The verdict is in. A growing body of national studies and initiatives all indicate that cultural shifts in society and demographic changes among seminary students demand a reconsideration of how we educate and train people for ecclesial leadership for the…
Read MoreHow Responding to People’s Needs Hurts the Church
A cartoon I saw a few years ago in the Los Angeles Times speaks to a problem that exists in the church. In the cartoon a woman stares at a display of fine jewelry. You can almost hear the sigh…
Read MoreWho Owns a Congregation?
Comparisons are useful but tricky. New Testament writers compare the church to a human body, a herd of sheep, a bride, and a vineyard. Synagogues are often likened to a house, a tent, or an extended family. None of these…
Read MoreVital Worship, Healthy Congregations
Christianity is a “first-person plural” religion, where communal worship, service, fellowship, and learning are indispensable for grounding and forming individual faith. The strength of Christianity in North America depends on the presence of healthy, spiritually nourishing, well-functioning congregations. Congregations are…
Read MorePractices in the Disciple-Forming Community
It takes a community to form a disciple. The congregation exists to be that community. Children, youth, and adults together in the community of faith provide the resources that aid the forming of disciples. The Spirit present in that community…
Read MoreNew Assets for Educating Congregational Leaders
Depending on whom you ask, continuing education for ministry is either flourishing, with assets that have never existed before, or struggling to survive. Troubling symptoms include increasing costs amidst anecdotal reports of decreasing support for staff and programs sponsored both…
Read MoreCrunching the Numbers
Recently, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the first set of findings from its massive U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008. As I studied the report and tracked its initial coverage in the mainstream media, I took special note…
Read MoreNurturing the Tree of Life
When I was starting out as a twenty-seven-year-old pastor, all I could think of was how much our congregation needed to grow, change, revitalize, and transform. Then I attended a small-church seminar, thinking that this would teach me how to…
Read MoreDifferentiated Leadership
While it is important to consider healthy congregational responses to difficult behavior, it is vital to consider the responsibilities of church leaders. The truth is that many congregations either do not know how to respond to destructive behavior responsibly or…
Read MoreCongregational Readiness for Visioning and Planning
Before I agree to work with a planning team, I determine if the leadership is ready for the test. Congregations are different. Some are doing great and don’t need to do developmental planning now. Others lack a readiness to plan….
Read More