Adapted from Preaching That Matters: Reflective Practices for Transforming Sermons , by Lori J. Carrell, a book that Ronald J. Allen calls “inspirational, challenging, and practical–all at once.” Thousands of listeners from across the United States can contribute…
Read MoreThe Pastor and Pornography
Jeremy felt a roller coaster of emotions in a matter of moments. There was excitement at searching through the scores of erotic pictures that flashed on his computer screen; the thrill of climax; and then shame at having done all of…
Read MoreMyth-Busting: Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Competence, and the Clergy
Bill sat across from his counselor and recounted the pain of the last eighteen months. After nine years at First Church, he had taken a well-deserved sabbatical to travel, reflect, study, and pray. On his first Sunday back at the…
Read MoreMyth-Busting: Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Competence and the Clergy
Bill sat across from his counselor and recounted the pain of the last eighteen months. After nine years at First Church, he had taken a well-deserved sabbatical to travel, reflect, study, and pray. On his first Sunday back at the…
Read MoreVirtual Community
My pastoral care professor in seminary instructed us to meet each member in his or her home during our first year at a new church. It was sound advice at the time. But there has been a change, a deep…
Read MoreStewardship and Simple Thinking
Something about stewardship campaigns inspires simplistic thinking even in leaders who, on other subjects, are quite capable of grappling with ambiguity. Stewardship is complicated. It includes everything from dilemmas facing households in a shaky economic time to the pledge-dampening effects…
Read MoreCENTERview: Social Networking and Congregations
A recent YouTube video titled “Social Networking in Plain English” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc) claims networks are only as valuable as the people and connections one can see. If I think about real “friends” and connections in my life this makes perfect sense….
Read MoreMyths about Communicating Congregational Identity
Conveying a congregation’s identity and values clearly and through a variety of means of communication will help the congregation connect to the community around it. At the same time, clear expressions of values and identity will also have a deep…
Read MoreTechnologies for Learning: Find Out What's In It for You!
At Alban we take seriously our educational mission to provide an independent center of learning that creates spaces where people from different denominations and faith traditions can work toward their goals and learn from one another in an atmosphere of…
Read MoreTechnologies for Learning: Find Out What’s In It for You!
At Alban we take seriously our educational mission to provide an independent center of learning that creates spaces where people from different denominations and faith traditions can work toward their goals and learn from one another in an atmosphere of…
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