Congregational leaders must approach their ministry, decision-making process, and institutional management with the understanding that a congregation is, at heart, more community than organization in nature. The congregation’s primary enterprise is the shaping of the faith of its members and…
Read MoreWhat It Takes to Make Congregational Change Stick
Have you ever visited a congregation where you were told to take a brightly colored mug at the fellowship hour so that members would know you were visiting and could make you feel welcome? What was your experience? Occasionally this…
Read MoreAll I Really Needed to Know I Learned at Work
My first ministry began in 1980 in Boca Raton, Florida. I didn’t know it at first, but a few members of my congregation were working on a secret project that would have far-reaching results: a small team had begun designing…
Read MoreGrace and Graciousness
In the church we talk about having faith and being faithful, but rarely do we talk about experiencing grace and being gracious. Churches are actually at times some of the most ungracious places on this planet, and Christians are at…
Read MoreThe Performance Planning Meeting: Putting Our People Where Our Mission Is
Whether we are talking about congregations with one staff person or very large congregations with dozens, volunteer and employed staff—people—are the primary resource used to accomplish the mission of the congregation. Commonly 65 percent or more of a congregation’s annual…
Read MoreRedefining Power
The issue of power seemed to arise almost immediately when Marcus Pomeroy and I began our pastoral partnership in January 1996. Within a few weeks we began to hear the question over and over again: “Where does the buck stop?”…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Congregational Change: What it Takes to Make it Stick
Q: Why is it so hard to change things in a congregation? Why don’t the changes stick? A: Let me begin to answer your question by asking one: Have you ever visited a congregation where you were told to take…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Jamestown Reflections: A Look at Our Beginnings
As this issue of Congregations went to press, many in this country marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first “permanent” English colonial settlement in North America. Marking anniversaries is such a routine part of life that…
Read MoreGiving up the Myth: How One Congregation Saw Itself as It Was and Created Itself Anew
No congregation will ever enjoy an abundant mission life until they have first discovered who they are. Sounds simple enough—a little history and geography and the job’s done, right? Maybe not. In the case of the church I was called…
Read MoreJourney to Jerusalem: Risking Everything for Resurrection
The resources for how to revitalize, reinvigorate, redevelop, re-imagine, and re-create the local congregation are plentiful. We can read books and magazine articles on the subject, peruse any number of Web sites, hire a coach or consultant, take a class…
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