Paul Nixon / Epicenter Group

10/01/2026

The church is not dying. It just isn’t. But it is changing. And the changes are about to become more disruptive and intense. Which brings us back to the cocoon analogy. The caterpillar is reduced to goo, from which something more beautiful emerges.

Some important things we can remember these days: 1. Our faith is as vibrant and relevant as ever. 2. We have neighbors to love and serve. 3. It’s wise to keep an eye out for the butterflies that will be emerging and flying about in the years ahead!

I am not sure I understand fully, but it sure isn’t pretty. And I am not sure it’s painless. But there are moments in nature where morphin...

09/25/2026

In this episode, Paul Nixon interviews Robert King of Golden Memorial UMC in Atlanta, a historic Black church which is transitioning well into a new era, even as many of its peer churches struggle. Golden is a model of best practices for urban ministry in the African American tradition.

Discover how Golden Memorial UMC is thriving as a historic Black church in Atlanta, as Robert King shares best practices for urban ministry and leading…

09/09/2026

Last week, Paul Nixon and Isaiah Park led the LIFT event in South Carolina. Over 100 pastors and church leaders shared in this training, focused on launching new ministries, innovation, fresh expressions and community transformations.

08/25/2026

Latin American Experience with Changing Culture and Churches is Similar to the USA. In early July, Paul spent two weeks in Uruguay facilitating a national gathering of Methodist leaders for clarification of core values and discernment of ministry vision.

Latin American Experience with Changing Culture and Churches is Similar to the USA. Last two weeks I have been working with Uruguayan Method...

08/24/2026

After the release of "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church 2nd Edition" in 2024, Paul's new book "A New Way Foward: Growing Churches in a New Era" is now available.

A BOOK ON GROWING MINISTRY WITH PODCASTS ATTACHED!

The work of growing vital churches has shifted significantly in the 2020’s. In the new Path 1 book A New Way Forward, Paul Nixon integrates twelve ministry success stories into the mix with QR codes on the pages of the books, where one can point a phone and immediately hear an interview with the pastor of a growing church! This resource is great for helping laity catch on to the new rhythms of effective churches in the 2020s!

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/a-new-resource-to-help-leaders-get-their-heads-out-of-the-1990s

07/30/2026

Amarillo, Texas is a city of 200,000 souls in the Texas panhandle, an area where the MAGA political brand dependably claims 70 percent or more of the vote. Every United Methodist congregation in the city and region disaffiliated from the denomination. Amarillo UMC came from a significant number of loyal United Methodists in the old downtown congregation. In this interview, Paul Nixon interviews pastor Chad Johnson about the challenges of rebuilding a United Methodist congregation in a part of the country where mainline denominations are often viewed with suspicion.

Pastor Chad Johnson shares the story of rebuilding Amarillo UMC in the Texas Panhandle, exploring the challenges and opportunities of renewing a United…

07/22/2026

Paul just returned from 12 days in South America. For three of those days he led a retreat with Methodist leaders across Uruguay. He used the same values, mission and visioning workshop he has used in scores of churches and judiscatories in the US. The result was a renewed clarity of who they are in the larger cast of Christians in Uruguay, and clear plans developing for renewed ministry in three strategic areas:
(1) Ministry with youth and children
(2) A renewed movement of adult discipleship
(3) The proliferation of Fresh Expressions alongside their established congregations.
Epicenter Group could work with your team along these lines.

06/30/2026

Norman Feliciano came to North America, to British Columbia, from the Philippines. He established a new United Methodist congregation north of the US border, in consultation with the United Church of Canada. This church plant has now spread into four ministry locations across the Vancouver region. Paul Nixon interviews Rev. Feliciano on issues related to planting with immigrants and related to multisite ministry multiplication.

A conversation with Rev. Norman Feliciano on planting immigrant-led United Methodist congregations in Canada and growing a multisite ministry across the…

06/25/2026

Increasingly my coaching clients are running into people in their communities, who are just hostile towards them. Some (usually slight) thing sets them off, and as often as not, it is nothing the pastor did. There are some best practices to observe.

Yes, you read the title correctly. Increasingly my clients are running into people in their communities - sometimes in the church, other ti...

06/18/2026

The challenge: a devoted couple in their 70s have formed the heart and soul of a major church outreach ministry with a high community profile. Sudden illness has sidelined them. There are no ready volunteers with what it takes to assume leadership. The pastor steps in so the ministry can continue- but its way too much on him, and not really his job.

The question: What are the church’s best options?