I know firsthand how utterly boring and laborious creating a building-use policy can be. Every church I have ever served has entered into a major building project. The debate around building use has been a constant. It also has evolved…
VITAL SIGNS: Staff-led or staff-controlled?
One of the key predictors of strong congregational health is the type of leadership the ministerial and paid staff of a congregation offers. When the staff of a congregation functions out of strong spiritual and organizational health, the entire faith…
OPINION: Put your heart into it!
Recently, our staff was talking about things our parents would tell us that we find ourselves repeating to our children or ourselves. We had to admit that we increasingly sound like those voices we vowed never to imitate. Some of…
VITAL SIGNS: Christmas lessons
Our current Christmas celebration habits are a uniquely post-World War II phenomena. Much of the excess we experience stands at odds with the way Western society approached the holiday only a few years ago. This shift has lessons for any…
VITAL SIGNS: Tables and barns
In an excellent sermon, New York City pastor Alan Sherouse suggested that a most appropriate stewardship metaphor for a New Testament church is that of a table. He specifically referred to the round tables that his church uses seven days…
VITAL SIGNS: The hardest issues we face
One of the most helpful insights I have gained in recent years for understanding the leadership culture of congregational life is the concept of managing polarities. Polarities are ongoing, chronic issues that are unavoidable and unsolvable. They are the hardest…
OPINION: The conflict pandemic
Whenever I address a group about the work our organization does, I mention that one of our frequent calls is to help a congregation, staff, judicatory or organization manage conflict. Our conflict intervention calls are on the upswing. My colleague,…
VITAL SIGNS: Holding your staff accountable
Previously, I suggested that the starting point for bringing health and effectiveness to a church’s ministerial staff is the critical work of clarifying mission, vision and purpose in the congregation. That clarity then becomes the “north star” for every decision,…
VITAL SIGNS: Curbing an epidemic
There is a consistent theme in the conversations I have with clergy and laity alike about what frustrates or challenges them most. Without a doubt it is: Staff. Every pastor’s gathering in which we ask for issues that need attention…