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Clergy Health
4/22/2003
African American Clergy: Stress in Ministry
This article deals with clergy stress in the African American community.
6/4/2003
Considering a Sabbatical
Is your congregation considering a sabbatical for the pastor? If so this article will give you some ideas on how to make that decision.
12/19/2003
Leading Change--Projecting a Vision for the Future
Every church needs a vision! Right? This article gives steps for creating a vision for the future of your church. This is from the Fall 2003 issue of the The Lamp.
2/27/2004
What is the Culture of Your Church Staff?
What can a group of ministers serving the same congregation do to connect with each other in a different way? The answer involves making adjustments to the culture of the staff. This article, that first appeared in our Winter 2004 edition of The Lamp, explores how the culture of the church staff influences the group dynamic.
10/31/2006
Why are Ministers Lonely
CBF Peer Learning Groups
Consulting for Congregations
4/22/2003
Conflict and Congregations
The real question is not if you have conflict in your congregation, but when. This article takes a look at the Center for Congregational Health's approach to helping churches manage conflict.
6/4/2003
A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths
In the Summer 2000 issue of Vital Signs, Bob Dale recommended A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths as a must read book for third millennium leaders. In this book, author Annette Simmons presents both the theoretical framework and the methodolgy for guiding groups into dialogue...where group members feel the safety necessary to discuss their feelings and ideas. Simmons provides a road map for engaging in the kind of open communication that is a part of developing trust within groups. One of the helpful tools Simmons outlines is a five-stage model for group development.
6/4/2003
The Work of a Search Committee
One of the most effective approaches to any type of personnel search is a Rounds Approach. The framework assures that the candidate's time and the committee's time and resources are well used.
6/4/2003
Being About the Church's Business
Should the church go about its decision making in the same way as government and civic groups? Should there be a different process for the community of faith? Chuck Olsen believes that congregations can adopt ways of working that leave leadership energized and empowered instead of burned out and frustrated, ways of decision making that give an opportunity for all voices to be heard and the leadership of God's spirit to be sought. Olsen calls this process "Worshipful Work."
6/4/2003
Leading Transitions
Making changes in a meaningful and productive way is important as we face the 21st Century. The Center for Congregational Health works with many congregations and their leaders in change processes. In this ministry, the Center regularly depends on the work of William Bridges. He is arguably the best known writer on the subject of transitions. His ground breaking book Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes was very influential in both the church and business worlds.
6/4/2003
Values and Vision: Strategic Planning for Local Congregations
The process came about for a dozen different reasons. The demographics of the church or of the neighborhood were changing. Or a new pastor had gotten beyond the initial phase of ministry and wanted to clarify the next direction for the church's ministry. The church was declining or the church was growing. Whatever the situation, congregations have turned to long-range planning as a tool to help clarify the church's vision, articulate its mission and set its direction for future life and ministry.
Consulting for Congregations
4/28/2006
Resources for Helping Congregations Discern Their Future
One of the ways that congregations can become clearer about their purpose and direction is to engage in a planning process.
Consulting for Congregations
6/22/2006
Asking the Big Questions
Few would argue against the need for effective leaders to utilize strategic thinking and planning. But what about congregations? Don't congregations also need to think and plan strategically in order to be effective?
This article, from the Spring 2006 edition of The Lamp, is written by Chris Gambill, Senior Consultant at the Center for Congregation Health. In this article Chris addresses some of the big questions congregations should be asking themselves when they start a strategic planning process.
Door Post (Monthly Newsletter)
10/14/2008
October 2008
In this issue we unveil the Center's new mission statement
11/14/2008
November 2008
Rising unemployment, gut-wrenching declines in the stock market and predictions of a recession worse than any since the Great Depression can spell sleepless nights for even the most faithful ministry leaders. With the economy ailing worldwide, giving to faith communities is certain to slump and, in geographic areas facing massive job lay-offs, to plummet in the coming months. It is worth remembering, however, that this economy of shrinking budgets is also one of expanding ministry opportunities. As faith communities search for ways to stay afloat amid the financial tsunami, Center for Congregational Health Consultant Beth Kennett encourages looking inward toward fiscal responsibility while looking outward toward relevant ministry.
12/16/2008
December 2008
This issue gives information on how to make your church community green. We also introduce the Roy M. Oswald Leadership Training Series.
1/16/2009
January 2009
Information on how to maintain your busy lifestyle
2/6/2009
February 2009
In this issue we discuss a workshop that the staff at the Center for Congregational Health attended called HeartMath. This event was sponsored by our sister department CareNet, Inc. and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The staff that attended were so impressed with the result, we are working on ways to incorporate these techniques into our existing training.
