Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio
Congregational priorities help focus how church staff spend their time, influencing a substantial part of the budget, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
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For one pastor, feeding the spiritually hungry means meeting them where they are.
Detail from the cover of "Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors."
In this excerpt from his recent book, author Robert C. Saler writes about pastoral sabbaticals as a time of reinvigoration and reflection for both church leaders and their congregations. Saler directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs and the Center for Pastoral Excellence at Christian Theological Seminary.
Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio
Women in ministry benefit from seeing other women pastoring, says the lead researcher of the Flourishing in Ministry project. That’s why it’s important to witness and learn from the real experiences of women clergy.
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An Episcopal priest and longtime runner wonders what would happen if church was a ‘spiritual training center,’ a place that combines a drop-in feel with an established routine and considers anew how and why we gather together.
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As she hovers over her toddling 15-month-old daughter, a seminary professor learns that leading and following are frequently intertwined. Watching, listening, paying close attention, this hybrid form of leadership follows life.
What can Christian leaders do when the official teachings of mainline Protestant churches and the political ideologies of the laity diverge?
Pastors shouldn’t be the only ones to interpret Scripture and connect faith and daily life. Their role ought to be to form congregants to do that work themselves.
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How can pastors connect more deeply to the lives of laity? They can begin with visitation and prayer, writes the president of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Christian leaders ignore the spiritual needs of congregations at their own peril. Even the hardest-to-reach group -- young adults -- appears open to approaches that emphasize spiritual growth.