Talking About Faith: How the Words We Use and the Stories We Tell Shape Our Congregations, Our Denominations, and Ourselves

Contents

IN FOCUS: Becoming God’s Church
Pastor Roy Terry describes how Cornerstone United Methodist Church, through practices that transcend time and culture, found its place in God’s unfolding story

Unlocking Divine Sparks
Rabbi Shawn Zevit discusses creative approaches to decision-making in the spiritual life of a community

Re-creating Congregational Stories
Alban consultant Larry Peers illustrates how the key concepts of narrative therapy provide a springboard for deep change for congregations experiencing transition, conflict, or paralysis

Reframing as Spiritual Change
Author, scholar, and researcher Diana Butler Bass discusses how creating a narrative frame that fits our worldview can heal and transform

When Narrative Identities Clash
Wesley J. Wildman, associate professor of theology and ethics, calls for us to find a way to heal the divide between “liberal” and “evangelical” and to honor what we love in both

Coming Out—Liberal and Evangelical
Chapin Garner describes his extraordinary journey as senior pastor of the United Church of Christ in Norwell, Massachusetts, where Jesus Christ is alive and central and all are welcomed “as they are”

FEATURES

Welcoming the “Other”
Mitzi J. Buddle, head librarian and professor at Virginia Theological Seminary, explores the increasingly common trend of ecumenical marriage and what pastors and congregations can do to be more welcoming to ecumenical couples and families

COLUMNS

THE LEADING EDGE
Alban president Jim Wind calls for an opening of the book on pastors’ stories as a crucial step toward building communities of faith and preventing clergy breakdown

ASK ALBAN
Alban senior consultant Susan Nienaber discusses the need for clearer standards for ministerial boundaries

DEPARTMENTS

FROM THE EDITOR

REVIEWS

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