Anxiety, incivility, trauma, fear, dismay--these are all words I've heard in the past few days as the U.S. election draws near. How do U.S. Pastors and church leaders  navigate this moment...

We’ve been spending time looking at defining reality in our councils. We’ve looked at the culture that shapes our council and at the kind of people who are typically nominated...

Charles Olson’s book Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders has formed the foundation for this series of blogs. Before we go to the next part of defining reality,...

In the previous two posts we looked at naming how the council works together. What is the culture that shapes the council? Is it strategic, corporate, managerial, etc.? Alongside of...

Part of the Council’s discernment work is to define the congregation’s present reality. Charles Olson in his book Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders points out that the...

Part of the Council’s discernment work is to define the congregation’s present reality. Charles Olson in his book Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders points out that the...

One of the interesting and perhaps a little bit disturbing realities in congregations seeking their God-given, hope-filled futures is having councils that pass this critical work off to others because...

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new,...

“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Revelation 2.7,11,17,23; 3.6,13,22 Imagine God speaking to your church. What would he say? What...

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and...