Alban institute (Oltre 1500 risultati)

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The call to care for creation is a central part of our discipleship as followers of Jesus Christ. However, language and imagery of the earth is often absent in our worship services. This book helps reconnect our commitment to creation care with our life of discipleship. The process includes helping congregational members name ways that they are involved in caring for creation and encouraging them to see ways that these practices are related to Christian faith, and in doing so, nurturing the life of our communities while fostering our identity as those who care for the earth. Central to the process of reconnecting holy discipleship with earth stewardship is the development and rediscovery of biblical imagery and language that will support our care of creation and shape our prayers. As our actions are more closely connected to the language of our prayers, praying and acting will inform and enrich each other. This book also includes custom liturgies that highlight earth care, prayerfully prepared for the major festivals of the church year. …

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Anyone concerned for the life and ministry of the church, who has a sense that things are not what they might be, and who is seeking a new understanding of congregational life and mission will find hope and help in the pages of this book. Jeff Jones takes his readers on a journey, providing a guidebook that maps out the factors facing congregations in this postmodern, post-Christendom world. With the heart of a pastor, Jones shows congregational leaders how to embrace the best parts of their church's rich heritage and reclaim it for a new day.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. As a troubadour for global music and an instigator of cross-cultural worship for more than 15 years in a variety of denominational settings, including congregational, national, and international venues, Michael Hawn has observed many faithful people who find that a taste of Pentecost in worship is refreshing and invigorating. In One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship, Hawn seeks to help bridge the gap between the human tendency to prefer ethnic and cultural homogeneity in worship and the church's mandate to offer a more diverse and inclusive experience. He offers a rainbow vision of the universal church where young and old joyfully and thoughtfully respond to the movement of God's Spirit in multicultural worship. Hawn and four colleagues from Perkins School of Theology in Dallas formed a diverse team in ethnicity, gender, academic field of study, and denominational affiliation to study four United Methodist congregations in the Dallas area that are grappling with cross-cultural ministry. Their four case studies illustrate both the pain and the possibilities encountered in capturing the Spirit of Pentecost in worship. Hawn also offers a concise and practical theological framework as well as numerous strategies and an extensive bibliography for implementing culturally conscious worship. This book is invaluable for congregations that want to undertake the hard work of cross-cultural worship.…

Condizione: Fair. Shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships. Discover why working relationships may be stuck in certain behaviors. Psychologically sound, theologically grounded, and practically illustrated with case studies. Seminary professors will find a helpful treatment of the emotional systems into which their students will move. Alban.…

Condizione: Very Good. Shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships. Discover why working relationships may be stuck in certain behaviors. Psychologically sound, theologically grounded, and practically illustrated with case studies. Seminary professors will find a helpful treatment of the emotional systems into which their students will move. Alban.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The conventional wisdom about mainline Protestantism maintains that it is a dying tradition, irrelevant to a postmodern society, unresponsive to change, and increasingly disconnected from its core faith tenets. In her provocative new book, historian and researcher Diana Butler Bass argues that there are signs that mainline Protestant churches are indeed changing, finding a new vitality intentionally grounded in Christian practices and laying the groundwork for a new type of congregation. The Practicing Congregation tracks these changes by looking at the overall history of American congregations, noting the cultural trends that have sparked change, and providing evidence of how mainline churches are reappropriating traditional Christian practices. The signs of life that Bass identifies lead the reader beyond the crumbling liberal vs. conservative dualities to a more nuanced and fluid understanding of the shape of contemporary ecclesiology and faithfulness. In so doing, she helps readers understand tradition in new ways and creates an alternative path through the culture wars that today arrest the energies of most denominations. Invigorated by stories from Bass's own experience, The Practicing Congregation provides a hopeful and exciting vision for the church. The imaginative retraditioning she identifies and celebrates will guide pastors and other leaders on this pilgrimage of creating church and convincingly counter the naysayers that long ago gave up on the viability of the mainline church.…

