Forgiveness is a topic that has been receiving renewed attention in recent years both inside and outside of traditional religious circles. It is a broad and complex subject—too big for one Alban Weekly issue, but a topic that is important…

You may have heard “I’m spiritual but not religious”—from talk show guests, the next door neighbor, or your daughter’s college roommate. What does it mean? And how do you respond? For some, the phrase “I’m spiritual but not religious” brings…

When I first began planning the book that was published  as www.congregationalresources.org: a guide to resources for building congregational vitality, I needed to find contributors who could bring fresh thought to the key issues facing congregations. Knowing that one of…

Nagging questions inevitably arise for even the most gifted congregational leaders, like: Why is my congregation not growing despite the fact that I spend more and more time and energy at church? Are my sermons reaching the minds and hearts…

Each congregational size presents its own opportunities and challenges, as well as its own set of leadership needs. In a recent Alban survey of pastors of large congregations (worship attendance of 500-2,000) and denominational professionals with responsibility to work with…

Congregations, like individuals, often make resolutions for the new year. If your congregation still is mulling over possibilities for the year, Raising the Roof contains ideas that could spark a resolution or two. Visit www.sizetransitions.org for more about the book and…

“I really felt called to reach out to people like me, people who had been turned off by the church but were really spiritually hungry,” says Rev. N. Graham Standish of Calvin Presbyterian Church in a recent article by Ann Rodgers in…

A revolution in digital communication has hit many congregations. And, like many revolutions, we are finding that this one has its casualties. There is the pastor who gets an ornery email that feels like the last straw at the end…

Worship is the most important and most consistent element of congregational life. It is the practice of worship that defines a church as a church and not a social club or service organization. The size of a church has a…

A lack of theological content and clarity may be at the core of the current malaise of many mainline Protestant congregations. It is my belief that an integral and vital relationship exists between our core convictions, our theology, and our…