Dear CBF North Carolina friends, In the last week, we’ve heard more and more about the ending of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The state of North Carolina is said to have nearly 1.4 million people who depend on SNAP benefits to make nutrition needs meet every month. Of that, roughly 580,000 are children…
Sustainable Care for Hybrid and Shared Ministry Roles As congregations across North Carolina and beyond adopt creative staffing models—ranging from co-vocational pastors to ministers who serve multiple churches or lead in multiple ministry areas—one pressing concern emerges: how do we care for the ministers who carry more? The Church Sustainability Initiative (CSI) has challenged congregations…
New Models of Staff: Rethinking Ministry Roles for a Sustainable Future For many congregations today, one of the most pressing and tender questions is also one of the most personal: What do we do when we can no longer afford a full-time minister? This question surfaces alongside feelings of grief, uncertainty, and even guilt. For…
Before Trey Davis began as pastor at Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh, the church faced hard questions about its present and future, including the work of a serious self-study with attention on its facilities. Ridge Road Baptist had experienced welcoming other congregations to use its facilities. The church also received an offer to sell…
The Rise of Predatory Church Plants: A Call for Ethical Partnerships and Sustainable Congregations In an era of shifting religious landscapes, many established congregations face dwindling membership, financial constraints, and an uncertain future. These churches, built for a time of expansion and abundance, now find themselves struggling to sustain ministry in a rapidly changing world.…
Reimagining Sacred Spaces: How Churches Can Sustain Mission Through Revenue-Based Partnerships For generations, church buildings have been more than places of worship. They’ve been community gathering spaces, shelters in times of crisis, and centers of spiritual formation. Yet today, many churches find themselves struggling to maintain their expansive facilities, originally built for larger congregations and…
The Pathways to Failure: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Unfulfilled Promises and the Mythological Comeback Kid Sustainability is a challenge that many churches face in today’s changing landscape. When congregations find themselves in decline, they often look for solutions that will reverse their trajectory and bring new life into their church. However, not all solutions lead…
The marking of the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene brings life-shaping memories and emotions for all who were involved in its path. It wreaked havoc from Florida to North Carolina, but what happened to our beautiful North Carolina mountains was unprecedented. Wanda Kidd, CBFNC’s Helene Disaster Response director, shares a reflection below marking the one-year…
Redefining Success, Maintaining, and Failure: A Church’s Journey Toward Sustainability For generations, churches have measured success in ways that made sense for a different era—full pews, bustling Sunday Schools, and steady financial giving. But in today’s rapidly changing landscape, these traditional markers may no longer reflect reality. As congregations experience shifts in attendance, financial challenges,…
Finding Hope in a Changing Church: A Path Toward Sustainability For many churches, the realities of today’s landscape can feel overwhelming. Attendance isn’t what it used to be, budgets are tighter, and beloved spaces sit emptier than before. The ministries that once thrived may now struggle to find enough hands to carry them forward. And…