Why We're Publishing "Thriving Church"

You don’t have to look long at a shelf of Christian books to find works on congregational life. Those of us who love our churches, who see how in its best moments it can be life-saving and life-changing, want to share it with others. We want the seats full and the activity bustling.

But that’s not the reality of church in 2025. Study after study after study shows how congregations continue to decline in membership, usually accompanied by declining resources. That sets the stage for congregations to languish or close.

There is a different way.

That’s the point of Thriving Church: What We Can Learn from Faithful Congregations by Erin Cash and Kory Wilcoxson. Cash is the Project Director for the Thriving Congregations Project at Lexington Theological Seminary (LTS), and Kory is the Senior Pastor at Crestwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lexington, Ky. Thriving Church distills years of research and hands-on experience into a practical, inspiring guide for congregations that may not be poised for growth—think small towns or aging urban or suburban neighborhoods—but still have a lot of good ministry ahead of them.

Last spring I listened to a report on congregations within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the denomination traditionally served by Chalice Press. I was surprised to learn 60% of Disciples congregations describe themselves as serving “towns,” considered county seats in rural counties, or rural settings. Having lived in the suburbs nearly all my life, that statistic scrambled my mindset a bit.

That statistic also made me even more excited that Thriving Church was nearing its publication date. Thriving Churchdraws on a five-year study by LTS led by Cash of over 20 congregations, many of them Disciples, offering compelling stories and actionable strategies to help churches uncover their unique strengths and grow in purpose and impact.

If you’re asking, “What do you mean by ‘thriving?’” Cash and Wilcoxson suggest,

“… [T]hriving is about a congregation’s ability to embrace its identity fully and faithfully, still allowing for adaption and resilience as culture shifts and challenges arise. Thriving is not always about membership size, the number of visitors coming through the doors, the type of building you have (or do not have), or the bottom line on the budget sheet. Congregations at any stage in their life cycle can be thriving churches. Thriving is about living into who God is calling your church to be at this time and in this place.

So with that definition in mind, here are the 10 traits they see in thriving congregations:

• • Thriving congregations are rooted in scripture,
  • Thriving congregations know their mission & vision,
  • Thriving congregations understand community & rest,
  • Thriving congregations reject a fear mentality,
  • Thriving congregations are collaborative,
  • Thriving congregations are generous,
  • Thriving congregations are flexible,
  • Thriving congregations are willing to take risks,
  • Thriving congregations forward thinking, and
  • Thriving congregations refuse to be stagnant.

Now, bring that home: How many of those traits does your congregation exhibit? How many have potential to be strengths for your congregation’s ministry?

Here’s the good news: Your congregation doesn’t need to score all 10 of those points. Even if you don’t check any of those boxes, aspiring to exhibit even one of those traits can be a starting point to congregational resilience. As we see in the introduction, “Being a thriving church is a journey, not a destination.”

Thriving Church is built to get you started down that road. Each chapter focuses on a single trait, allowing you to concentrate on your congregation's immediate needs and biggest areas of potential growth. With scripture references and discussion questions designed for ministerial staff, church boards, elders, Sunday School classes, and denominational leaders, this book is meant to be used, not decorating a shelf.

Congregations are where we work together to make the biggest impact on our local communities. Thriving congregations truly can change our world. We hope Thriving Church will be an asset as you dream about what your congregation can become—and then as you work to make those dreams come to life.

—   Brad Lyons, President and Publisher