“A Thousand Words of Wisdom”
Each week, Alban Weekly is sent out to our more than 30,000 subscribers. Our goal is to provide a short, helpful insight into an area of congregational life and mission: “a thousand words of wisdom,” I like to call it. Sometimes the article is an original piece by one of our consultants or other colleagues; often it is adapted from a book or a magazine article. We have received many notes of thanks over the years as well as testimonies to how creative pastoral leaders have used the articles in board meetings, newsletters, and sermons.
Alban Weekly is not intended to provide the final word on a subject; it is more an invitation to think with us about an important area of congregational life. And it is a resourced invitation.
Two recent developments prompt this reflection. First, last week we published an article (adapted from our new book, The Pastoral Search Journey) about the process of searching for a new pastor. We heard from several intentional interim ministers that the approach described in the article was flawed because it did not adequately acknowledge the important role interims play during pastoral transition. What these correspondents could not know is that the book itself contains a chapter on the crucial role of the interim pastor. We’ve adapted that chapter for this week’s Alban Weekly article.
Second, on two occasions in recent months we have published adaptations from Managing Polarities in Congregations, by Roy M. Oswald and Barry Johnson (see “Mapping the Virtuous Circle” and “Failure to Thrive”). These have been among our most popular Weekly articles, and each has been read more than 15,000 times. These articles represent just two of the ”eight keys for thriving faith communities,” as the book’s subtitle says. We encourage you who found the articles helpful to read more. “If you liked the article, you’ll love the book.”
We’ll keep bringing you our “thousand words” each week, and we hope you will accept our invitation to begin there, but also to go deeper.
Thank you for your support and blessings in your work.
Richard Bass
Director of Publishing
The Alban Institute
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Resources for “Stations of the Search”
In the March 8 Alban Weekly, “Stations of the Search,” John Vonhof asks readers how their church and church board would respond if the pastor announced that she or he would be leaving in two months. The remainder of the article outlines the “stations of the search,” from pastoral resignation to start-up of the new pastor: checking and following any [...]
Meet the Neighbors
In the second of her four webinars under the banner, “High Impact Community Ministry,” Joy Skjegstad yesterday led 81 participants on a journey through the myriad ways that it’s possible to discover and weave ourselves into the fabric of the community of neighbors around us.
Once again, there was a rich array of questions posed, and [...]
Resources in Response to “Failure to Thrive”
In the March 1 Alban Weekly, “Failure to Thrive,” Roy Oswald and Barry Johnson explain that a “polarity” is a set of interdependent and complementary truths. While the truths sometimes appear to be in conflict, in fact both sides (or “poles”) of a polarity must be honored for the whole truth to be known.
Oswald and Johnson’s [...]
High Impact Community Ministry
Yesterday afternoon I had quite a fulfilling time hosting AlbanLearning’s webinar, led by independent consultant Joy Skjegstad, entitled “Outreach Isn’t Optional: Why Community Ministry is Essential to Your Congregation’s Future.” We had a total of 96 computer connections for this first of four webinars on the theme, “High Impact Community Ministry.”
They asked Joy, who spoke [...]
Science, Faith, and Krista Tippett
Krista Tippett’s new book, Einstein’s God: Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit, has just been released. Today at 2 pm, she joins Congregational Resource Guide Director, Martin Davis, to discuss her work. More than yet another foray into the science-religion crucible, Tippett’s new work is aspirational: “My work moving forwards is … galvanized by [...]
Resources for “Simplicity Itself”
In the February 22, 2010 issue of Alban Weekly (“Simplicity Itself“), Bob Sitze recognizes that many people in congregations long to live more simply. The multi-tasked, fast-paced, and possession-obsessed culture in which we live is not spiritually or physically sustainable. Following the example of Jesus, we are called, in Sitze’s words, to “live simply and [...]
Resources in response to “Downward Mobility”
Ordained ministers are called upon to develop many skills and exhibit many gifts: preaching, teaching, pastoral care, administration, leadership, and more. Sooner or later, John Berntsen admits, we’ll be required to “do things we’re no good at.” Those things vary from one person to another, and yet there simply is no one who can be [...]
Resources for “The Power of Story in Local Congregations”
In the February 8 issue of Alban Weekly (“The Power of Story in Local Congregations“) Larry Golemon explains how the capacity to narrate life experiences in coherent and meaningful ways helps people—and congregations—to grow in faithfulness, spiritual maturity, and a sense of responsibility.
Golemon, editor of Alban’s recently published Narrative Leadership Collection, notes that individuals cannot [...]
Resources for “Faithful Finances: When to Adopt New Technology”
In the February 1, 2010 issue of Alban Weekly (“Faithful Finances: When to Adopt New Technology“), Dan Hotchkiss reflects on the challenges that inevitably arise when a process or product involving a technological shift is introduced into a congregation. He makes the important point that adapting to new technologies takes time and that particular technologies [...]
