Blog
Most congregations like to pin overall responsibility for growth on the senior clergy leader. Fundamentally, most of us still believe that outstanding preaching and worship is what draws people into the large congregation. These two areas of congregational life are under the direct oversight of the senior pastor; therefore, the senior pastor is the “one” […]
Read MoreWhat are the central essential characteristics that make this congregation unique? This is a question that I frequently pose to congregations who engage me as their consultant. Healthy congregations typically provide a concise response to this question and the response is consistent when posed to different leaders in different venues. Healthy congregations know who they […]
Read MoreWho participates in strategic planning in the large congregation? We all know that the overall responsibility for creating a strategic plan resides with the governing board. The board is responsible for the strategic leadership of the congregation. But when it comes to actually formulating the plan, who is involved? Does the board as a whole […]
Read MoreThe question seems almost too obvious, doesn’t it? When asked this question, most church leaders respond that the staff of the church is the group of people that the church employs. And this response is more or less accurate. However, many congregations have volunteers who effectively serve as staff members of the church and don’t get […]
Read MoreCan I supervise someone more gifted or more knowledgeable than I? This question came to me in the form of a potential case study submitted by a participant in my upcoming 3 day workshop on staffing and supervision. Many a supervisor has failed at the act of supervision by convincing himself that he is not […]
Read MoreI’m frequently asked to consult with strategic planning teams as they formulate their process for self study and strategy formation. In my first meeting with church planners some version of this question inevitably surfaces. “What assurances can you give us that we will actually execute the strategy that we claim during this self study period?” […]
Read MoreI’m frequently asked to consult with strategic planning teams as they formulate their process for self study and strategy formation. In my first meeting with church planners some version of this question inevitably surfaces. “What assurances can you give us that we will actually execute the strategy that we claim during this self study period?” […]
Read MoreLife changed in unexpected ways when my husband and I had our third child. Becoming first time parents had been jarring. We expected life as we knew it to disappear upon the arrival of that first child, and although we were stressed by the transition we were more or less prepared for the turmoil. The […]
Read MoreThe role of membership director is one of the most confused roles that I encounter in large congregations. Is it an administrative role or a programmatic one? Is it mostly about tracking people, their giving and their whereabouts, or is it about developing programs of assimilation and membership? And how is the role related to […]
Read MoreGreetings Readers! I’m sorry to have been so silent these past few weeks. It’s the end of the program year and that’s a very busy time in the life of an Alban consultant. Every client needs us onsite in late May and early June to get in one last piece of work before the summer hiatus begins. […]
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