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 MoreCreating “Breadlike” Boards
Many new board members expect board participation will be an opportunity for personal faith development only to find a long, parliamentary-ordered, business-as-usual meeting. While asking for bread, they felt they had been given a stone. “Stonelike” boards are those that…
Read MoreIs E-mail the New Parking Lot?
You may be familiar with—perhaps even have participated in—”parking lot meetings.” Those unofficial conversations (often held in parking lots following official meetings) that tend to undermine decisions, complain about individuals, and stir up discontent. They are extremely effective forms of…
Read MoreRational Functionalism
Many denominations, churches, pastors, and members have become mired in a series of worthless arguments in their attempt to diagnose why mainstream denominations and churches are in decline. Too many in the mainstream church think the problems have to do…
Read MoreScarcity and God’s Abundance
As we grew up, many of us learned that the world would give us all that we need, without our having to worry about limits. Now we know we need to curb our appetite for mineral, vegetable, and animal resources….
Read MoreCelebrating Vocation in Worship
The church teaches that all people are gifted by their Creator and called by the Holy Spirit to offer themselves in service as a way of giving thanks for all that God has done and continues to do for us…
Read MoreBursting Forth without Burning Out
Fall is a time of bright red, yellow, and orange, shorter days, transformation, and letting go. Winter is on the horizon and the changing colors forecast cold days and bare trees. Although both of us have experienced the cycle from…
Read MoreSeeing Ourselves in the Other
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7 Mercy makes us look in the mirror. That’s been April Blaine’s discovery as she has wrestled with these words about the merciful receiving mercy. “Mercy goes two ways,” says…
Read MorePeople are Resources
Because ministry is about people, we often neglect seeing people themselves as resources for ministry. People, of course, are the recipients of ministry, and a changed person is often the goal of ministry. But ministry is done by people who…
Read MoreWhat to Keep, What to Cut
Like many congregations and organizations, at the beginning of 2009 Western Presbyterian Church faced a serious budgetary shortfall. To deal with this painful situation, our session (governing board) needed to exhibit both leadership and management skills: leadership skills to bring…
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