Friday 's Catch: 'What if they don't come back?' And More

St. George's on St. Charles Avenue 

What if they don't come back?
The connection cards are on your desk. Someone on staff has formatted a spreadsheet. You've been told there's a 48-hour window — that this is when the harvest happens, when the people who showed up on Easter Sunday are still warm, still reachable, still maybe-convertible into regulars.

You look at the cards. You wonder, not for the first time, if any of this actually works.

8 Questions Church Leaders Are Asking About Safely Navigating Protests
There’s no single playbook for safety. Every ministry and community operates differently. But there are steps you can take now to start the right conversations.

How To Hear God’s Voice: 5 Things You’re Forgetting To
Have you ever longed to be hearing from God? Have you ever wanted God to speak to you? Do you know how to hear God’s voice?

A Missing Ingredient in Our Sermons and Studies: Biblical Theology
We can slip into viewing the Bible as a scattered collection of wise sayings or disconnected moral lessons. Biblical theology helps us see how all of scripture testifies to Christ.

A Prayer You Can Replay: Extending Care through Voicemail
Looking for a simple, intimate way to extend your pastoral presence? Laura Heikes reminds us that a voicemail prayer only takes a few seconds to record but can be replayed for hours, days, or long nights of waiting.

Marriage Discipleship Is the Missing Piece in Family Ministry
If your church cares about reaching the next generation, there’s an upstream strategy that strengthens every part of ministry: investing in marriages. Children’s and youth ministries matter deeply, but without discipling the parents who shape the spiritual culture of the home, churches often work harder than they need to. When marriages grow in grace, stability fills the home, volunteers serve with joy, teens show up more open, and the entire church experiences deeper unity. Brad Rhoads of Grace Marriage joins Sam on this episode. They explore why marriage discipleship isn’t just another ministry. It’s the source that feeds every other stream of church life, creating a generational ripple effect of gospel impact.

Why Youth Ministry Needs Seasoned Saints
In many churches across the U.S., youth ministry has become synonymous with energy, relevance, and staying current. We look for leaders who understand youth culture, social media trends, and the ever-shifting language of the next generation.

While these qualities are important, an unintended consequence has quietly taken root: We often overlook the older generations sitting faithfully in our pews. These men and women’s lives are rich with spiritual depth, hard-won wisdom, and a steady faith formed over decades.

What if we find one of the greatest untapped resources for youth ministry not in the newest curriculum or the most charismatic leader, but in the seasoned saints of our churches?

Five Essential Gifts to Give Your Kids: Weekly Corporate Worship
I’m working through five essential gifts to give your kids. The five essential gifts are five practical steps parents can take to effectively guide and nurture their children. Caring for your child’s body and soul is your most important responsibility. These five gifts explain how you can do discipleship effectively.

Turning Hospitality into Discipleship
Hospitality is more than a friendly greeting or a warm cup of coffee—it’s the soil where discipleship grows. Julie Hagen shares her journey of finding a welcoming faith community and explores how intentional, mutual hospitality can transform a church into a place where people are seen, loved, and ready to share God’s love with others.

New Orleans church builds community through feeding, outreach ministries
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2005, Episcopal congregations assisted their communities in any way possible. Among them was St. George’s Episcopal Church, which began serving food donated by a nearby docked cruise ship.

The regular food distribution, with the help of money from grants and donations, quickly evolved into a full-blown breakfast ministry known today as the Dragon Café, named after the medieval legend of St. George, who slayed a man-eating dragon. More than 20 years later, the ministry’s volunteers haven’t missed a single Sunday, not even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to serve free breakfast to the community.