Thriving Church: What We Can Learn from Faithful Congregations

by Erin Cash, Kory Wilcoxson

Are you a church leader or layperson wrestling with questions about how your congregation can move beyond just surviving to truly thrive in today's world?

You're not alone. Many churches face challenges like stagnation, lack of clear direction, difficulty connecting with their community, and the struggle to empower their members. Without a clear sense of God's calling, congregations risk perishing. The constant pressure can lead to burnout for dedicated leaders, and past hurts can make it hard to take necessary risks.

But what if there was a blueprint to help your church flourish?

Thriving What You Can Learn from Healthy Congregations is based on a five-year study of over 20 churches, offers real stories, practical steps, and visionary insights to help your congregation discover its unique gifts and fulfill its potential.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2025

Reviews

[David Shirey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriving Church is a valuable resource for clergy and lay members who are wise enough to know that a congregation’s health is nourished by vital signs operative deep beneath the surface of outwardly visible and measurable metrics like worship attendance, programs, service projects, budget, and buildings.

Wilcoxson and Cash are seasoned pastors, proven practitioners who clearly know congregational ministry, care deeply about the local church, and respect its leaders and people.

The ten traits they gleaned from researching a delightful array of congregations will ring true to anyone seeking to enrich their own congregation’s health and vitality. These traits are not silver bullets sure to transform your church in ten easy steps. Rather, they are faithful practices that when embraced and embodied in specific places by uniquely gifted people and leaders will over time bear fruit that lasts.

“Trust in the slow work of God” said Teilhard de Chardin, “We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.” Pastors, leaders, and lay members of churches desiring to be faithful to who they are in their unique places of ministry who exercise a holy imagination about ways these traits can take deeper root in their churches may trust that good will follow. The stories the authors narrate about how congregations have embraced and employed each of the ten traits bear witness to the truth of this promise.

[Ryan Motter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for congregations who regularly look around and say, “What are other churches doing?” I could see this working well as a small group study or a leadership study over the course of a year. Each chapter ends with good prompting questions and scriptures.

[Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and easy-to-read primer on what we can learn from thriving churches. Although all the examples come from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the principles are easy to apply in any denomination. We are now using this as a book study for our congregation. Don't skip the introduction; it is full of easy-to-understand biblical principles that make the rest of the book so instructive. The texts and questions at the end of each chapter are very helpful. I highly recommend this book as a tool, particularly for smaller congregations!