Congregations long to get back to February 2020, but a recent Gallup poll (U.S. Congregations) shows that 2020 is the end of a significant 20-year decline in church membership. To go back is to go back to the ways of decrease. Gallup’s latest study on membership in the U.S. reveals that for the first time in 80 years, less than … Read More
Envisioning Life Together: A Simple Tool Part 2
What does life together look like in your congregation? Can members describe it? In Part 2 of Creating a Life Together picture, we discover a pathway to a deeper understanding of the picture. If you ask a member of the congregation for a picture of living life together, could they describe the picture? Would they envision that life together in … Read More
Envisioning Life Together: A Simple Tool for your Congregation
If you ask a member of the congregation for a picture of living life together, could they describe the picture? Would they envision that life together in a way that is compelling and appealing? There is so much information bombarding people that it’s hard for them to grasp what our congregations are about and what it looks like to do … Read More
Three Podcasts to Make you Into a Masterpiece
Paul writes stunning words in Ephesians, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2.10 NLT) Being a masterpiece created by God is amazing. What is even more impressive is that we are not, first of all, individual masterpieces, but together … Read More
A Step of Discernment – Defining Reality Part Five
We’ve been spending time looking at defining reality in our boards (consistory/council). We’ve looked at the culture that shapes our board and at the kind of people who are typically nominated and elected to our council. Many of us will see a need at this point to take some steps forward—especially if we are to fully live into both the … Read More
A Step of Discernment – Defining Reality Part Four
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, it is helpful to get an overview of his book. Charles Olson points out that the two most common complaints by those serving on church councils are: Our board (council/consistory) … Read More
A Step of Discernment – Defining Reality Part Three
In the previous two posts we looked at naming how the board (council/consistory) works together. What is the culture that shapes the board? Is it strategic, corporate, managerial, etc.? Alongside naming this reality is naming what’s expected of board members. What are the spiritual practices expected of board members? What kind of life do we expect board members to live … Read More
A Step of Discernment – Defining Reality Part Two
Part of the board’s (Council/Consistory) 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 board’s culture is an important area to define reality in. Only when the council names this reality can it move toward becoming a community of spiritual, discerning leaders. In … Read More
A Step of Discernment – Defining Reality Part One
Part of the board’s (consistory/council) 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 council’s culture is an important area to define reality in. Only when the board names this reality can it move toward becoming a community of spiritual, discerning leaders. Olson … Read More
Passing off critical work?
One of the interesting and perhaps a little bit disturbing realities in congregations seeking their God-given, hope-filled futures is having boards (consistory/council) that pass this critical work off to others because they have more important business to attend to. Passing off the calling of seeing the congregation’s God-given, hope-filled future reminds me of Scrooge and Marly. Scrooge says to Marly, … Read More
