Parish Paper
Ideas and Insights for Active Congregations
The Parish Paper will end after the June 2022 issue.
Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ‘s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper includes:
- Permission to provide copies to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: e-mail, postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our website.
- 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 Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ 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).
Small Groups are the Church’s Past and Future – June 2022
Reaching Out to Low-Income Neighbors – May 2022
New Life for Older Buildings – April 2022
Bringing a Community Project into Focus – March 2022
Prepare for Community Engagement through Study – February 2022
Planning the Future by Appreciating the Past – January 2022
How to Plan a Community Project – December 2021
Thinking Flexibly about Our Buildings – November 2021
Get to Know the Neighborhood with a Community Tour – October 2021
Bringing the Power of Groups to Prison Ministry – September 2021
Building Lasting Strength through Community Development – August 2021
Is Drive-In Church a Good Idea? – July 2021
Is it Time to Relocate? – June 2021
How Can We Overcome Barriers to Vaccination? – May 2021
Readiness is the Key to Congregational Change – April 2021
How Can We Build Trust in a Vaccine – March 2021
Connect with Spiritual Seekers Through the Arts – February 2021
Build a Robust Network – January 2021
Using Surveys to Guide Decision Making – December 2020
Building Relationships in Livestream Worship – November 2020
How to Foster Deep Listening Amid Political Difference – October 2020
Getting Started with Livestreaming – September 2020
Hospitality: Offering a Third Place to Gather – August 2020
Care, Leadership and Self-Renewal in Uncertain Times – July 2020
Six Tools for Managing Volunteers – June 2020
Yes, Congregations Can Learn New Habits – May 2020
Enlist Specialists to Improve Outreach Ministry – April 2020
What is the Emerging Church? – March 2020
Get to Know the Community through Mapping – February 2020
Repurpose Worship Space, Don’t Rebuild – January 2020
Writing as a Tool for Community Engagement – December 2019
Learning to Love Variety in Worship Song Selection – November 2019
Let’s Take a Walk: The Ministry of Accompaniment – October 2019
A Team Approach to Worship Design – September 2019
Learn More About Your Congregation through Focus Groups – August 2019
Team Talk Can Strengthen Volunteer Ministry – July 2019
Overcome Volunteer Burnout by Building Capacity – June 2019
Tips for Starting and Managing a Worship Band – May 2019
Building Your Community Ties with a Block Party – April 2019
Media Technology for Worship – March 2019
What is Contemporary Worship? – February 2019
Defining Church Vitality: Let Me Count the Ways – January 2019
Getting to Know Our Neighbors: One on One Interviews – December 2018
How to Develop Habits for Well-Being – November 2018
Don’t Disagree, Deliberate: How to Lead Community Conversations in Your Church – October 2018
Checking Up on Clergy Health – September 2018
How to Raise Money for Your Community Projects – August 2018
Inviting, Informing, and Including Newcomers – July 2018
Making the Nursery a Place of Belonging – June 2018
How to Balance Hospitality and Church Security – May 2018
Church Energy Use: Can We Harness Hope? – April 2018
Finding Significance as a Small Church- March 2018
Best Practices for Church Members Serving as Staff – February 2018
18 Questions for 2018 – January 2018
Does Our Pastor Need a Job Description? – December 2017
Mistakes Churches Make During an Interim Ministry – November 2017
Short-Term Mission Trips that Yield Long-Term Success – October 2017
Equipping Volunteers Builds a Strong Church Community – September 2017
What Promotes Hope? – August 2017
How Can We Help Immigrants? – July 2017
Ministry in the Midst of Tragedy – June 2017
Financing the Local Church: What Does it Cost? – May 2017
Small is Big Again: Reclaiming Small Church Ministry – April 2017
Guide to Good Governance – March 2017
How do Congregations Respond to Interfaith Couples? – February 2017
Conquering the Cutback Syndrome – January 2017
Can We Wait for God’s Spark? – December 2016
Does Your Congregation Suffer from Anxiety? – November 2016
Keeping Up with the Pastor’s Pay – October 2016
What Keeps Congregations From Implementing New Ideas? – September 2016
Multiple Roads to a Multicultural Church – August 2016
