The practice of pivoting

Congregations and their leaders have spent the last year pivoting both personally and organizationally. Plans and programs were adapted to acknowledge the realities of COVID-19 restrictions. Staff portfolios changed rapidly to meet congregational needs.

In this Weekly, we look at this practice of pivoting by listening to wisdom from before the pandemic as well as more recent reflections. We begin with the Congregational Consulting Group's Lawrence Peers writing about resilience and the practice of pivoting. Then, we hear from Dave Odom from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity as he reminds us that the key to a good pivot is to keep one foot firmly rooted in your mission and values. RootedGood co-founder Shannon Hopkins helps us understand the five stages of a healthy pivot.Â

At the conclusion of this Weekly, we introduce you to Donald Zimmer's book Leadership and Listening: Spiritual Foundations for Church Governance.Â

Welcome to the Weekly.Â

Resilience and the practice of pivoting

In this article from the Congregational Consulting Group, Lawrence Peers challenges us to see that some of the major pivots required of us during this so-called "Age of Overwhelm" are not just inÂ whatÂ we do -- but inÂ howÂ we do whatever it is we do.Â

Resources for leaders during the pandemic

Learn more

How do you decide when to pivot?

While the pandemic necessitated many pivots, the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity reminds us that, in more usual times, leaders have to decide when and how to pivot.Â

How to lead when things are falling apart: The five stages of a pivot

Recognition. Grief. Learning. Renewed vision. Re-imagined practice. Those are the stages that Rooted Good's Shannon Hopkins outlines for a faithful and successful pivot. What's involved in each stage?Â

Leadership and Listening: Spiritual Foundations for Church Governance

by Donald E. Zimmer

Church leaders must fundamentally change the way they view leadership, governance, and management in their organizations if they are to take seriously the need to listen to God's desires before acting. In Leadership and Listening, readers will find encouragement and specific suggestions for re-imagining church governance and management. Zimmer observes that the contemporary church is rooted in both the kingdom of God and the systems and cultures of government and business. Most people who serve in governing and management roles in the church in the United States today have been formed in the corporate world and acculturated to parliamentary process. As a result, many church governing boards are about business, rather than their primary task: discerning God's desires for the part of the church they serve.

Learn more and order the book

Before you go...

Starting next week, Alban Weekly will begin exploring a particular kind of congregational pivot -- balancing the online and in-person dimensions of congregational life as more people return to in-person offerings.

In the weeks ahead, we will wrestle with questions like: How do leaders draw on congregational mission and vision as a way of re-engaging the entire congregation? How do we stay connected to a geographically dispersed congregation when we have limited staff time and resources? How do you care for the pastoral needs of a hybrid congregation? And, how do you care for yourself as a congregational leader as we continue serving in these unprecedented days?

You'll want to keep reading. See you next week. In the meantime, peace!Â