Condizione: Good. Shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships. Discover why working relationships may be stuck in certain behaviors. Psychologically sound, theologically grounded, and practically illustrated with case studies. Seminary professors will find a helpful treatment of the emotional systems into which their students will move. Alban.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The conventional wisdom about mainline Protestantism maintains that it is a dying tradition, irrelevant to a postmodern society, unresponsive to change, and increasingly disconnected from its core faith tenets. In her provocative new book, historian and researcher Diana Butler Bass argues that there are signs that mainline Protestant churches are indeed changing, finding a new vitality intentionally grounded in Christian practices and laying the groundwork for a new type of congregation. The Practicing Congregation tracks these changes by looking at the overall history of American congregations, noting the cultural trends that have sparked change, and providing evidence of how mainline churches are reappropriating traditional Christian practices. The signs of life that Bass identifies lead the reader beyond the crumbling liberal vs. conservative dualities to a more nuanced and fluid understanding of the shape of contemporary ecclesiology and faithfulness. In so doing, she helps readers understand tradition in new ways and creates an alternative path through the culture wars that today arrest the energies of most denominations. Invigorated by stories from Bass's own experience, The Practicing Congregation provides a hopeful and exciting vision for the church. The imaginative retraditioning she identifies and celebrates will guide pastors and other leaders on this pilgrimage of creating church and convincingly counter the naysayers that long ago gave up on the viability of the mainline church.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Many sociologists and a growing number of church scholars have noted that we live in a time of transition-from the modern era to the postmodern. Whenever a shift of this magnitude occurs, it leaves all of life, including the church, in flux. We instinctively strive to stabilize the situation by re-establishing what has worked in the past. Increasingly, however, congregations are finding that the same old things done harder or better don't seem to make a difference. Author Jill Hudson argues, We must identify new criteria for success, and perhaps even for faithfulness, and hold ourselves accountable to them. Approaching the postmodern era as a tremendous opportunity, Hudson identifies 12 characteristics by which we can measure effective ministry for the early 21st century. Based on those 12 criteria, Hudson has created evaluation tools, an early measuring stick, to help congregations evaluate their work in this new era. Not everything of the past is ineffective and best discarded, she says, nor will everything we try in the future be successful. But by faithfully listening for God's guidance and carefully evaluating progress using Hudson's tools, looking at the ministry of the whole people of God as well as that of the professional staff, congregations can improve their ministry, help members and staff grow in effectiveness, deepen a sense of partnership, and add new richness to the dialogue about the congregation's future.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Many sociologists and a growing number of church scholars have noted that we live in a time of transition-from the modern era to the postmodern. Whenever a shift of this magnitude occurs, it leaves all of life, including the church, in flux. We instinctively strive to stabilize the situation by re-establishing what has worked in the past. Increasingly, however, congregations are finding that the same old things done harder or better don't seem to make a difference. Author Jill Hudson argues, We must identify new criteria for success, and perhaps even for faithfulness, and hold ourselves accountable to them. Approaching the postmodern era as a tremendous opportunity, Hudson identifies 12 characteristics by which we can measure effective ministry for the early 21st century. Based on those 12 criteria, Hudson has created evaluation tools, an early measuring stick, to help congregations evaluate their work in this new era. Not everything of the past is ineffective and best discarded, she says, nor will everything we try in the future be successful. But by faithfully listening for God's guidance and carefully evaluating progress using Hudson's tools, looking at the ministry of the whole people of God as well as that of the professional staff, congregations can improve their ministry, help members and staff grow in effectiveness, deepen a sense of partnership, and add new richness to the dialogue about the congregation's future.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Known as the internship guy at Dallas Theological Seminary where he teaches, George Hillman talks daily with students about God's movement in their lives. The goal of Ministry Greenhouse is to help seminary and Bible college students, their supervisors, and the lay leaders who work with them create the best environment for leadership development through a beneficial internship. An internship is not busy work or cheap labor but is instead fundamental to the development of a leader. Hillman first makes a case for internships, arguing that the purpose of the seminary or Bible college is to train both theologians and practitioners. He explores the meaning of call, identifies the ingredients of a successful internship, discusses strategies for establishing goals for an internship, and offers guidance for reflecting on learning during an internship. Hillman also provides tools for identifying competencies and sample goals. A great internship experience places a student in an environment where God can work through him or her in the lives of other people an din the student's own life to develop calling, character, and competencies. Ministry Greenhouse shows students, their supervisors, and the congregations and other organizations they serve how they can create just such an environment.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Known as the internship guy at Dallas Theological Seminary where he teaches, George Hillman talks daily with students about God's movement in their lives. The goal of Ministry Greenhouse is to help seminary and Bible college students, their supervisors, and the lay leaders who work with them create the best environment for leadership development through a beneficial internship. An internship is not busy work or cheap labor but is instead fundamental to the development of a leader. Hillman first makes a case for internships, arguing that the purpose of the seminary or Bible college is to train both theologians and practitioners. He explores the meaning of call, identifies the ingredients of a successful internship, discusses strategies for establishing goals for an internship, and offers guidance for reflecting on learning during an internship. Hillman also provides tools for identifying competencies and sample goals. A great internship experience places a student in an environment where God can work through him or her in the lives of other people an din the student's own life to develop calling, character, and competencies. Ministry Greenhouse shows students, their supervisors, and the congregations and other organizations they serve how they can create just such an environment.