Every church tells a story. The question is: Is it the right one?

In a recently-released episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr. spoke with Joel Thiessen, professor of Sociology and director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, about The Stories Congregations Tell, a research project exploring why some churches flourish through seasons of transition while others struggle.

Drawing on case studies from congregations across Canada, Thiessen argues that the stories churches tell about their past, present, and future profoundly shape their identity, leadership, and mission.

The conversation explores how congregations develop a healthy sense of identity without becoming trapped by nostalgia, why flourishing is about far more than numerical growth, and how local churches are constantly shaped by the wider cultural stories surrounding them. Thiessen also explains why sociology can help churches understand themselves more honestly—not to replace theology, but to deepen it.

This video is part of the Maple Spirit Pulse video series from the Institute for Religion, Culture and Societal Futures (IRCSF) at the University of Waterloo. 

In this video, Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology, Chair of the Social Sciences department, and Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, explains the concept of flourishing congregations, and what this phenomenon currently looks like in the Canadian context.Twenty participants from across Canada—12 denominational leaders and 8 CoVo pastors representing 17 different denominations—engaged in in-depth conversations about co-vocational ministry.