A group of ministers told me about a senior pastor they knew who resigned because the demands of ministry had become too much. This was not the first person they knew personally who resigned this year. Such sudden exits make…
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Serving the homeless & housing insecure
No doubt you’ve seen the statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in December 2020 that an estimated 14 million adults living in rental housing were behind on their rent. An additional 11.8 million adults lived in households that could not keep up…
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Caring for those with mental health diagnoses
Faith communities play a vital role in responding to the mental health crises that impact our communities. This was true before the COVID pandemic, but it is especially true now. In this week’s Weekly, we begin with an article by…
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How do we care for congregational leaders?
In recent years, a particular focus of Alban has been the health and wellbeing of congregational leaders. In this edition of the Weekly, Jessica Young Brown offers us suggestions for how to care for pastors who are experiencing secondary trauma because of…
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Creative community-based ministries
Happy Tuesday – and welcome to a new design for the Alban Weekly! In this week’s edition, we’ll find inspiration in the stories of three congregations that have developed enterprising ministries to meet the evolving needs of their communities. We’ll…
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Dorie Jones: Ministry in Times of Crisis
The church has an invaluable role to play in times of crisis, writes an expert in crisis response.
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Lynne Baab: Why Listening Matters for Mission and Ministry Today
Listening as a part of caring ministries matters now as much as ever, because personal needs are as complex, if not more complex, than in years past.
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Self-care is not selfish
On the long list of items that must be done every day, pastors often put themselves last.
Read MoreBecoming an Affectively Competent Congregation
I am an educated white clergyman of European descent (half Hungarian with some Transylvanian and Irish thrown in). When I grew up, we didn’t talk at all about feelings in our family, and the patterns of emotional expression were pretty…
Read MoreTransforming the Spirit of Communities
One fall CiRCLe M (Centre for Rural Community Leadership and Ministry), a nonprofit I direct, organized a conference on the church and community development. In workshops, worship, and conversation, one church leader after another shared stories of how their congregations…
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