PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS
 
ALBAN BOOKS TO READ AS YOU NAVIGATE COVID-19

How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead.


How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going is a practical book of hope for tired and weary leaders who risk defining this era of ministry in terms of failure or loss. It helps leaders stand firm in a disoriented state, learning from their mistakes and leading despite the confusion. Packed with rich stories and real-world examples, Beaumont guides the reader through practices that connect the soul of the leader with the soul of the institution. 


The changing dynamics of contemporary church life are well-known, but what's less well-known is how leaders can work most effectively in this new context. In Quietly Courageous, esteemed minister and congregational consultant Gil Rendle offers practical guidance to leaders-both lay and ordained-on leading churches today. Rendle encourages leaders to stop focusing on the past and instead focus relentlessly on their mission and purpose-what is ultimately motivating their work. He also urges a shift in perspectives on resources, discusses models of change, and offers suggestions for avoiding common pitfalls and working creatively today. 


Ministry has never been an easy path, and the challenges of today's changing church landscape only heighten the stress and burn-out of congregational leaders. 
A Guide to Ministry Self-Care offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of both the causes of stress and strategies for effective self-care. Written for both new and long-time ministers, the book draws on current research and offers practical and spiritual insights into building and maintaining personal health and sustaining ministry long term. The book addresses a wide range of life situations and explores many forms of self-care, from physical and financial to relational and spiritual.
 

 
 
DON'T MISS THESE WEBINARS
A Church Network Webinar with Lisa McGlynn
May 7, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. ET
A CEEP Network webinar

Church properties are one of the most important assets that parishes have to host and support ministry and service. To keep staff, members, and the public safe, many parishes have had to partially or fully close their buildings for regular use, including those programs and ministries that serve the wider community. At the same time, the need to maintain, steward, and safeguard these important assets remains one of the many and unique challenges that parishes now confront. In this webinar, leaders from the national nonprofit Partners for Sacred Places, and staff from St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Houston, present best practices and share helpful guidance on how to adapt as stewards of your property even while it is mostly or completely empty. This presentation also discussed ways that congregations can find new or temporary ways to collaborate with public agencies and other human and social services to use their buildings in support of efforts to meet the needs of the community.
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Alban at Duke Divinity School, 1121 W. Chapel Hill Street, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27701
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