In the local cafeteria the other day, I overheard two pastors discussing their salaries. One was a Methodist minister named Melville and the other a Baptist minister named Blake. Pastor Melville was upset. He was 51 years old, had been…
Read MoreSalary Anxiety
Some years ago, advice columnist Ann Landers published a letter from a college student who was pondering his career choices. “My classmates are all in a race for the biggest salaries. I want security, a stable salary, and peace of…
Read MoreWhere Does Vision Come From? Three Theories of Vision Formation
We at the Alban Institute are often asked where the vision is supposed to come from in the life of a congregation. This question is not really a technical issue that can be addressed with a “correct” method. Rather, assumptions…
Read MoreAddressing the Housing Crisis: Resources for Community Outreach
General Background Building Prosperity and Abundance in Your Community: A Guide to Launching a Financial Education Program in Your Church. Published by the Faith Center for Community Development, Inc., and the Fannie Mae Foundation. For ordering information, call (212) 785-2782….
Read MoreConfessions of a Reformed Problem Solver: Alternative Methods Can Help Build Vitality in a Congregation
Problem solving is a valuable tool. I’ve found, however, that it can be overused, much to the detriment of group morale. Alternatives are available—ones I believe to be consistent with the affirmations of Scripture—that can be used to build vitality…
Read MoreReaching Our Limits: Burnout or Transition? What We Term “Burnout” May Be a Call to Something Higher
Burnout is a pressing concern of clergy—perhaps today more than ever before. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and caught up in a vocation that no longer embodies the meaning it once had, a pastor may fear that the clergy life, which once made…
Read MoreThe Abilene Paradox Goes to Church: A Management Concept Suggests Why Some Congregations Can’t Nail Down a Decision
The letter was crystal clear: “You have precipitously dismissed the most valuable member of the church staff. And now you will pay the price.” So it seemed. After 40 years of employment, the choir director at Sunnyvale Church was being…
Read MoreKey Dimensions of Healthy Partnerships
At the core of healthy partnerships between lay leaders, clergy, and staff is a set of processes that characterize their attitudes and behaviors in relation with one another. These processes show up in daily interactions—in how people treat and work…
Read MoreCalling All the Baptized: Innovative Governance Structures Cultivate Members’ Ministries
by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook Washington County, a rural region in the state of Maine, is the first area in the United States to see the sunrise every morning. The small towns that inhabit the Atlantic coastline were traditionally supported by seasonal…
Read MoreHow Well Do You Keep 'Sabbath Time'?
In their book The Spiritual Leader’s Guide to Self-Care, Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley offer a quick checklist to help readers examine how well they keep “sabbath time.” Check each statement that is true for you: __ I always take…
Read More