Allen Stanton acknowledges the many challenges facing rural congregations — but also offers a hopeful vision for their futures.
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Looking toward possibilities
Even with dire warnings about what the next few months of the pandemic will bring and new restrictions in place around the US, it is hard not to feel some hope when watching the video of Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old woman…
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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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Carol Pinkham Oak: Spiritual Leadership for Leaving Well
Leaving a congregation well is an act of spiritual leadership, writes the founder of The Network for Spiritual Leaders
Read MorePrinciples for Leaders to Keep in Mind in Merging Congregations
Principles for leaders to keep in mind from Brett Opalinski’s story of Rader United Methodist Church: Prepare yourself spiritually. The pastor in this story began with prayer for personal guidance and an attitude of openness to many possible outcomes. This…
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Norman Bendroth: Transitional Ministry Today
In editing a collection of essays that have become a new Alban book, Norman Bendroth learned several key lessons for churches that are considering calling a transitional minister.
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Jeffrey D. Jones: New Questions for a New Day
Better answers to the same old questions will not get us through the tumultuous times in which we live, says a pastor and author
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Doing the Math of Mission: Fruits, Faithfulness, and Metrics
Doing the Math of Mission offers theory, models, and new tools for using metrics in ministry. This book also shows where metrics and accountability fit into the discernment, goal setting, and strategies of ministry.
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Joseph and the Development of the Visionary Leader
At prayer services each week synagogues around the world chant the same selection from scripture. Starting right after the Jewish New Year, we work our way through the Torah scroll to complete the five books of Moses in time for…
Read MoreAffective Competence and Missional Identity
One of the givens regarding healthy congregations is that they have a clear identity. Imagine a congregation that understood its missional identity to be an affectively competent community of people in order to more vibrantly reflect all that the Creator…
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