Center for Church Renewal

10/07/2026

Making a plunge into church renewal!

10/05/2026

Teams often struggle to commit when people have not been able to express their concerns honestly. Here are six ways to help your team commit.

Teams often struggle to commit when people have not been able to express their concerns honestly. Here are six ways to help your team commit.

09/28/2026

Healthy Christian teams should be places where people can disagree without turning against one another.

Healthy Christian teams should be places where people can disagree without turning against one another.

09/28/2026

Would you read Acts 10 with us today?

It’s the story of Peter and Cornelius.

Two people praying.
Two very different lives.
And a God already at work before either of them understood what was happening.

As Peter prays, God begins changing the way he sees the people and world around him.

And that leaves us with a question worth asking:

Where might God already be at work around us—and are we paying attention?

Maybe it’s a neighbor.
A relationship.
Someone we’ve overlooked.
An opportunity that keeps showing up.
A place we never expected God to lead us.

Read Acts 10:1–23 today.

And as you do, ask:
God, where are you already at work—and how are you inviting me to join you?

This story has a lot to teach us about living on mission. We’ve gathered seven lessons from Peter and Cornelius here:

The story of Peter and Cornelius is overflowing with missional lessons for those who want to engage in mission in a rapidly changing world.

09/26/2026

Healthy churches need healthy teams. Over the next several weeks, we will explore some of the characteristics that make a team healthy.

Healthy churches need healthy teams. Over the next several weeks, we will explore some of the characteristics that make a team healthy.

09/22/2026

Would you pray this with us today?

God, renew your Church.

Where we have grown tired, give us strength.

Where we have become comfortable, stir us again.

Where our attention has drifted, turn our eyes back to Jesus.

Renew our minds.
Restore our joy.
Forgive what needs to be forgiven.
Give courage where fear has taken hold.
Breathe new life into weary leaders, struggling congregations, and communities longing to see you move.

Make us more attentive to your Spirit and more willing to follow where you lead.

Begin the work of renewal in us.

And through us, bring renewal to your Church.

Amen.

If this is your prayer too, join us.

We’ve gathered six biblical prayers for renewal that you can pray personally, with your leadership team, or with your congregation:

https://churchrenew.org/biblical-prayers-for-renewal/

09/15/2026

Who pastors the pastor?

Pastors spend their lives caring for other people’s souls.

But when a pastor is tired, depleted, struggling, or simply needs someone to talk to—who is caring for theirs?

Dr. Ron Nydam writes about a rarely discussed part of pastoral life: idealization.

Congregations naturally look to pastors for strength, wisdom, faith, and stability. That can be a gift in ministry.

But it can also cast a shadow.

When everyone sees you as the strong one, it becomes harder to admit when you need strength yourself.

In this guest article, Dr. Nydam offers five practical ways pastors can live wisely within that tension—and build the relationships and care they need for a healthy, sustainable ministry.

Pastors need pastors too.

Read “Living in the Shadow of Idealization.”
https://churchrenew.org/living-in-the-shadow-of-idealization/

09/08/2026

What does climbing a mountain have to do with leading a church?

More than you might think.

After a recent hike in the Rocky Mountains, Bill Whitt came away with seven leadership lessons—from why switchbacks matter, to when it’s time to ask for directions, to the danger of simply coasting downhill.

One of the biggest reminders: you will go where you direct your attention.

If you’re heading into a busy fall season of ministry, this is a good moment to step back, look at the path ahead, and think about how you’re leading the climb.

Read “Leadership Lessons: It’s All About the Climb” from the Center for Church Renewal:

https://churchrenew.org/leadership-lessons-its-all-about-the-climb/

08/31/2026

The challenge for churches is finding the right person to lead a renewal journey. Discovering renewal leaders begins by asking good questions.

The challenge for churches is finding the right person to lead a renewal journey. Discovering renewal leaders begins by asking good questions.

08/24/2026

Here are 7 important investments churches should make to reorient resources to reflect new financial realities.

A recent survey discovered that three quarters of churches are receiving three quarters or less of budgeted income. - reorient resources to reflect new financial realities.