best selling author
What the World Needs Now
Redefine leadership and character.
Discover a path to a more connected and meaningful life with What the World Needs Now. Written by Clay Stauffer, a seasoned pastor, professor, husband, and father, this book explores moral leadership, character, and values that transcend generational and cultural divides.
With 30 concise chapters covering topics such as love, hope, diversity, and joy, Stauffer invites you to reflect on how we can improve our relationships, reshape culture, and build a sustainable future for generations to come. Blending Christian wisdom with universally accessible principles, the book illuminates the importance of virtues, emotional intelligence, and spiritual growth.
What the World Needs Now inspires readers from all walks of life to embody values of decency, civility, and mutual respect.
best selling author
What the World Needs Now
Redefine leadership and character.
Discover a path to a more connected and meaningful life with What the World Needs Now. Written by Clay Stauffer, a seasoned pastor, professor, husband, and father, this book explores moral leadership, character, and values that transcend generational and cultural divides.
With 30 concise chapters covering topics such as love, hope, diversity, and joy, Stauffer invites you to reflect on how we can improve our relationships, reshape culture, and build a sustainable future for generations to come. Blending Christian wisdom with universally accessible principles, the book illuminates the importance of virtues, emotional intelligence, and spiritual growth.
What the World Needs Now inspires readers from all walks of life to embody values of decency, civility, and mutual respect.
Clay Stauffer
Author
About
Clay Stauffer is the Senior Minister of Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and teaches moral leadership at Vanderbilt University. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University (2002), a Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary (2005), and a Doctor of Ministry from the University of the South at Sewanee (2015). His doctoral work explored the intersection of faith and politics and the growing polarization within American culture. Known for his preaching and leadership ability, Clay is a community leader in Nashville and serves on many nonprofit boards. He is a regular columnist for The Tennessean Newspaper, writing articles about faith, values, spirituality, and culture. Clay is married to Megan, and together they have three children.
My Books
This book addresses the deeper issues that matter most in life: faith, wisdom, values, spirituality, relationships, connection, and self-reflection. As our world becomes more and more secular, people remain restless and hungry to discuss these important topics. What does it mean to grow spiritually? What does it mean to do meaningful soul work? What are the values and priorities that should matter most? What type of culture will our children and grandchildren inherit? Here are a few insights that I believe to be true.
-All human beings long for meaning and deeper purpose in their lives.
-Jesus Christ continues to speak to and challenge our culture.
-Issues of character and integrity are very important.
-Growth in the spiritual life has become much more challenging in this busy age of technology, multi- tasking, and over-commitment.
Religion, politics, and money. Three things you’re never supposed to discuss in polite company. But what if you’re a pastor? Forget red state/blue state divisions, what happens when your church members disagree about politics? In this age of prosperity preaching, how do you preach, “You cannot serve God and money?” Clay Stauffer addresses the challenges that preachers face when serving a politically diverse congregation in Preaching Politics. Money, materialism, and their effects on modern-day faith and spirituality are viewed through the teachings of Jesus, as well as the work of Methodist minister Adam Hamilton and Duke University ethicist Stanley Hauerwas.
Posts from Clay
New Building Dedication this Sunday
This Sunday, May 9th, which is Mother’s Day, we will formally dedicate our new building at 10:30 a.m. We have already moved into this beautiful space and it has been a tremendous blessing for our church as we continue to come back from the pandemic. The new Chapel is...
Family Dynamics: Navigating Life’s Important Relationships
I want to thank everybody who has made a commitment to support Woodmont for another church year. It’s still not too late to do that. Click here to make your pledge online. This Sunday, we will begin a new sermon series based on Ephesians titled “Family Dynamics:...
The Church Needs You!
This Sunday, April 25, is Commitment Sunday. We are asking for our members to make a financial commitment to support the mission and ministries of the church for another year. These commitments are simply “estimates of giving” for our next church year (July 1, 2021 -...
Why Mindset Matters in the Spiritual Life
Many Christians and spiritual seekers severely underestimate the importance of mindset and the key role it plays in the spiritual life. Mindset and attitude are always a choice. Victor Frankl clearly argued that although we may not choose our circumstances, we can...
Rising Strong Together
I hope everybody had a wonderful Easter. It was certainly a special day at Woodmont with services held both inside and outside. I enjoyed getting to see many faces for the first time in quite a while. This Sunday, April 11th, we look forward to baptizing 25 members of...
Easter Brings Hope & New Life!
I hope you will plan to join us during Holy Week and for one of our FOUR services on Easter Sunday. Two are outside (7 am Sunrise & 9:30 Bridge) and two are inside the sanctuary with overflow in the Chapel (9:15 & 11:00). We continue to observe CDC safety...
Surviving Life’s Storms with Faith & Courage
Life is difficult and full of storms. To be human is to experience the existential reality of this statement. On Sunday, I said that over the past year, we have been living in a perfect storm with multiple waves. The first wave was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,...
Studying the Gospel of Mark
During Lent, we are journeying through the Gospel of Mark in a sermon series called “The Life of Jesus.” Mark is the oldest gospel, written by John Mark around 65-70 CE. Scholars believe that Matthew and Luke receive much of their material from Mark. Mark is basing...
Choosing Love in a Selfish World
Rev. Michael Curry serves as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and recently published a timely book called “Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times.” We are certainly living in troubled times. Curry rose to fame in 2018 when he was asked to...