Every congregation experiences conflict, even though each one does so in unique ways. The sources of conflict may vary from the micro to the macro—from intrapersonal pathologies to personality differences to globalization forces—but over time they are inescapable. Various studies…

First impressions, those of the new pastor and of the congregation, can make or break a new pastor’s ministry. Zen Buddhists speak of encountering the world with the beginner’s mind, and new pastors need to approach their first congregational call…

Welcome to theological field education! Field education is an opportunity for you to develop ministry skills, practice ministerial reflection, discern your call, experience professional collegiality, and undergo personal transformation. This is what field education is about—and more. Seminaries and divinity…

Take something barren and slowly tend it with the right amounts of water, sunlight, and nutrients. In time, green shoots emerge. I have been looking for green shoots lately, what I call Greenhouses of Hope. I have been scanning the…

Strangers meet on common ground. Dare we assume that strangers bring gifts, not threats? In today’s outside world, we are taught to steer clear of the stranger. “Don’t make eye contact!” But it hasn’t always been this way. In our…

Ken Lay and Bernard Ebbers, former CEOs of Enron and Worldcom respectively, tried to tell the world and the courts they didn’t know what was going on in their companies. Contending they were leaders of their organizations, rather than daily…

Dear Reader, We get some great mail here at Alban Weekly headquarters. Just this week, a reader wrote to thank us for Alban Weekly and to let us know how important it has been for him in interim ministry with…

There once was a world where the church functioned according to what some have called the “attractional” model (others have named it the participatory model). People come to a place, consume the spiritual goods, and serve as patrons to “meet…

While congregations often want to cling to the safety of still waters, the vision of vital and life-transforming worship and music calls them to an adventure of the spirit. As every traveler knows, even small steps can lead to adventurous…