Life changed in unexpected ways when my husband and I had our third child. Becoming first-time parents had been a jarring experience. We expected life as we knew it to disappear upon the arrival of that first child, and although…

The transformation of my own identity as a preacher began with noticing the inadequacy of my image of the preacher. I had consumed my seminary education voraciously and had gone on reading and teaching in various venues ever since: I…

In 1991, The Once and Future Church by Alban Institute founder and president emeritus Loren B. Mead created an instant sensation in congregational circles with its prophetic insights into the mission of the church in a post-Christendom era.   Two subsequent…

From my numerous conversations with both seminarians and new pastors, the primary wisdom I have to offer is to claim your leader’s voice. Seminary education is a progression in which students learn the basics of their craft—intellectually and, we hope,…

What are the central essential characteristics that make this congregation unique? This is a question that I frequently pose to congregations who engage me as their consultant. Recently, leaders of a congregation that I worked with posed this question to…

The past few years have brought us new awareness of the power of music. We have Baby Mozart, Baby Bach, and Baby Beethoven products and their relatives, along with knowledge that music contributes to intellectual development. Neuroscientists explain that music…

“How can we persuade people to give more?” Not surprisingly, this is one of the most frequent questions I encounter in my work as a congregational consultant. Whether I’m consulting mainly on strategic planning, governance change, or growth plans (I…

Theological reflection is simply wondering about God’s activity in our lives. Where is God present? What is God calling us to do? By taking time to ask questions about what happens to us—seeing our experiences through the lens of faith—we…

I had never thought much about my hair until I went to seminary. When I started seminary and began envisioning myself as a clergyperson, I started looking at the style of women pastors, particularly women head pastors. And I noticed…

Although we church folks seldom consider it, we are a people on an amazing journey. Like Abram and so many other biblical ancestors who followed the Spirit’s leading to a new place of promise and hope, each of us is…