Speaking before a group has never been Meg Erickson’s favorite activity. As a skilled and dedicated nurse, she would much rather spend her time in the practice of her profession. But there she is on a Sunday morning, speaking from…
Read MoreAddressing the Housing Crisis: How Your Congregation Can Make a Difference
No single entity can accomplish as much as groups working together. If government, churches, businesses, financial institutions, and educational institutions combine their commitment, strategies, and resources, communities in the United States will be able to rebuild poor neighborhoods, making them…
Read MoreEmbracing the Public Arena
As a parish pastor, I love the sanctuary. It holds a calming, quiet beauty. One may hear shooting in the streets but in the sanctuary people share the peace. Outside is abusive, vulgar language. Inside language is sacred. Outside is…
Read MoreReflections on the Study of Clergy Burnout
Thanks to the initiative and generosity of the Favrot Fund, a Texas-based charitable foundation, during the 2000-2001 academic year Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary conducted research into the challenges facing pastors in their first years of congregational ministry. The research was…
Read MoreThe How-To of Home Exchange
I’ve heard of people doing a home exchange, but I’ve never seen one up close. How does one set up a home exchange? What steps should I take? First, decide what kind of home exchange is appropriate for you. Do…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Managing Stress for Effective Ministry
Q: With all our programs and activities, my church seems to be under too much stress much of the time. What can I do to relieve the stress? A: Congregational stress, like the personal and professional varieties, can both help…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: A Fresh Look at American Clergy
In early February I attended a fascinating meeting of advisors to Duke Divinity School’s Pulpit and Pew Project to review some early and provocative research emerging from this massive project. In particular, we focused on the early findings of a…
Read MoreThe Abilene Paradox Goes to Church: A Management Concept Suggests Why Some Congregations Can’t Nail Down a Decision
The letter was crystal clear: “You have precipitously dismissed the most valuable member of the church staff. And now you will pay the price.” So it seemed. After 40 years of employment, the choir director at Sunnyvale Church was being…
Read MoreA Novel Kind of Sabbatical: Consider a Home and Ministry Exchange
Okay, I am excited. My congregation has a sabbatical policy, and it’s my turn. But when I bring up the subject for discussion, either at home or at church, the response is always the same: “What is this going to…
Read MoreGreat Expectation, Sobering Realities: Findings From a New Study on Clergy Burnout
Jim stands in the study of his church in Walnut Valley, a small rural community in the Midwest. He received the call to this two-point parish—the other congregation of which is 15 miles to the north—shortly after graduating from seminary….
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