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
Showing Empathy, Decency, & Understanding
We will begin the Lenten season this Wednesday night in the sanctuary with an Ash Wednesday service at 6:30 p.m. Lent is the forty-day period leading up to Easter. I hope you will take advantage of the excellent classes being offered here at church between now and...
Selecting Church Leaders
Jim Hester and the nominating committee have been working very hard over the past month. I want to thank everybody who submitted nominations this year. We have had many excellent candidates to discuss and consider. The guiding questions the committee has been asking...
Letting Go of Anger, Bitterness, & Resentment
A few years ago, I had an insightful conversation with a well-known therapist in Nashville who has been in private practice for decades and has helped many families through infidelity, mistrust, suicide, alcoholism, addiction, and the unwanted challenge of managing...
LOVE – The Ultimate Test
Valentine’s Day is Friday, so we see lots of messages around love this week. In his book Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer says this: “Love is the acid test of spiritual formation. The single most important question is, ‘Are we becoming more loving?’ Not are we...
Self-Awareness Strengthens Relationships
Hunter Mobley will be back to speak in the Woodmont chapel at 6:15 p.m. this Wednesday night, Feb. 5, on “The Enneagram, Love, and Relationships.” Consider this an early Valentine’s event with a dinner before in Drowota Hall at 5:30 p.m. It’s been said before that we...
Busyness Stifles Spiritual Growth
Many of us have been reading and studying John Mark Comer’s book Practicing the Way to go along with our current sermon series. In the book, Comer says, “The call to apprentice under Jesus is not a call to do more but to do less. It’s not addition but subtraction.”...
Maintaining Healthy Relationships
I invite you to join me this week in praying for our nation and for the new administration that is now in place. This Sunday, January 26, we will talk about boundaries and how we can safeguard our relationships in life. The quality of our relationships is directly...
California Wildfires & Leadership Nominations
The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have been devastating over the past week. The images we are seeing on TV and social media seem surreal. Woodmont is doing some important things to help at this time. We provided sandwiches for those working on the front lines....
A Simple Formula for Spiritual Growth in 2025
2025 is here! Woodmont has identified three focus areas for 2025: 1) Casting Vision – where we want to go 2) Small Groups – why they matter for growth 3) A Culture of Generosity – how we live. We will be talking about these areas in the weeks ahead. A new year always...