A promising set of new experiments has the potential to make a collective impact on the way people enter pastoral ministry in the twenty-first century. The Transition into Ministry initiative (TiM)—an effort funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and participated in…
Read MoreThe Aftermath of Afterpastoring
Nancy Myer Hopkins, one of the primary contributors to When a Congregation Is Betrayed, was once making a presentation to a group of afterpastors about the dynamics of grief in a congregation where clergy misconduct has occurred. As she spoke, she…
Read MoreTaken for Granted? Four Ways to Do Church Better
I am writing this piece on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. A year ago, and for many years, I would have been in church at worship, but today I am not. I was a pastor for almost 20 years,…
Read MorePastoral Sabbath Keeping
The word holy means set aside for a special purpose or withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God. To set aside a day for a special purpose suggests a break in weekly patterns. To withdraw from common employment means…
Read MoreMoving from Assessment to Action: Strategies for Congregational Partnerships with Regional Denominational Structures
The Fairhaven congregation is located in a small town that has had a static population for the past 30 years. A community sustained by light industry, small businesses, a regional hospital, and a few struggling farms, the town is now…
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 MoreTell Me a Story: Four Books Explore What Business Leaders Have Discovered About the Power of Narrative
Tell me a story.” That is one of the first sentences I can remember saying. And I said it a lot—especially to my mother. I grew up in an oral culture. Stories were the way in which my family conveyed…
Read MoreThe Problem Trap: A Narrative Therapy Approach to Escaping Our Limiting Stories
In my work as a congregational consultant, I have discovered that narrative therapy offers a number of lessons that can help church leaders navigate the change process in some distinctive ways beyond the push-pull dynamic that characterizes many congregational change…
Read MoreMyth-Busting: Challenging the Notion of Emotional and Interpersonal Deficits in Candidates for Ministry
Over the past two decades a variety of observers have raised concerns about perceived clergy ineffectiveness in managing conflict or change. The application of family systems thinking has brought a new awareness of the role that family-of-origin “baggage” plays in…
Read MoreConnecting Faith to Works: Strategies for Working with Faith-Based Organizations
Faith communities have always provided for those in need in the United States, founding hospitals, social service agencies, and other organizations. While congregations continue to contribute to this work today through volunteerism, donations, and spiritual support for those involved in…
Read More