4/9/2009
DoorPost - April 2009
This issue deals with volunteerisim.
5/11/2009
May 2009 - DoorPost
The May 2009 edition of the DoorPost takes a look at four congregations who were helped by consulting they received from the Center for Congregational Health, Inc. There is also a checklist to use in determining if your congregation needs to bring in an outside consultant.
6/15/2009
June 2009
This issue focuses on the Center's plans for expanding our spiritual formation offerings, as well as what other training opportunties will be available in 2009-2010.
Faith and Vocation
9/30/2004
Leaving Seminary: The Challenges of Getting Started in Ministry
The Center has been concerned about new clergy making the transition from school to congegation for several years. This articles outlines our work with the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and The Lilly Endowment to find ways of helping new clergy make this transition a positive experience for both the clergy and the congregation.
9/15/2006
Big Questions About Church
Information from the Forum on Ministerial Excellence sponsored by the Pulpit & Pew from Duke Divinity School.
Leadership Development for Clergy
9/1/2005
Coaching for Recent Seminary Graduates
The Network for Ministerial Excellence is a network to deliver services to ministers and congregations focusing on recent seminary graduates.
5/29/2009
Emotional Intelligence & Human Relations Workshops
Check out these workshops from our partners at EQ-HR Skills Center.
The Lamp
8/19/2008
August 2008
This issue announces a new partnership with the Center for Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Skills.
9/15/2008
The Lamp - September 2008
In this issue we take a look back at how the Center for Congregational Health got it's start!
YCORE Resources
5/6/2008
Community of Reconciliation in a Culture of Fear & Revenge
As I was sitting in the airport reading this article, an announcement was made over the loud speaker was, “Please be advised that the Homeland Security Terror Alert has been raised to orange.” This was followed by watch your luggage, etc. Orange means there is a high risk of terrorist attacks – there is just one level above orange! Perhaps you will understand my dilemma when you read the article
5/6/2008
Five Kinds of Christians in America
a thought-provoking nationwide survey of more than 1,000 self-identified Christians reveals five distinct types of practitioners with very different views on salvation, the Bible, morality, and the cultural impact of their faith.
5/6/2008
Asking the Right Questions
The way churches engage mission today is radically changing. A paradigm shift is underway. Formerly, faith communities considered mission as one of many programs. Today, dynamic and vital churches embrace mission as the lens through which they view all of their ministries. Here are encouraging words to consider during budget preparation.
5/6/2008
Lead From Your Strengths
An assessment tool that provides an interesting approach to leadership.
8/14/2008
August 2008-Life Before Winter
a unique ministry that has much to teach us about ministering to those who are in the grief process.
8/14/2008
August 2008-Compassion Fatigue
brief outline from a seminar on the topic of compassion fatigue. Signals that you or church leaders need to look for professional assistance.
8/14/2008
August 2008-The Gift of Opposition
John Ortberg writes a great article acknowledging that there are no “opposition-free” churches, but if we come to appreciate opposition, we will learn much about our own motives.
8/14/2008
August 2008-Communities of Reconciliation
A thought-provoking look at the penal system. This would make an excellent study for a Sunday School class or other small group. Connection to interim work – opens the subject of reconciliation to a new level!
9/17/2008
September 2008 - Your Church's DNA
at times, the only way for a church to move forward is to look back. Paradoxically, change can come only when the best of its past is guarded with passion. Code shapes church culture, values, focus, and mission. It creates a context for vision and strategy to emerge.
9/17/2008
September 2008 - Can You Hear God Now?
spiritual discernment involves listening with love and attention to our experiences, to each other, to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit deep within ourselves and others, to Scripture and Christian tradition, to pertinent facts and information, to those who will be affected most deeply by our decisions, to that place in us where God's Spirit witnesses with our spirit about those things that are true.
9/17/2008
September 2008 - Transformation: Going to the Roots
in the midst of a rapidly and radically changing cultural context, the church is being challenged to transform its basic identity and its vocation - to go to its very roots. The familiar understandings and the comfortable postures of the past are experiencing profound challenge today. The old paradigms and models are insufficient for the faithful and effective realization of the church's divine purpose.
10/16/2008
October 2008 - How Long
When a beloved pastor leaves a church, the replacement often faces an uphill battle in winning the trust and respect of the congregation. Sometimes, the newcomer faces a challenge simply in getting people to remember his name.
10/16/2008
October 2008 - Just Show Up
Gordon MacDonald writes, “I have been renewed in thoughts about the wonderful idea of the general call of God that permeates every day. The call that says, ‘Today is one more day of routines. Show up; be faithful to your duties and obligations; treat every person you meet with dignity and respect; do and say the loving thing.’ Who knows? In the midst of it all, you may convert a nation or bless a student who will go on to change a bit of the world.”
