At the Center for Congregations, we believe that congregations are learning organizations—that they have the capacity to learn and change. They are communities of leaders and teachers, students and learners, and educational events are great learning tools for them. Attending…
Read MoreGrants as a Source of Funding for Your Congregation
Pastors and ministry leaders are always asking me whether grants are available to fund the work of their congregations, and this question is arising more during these difficult economic times. Congregations that are having a difficult time meeting budget with…
Read MoreWays to Pray in a Board Meeting
I often hear the term book-end prayers used to refer to the perfunctory way in which prayer can be scheduled and offered at the beginning and close of a church board meeting. It traditionally separates out the spiritual aspects of the…
Read MoreThe “What” and the “Who” of Leadership
Leadership is both a skill and an art; it is about both heart and mind. I call these two aspects of leadership the “what” and the “who” of leadership. It is as these come together, as we grow in both…
Read MoreThe "What" and the "Who" of Leadership
Leadership is both a skill and an art; it is about both heart and mind. I call these two aspects of leadership the “what” and the “who” of leadership. It is as these come together, as we grow in both…
Read MoreThe Messy Work of Renewal
If you’ve ever remodeled a house while attempting to live in it, you have a sense of the chaos and complexity of congregational renewal. It will take far longer, cost you more, and prove messier than you ever imagined at…
Read MoreCelebrating Successes
If you are like many spiritual leaders, your ministry may feel like an endless to-do list. You may work through your days always thinking, “So what’s next on the agenda?” You preach a great sermon on Sunday and then wake…
Read MoreMinistering to the Soul of a Community
Congregations are born from a generative spark of interaction between stories of faith and stories of place. Some person or group looks out on a particular landscape and says, “There should be a church—or there should be a congregation of…
Read MoreRedeeming Church Scutwork
“Sorry, I can’t go. I’m snowed under. ‘Scutwork,’ you know,” a fellow pastor told me when I invited him to lunch. He said he had people to call before the session meeting, letters to write to the stewardship campaign leaders,…
Read MoreMyths about Communicating Congregational Identity
Conveying a congregation’s identity and values clearly and through a variety of means of communication will help the congregation connect to the community around it. At the same time, clear expressions of values and identity will also have a deep…
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