Even as religious affiliation declines in the United States, some faith groups across religious traditions continue to thrive. But what does it mean to thrive? How can congregations grow more vital as they provide meaning, community and identity to their members?
The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) has conducted research and programs on thriving congregations.
This toolkit includes resources from CRCC’s work. With it, we seek to guide faith leaders on their journey of reimagining how religion can be lived out communally.
Download the Toolkit
About the Reimagining Church Initiative
With funding from The Lilly Endowment, CRCC launched a program on “Thriving Congregations” in 2020. In California, the pandemic had shut down in-person attendance at worship services, even as congregations’ work to provide material, emotional and spiritual support to their communities was as essential as ever. CRCC shifted its effort to provide online conversations about what it meant for congregations to thrive during this time. Once in-person gatherings resumed, CRCC held a public conference and launched a cohort of leaders interested in “Reimagining Church” in a post-pandemic world.
Video content in this toolkit comes from these various events. Members of the cohort also contributed their suggested readings and reflections about “reimagining church.”
