The idea of shared ministry has been with us long enough for many to think that they actually do it! Some do, of course—and one of them is Judith Urban, whose new book, New Life through Shared Ministry, can help…
Read MoreListening to the Listeners of Sermons
Adapted from Preaching That Matters: Reflective Practices for Transforming Sermons , by Lori J. Carrell, a book that Ronald J. Allen calls “inspirational, challenging, and practical–all at once.” Thousands of listeners from across the United States can contribute…
Read MoreA Better Starting Point
In my many decades of stewardship ministry, I’ve seen that stewardship ministry too often begins with presumptions regarding great and continuing neediness. You probably know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had to cajole your congregation into generosity by…
Read MoreBound by Shame
Recently, author Karen McClintock wrote “The Challenge to Change,” in which she made this claim: “I believe congregations are in decline because they have become shame-bound.” I haven’t been able to get this provocative statement out of my mind. It…
Read MoreCulture: Downton Abbey and the Examined Life
by Twila Glenn As you prepare for worship this coming weekend, you are probably aware that some of the congregants will bring with them grief and some will bring joy. Some will come expecting a transcendent experience, and some will just…
Read MoreCongregations: Books Reviews 2013 Issue 1
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character Paul Tough Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 One of the most pervasive of American cultural narratives is of the smart, ambitious young scrapper who comes from nothing and moves to…
Read MoreFrom the Editor
by Richard Bass Thanks to all our readers for their continued interest in that most fascinating of human organizations, the congregation. At Alban, we don’t make particular faith claims—we can’t, our constituency is too broad. And we don’t tell you how…
Read MoreAsk Alban by Susan Nienaber
Q: You wrote an article in the Summer 2006 issue of Congregations titled “Leading into the Promised Land: Effective Lay Leadership in Resilient Congregations.” Given the ongoing realities of mainline decline, has your thinking about congregational resilience changed in recent years? A: The answer…
Read MoreGreat Committees
by Dan Hotchkiss In an old cartoon by Charles Addams, a man and his son walk through a park and look at statues, each of which depicts a little clutch of people. “There are no great men, my boy,” the father…
Read MoreCenterview: Resilient Congregations
by Tim Shapiro On my way to work I drive by two church buildings. One building used to be the home of a Methodist congregation, the other formerly a home for a Roman Catholic congregation. The Methodist building is a coffee…
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