Center for Congregations Podcast

Allen Stanton joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of congregations in rural communities. He highlights their work as anchor institutions while also addressing the opportunities that exist for truth-telling and restoration.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Rural_Congregations_A_Story_of_Pain_and_Promise

Rev. Janae Pitts-Murdock, senior pastor of Light of the World Christian Church and former interim pastor, joins Ben and Matt to unpack what it takes to have a successful interim ministry. She shares both out her recent experience and her training on interim ministry.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Getting_Schooled_on_Interim_Ministry

McKenzie Scott Lewis, the northwest director of the Center for Congregations talks with Ben and Matt about the challenges and opportunities faced by congregations in seeking to practice racial equity.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/A_Primer_on_Racial_Equity

In this bonus episode Associate Director for Resources Kate White sits down with Pastor Bruce Colbert, Systems Consultant for Custom Sound Design, Bruce shares about three topics about streaming for congregations: practical tips about internet speed and bandwidth, stepping up audio and video and thinking critically about your online presence. Bruce also talks about working with "integrators" who can help with advice for equipment and setups.Check out https://thecrg.org/ to search for all kinds of resources related to congregational life.Email us at podcast@centerforcongregations.org with questions or help with finding resources.

PhD candidate Michael Rotolo joins Ben and Matt to unpack the research around Christian Nationalism as it relates to congregations and young adult engagement. Michael's recent work based on the Christian Smith cohort study highlights reasons why some young adults are drawn to Christian Nationalism.Moral Religiosities Michael's TwitterMichael's WebsiteResourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Christian_Nationalism

Ben and Matt connect with Pastor Bere Gil Soto, lead pastor of Iglesia Hermandad Cristiana, to talk about what it's like to lead a multi-cultural and multi-lingual congregation in Indianapolis. Topics include what's it's like to be in the non-dominant culture, creating appropriate boundaries when leading and having a broad view of justice work.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Courting_Justice

Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty, one of the co-founders of the Prickly Pear Collective, joins Matt and Ben to discuss creating authentic community where everyone is encouraged to bring their whole self.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Bring_Your_Whole_Self

Pastor John Girton joins Ben and Matt to talk about excellence in online worship experiences using technology. We also discuss what's next for congregations and the virtual space. As always Ben and Matt share what they're learning from congregations in Indiana and they share resources you can use.ResourcesYou can find the resources mentioned in the episode here: https://thecrg.org/collections/Tech_It_s_Not_as_Complicated_As_You_Think

In this episode Ben and Matt are joined by Center for Congregations director Shellie Riggs Jordan as we interview Mark Oestreicher (a.k.a. Marko) of The Youth Cartel. Marko sets the record straight on a few myths about youth ministry and shares his wisdom from his over 30 years experience. As always Center for Congregations staff discuss how the issue is appearing in our work and share resources.Recommended Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Challenges_in_Youth_MinistryWe'd love to hear from you so please reach out to us at podcast@centerforcongregations.org with suggestions on topics, guests or resources.

Aimee Laramore, lead consultant at AlLyd Solutions, joins Ben and Matt to discuss the importance of recognizing the assets your congregation has and the importance of using them to accomplish your goals. Along the way Aimee provides wonderful wisdom from her many years of experience as a fundraising consultant about managing these difficult times.Resourceshttps://thecrg.org/collections/Adapting_To_The_Times_A_Conversation_About_Adaptive_Leadership_and_Resource_ManagementYou can find Aimee Laramore at her consulting website - http://www.allyd.com/We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us at podcast@centerforcongregations.org to let us know what you think of the pod, with resource recommendations of your own or ideas for future topics or guests.