Why someone might not attend church
Why someone might not attend church
I met up with some old friends who’d brought along some of their friends I appreciated meeting.
It didn’t take long to get to that awkward point in the conversation that follows the “What do you do for a living?”
…
Post-COVID Prognostication
The Post-Covid impact on congregations, and their responses, is a topic of much discussion these days.
There is lots of pondering, articles—popular and scholarly—guesses, prognostication, and no lack of angst on that topic.
Prognostication is not my spiritual gift, and…
Don’t buy church curriculum
There is one thing you can count on in Christian education at any local church: inevitably (just as certain as death and taxes), Sunday School teachers will begin to ask for “new curriculum.” This is regardless of the size of…
CHURCH SIZE AND CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
There are many factors that influence Christian education programming in congregations.
Two of those factors are staff leadership and church size.
While we may desire otherwise the fact is that congregations are highly dependent on program staff for leadership, development,…
Stress and Anxiety in the Church
Managing Stress and Anxiety in the Church
Stress and anxiety have never been higher – in our country, in our families and in our churches.
There is always stress in our lives and churches, but today’s environment makes soaring anxiety…
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…