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Since its inception, the Alban Institute has earned a reputation as a leader in addressing congregational conflict management issues through its research, consulting services, educational events, and particularly its publications. Drawing on this rich heritage, the first title in our new Harvesting the Learnings anthology series gathers 20 classic Alban works on congregational conflict into a single, indispensable volume. Conflict Management in Congregations harvests the collected wisdom of many of the key thinkers on this topic, including such past and present Alban consultants as Speed Leas, George Parsons, Margaret Bruehl, Gil Rendle, Alice Mann, and Roy Pneumann. Much of the material found here has long been unavailable but is still much in demand. Divided into three sections that explore the dynamics of conflict, conflict management techniques, and dealing with conflict in specific contexts, this book serves as a comprehensive primer that no pastor or congregational leader will want to be without.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Since its inception, the Alban Institute has earned a reputation as a leader in addressing congregational conflict management issues through its research, consulting services, educational events, and particularly its publications. Drawing on this rich heritage, the first title in our new Harvesting the Learnings anthology series gathers 20 classic Alban works on congregational conflict into a single, indispensable volume. Conflict Management in Congregations harvests the collected wisdom of many of the key thinkers on this topic, including such past and present Alban consultants as Speed Leas, George Parsons, Margaret Bruehl, Gil Rendle, Alice Mann, and Roy Pneumann. Much of the material found here has long been unavailable but is still much in demand. Divided into three sections that explore the dynamics of conflict, conflict management techniques, and dealing with conflict in specific contexts, this book serves as a comprehensive primer that no pastor or congregational leader will want to be without.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Most churches have sought out a new pastor many times, yet search committees often feel as though they are inventing the process from scratch. In The Pastoral Search Journey, John Vonhof provides detailed guidance for search committees to ensure a good match between pastor and congregation. This is Vonhof's third book about the pastoral search -- but the first to discuss interim pastors, transitions between pastors, and the use of the Internet and digital media. Vonhof advises congregational leaders on establishing the search committee; ensuring the congregation is cared for during the pastoral vacancy; conducting the congregational self-study and creating an information packet; finding, communicating with, and interviewing candidates; determining selection criteria as well as evaluating and recommending candidates; managing call negotiations; and finally welcoming the congregation s new pastor. Sample letters, forms, and other tools are provided.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Most churches have sought out a new pastor many times, yet search committees often feel as though they are inventing the process from scratch. In The Pastoral Search Journey, John Vonhof provides detailed guidance for search committees to ensure a good match between pastor and congregation. This is Vonhof's third book about the pastoral search -- but the first to discuss interim pastors, transitions between pastors, and the use of the Internet and digital media. Vonhof advises congregational leaders on establishing the search committee; ensuring the congregation is cared for during the pastoral vacancy; conducting the congregational self-study and creating an information packet; finding, communicating with, and interviewing candidates; determining selection criteria as well as evaluating and recommending candidates; managing call negotiations; and finally welcoming the congregation s new pastor. Sample letters, forms, and other tools are provided.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. What does it mean to say that a pastor is competent? And how does a competent pastor function? This book is intended to help pastors, seminarians, and lay people who work with pastors understand and answer these two questions. Competence in ministry is a moving target. A ministry technique that works in one parish may not work in another. What works today may not work five years from now. But a competent pastor will be able to adapt to changing locations and changing times. A competent pastor will be happy in her job-or able to figure out why she's not happy and how to move forward. A competent pastor won't get stuck-or when he does get stuck, he'll know what steps to take to get unstuck. Competence, defined by author Ronald Sisk as the ability to do what needs to be done, requires ministers to understand themselves and others and to keep a realistic perspective on their lives. Competent pastors function by moving toward this kind of understanding and perspective.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work throug complex challenges can lead a congregation to new insights, growth, and vitality. Anxious times hold not only the potential for loss but also for creation, important lernings, and changes that will strengthen the congregation. With this new book, internationally respected consultant Peter Steinke goes deeper into the requirements of effective congregational leadership. Born from the wisdom of Steinke's distinguished career, this new volume will both enlighten and embolden leaders. Steinke inspires courage in leaders to maintain the course, unearth secrets, resist sabotage, withstand fury, and overcome timidity or doubts. His insights, illustrations, and provocations will carry leaders through rough times, provide clarity during confusing times, and uplift them in joyous times.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work throug complex challenges can lead a congregation to new insights, growth, and vitality. Anxious times hold not only the potential for loss but also for creation, important lernings, and changes that will strengthen the congregation. With this new book, internationally respected consultant Peter Steinke goes deeper into the requirements of effective congregational leadership. Born from the wisdom of Steinke's distinguished career, this new volume will both enlighten and embolden leaders. Steinke inspires courage in leaders to maintain the course, unearth secrets, resist sabotage, withstand fury, and overcome timidity or doubts. His insights, illustrations, and provocations will carry leaders through rough times, provide clarity during confusing times, and uplift them in joyous times.