How Congregations Thrive: Fostering Community, Identity, and Mission in Today’s Churches (Bloomsbury Studies in Religion and Civic Culture)

Why do some congregations flourish, while others can barely stay open at all in the face of disaffiliation, aging congregations, financial hardships, and clergy burnout?Grounded in research from 10 Protestant congregations, this open access book explores the characteristics connected to congregational flourishing, and demonstrates how worship, leadership, sermons and difficult conversations all play an important role in fostering a strong congregational identity as well as individual and social prosperity. From leadership styles to congregational conflict to enacting faith in the local community, this book explores many areas of church life to determine what they reveal about and how they contribute to the overall health of the congregation.Surveys, interviews, focus groups and participant observation are utilised in the chapter’s findings.These discussions provide an up-to-date examination of congregational life in the Unites States for scholars of religion as well as a thoughtful roa