10/16/2008
October 2008 - Intentional Communities of Practice
What is a vital congregation? Is it simply a community of fervent conviction and shared belief about who we are, where we came from, why we’re here, and the direction the world is going? Or is congregational vitality to be measured by the emotional intensity of worship and song as evidence of God’s Spirit at work?
10/16/2008
October 2008 - Penny Wise
When the going gets rough, the unchurched get motivated to see if this God-stuff is for real. But if you've rolled up the welcome mat and hunkered down in the bunkers to weather the storm, well, you're going to miss what may well be the greatest opportunity for the church since 9-11 (and church, let me tell you, we blew it back then – I'm hoping we can do better this time around).
11/18/2008
Mission Shift or Drift
There is a change occurring among today's pastors, change that reflects new - or renewed - interest in a fuller picture of the gospel and in a sense of mission. In order to gain a better understanding of these changes, Leadership conducted a survey in May 2008 asking nearly 700 evangelical pastors how their perceptions of the gospel and mission currently compare with their understanding a decade ago. The results provide some very telling information about how pastors' attitudes and beliefs are shifting.
11/18/2008
The Risky Practice of Hospitality
The practices which cultivate missional communities - shaping their identity, belief, and purpose - have at least four characteristics: they are historical, communal, experiential, and dynamic. These elements are not separate and distinct but are interrelated in a fundamental manner: they overlap, mutually influence, and enrich one another. The focus of this Center Letter is on hospitality.
11/18/2008
Redemptive Love in Action
After exploring the biblical vision of reconciliation, this Center Letter turns to a concrete expression of redemptive love, the response of the Nickel Mines Amish to the slaughter of their young children.
12/1/2008
December 2008 - No Time to Cower
in these days of economic meltdown, when things get scary (and they are), the instinct of most church and organizational leaders is to circle the wagons, cut back, and wait out the difficult times. That is the business way, and it usually makes sense. Gordon MacDonald gives us some other thoughts to ponder.
12/1/2008
December 2008 - Insight Into 4 Dimensions of Clergy Health
CareNet is one of the Center for Congregational Health’s sister departments in the School of Pastoral Care. Recently, the church relations committee of the Winston-Salem CareNet Center sponsored a workshop on clergy health. This is a recap of that workshop.
12/1/2008
December 2008 - John Ortberg's Lessons From the Election
The seven deadly sins of evangelicals in politics. Written with tongue-in-cheek humor, Orthberg provides us with some important thoughts about the election just ended.
12/1/2008
December 2008 - Reflections
Those of us who immerse ourselves in transitional ministry know that anxiety always looms on the sideline, ready to pounce at any time. Recently, I received a letter from an interim who was trying to address this very issue. I thought the writing addressed it succinctly and clearly. I received permission to share it, having removed any identifiable words/references.
1/5/2009
January 2009 - Ancestory
Questioned Your Ancestry Lately: penetrating words from John Ortberg as we are soon to begin a new era in American politics.
1/5/2009
January 2009 -- Coaching Care
The Coaching Approach to Care: according to Chad Hall, the goal of coaching is not to diagnose pathology, but to facilitate discovery and action. "In counseling, you're listening to diagnose, and that makes you the smartest person in the room. But coaches serve as thought partners, listening in order to help the other person have 'aha' moments."
1/5/2009
January 2009 -- Ministry Leadership
Is Ministry Leadership Different: Eric Reed talks to a megachurch pastor and an author of a best selling business book, discovering that while many principles can be shared, not every business principle is right for ministry leadership.
1/5/2009
January 2009 -- Use Your Power Wisely
Eight Ways to Use Your Power Wisely at Work: my thanks to Tom R. Lee for alerting me to this news release. It shares research conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership that determined effective leaders must learn how to tap into a variety of “power” sources to get their job done. There are several implications for those of us involved in interim work.
3/17/2009
March 2009 - Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
The church has not been exempted from the economic downturn. According to Bill Tenny-Brittian, the response to all this by the vast majority of churches is to circle the wagons, make cutbacks wherever it's possible, and put one-time high priority upgrades and ministries on hold. Read why he thinks that is a mistake.
3/17/2009
March 2009 - The Good News Amid the Bad News
“Is anything going up? Some things are. The opportunity to serve people in need is going up. The opportunity to trust God when trusting isn't easy is going up. The opportunity to build a faith that will last when the storms of life hit it is going up. The opportunity to help our churches become communities where people actually get real with each other and love and support each other is going up.”
