Q: At our synagogue we are trying to learn more about congregational attitudes and members’ needs and wants. What method of group data collection would you recommend? A: The congregational world is changing. Marketing-oriented leaders are expected to help the…
Read MoreBenedictine Spirituality and Congregational Life: Living Out St. Benedict’s Rule in the Parish
My acquaintance with St. Benedict began in seminary courses in which the contemplative monk was introduced in the context of Scripture. But Benedict seemed to keep popping up in my life. He showed up in pastoral theology courses, in contemplative…
Read MoreChoosing Life over Death: The Story of a Congregation’s Rebirth
I arrived in Boston in 1995 with a heart and a history for urban ministry. I soon discovered that there were many fewer Presbyterian congregations in New England than in my old New Jersey stomping grounds where I served congregations…
Read MoreCalling All Believers: Celebrating the Gifts of Baptismal Ministry
The Border Parish comprises three small congregations—All Saints Anglican Church in Hereford, Quebec; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Canaan, Vermont; and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Colebrook, New Hampshire. The members have prayed and studied together for 30 years. Marilyn…
Read MoreSacred Journeys: A Lay-led Discovery of God through Spiritual Practice
It happened one morning during the sermon. Joe Duggan, a church leader participating in an initiative exploring ways to incorporate recent confirmands into the ongoing life of the parish, suddenly knew what he wanted to provide for them: a program…
Read MoreMaking Sundays Relevant to Mondays
When I asked my supervisor a question about funerals during my student ministry placement, he picked up the phone and arranged for me to spend a day with the local funeral director. As a new ordinand visiting a family a…
Read MoreProclaiming Passion: The Theological Challenge of Youth Ministry in the 21st Century
Teenagers are heat-seeking missiles. They’re drawn to fire. They yearn for experiences that will channel their passions. And by and large they are not detecting many signs of life in the church. —Cuyler Black, youth pastor, in Fellowship Magazine, June…
Read MoreExpressive Communalism: The Embodied Spirituality of the Post-Boomer Generations
Today we are bombarded with visual symbols virtually every minute of the day. Our relationship to technology is far more interactive than it once was, and the ease of access created by modern technology has created a global market culture….
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Reading the People in the Pews
In my parish ministry days, preaching and leading worship were central elements in a weekly rhythm. I found that those leadership roles gave me a distinct vantage point from which to view the congregation. From pulpit or communion table I…
Read MoreAsk Alban: When Not To Do a Congregational Survey
Q: Our church is experiencing conflict between the pastor and several lay members. Should we conduct a congregation-wide survey to evaluate the pastor? A: Now is probably not a good time for a congregation-wide survey to evaluate the pastor. Let…
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