When Charity Brings Anything But Relief – July 2016
Making Congregations Greener – June 2016
How Do New People Hear about Your Church? – May 2016
How to Deal with Church Conflict – April 2016
What Numbers Matter for Congregations? Lessons from Five-Year Trends – March 2016
The Payday Lending Crisis: What Can Congregations Do? – February 2016
How Ministry Teams Get Things Done – January 2016
Improving Church Communication – December 2015
Navigating the Currents of Endowments and Reserve Funds – November 2015
New Models for New Churches: What Works? – October 2015
Can Congregations Reach Young Adults? – September 2015
How to Enhance the Ministry of Associate Pastors – August 2015
Congregational Strength is Always Plural – July 2015
Could a Lack of Curiosity Kill the Church? – June 2015
Seeking a Bivocational Calling for Pastors and Churches – May 2015
Finding God’s New Call in the Same Place – April 2015
What Churches Can do to Increase Social Media Security – March 2015
How to Avoid the Potholes on the Road to Retirement – February 2015
Our Future Pastors: Assessing the State of the Pipeline – January 2015
How to Make the Most of a Consulting Process – December 2014
Should We Consider Closing Our Church? – November 2014
How Can We Prevent Suicide? – October 2014
Back to School: How Churches Can Partner with Local Schools – September 2014
Do Your Mission and Method Fit Your Size? – August 2014
What Type of Follower Attends Our Church? – July 2014
Caring for the Caregivers – June 2014
How to Welcome Children with Autism and Their Families – May 2014
E-Giving: It’s about More than Money – April 2014
Consequences of Clergy Turnover – March 2014
A Parable about Pastoral Leadership – February 2014
Big Ministry Trends for 2014 – January 2014
Why a Sense of Belonging Matters – December 2013
E-Newsletters: Worth More Than You Know – November 2013
Growth or Decline? 10 Key Questions About Worship Attendance – October 2013
Disaster Relief: Congregations in the Eye of the Storm – September 2013
Clergy Groups: Are They Worth the Investment? – August 2013
The Great Recession: Its Effects on Congregations and What We Learned – July 2013
Making Informed Decisions during Times of Change – June 2013
Important Conversations: How to Avoid the Sand Traps – May 2013
Oral Communication: How to Strengthen Our Effectiveness – April 2013
What Leadership Style Works in Our Church? – March 2013
Can You Downsize Staff Without Destroying Your Congregation? – February 2013
How to Avoid Pastor Burnout – January 2013
Preventing Church Fraud – October 2012
Where are the Unchurched? – September 2012
Keys to Growing a Small Church – August 2012
What Message are we Sending about Giving? – July 2012
Mission Possible: More Men in the Pews – June 2012
How to Turn Bystanders into Active Disciples – May 2012
How is Your Congregation’s Health? – April 2012
What Type of Future are we Building? – March 2012
How to Manage Change Resistance – February 2012
How to Perfect Your Leadership Triangle – January 2012
How do we Successfully Launch a New Project? – December 2011
Should We Unleash the Power of Congregational Planning? – November 2011
Why Do Smart Churches Make Dumb Decisions? – October 2011
Why Do People Connect with Christ and a Congregation? – September 2011
How to Prevent Bad Behavior during Times of Change – August 2011
How to Select Quality Staff – July 2011
What is the Pastor’s Role in Church Finances? – June 2011
When Does Success Lead to Failure? – May 2011
Incoming Pastors: Building Smoother Transition Bridges – April 2011
Does a Congregation’s Location Influence Its Effectiveness? – March 2011
Accomplishing Worthy Goals: Being Smart is Not Enough! – February 2011
What is Your Unconscious Intent? – January 2011
Fifty Years Later: What Has Changed? – December 2010
What Are the Big-Picture Trends in Congregations? – November 2010
Why are Worship Visitors Important? – October 2010
Planning for the Unexpected Financial Crisis – September 2010
How Much Should We Pay Our Pastor? – August 2010
Should Our Congregation Use Internet Social Media? – July 2010
Why Does Mentoring Succeed and Fail? – June 2010
Generous Givers: A Product of Motivation and Methods – May 2010
What Can We Learn from the Emerging Church Movement? April 2010
New Trends in Belonging – March 2010
Should We Fine-Tune Our Church’s Internal Culture? – February 2010
Become Comfortable with Conflict: Step One to Moving Beyond It! – January 2010
Additional Free Resources From The Parish Paper
www.theparishpaper.com/free-resources
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