Sarai Rice Congregational Consulting Group

Is It Time to Be Honest About Belief?

marcos-paulo-prado-GAI_kOUIc8U-unsplash — Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

The more I talk to members of my own congregation, the more I discover that they struggle with belief, and it’s the message itself, not just its institutional forms, that they struggle with. The language Christians have used about life with God for centuries—the Trinity, sin, atonement, the Resurrection—doesn’t make sense anymore, even to some of my oldest and most dedicated members. Even a basic belief in God is no longer shared. So maybe it’s time for those of us who are ordained to be more honest about our own struggles to believe.

Imagining a New Model for the Church

by Sarai Rice

stefan-cosma-HjnRcUzkhGg-unsplash — Stefan Cosma on Unsplash

When we church people talk about “what it means to be “the church,” we use lots of grand Scriptural and theological language. But our actual model for the church—both our image of what church is supposed to be and the way we organize to make it happen—tends to be based on more commonplace ideas. Perhaps it’s time to imagine a new model for the church.

Is the Former Mainline Finally Seeing Its Hook Echo?

by Sarai Rice

NEXRAD_radar_of_an_EF2_tornado_in_Kansas_on_March_13_2024 — NEXRAD Rradar of an EF2 Tornado

If you’re from the Midwest as I am, you can probably recognize a “hook echo” on the TV weather—a hook shape visible on radar in the lower portion of a storm. A hook echo is a classic sign that a tornado is imminent. It is often confirmed by spotters on the ground. Or by you, standing on your front porch—it’s a Midwest thing!

(How) Can We Attract Younger Adults and Families?

by Sarai Rice

zachary-nelson-98Elr-LIvD8-unsplash — Zachary Nelson on Unsplash

If your congregation wants to grow, as most congregations today probably do, and if you think the best way to grow is to attract young adults and families with young children—because “young people are the future”—I have a few things I want you to know.

Saying Yes Like We Mean It

by Sarai Rice

"Yes" carved in stone — Florian Schmetz on Unsplash

Most churches of any size have a process for saying “yes” to a set of goals we believe are in response to God’s call, whether that call be to grow in size or grow in the Spirit or to be more active in the community. But when we say “yes,” do we say it like we mean it? Or do we approach our goals as if they were New Year’s resolutions—expendable as soon as we get tired or busy or bored?

In my non-profit work, the answer was clear. When we set goals, we meant it! Goals adopted by the board were commitments, expected to be executed by me and the staff unless the board subsequently made a different decision.

Keep Showing Up

by Sarai Rice

Boy singing from a hymn book — Ben White on Unsplash

Most of my congregations—both my clients and the small, rural churches for whom I preach—worry that their beloved church will not survive. But I keep working with them because, even as they age and their numbers dwindle, they surprise me with their capacity to adapt and innovate. In spite of everything, God’s church keeps showing up.

Learning from Instagram

by Sarai Rice

Every one of us has a unique identity. As James Taylor said in an Instagram post about Jimmy Buffett’s death, “We all … invent, assemble, inherit, or fall into our inner identity.” One important source of identity is our associations—the social groups we join, including congregations. It’s important to appreciate new forms of association that are emerging in our time.

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