• Understand that God’s call comes in many ways and contexts. We believe that holy encounters come not only in the blessed times, but also in times of confusion, transition, doubt and the struggle to become more faithful. These are opportunities to better understand the call of God in our lives.

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  • ArticleStorm WarningTwenty Observations about Troubled Congregations

    Every congregation will face a time of trouble and anxiety. How it responds will make all the difference. Too often, the focus is on reducing anxiety rather than living into a time of renewal. Peter Steinke has seen it all and offers 20 observations about troubled congregations.

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  • WebinarLarry PeersThe Appreciative Leader

    Drawing on the philosophy and practice of Appreciative Inquiry, Larry Peers explores an approach to positive change in your congregation. How can we distinguish between a problem or deficit approach, and an appreciative approach? What are the ways to connect the practices of The Appreciative Leader with spiritual disciplines

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  • ArticleSusan NienaberListening: The Most Important Ingredient in Healthy Dialogue

    Warning: Genuine listening could cause you to change your mind about something! Susan Nienaber shares five “ways” to listen that not only improve the quality of the interaction, but also increase the likelihood that you will come to better understand the perspective of the speaker.

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  • WebinarMinistering Effectively to Younger GenerationsFeed My Sheep: Ministering Effectively to Younger Generations

    This webinar focuses on Generation X and the Millennials – how to understand them, what they’re seeking from communities of faith, and strategies for attracting and effectively ministering to them. Dominic Perri is an organizational development consultant who has worked with church organizations throughout the U.S.

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  • BookThe Church of All AgesThe Church of All Ages

    Intergenerational leadership is a way of seeing each other, the purpose of the church, and the need to be flexible in our strategies for worship, leadership, and decision-making. This means sharing the leadership table with people of different generations and appreciating the differences they bring.

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  • ArticleJust Who Does Own a Congregation?Who Owns a Congregation

    You’ve heard them all: analogies from business, metaphors from scripture, and arcane language from the historical church – all describing the organizational realities of congregations. But Dan Hotchkiss’s take on this question may surprise, intrigue, even challenge you. Check out what it could mean for your church.

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  • BookHoly PlacesHoly Places

    Understanding congregational identity is essential to a building program. As you work on building issues, you need to discern what is unique about your faith community – and how your facility communicates that uniqueness. The goal is to become more conscious about how the building communicates your congregation’s distinctive identity.

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  • BookHoly TimesHoly Times

    Meaningful worship takes thoughtful preparation. Barbara Day Miller says that worship planning can be more than a task. It can itself be holy work. Miller shares a conversational method which helps worship planners become more reflective, using study, preparation, and training to make these sacred times – encounters with the Holy.

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