The Parish Paper

The Parish Paper is sunsetting as of the final edition, June 2022, which is posted below.  Read the official statement from the current co-editors Cynthia Woolever and Dana Horrell:

When Lyle S. Schaller founded The Parish Paper in 1971, he did so believing that helping church leaders ask the right questions led to better decision making. Herb Miller, the subsequent editor, brought a commitment to small church vitality and a belief that stewardship fueled generosity. The next editor, Cynthia Woolever, a sociologist specializing in religion, brought a data-driven perspective from her research of U.S. congregations. Dana Horrell, the current editor, brings a commitment to parish ministry and grounded experience from decades of pastoral leadership. From the beginning, The Parish Paper's business model has been reprint-rights: one subscription with multiple copies for a church or judicatory. That model fit well for the age of the mimeograph and the monthly packet of photocopied information sheets sent out by the judicatory office. However, the rise of the Internet, the invention of the iPhone, and the dominance of social media have rendered this model obsolete. Consequently, this is the final edition of The Parish Paper. We thank the loyal subscribers who have been part of this ministry.

The Parish Paper offers "ideas and insights for active congregations" and is co-edited monthly by  Dana Horrell and Cynthia Woolever.  The  SNEUCC Conference has a paid subscription to The Parish Paper, which INCLUDES:

• Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: Email, postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our website
• Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its website, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.

Congregations within the Southern New England Conference jurisdiction to which we distribute The Parish Paper do NOT have permission (a) to delete the copyright ownership notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, delete, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY—other than our staff and constituents—permission to photocopy or reprint (in any quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale).

For other free resources, including links to selected back issues and more information about copyright/photocopying permission please visit www.theparishpaper.com

Formats

At left and at this link are blog post versions of the latest issues of The Parish Paper, suitable for sharing with others by linking to them in your church's email newsletter, website or Facebook page.

Below are PDF versions of The Parish Paper dating back to 2018, suitable for printing.

2022

• Small Groups Are the Church's Past and Future (June)
• Reaching Out to Low Income Neighbors (May)
• New Life for Older Buildings (April)
• Bringing a Community Project into Focus (March)
• Preparing for Community Engagement through Study (February)
• Planning the Future by Appreciating the Past? (January)

2021

• How to Plan a Community Project (December)
• Thinking Flexibility About Our Buildings (November)
• Getting to Know the Neighborhood with a Community Tour (October)
• Bringing the Power of Groups to Prison Ministry (September)
• Build Lasting Strength through Community Development (August)
• Is Drive-In Church a Good Idea? (July)
• Is It Time to Relocate? (June)
• How Can We Overcome Barriers to Vaccinations? (May)
• Readiness is the Key to Congregational Change (April)
• How Can We Build Trust in a Vaccine? (March)
• Connect with Spiritual Seekers through the Arts (February)
• Build a Robust Network (January)

2020

• Using Surveys to Guide Decision Making (December)
• Building Relationships in Livestream Worship (November)
• How to Foster Deep Listening Amid Political Difference (October)
• Getting Started with Livestreaming (September)
• Hospitality- Offering a New Place to Gather (August) 
• Care, Leadership and Self-Renewal in Uncertain Times (July)
• Six Tools for Managing Volunteers (June)
• Congregations Can Learn New Habits (May)
• Enlist Specialists to Improve Outreach Ministry (April)
• What is the Emerging Church (March)
• Get to Know the Community through Mapping (February)
• Repurpose Worship Space...Don't Rebuild  (January)

2019

• Writing as a Tool for Community Engagement (December)
• Learning to Love Variety in Worship Song Selection (November)
• Lets Take a Walk_The Ministry of Accompaniment (October)
• A Team Approach to Worship Design (September)
• Learn More about Your Congregation through Focus Groups (August)
• Team Talk Can Strengthen Volunteer Ministry (July)
• Overcome Volunteer Burnout by Building Capacity (June)
• Tips for Starting and Managing a Worship Band (May)
• Building Your Community Ties with a Block Party (April)
• Media Technology for Worship (March)
• What is Contemporary Worship?  (February)
• Defining Church Vitality (January)

2018

• Getting to Know Our Neighbors (December)
• How to Develop Habits for Well-Being (November)
• Don't Disagree, Deliberate (October)
• Checking up on Clergy Health (September)
• How to Raise Money for your Community Projects (August)
• Inviting Informing and Including Newcomers (July)
• Making the Nursery a Place of Belonging (June)
• How to Balance Hospitality and Church Security (May)
• Church Energy Use: Can We Harness Hope? (April)
• Finding Significance as a Small Church  (March)
• Best Practices for Church Members Serving as Staff (February)
• 18 Questions for 2018 (January)