3/17/2009
March 2009 - Keep Stress From Taking Over Your Life
Ten stress busters to keep handy.
3/17/2009
March 2009 - Myths About Identity
Conveying a congregation’s identity and values clearly, and through a variety of means of communication, will help the congregation connect to the community around it. Baab discusses nine ways in which a congregation talks about itself and its values.
4/15/2009
April 2009 - How am I Doing
Ortberg writes, “We live under the tyranny of outcomes. And just a hair behind the word outcomes is its close relative: success. And close by success is Cousin Ego. And then I'm back in full addiction mode with all the forces I was supposed to have died to.”
4/15/2009
April 2009 - Faithful Readers
As missional communities seek to discover what it means for God’s people to participate in God’s reconciling and transforming activity in the world, the cultivation of communities of faithful readers and doers of Scripture is central to the authentic discernment of vision and direction, the development of energy and motivation, and the stimulation of broad and active participation.
4/15/2009
April 2009 - Generosity
These words become a challenging thought in these times of economic uncertainty; Peter Vander Meulen writes, “While it is true that the Bible does not offer a blueprint for a Christian economic system, Christians are to be shaped by overwhelming gratitude for the abundance and wonder of God’s good gifts, and an overflowing generosity which seeks to share with all humanity the joy, compassion, and righteousness of life with God.
4/15/2009
April 2009 - Worldview Changes Over 13 Years
A new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group among a representative sample of adults explored how many have what might be considered a “biblical worldview.”
5/27/2009
May 2009 - Burnout Tips
Using the acronym “relax,” Prosser writes a great article that provides tips for preventing burnout and helping ministers deal effectively with the stress of the daily grind
5/27/2009
May 2009 - Beyond Pessimism or Optimism
“Economists are calling this financial mess a time for serious reappraisal of the way we do our business. Seems obvious. But here's a thought. For some of us, these days will generate a massive reappraisal in faith-issues. Out of these times, we may get some new spiritual leaders. We may get some fresh, innovative thinking about what it means to be truly converted people. We may regain our credibility as having a word from God.”
5/27/2009
May 2009 - Your Hidden Curriculum
“Many years ago I heard a great teacher make a distinction I never forgot. Every educational institution, he said, has two kinds of subject matter. There is the formal curriculum. And there is what might be called a hidden curriculum…. The formal curriculum is intentional; the hidden curriculum is inherent. The formal curriculum is obvious; the hidden curriculum is subtle.” What is your church’s hidden curriculum?
6/10/2009
June 2009-Green Eyeshades & Rose-Colored Glasses
excellent article relating to the budgeting process which many churches will soon be addressing (if not already). It also is relevant to how members are viewing the current financial challenges. The only change I would make is to replace the word “board” with “congregation.” If you want ownership, the congregation needs to be involved in the visioning process as well as the key leaders.
6/10/2009
June 2009-Things You Can Do Now to Reduce Anxiety in Your Congregation
we have said many times that the most anxious congregations in the world are those who are in the interim time. Here is some great advice for us to put into practice as interim ministers.
6/10/2009
June 2009-A Scary Kind of Love
words for your own personal edification.
6/10/2009
June 2009-Reading Your Congregation
as I was preparing to attend this year’s Interim Ministry Network Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, I came across an article written about one of last year’s workshops. Dr. Craig Satterlee challenged interims to “read” the congregation as a way of getting to know the members and how they interact with God’s purpose and one another.
7/2/2009
July 2009 - In Good Company
as long as American culture was believed to be permeated by Christian ideals and behavior patterns, it was assumed that there was no need for the average church member to reflect upon the distinctive identity and vision of the Christian faith. But in the current secular society, it can no longer be assumed that the images, practices, and vocabulary of Christianity will come naturally.
7/2/2009
July 2009 - We Can't Do Megachurch Anymore
as he considered his call, Wade Hodges asked “Was it time to plant an emerging type church? Or could I help an existing modernish church position itself for ministering to the next generation by developing some emerging sensibilities?” Rather than giving up on existing churches, which is what the prospect of church planting felt like to him, Hodges wanted to believe that an existing church could make the transition.
7/2/2009
July 2009 - Preventing Congregational Suicide
the title is over the top, but the content is excellent. This article addresses transition vs. survival, and these dynamics are having serious congregational impacts. The signs of congregations in danger are everywhere – especially in the financial ramifications of congregational decline. Consequently, we are seeing an increasing number of congregations having to choose between staffing, building maintenance, programming, ministry, mission, and denominational support. Many congregations have come to equate success and effectiveness with finishing the fiscal year in the black rather than in the red.
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