Every congregation faces decisions about how to manage sensitive information, and some congregations have to make difficult decisions in the midst of crises. Highly stressful situations rarely bring out the best in anyone. Faith leaders can practice making difficult decisions…

Congregational leaders who embark upon change efforts develop contrasting images of the qualities they seek in their congregation and of the characteristics they hope to shed, transcend, or avoid. They aspire to become what we call visionary congregations, those that…

On the cubicle where she works all day, Abby pinned a picture of a church. Where many would keep a photo of family members or beloved pets, Abby has an image of a brownstone building on the Cambridge Common, and…

We believe in a God to whom “all hearts are open, all desires known.” Sometimes we have a lot of work to do—uncovering the desires of our own hearts—before we can hear clearly what God may desire for us. An…

For three hundred years, the voice of prophecy had been silent in the land until John appeared, brusque and outlandish, one “crying in the wilderness.” How odd that they came to him in droves, even as he addressed them as…

Spiritually, many of us want to know and experience God more powerfully. We may hear a lot about “personal transformation”—buzz words in many circles today—but sometimes when we look at our own feeble attempts to improve ourselves or our circumstances,…

Why Partnerships are the Future of American Congregations Running adult educational events for congregations and their leaders is not that different from the work I did forty years ago as a volunteer with a Head Start program in Mississippi. Give…

Planning efforts often fail, and one important reason is that planners underestimate the time it takes for causes to produce effects. You might plan, for instance, to expand your sanctuary to make space to welcome more people. Increased attendance would…