For some the “New Normal” is just catching up
For some the “New Normal” is just catching up
As churches and theological schools, as well as other institutions, are getting past the acute phase of adjusting to the impact of the pandemic, talk about “the new normal” has taken center stage as the topic of the day. I…
Overcoming obstacles to change
Leading is a challenge even in the most tranquil of circumstances within congregations today. When you add the layer of introducing or working toward change on top of the myriad of things already required, “challenging” may feel too soft a…
What Effective Church Educators Do
Fortunate is the church that can afford to call a paid church educator. More fortunate still is the church that finds an effective educator. That one person will make all the difference in helping a church have a stellar Christian…
The 15 Most Common Anxiety Triggers in a Congregation
It’s no secret that congregations experience times of increased anxiety. Those periods of acute anxiety can be triggered by any number of events, conditions, or situations. Here are the 15 most common triggers to anxiety in a congregation (in no…
The Theory of Hype
Cleaning out some files I came across a listing of businesses for which I had done consultations some years ago. The list was from the early nineties when I was doing more consultations with businesses and corporations than I do…
Three Cheers for the Unheralded
May 6, 2019—An Episcopal priest played golf regularly with the local Baptist minister and two of his members. The priest kept inviting the Baptists to visit one of his services until they were embarrassed at not having gone. So they…
Three Challenges Every Ministry Associate Faces
Congregational ministry associates are second chair leaders. They are the lieutenants of the congregation who “get things done.” For those called to this ministry, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience (“I can’t believe they pay me to do…
Spouses Too Are Casualties in Church Conflicts
I have had many restless nights and feel the Lord is nudging me to tell my side of what actually happened to my husband and me.
Many people have been hurt by the termination of my husband from the church…
A Church and Its Culture
October 16, 2017—The organizational guru Edgar H. Schein pointed out that culture in organizations tends to not be directly visible because it is something that the members take for granted and which exists as part of the underlying and unconscious…
How to Deal With a Wall
By Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning and Director of Online Education.
September 25, 2017—One of the first dollars I made on a job was knocking through a wall in a New York City brownstone. I used a…
What May Congregations Look Like?
By Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning and Director of Online Education.
September 4, 2017—The formation of the congregation as an expression of Church happened before the close of the New Testament era in the first century. Jesus’…
Discussing Church: Disability, Donuts, Faith, and Friendship
August 31, 2017—Sitting down to dinner with a group of friends with intellectual disabilities, I asked if they’d help me with this blog post on how churches can be more intentional about welcoming and fully involving people with intellectual disabilities….
Possibility and Potentiality
June 26, 2017—I had an interesting conversation with a local church minister who expressed frustration about his congregation’s failure to live fully into its potential. That’s not an uncommon frustration for pastors and local church leaders. But I have found…
The Ten Best Ways to Ruin Your Church Staff
June 12, 2017—For those pastoral leaders who want to keep and develop quality ministry staff colleagues, here are the ten most common ways pastors ruin church staff—and how to avoid them. (For those pastors who want to get rid of…
A Quick Assessment of Your Congregational Vitality
May 29, 2017—Assessment and evaluation are critical practices for any organization. Yet, many congregations do a poor job of assessing and evaluating the multiple and often complex facets of congregational vitality. There are several reasons for this: a lack of…
