Parish Paper
- Important -
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
