by Lawrence Peers Q: Ever since our congregation was divided over a conflict some years ago, I have this sense that we now avoid conflict at all costs. I’m sure that this impacts our own vitality as a congregation, but I’m not…
Read MoreUnconventional Wisdom: The Power to Make Promises
by Dan Hotchkiss Bondage is the opposite of liberty: what could be more obvious than that? When a prisoner is released, we say, “he’s free!” But bondage can be voluntary. In fact, the power to make binding promises is part of…
Read MoreCenterView: A Method of Helping Congregations
by Tim Shapiro In October 2012, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that, based on new data, 19.5% of Americans register no religious affiliation. This is an almost five percent increase over the last five years. Congregations are…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Parking Battles, FEMA, and Congregations
by James P. Wind On the weekend before the November elections, two articles appeared side by side on the “On Faith” page (or what old-timers called the Religion page) of The Washington Post. One dealt with new parking regulations in the nation’s…
Read MoreLeaders are Lovers
by Herbert Anderson This article re-examines the attention to boundaries in ministry that has emerged in recent decades partly as a necessary response to the violation of trust in the pastoral bond and partly because differentiated leadership has been promoted as…
Read MorePaging God: Working with Chaplains in Healthcare
by Wendy Cadge Meg, an interfaith chaplain, agreed to let me shadow her to learn about her work in a large academic medical center. By 9:00 a.m. on a Friday morning, we were sitting in a conference room filled with dirty…
Read MoreRethinking Interim Ministry
by Anthony B. Robinson Sometimes heated discussion is underway in various quarters—judicatories, congregations and among clergy—about interim ministry, a model that came into wide use three decades ago. Congregations has recently published two helpful pieces which have advanced the conversation. What’s prompting the…
Read MoreIs This Pastor John?
by John Kenneth Gibson Is this Pastor John?” The unknown voice on the phone sounded tired. For years I dreaded these calls. I knew I was supposed to help. After all, I am an Episcopal priest. And I wanted to help….
Read MoreAlternative Pastoral Models
by C. Jeff Woods The traditional pastoral model is built upon a set of very expensive assumptions that include three years of post-bachelor education, a building owned by the congregants, and a full-time compensation package supplied by a single source of…
Read MoreSimple Congregations: Restructuring into Simplicity
Most likely your denomination or association has restructured itself several times within its lifetime. The promise of restructuring is that a new way of doing (God’s) business will result in fresh approaches, new energy, and new identities. If you haven’t…
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