Publisher: Alban Institute
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Serving God With Style
Every church is driven by its faith in God, and seeks to grow that faith by guiding its members toward fruitful ministry. But in the face of accelerating change, congregations often find themselves spinning their wheels, exerting great amounts of energy to little effect: the faith is willing, but, faced with uncertainties, the results are…
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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…
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The Alban Personnel Handbook For Congregations
Today’s congregations increasingly are finding themselves serving as human resource managers for both ordained and non-ordained persons. This handbook provides practical and proven strategies for managing church staff and addresses the particular ethical and theological issues that faith communities need to consider to be effective stewards of those whom the employ. Among this books invaluable…
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How Do We Worship?
From the Introduction: …These pages also have the potential to release much needed conversations in our religious communities about very important issues surrounding and embedded within the worship of every congregation. America is the great worship smorgasbord – endless choices, endless competition. Increasingly, people come to any congregation, to any worship service, with a wide variety of…
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How We Seek God Together
Every congregation has a certain “tone” or “feel,” because its members do things a particular way. How We Seek God Together identifies and explores congregational worship style, providing a unique resource for congregations seeking to answer the question “Why do we do things the way that we do?”How We Seek God Together was developed by three researchers who…
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Multigenerational Congregations
Congregations need to learn new cultural languages and practices in order to speak to and be heard by new generations of people. But how do congregations enter the wilderness of ministry with these new generations when many of those in the entourage do not appreciate the trip? In contrast to many writers about church growth,…
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Leading Change In The Congregation
Many books have been written about leadership and change, but until now none have come from the perspective of leading a community of faith through the kind of change that tears at the very fabric of the community. Senior Alban consultant Gil Rendle provides a respectful context to understanding change, especially the experiences and resistances…
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Discerning God’s Will Together
Imagine making decisions about your church based on the question, “God, is this your will?” This idea is the premise behind Discerning God’s Will Together. This contemporary book offers a fresh alternative to the often-rancorous parliamentary procedures many church groups use when making important decisions. Structured around church traditions and biblical examples of decision-making, this book…