From the beginning of my life, my home congregation loved me into the faith. As a preschooler in the nursery, I felt so very safe with “church.” A few years later, in the primary department, I remember standing at the…
Read MoreDiscerning Direction for a Particular Issue
The following is a simple guide to discerning God’s voice when seeking God’s call in a particular situation. It is most valuable when a church board or committee is stuck on an issue. Identify the issue to be discussed. Offer…
Read MoreTwelve Characteristics for Effective 21st-Century Ministry
One afternoon while I was rifling through backed-up periodicals, the tag line for an advertisement caught my attention: “Think Differently about Ministry in Order to Minister Differently!” The ad showed three pastors. Two, photographed in black and white, were dressed…
Read MoreTeam-Based Problem Solving
The Senior Minister at First Church was actually looking forward to the weekly staff meeting. For some time the staff had been tip-toeing around problems with the traditional worship service, and today they were going to address the problem head…
Read MoreBy the People, For the People: Seekers of Faith Increasingly Take “Church” into Their Own Hands
Something remarkable is happening here. Radio is springing free of the regulated gatekeepers who’ve managed what you could hear since radio was invented. It’s jumping into the hands of anyone at all, with something or nothing to say. — From…
Read MoreLeading for the Future
In the past, pastoral leadership was all about playing various roles: preacher, teacher, counselor, administrator, social activist, and more. In the future those roles will no longer describe the effective pastor. We already see signs of it. Pastors schooled in…
Read MoreCalled to Life, Called to Love
Today, as many members of congregations seek deeper meaning in their lives and, more specifically, in their work, it is becoming increasingly important for pastors to be able to communicate in meaningful ways about vocation. To do so may require…
Read MoreLooking Forward: Theological Education, Young Adults, and the 21st-Century Church
Many young clergy believe they have something valuable to offer the church, in particular, insights into what is needed to attract young people to the church, to support them once they are there, and to support those who are ultimately…
Read MoreA Profound Sense of Mission: One Man's Call to Work in the World
Robert “Bob” McLean is someone who knows what it’s like to be powerfully called to work in the secular world. An Alban Institute board member and retired real estate broker, author, and the driving force behind a number of initiatives…
Read MoreRe-Centering Congregational Life around Members’ Daily Missions
Rather than a single “vocation” or calling to some specific work or task in Christ’s name, experience has led me to see that each person has many vocations or tasks and that they are in constant change. We need to…
Read More