Writing "Thriving Church" with Erin Cash and Kory Wilcoxson

Thriving Church is the result of a partnership between an educator (Rev. Dr. Erin Cash of Lexington Theological Seminary) and a congregational pastor (Rev. Dr. Kory Wilcoxson of Crestwood Christian Church, also in Lexington) who share a hopeful vision for congregational vitality during these challenging times. In this Q&A, they share how they came to partner on the book, their favorite passages, and what they hope readers will learn from Thriving Church.

Do you have a moment when you realized “this needs to be a book?”

Erin: This actually isn’t the book I thought I was going to write. The book I thought I would write was about the pillars of the Thriving Congregations Project at LTS. I planned to share our research, what we had learned, and what experiments some of the congregations had done during their time with us. It was at a gathering sponsored by Lilly Endowment, Inc. where I realized that this wasn’t the book the church needed. The work of several other project directors there made me realize how many traits of LTS’s project were present in other projects. It was then that I realized we were on to something that would resonate for the wider church. 

Kory: For me, it was listening to Erin present the results of the five-year Thriving Congregations Initiative in October 2024. I felt the energy in the room as she shared the 10 traits she had identified and realized how much other churches would benefit from hearing this information. Afterward, I asked her when she was going to write the book. When she hesitated, I said, “I’ll write with you!” never actually expecting she would say “Yes” or that anyone would be interested in it. 

What are you most passionate about right now?

Erin: This work! I really love helping congregations walk their own journey to thriving. If you really believe the work is contextual (and I do), that means every church’s journey is unique. Walking alongside them as they discover their call gives me so much hope for God’s church in the world. (And water. Always water. I am passionate about being in or near pools, lakes, oceans, waterfalls.)

Kory: I want to help congregations see that they can thrive no matter what their context or circumstance. I believe so many churches are operating from a mindset of scarcity as their resources dwindle. And yet, God only needs a mustard seed of faith to help a church thrive. I want to help churches see how they can thrive in so many different ways beyond the traditional ones. Every church still has a role to play in making God’s kin-dom real here on earth!

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Erin: I hope readers take away from Thriving Church the possibilities awaiting their congregations. Our aim was never to offer a prescription for thriving. Our goal was to tell the stories of churches who refuse to accept the narrative that the church cannot be relevant now so that churches could begin to see themselves in those stories.

Kory: I hope they take away a vision for their church that energizes them to look forward instead of backwards. I want them to see themselves in at least one of the stories we tell and to dream about how they can live out one or more of these traits in new and life-giving ways. And I want them to know it’s possible to honor the past without being shackled by it. That is the subtext of a lot of the stories we tell.

What is the most inspiring feedback you've received from a reader?

Erin: One of our Regional Ministers told me they believed this book had the power to transform congregations. They shared how they planned to recommend it to pastors in their region and to search committees thinking about calling a new pastor. Knowing that a denominational leader I trust appreciated what we have assembled here confirmed for me that we had created something truly helpful.

Kory: For me, it’s been how much this book is needed. I think a lot of churches don’t know where to turn for examples of how to thrive. Hearing people express their gratitude and get excited about what it might mean for their church has been awesome!

What makes this book relevant today and different from other books on the subject?

Erin: My dream for Thriving Church is that it would stay relevant – that the traits would hold true no matter what’s happening in the world. Unlike a formulaic approach that some books offer, this is not a model to follow that will have its time and will fade into the background as the culture changes. Rather, these are living examples of real people seeking to discover where God is calling them next.

Kory: I think what sets our book apart is that we don’t play by the rules. A thriving church means so much more than traditional ways we measure “success” in a church. I love the diversity of the churches represented in the 10 chapters, which I believe gives our book a universal appeal. Every church is represented here in one form or another.

What was your biggest surprise writing your book?

Erin: The biggest surprise to me in writing about churches who had been through the Thriving Congregations Project at LTS was how many chapters could have been about each church. Most of the 11 churches featured in the book could have been the subject of multiple chapters. Even after they have finished Thriving Congregations, they are continuing to push themselves to thrive in even more ways. 

Kory: I was truly humbled by the profound faith of the pastors and laypeople with whom I spoke. Some of the churches we chose would not fit the classic definitions of these traits, and yet they exemplify them in ways that energized me for my own ministry. It’s so easy to draw conclusions based on a church’s size, budget or makeup, without leaving room for God’s spirit to work. It was inspiring!

What’s one of your favorite passages from the book?

Erin: The “Dream with God” section of the chapter about Rejecting Fear is near and dear to my heart. The idea that the antidote to fear is dreaming God’s dream really speaks to me. In our current world, we are told to fear just about everything. And yet, God calls the church to dream in ways that feel scary but are part of the journey toward who God is making them to be. “What would you do if you were unafraid?” is such a powerful question for a congregation to ask.

Kory: I have to pick just one? I love the story about the congregation whose whole vision for how they might serve their community was almost derailed by softball trophies. What a great metaphor for the kind of obstacles that can keep a church from moving forward with bold faith. So many of these churches are not letting tradition weigh them down as they seek to become who God is calling them to be. Not even softball trophies can keep God’s church from being faithful!