We all know pastors who are burned out from the stresses of 2020 and 2021. Maybe we are willing to say, “I am burned out” — but I wonder if it would help us to think about a congregation being burned out. A Harvard…
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Churches and mental health
As we cross the threshold into another year of a global pandemic, the stress is palpable. We all want to be resilient, but resilience is becoming more difficult. For church leaders, the call to action is clear: Congregations must not underestimate…
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Why you should ask an expert
As congregational leaders, we are usually generalists in many aspects of our job. Yes, we are trained in seminary, gifted by the Holy Spirit and formed by years of practice to be dependable preachers, competent worship leaders, good administrators and…
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Top 5 Alban resources of 2021
Happy New Year! We begin a fresh year of the Alban Weekly with a look back at the resources that resonated most with Weekly readers. If you feel like you have spent this year continually determining – and determining again…
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Start the new year with the right questions
In a few days, 2021 will be in the history books. We will march, or meander, into the long-anticipated new year. The way we start 2022 will influence our leadership and our institutions. Experienced leaders recognize that having clear objectives for…
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How to be the church in a digital culture
Congregations typically aspire to be stable communities. They want to be the steady, faithful center of a person’s life. The concept of a network, however, offers a new lens for looking at the church, because networks are more fluid than communities. In…
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What is an influential Christian?
When we imagine an influential person, we might envision a prominent figure: a “mover and shaker,” as we say. We typically think of influence as the ability to guide outcomes, because in our world, influential people get what they want…
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Who is with you this Advent?
Advent is one of a few times each year when a pastor sees the full range of people who are engaged with the congregation. Even those with the most distant connections show up to Christmas services. But is that happening…
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Leading when you don’t know the way
When the path forward is obvious, it is relatively easy for a leader to know what to do. We can rely on strategies that have worked well in the past. We can use existing resources and relationships to solve problems,…
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It’s time to slow down
Busy leaders do not always make better leaders. Sometimes, busy leaders are just that: busy. As three major holidays rapidly approach — Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas — leaders will be tempted to get more work done by speeding up the pace,…
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