It’s been said that refusing to forgive someone is like drinking rat poison and expecting the other person to die. Unforgiveness can be debilitating, even deadly. But how do we begin the work of forgiving someone when we have been deeply wronged?  Dr. Virginia Todd Holeman has an idea. She is an author (Reconcilable Differences), [...]

Some of the most popular places on the Internet are pornography websites – and some of the most frequent visitors are Christians, many of whom are sex addicts. Sex addicts are often stifled by guilt and shame and are looking for a way out. Counselor, author, and sexual addiction expert Dr. Mark Lasser ought to [...]

Jesus famously said ‘They will know we are Christians by our love,’ but if you’ve ever had to deal with a strong willed child you know how difficult it can be to live that out. The behaviors of strong willed children test, frustrate, and can deeply harm both parents and children – many of whom [...]

Abuse, adultery, fire, flooding, murder, and theft – churches are not exempt from common crises.  Nor are churches protected from scrutiny by local, regional, and even national media. How do churches handle crises that put them at risk? How should church leadership communicate with its members, authorities, and secular media? Is there a plan in [...]

Sooner or later it happens to us all – we get recruited to sit on – or even chair – a committee.  And too often, we get stuck following an antiquated and unproductive meeting system that breeds frustration and burnout. No wonder churches are simply not as productive as they could be. Leadership guru Hugh [...]

It’s been said of one mainline denomination that its average member brings a friend to church once every 27 years. Think of the impact that denomination would have if that number was doubled, or tripled! Sharing our faith can be so uncomfortable that we avoid it – yet we know that there are people in [...]

In an age of advertising, hype, and publicity overload – faith communities are often wary of jumping into the fray – and are rightfully apprehensive about ‘marketing’ their churches. However, as we all know, we swim in a water that is ‘the market’ – and our failure to speak up and ‘get the good news [...]

Monthly newsletters and Sunday bulletins (printed and electronic) are a staple of congregational life – and it’s important that they be informative, substantive and eye-catching if we are going to effectively communicate. But the truth is, says Frederick Gonnerman, most of them are sub-par. However, there is hope. Consultant, speaker, and author Frederick Gonnerman, who [...]

The ethical shortcomings we hear about in the news every day are, unfortunately, not absent from the Church. Whether it be financial, sexual, or some other scandal, not only are they common, but there are ways to handle them that can minimize the pain. Susan Nienaber is a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute and [...]

It’s arguably the most violated of all the Ten Commandments. You know, the fourth one that says ‘Keep Holy the Sabbath.’ North Americans are notorious workers (read: workaholics) and many of us forget that the Sabbath was not created to shut us down and squelch our creativity, but to make us more alive and tuned [...]

Every week North American churches are the beneficiaries about one-third of all charitable giving, taking in nearly twice as much as the next closest charity. But when people die and donate their estates to charity, churches rank fourth. What gives? Why don’t churches receive more? Doesn’t the Church need it? The plain truth, says church [...]

Cranks, bullies, and nags – does your congregation have one (or more)? Relax, you’re not alone. Churches can be magnets for these kinds of people and behaviors. But acclaimed author and consultant Peter Steinke says there are ways churches can live into health and vitality, especially with a knowledge of Family Systems Theory.

Few people would argue that a central focus of Jesus’ ministry was (and is) healing. His life clearly illuminates God’s mission to restore wholeness and unity to all people and all creation. This mission is recognized and supported by many Christians today, and Reiki, a spiritual healing method, offers an effective and complementary addition to [...]

Caring for a congregation’s sacred treasures is one of the Church’s most valuable and essential ministries. Yet the work of the Altar Guild is one of the lesser known and more exacting ministries in a church. So what does the Altar Guild do? How does it do it? And would you like to help? In [...]

One of the more obvious places to find modern application of the Pauline admonition that, ‘all things be done decently and in order,’ (1 Cor. 14:39), is certainly in the role of a parish verger. For the uninitiated, these dedicated souls work to make public worship in the Anglican tradition an act of order, beauty, [...]

It’s one of the most obvious ministries Jesus passed on to us – but one of the most challenging for Christians to undertake: tending to those who are ill or hurting. Whether it’s in the hospital, retirement facility, funeral home, or the house across the street, Christians are called to be Jesus’ healing hands to [...]

When non-church goers defend their behavior by saying they are ‘spiritual and not religious’ they seem to be identifying churches as religious, but not spiritual places – and they’re onto something. Too many churches have evolved into places that no longer ask spiritual questions, intentionally listen to God, and help people figure out who they [...]

Celebrating the gifts of young people is one of the best ways to build a healthy congregation. The average age of members of most North American Churches is higher – and sometimes way higher – than the rest of the population. And experts say congregations where a majority of members are age 50 or older [...]

It may seem like a really easy question – but lots of established congregations really struggle with how to reach out to the local community. That’s what The Rev. Judy Paulsen’s Anglican congregation was like when she arrived nearly a decade ago – but through hard work, great people, and most importantly the Spirit’s leading [...]

Vibrant churches are places of spiritual depth that take discipleship, prayer, and service very seriously. This has led many congregations to form groups of devout people who undertake certain practices and even pledges to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of them are moving out into the ‘abandoned places of the empire’ to live [...]

Yesterday’s theory, that all young adults leave church but come back to get married and have kids, may be a thing of the past. For a variety of reasons, journalist Drew Dyck says ‘Generation Ex-Christian’ (the name of his book) sees church a whole lot differently. Drew spent years seeking out and documenting the stories [...]

Sure, things are tight and times are tough but stewardship pro Kristine Miller is optimistic about what you and your church can do for God. That’s why we’ve put together this Master Class on stewardship basics – to refresh the veterans and inspire those new to the subject. In an age of scarcity, we need [...]

If it’s true that ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’ (John Maxwell), then one of the best things we can do is help our leaders do the best they can – especially our parish vestries. Every year we welcome our best and brightest to serve on vestries, yet too often they could enjoy some basic [...]

You can’t cure cancer by putting on a new dress. Yet many of our churches amble along as if all they need to do is dress up in the latest trend to stem decline. Alban Institute Senior Consultant Dan Hotchkiss knows better.  He’s consulted with dozens of churches (even written a book called Governance and [...]

It’s one of the most common problems churches face: how to interest, welcome, and incorporate younger people into their fellowship. Yet there are a lot of older congregations who’ve been able to ‘grow younger.’ American Baptist Pastor Steve Youd’s First Baptist Church of Hansen, MA is one of them. During his 13 year tenure he’s [...]