For Church Leaders The church, God and climate change In the recent film, “The Theory of Everything,” the brilliance, determination and courage of the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is dramatically portrayed. A..
For Church Leaders The coming storm: Call for a radical form of eco-justice tithe At the recent joint annual meetings in November of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the Academy of Religion (AAR) in..
For Church Leaders Show me your newsletter and I will show you your faith How well does your church communicate with members and people in your community? One of the most important public faces of who..
For Church Leaders Raising the roof In J.D. Salinger’s novella “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters,” traditional ways of thinking are challenged as the main character deals with..
For Church Leaders Hospitality: Ways to welcome newcomers Most congregations are interested (if not desperate) to have new people attend worship and eventually join the church. The problem is that..
For Church Leaders The new pastor’s first year: Part 2 In a previous column (part one), two strategies were suggested for the first year of a teaching elder’s ministry. What else assists..
For Church Leaders The new pastor’s first year: Part 1 What should a teaching elder and the session try to accomplish in the first year of ministry? If people think that the..
For Church Leaders Nine preliminary questions for a PNC The task of selecting a new pastor is formidable and challenging for many members and, for some, downright scary. It requires considerable..
For Church Leaders Beyond addiction Most church leaders are well aware of ministries sponsored across the country to the 22 million Americans who need help dealing with..
For Church Leaders Pass the snakes: How Presbyterians read Scripture Recently there has been quite a bit of discussion about the incident in the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Middlesboro, Kentucky, where a..