Category: Book Collection
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Ending With Hope
Ending with Hope grows out of the understanding that although closing a congregation is in many ways about dying, it can also be about new life. Closing a congregation does not have to be about failure but can be about redirecting resources for new ministry. Contributors represent eight denominations and include more than a dozen pastors,
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www.CongregationalResources.org
As a companion to the groundbreaking Congregational Resource Guide, an online resource produced by the Alban Institute and the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, this book is an invaluable resource for congregational leaders. It puts the rich array of important congregational resources into context by examining the key books, organizations, Web sites, and people that will help
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Redeveloping The Congregation
What makes it possible for a church to reverse course from decline or stagnation into long-lasting vitality? How can a church immigrate from a congealing present into a compelling future? What can a congregation do to experience continuous, deep change rather than just temporary, surface improvement? How does a person lead redevelopment? The three authors
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Projects That Matter
Projects That Matter introduces project leaders and teams to the five basic elements of project design and describes in detail a six-step process for designing and implementing a project evaluation and disseminating evaluation findings. Written for the nonexpert, leaders in religious settings will find Cahalan’s guidance clear and invaluable. Presenting evaluation as a form of collaborative
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Completing The Circle
On his second day as association minister for the United Church of Christ, David McMahill received three phone calls from lay leaders who were looking for resources on “how to evaluate our minister.” He knew of several churches in which a poorly constructed process for evaluating the ministers had spun out of control, however, and
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Raising The Roof
Pastoral-to-program size change is frequently described as the most challenging of growth transitions for congregations. Now Alban senior consultant Alice Mann, author of The In-Between Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations, addresses the difficulties of that transition in this resource designed specifically for a congregational learning team. Conceptualized and developed by Mann for an Alban online
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Not Trying Too Hard
What is a congregation for? What are members for? What are pastors for? Bob Sitze, an evocative and sometimes whimsical writer and workshop leader, offers a new vision for congregations and their leaders – a vision that releases us from the growing burden of trying harder to invent and implement “better” worship, evangelism, stewardship, small
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The Once And Future Pastor
Hobgood examines new pressures on clergy that are emerging in the “post-Christendom era:” financial stresses, the effects of a conflicted and confrontational culture, the needs of an increasing number of people living broken or dependent lives, dysfunctional behavior on the part of pastors and parishioners, questions regarding clergy respect and job satisfaction. How is ministry
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At Ease
John and Sylvia Ronsvalle, with U. Milo Kaufmann, have ventured where angels fear to go – talking about money in Christian community. This is a ground-breaking, paradigm-shifting book. The authors cover the general foundations of what makes for good groups while uncovering the hidden secrets of why we won’t talk to each other about money.
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From Stuck To Unstuck
“You have heard it said, ‘A method tried and true is like fine gold.’ But I say unto you, ‘A method that worked before is a heavy burden. Try something different!’ You have heard it said, ‘Do not make molehills out of mountains.’ But I also say unto you, ‘Do not make molehills out of
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The In-Between Church
Alban Senior Consultant Alice Mann draws on her lengthy experience in helping congregations deal with the hurdles and anxieties of expansion or contraction in size. Often, congregations experiencing size change do not recognize the need to change culture and form as part of the successful adaptation process. Mann details the adjustments in attitude – as
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Temporary Shepherds
Effective interim ministry depends on strong partnership between the interim minster and congregation. Lay leaders of congregations preparing for such a transition will value the expert guidance provided by over a dozen experienced interim pastors. What is interim ministry all about? What needs to happen during the interim? What should leaders and members expect from