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work throug complex challenges can lead a congregation to new insights, growth, and vitality. Anxious times hold not only the potential for loss but also for creation, important lernings, and changes that will strengthen the congregation. With this new book, internationally respected consultant Peter Steinke goes deeper into the requirements of effective congregational leadership. Born from the wisdom of Steinke's distinguished career, this new volume will both enlighten and embolden leaders. Steinke inspires courage in leaders to maintain the course, unearth secrets, resist sabotage, withstand fury, and overcome timidity or doubts. His insights, illustrations, and provocations will carry leaders through rough times, provide clarity during confusing times, and uplift them in joyous times.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Pastoral-to-program size change is frequently described as the most challenging of growth transitions for congregations. Now Alban senior consultant Alice Mann, author of The In-Between Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations, addresses the difficulties of that transition in this resource designed specifically for a congregational learning team. Conceptualized and developed by Mann for an Alban on-line seminar program test event conducted with 12 congregations in transition, her newest book features a five-step process enabling the learning team to engage a wider circle of congregational leaders and members in study, discernment, and planning. Never-before published resources include discussion of a major new concept-passive barriers to growth-plus Mann's System Change Index tool to help congregations measure their progress from pastoral-size to program-size ways of operating. From preparing the congregation's board and members, selecting the person to guide the learning process, and recruiting the learning team, to creating and celebrating a plan for congregational learning and action, Mann provides all the resources a congregation needs to address this significant size transition period.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Almost every congregation is experiencing tension over worship. Many congregations have been participating in a renaissance of worship known as the liturgical movement and have reclaimed worship forms that have served the church for centuries. Yet because the church today is operating in a radically changed cultural environment, many people in our society do not understand liturgical worship and thus we must find language, music, themes, and images that speak to the unchurched, spiritually seeking person. In Beyond the Worship Wars, Thomas G. Long discusses the nine characteristics of vital and faithful worship practiced by a wide range of third-way congregations-all characteristics that make for vital and faithful worshi.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Almost every congregation is experiencing tension over worship. Many congregations have been participating in a renaissance of worship known as the liturgical movement and have reclaimed worship forms that have served the church for centuries. Yet because the church today is operating in a radically changed cultural environment, many people in our society do not understand liturgical worship and thus we must find language, music, themes, and images that speak to the unchurched, spiritually seeking person. In Beyond the Worship Wars, Thomas G. Long discusses the nine characteristics of vital and faithful worship practiced by a wide range of third-way congregations-all characteristics that make for vital and faithful worshi.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Effective interim ministry depends on strong partnership between the interim minster and congregation. Lay leaders of congregations preparing for such a transition will value the expert guidance provided by over a dozen experienced interim pastors. What is interim ministry all about? What needs to happen during the interim? What should leaders and members expect from the interim pastor and themselves during this transition? What other resources are available for congregations.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Effective interim ministry depends on strong partnership between the interim minster and congregation. Lay leaders of congregations preparing for such a transition will value the expert guidance provided by over a dozen experienced interim pastors. What is interim ministry all about? What needs to happen during the interim? What should leaders and members expect from the interim pastor and themselves during this transition? What other resources are available for congregations.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Many books have been written about leadership and change, but until now none has focused on the kind of change that tears at a community's very fabric. Alban senior consultant Gil Rendle provides a respectful context for understanding change, especially the experiences and resistances that people feel. Rendle pulls together theory, research, and his work with churches facing change to provide leaders with practical diagnostic models and tools. In a time when change is the norm, this book helps to lead change in a spiritual and healthy way.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Many books have been written about leadership and change, but until now none has focused on the kind of change that tears at a community's very fabric. Alban senior consultant Gil Rendle provides a respectful context for understanding change, especially the experiences and resistances that people feel. Rendle pulls together theory, research, and his work with churches facing change to provide leaders with practical diagnostic models and tools. In a time when change is the norm, this book helps to lead change in a spiritual and healthy way.…

Condizione: good. Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly. …

Condizione: acceptable. This copy has clearly been enjoyedâ"expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. In Governance and Ministry, Dan Hotchkiss offers congregational leaders a roadmap and tools for changing the way boards and clergy work together to lead congregations. Hotchkiss demonstrates that the right governance model is the one that best enables a congregation to fulfill its mission--to achieve both the outward results and the inward quality of life to which it is called. Resources on governance for the nonprofit sector have burgeoned over the past decade, and this book translates some of what is most helpful from that world for clergy and lay leaders. it also recognizes that in some ways congregations are unique and need governance structures and processes different from those that work in other organizations. Leaders must continually balance the conserving function of an institution with the expectation of disruptive, change-inducting creativity that comes when individuals peek past the temple veil and catch fresh visions of the Holy. Governance in congregations is not the science of achieving optimal results through organizational re-engineering. Governance is an expressive art, like preaching. The forms of our congregations must reflect the values and perceptions of the sacred at their heart. Congregations need skills and methods for negotiating our way of governance and for passing the torch effectively to new leaders.…