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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A guide developed for the majority of Presbyterian congregations at the suggestion of the committees of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
The fourth of five books about managing for change in the congregation, Strategies for Change–the fruit of the author’s week-long workshops on planned change–focuses on the institutional context for change, defines sources of authority for making changes, and offers a checklist of strategies and tactics for making changes.
This new edition of Handbook for Congregational Studies replaces the previous edition. In this new edition, the authors update what has become the primary textbook in the field of congregational studies in the seminary classroom. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook will also be a useful reference for pastors, denominational leaders, and strategic planning committees.
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 […]