our Neighbors

 

2017

January Conquering the Cutback Syndrome

February How Do Congregations Respond to Interfaith Couples?

March Guide to Good Governance

April Small Is Big Again: Reclaiming Small Church Ministry

May Financing The Local Church: What Does It Cost?

June Ministry In The Midst of Tragedy

July How Can We Help Immigrants?

August What Promotes Hope?

September Equipping Volunteers Builds a Strong Church Community

October Short-Term Mission Trips that Yield Long-Term Success

November Mistakes Churches Make During An Interim Ministry

December Does Our Pastor Need A Job Description?

 

2016

January How Ministry Teams Get Things Done

February The Payday Lending Crisis: What Can Congregations Do?

March What Numbers Matter For Congregations? Lessons From Five-Year Trends

April How To Deal With Church Conflict

May How Do New People Hear About Your Church?

June Making Congregations Greener

July When Charity Brings Anything But Relief

August Multiple Roads To a Multicultural Congregation

September What Keeps Congregations From Implementing New Ideas?

October Keeping Up With The Pastor's Pay: Trends Behind Clergy Wages

November Does Your Congregation Suffer from Anxiety?

December Can We Wait for God’s Spark?

 

2015

January Our Future Pastors: Assessing the State of the Pipeline

February How to Avoid the Potholes on the Road to Retirement

March What Churches Can Do To Increase Social Media Security

April Finding God's New Call In The Same Place

May Seeking a Bivocational Calling for Pastors and Churches

June Could Lack of Curiosity Kill The Church

July Congregational Strength Is Always Plural

August How To Enhance The Ministry of Associate Pastors

September Can Congregations Attract Young Adults?

October New Models For New Churches: What Works?

November Navigating The Currents of Endowments and Reserve Funds

December Improving Church Communication (Revised 10/9/15)

 

2014

January Big Ministry Trends For 2014

February A Parable About Pastoral Leadership

March Clergy Turnover Consequences

April eGiving: It's About More Than Money

May How To Welcome Children with Autism and Their Families

June Caring For The Caregivers

July What Type of Follower Attends Our Church?

August Do Your Mission and Method Fit Your Size?

September How Churches Can Partner With Local Schools

October How We Can Prevent Suicide

November Should We Consider Closing Our Church?

December How To Make The Most of a Consulting Process

 

2013

January How To Avoid Pastor Burnout

February Downsize Staff Without Destroying Church

March What Leadership Style Works

April Oral Communication

May Conversation Sand Traps

June Making Informed Decisions

July Great Recession Lessons

August Power of Clergy Groups

September Disaster Relief

October Key Questions About Worship Attendance

November E-newsletters: Worth More Than You Know

December Why a Sense of Belonging Matters

 

2012

January How To Perfect Your Leadership Triangle

February How To Manage Change Resistance

March What Type of Future Are We Building

April How Is Your Congregation's Health

May How to Turn Bystanders Into Active Disciples

June Mission Possible More Men in the Pews

July What Message Are We Sending About Giving

August Keys To Growing A Small Church

September Where Are The Unchurched

October Preventing Church Fraud

November How to Maintain Church Health in a Declining Population County

December How to Use Our Five Senses to Experience the Wonder of Advent

 

2011

January  What Is Your Unconscious Intent

February  Accomplishing Worthy Goals: Being Smart Is Not Enough

March  Does A Congregation's Location Influence It's Effectiveness

April  Incoming Pastors: Building Smoother Transition Bridges

May  When Does Success Lead To Failure

June  What Is The Pastor's Roll In Finances

July  How To Select Quality Staff

August  How To Prevent Bad Behavior During Times of Change

September  Why Do People Connect With Christ and a Congregation

October  Why Do Smart Churches Make Dumb Decisions

November  Should We Unleash the Power of Congregational Planning

December  How Do We Successfully Launch a New Project