Religious institutions and organizations Books
Iron Stream Books Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight
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£12.74
Editions Foi Et Saintete Manuel, L'Église du Nazaréen, 2017-2021
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£11.38
Alban Institute, Inc The Inviting Church: A Study of New Member
Book SynopsisEver wonder why some people never return after their first visit? Why some join but you rarely see them? Or why others become active participants in your church family''s life and worship? Discover how your congregation can meet growth challenges. Based on Alban Institute research, The Inviting Church includes a self-study design for assessing assimilation processes and analyzing visitors'' perceptions.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Saying Goodbye: A Time of Growth for
Book SynopsisLeaving a pastorate is hard on both congregation and pastor. Learn how to make this transition a growth experience for all. Written for congregations and pastors, Saying Goodbye skillfully weaves accounts from clergy, laity, and educators of seven denominations with White''s own insight as a former General Presbyter to create a resource for meaningful and healthy partings. Includes examples of a "farewell" worship service and litany for closure of a ministry.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the
Book SynopsisMead takes a broad look at past and present changes in the church, and postulates a future to which those changes are calling us. Denominations, once structured to deliver resources to far-off lands of foreign mission, now encounter the mission field in the layperson''s workplace and the community surrounding the local congregation. Thus, the church is called to reinvention for this new mission frontier
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Making Your Church More Inviting: A Step-by-Step
Book SynopsisIf you''ve read the book or viewed the course, now lead your church in study with this workbook approach to Alban''s Inviting Church materials. Its fifteen sessions are designed to help clergy or lay leaders guide committees or study groups through a dynamic exploration of their congregation''s IQ (invitation quotient). Discover how well you invite, welcome, and incorporate new members. As participants uncover the inviting elements of your church, they develop a personal witness style that emerges comfortably from their individual gifts.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc More Than Numbers: The Ways Churches Grow
Book SynopsisMead explores what church growth and evangelism really mean in a time when it is mathematically impossible for every congregation to achieve significant numerical growth. He argues provocatively that spiritual, organizational, and missional growth are just as important as numerical growth, and that all four are needed for a truly healthy and growing church. Case studies and discussion questions are included.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Understanding Your Congregation as a System:
Book SynopsisParsons and Leas have created an important tool for congregational leaders in this application of systems theory to evaluating a congregation''s life and readiness for change. Church leaders can explore the forces at work and examine the systemic implications in seven key areas: strategy, process, pastoral and lay leadership, authority, relatedness, and learning. The Congregational Systems Inventory is a survey designed to sample the perspectives of church staff, governing board, and key lay leaders, enabling users to assess where their congregation falls in a continuum between two behavioral extremes for each of the key areas. The Manual provides an overview of systems theory, complete instructions for administering and scoring the Congregational Systems Inventory (CSI), and guidance for interpreting and explaining the inventory results using sample scores. Be sure to order The Manual along with this valuable resource.
£7.23
Alban Institute, Inc In Search of the Church: New Testament Images for
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£20.78
Alban Institute, Inc We've Never Done It Like This Before: 10 Creative
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£22.58
Alban Institute, Inc Transforming Congregations for the Future
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£22.78
Alban Institute, Inc Music in Churches: Nourishing Your Congregation's
Book SynopsisClergy, worship or music committees, organists, and choir or music directors will find this a practical and invaluable guide to the role and power of music to express and form faith. Clark researched twenty-four Episcopal and United Methodist congregations to discover how churchgoers express their faith through music. Discover how music can either enhance or detract from tradition and faith experience. Explore how it can shape your congregation''s character.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Transforming Church Boards into Communities
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£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc User Friendly Evaluation: Improving the Work of
Book SynopsisEach congregation must evaluate itself in light of its own mix of gifts, backgrounds, talents, and opportunities. Presenting the best of evaluation theory past and present, Woods shows clergy and lay leaders how to engage in mutual evaluation-not judgment-of ministry, mission, and community as a shared responsibility. The goal is building up the congregation. A special chapter provides commentary from church evaluation experts Roy Oswald (Alban), Paul Light (ABUSA denominational staff), and Jill Hudson (PCUSA judicatory executive) on dilemmas congregations face in evaluation.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Congregational Megatrends
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£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc Five Challenges for the Once and Future Church
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£22.58
Alban Institute, Inc Plain Talk about Churches and Money
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£25.20
Alban Institute, Inc The In-Between Church: Navigating Size
Book SynopsisAlban Senior Consultant Mann draws on her lengthy experience in helping congregations deal with the hurdles and anxieties of expansion or contraction in size. Often, congregations experiencing size change do not recognize the need to change culture and form as part of the successful adaptation process. Mann details the adjustments in attitude—as well as practice—that are necessary to support successful size change.
£21.82
Alban Institute, Inc Embracing Midlife: Congregations as Support
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£24.98
Alban Institute, Inc How to Thrive in Associate Staff Ministry
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£27.20
Alban Institute, Inc Entering the World of the Small Church
Book SynopsisThis demonstrates amazingly, with unflinching honesty and a wonderfully redeeming sense of humor, a resource especially helpful in motivating change and growth by mobilizing the natural strengths of small churches. For you who have been looking for a reliable guide to interpret the world of the small church, look no further since this provides all the insights you need. Includes images and models and strategies that reflect the profound uniqueness of the small church. It clearly shows leaders how to lead within the dynamics and culture of the small congregation. This is theologically sound and eminently practical. A must reading for anyone who is or plans to be a leader in a small church. Excellent for small roup study.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Congregations as Learning Communities: Tools for
Book SynopsisIn our rapidly evolving religious scene, congregations that are open to continuous learning and willing to respond to external and internal change, will be the ones that achieve new vitality and health. Dennis Campbell describes what those congregations will look like and provides four tools to help a congregation shape its community into what God would have it be. Systems thinking, congregational culture, appreciative inquiry, and scenario planning are explained and illustrated, and readers will be shown how to apply the principles to their setting.
£18.92
Alban Institute, Inc Conflict Management in Congregations
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£23.75
RLPG The Once and Future Church
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£53.20
Alban Institute, Inc Listening to God: Spiritual Formation in
Book SynopsisLearning how to attend to what God is doing right now is the lifelong work of (and play) of the person of faith. Helping people to attend to God is the central work of the congregation. It all begins with learning to listen to God as a community and to notice what God is doing in our life together. John Ackerman offers two four-step models and several additional tools that help us attend to the mystery at the center of our lives and our congregations.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Size Transitions in Congregations
Book SynopsisCongregations that seek growth are often frustrated at hitting a plateau-caught in a transition zone between sizes. The Alban Institute has long been recognized as a leader in size transition research and learning, and this anthology offers an in-depth collection of resources, through new articles developed for the book as well as previously published and highly regarded pieces that inform and provoke.
£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc The Once and Future Church Collection
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£38.37
Alban Institute, Inc Welcoming Resistance
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£26.92
Alban Institute, Inc Inside the Small Church
Book SynopsisEven as so-called megachurches capture the attention of many church watchers, small congregations continue to dominate America''s religious landscape in both rural and urban settings. Although sometimes obscured by their larger siblings, these small churches play a prominent role and hold a unique place in both local and national cultures. How can leaders help to keep these often at-risk churches alive and to meet their potential for ministry? Small-church expert Tony Pappas has gathered a cornucopia of essays into an indispensable book for anyone interested in the rich life of these small but significant congregations. Drawing on classic and updated articles by a variety of writers from his own small-church newsletter The Five Stones; from Alban journals Action Information and Congregations; and adding new pieces developed especially for this volume, Pappas provides timeless ideas on learning to value, pastor, develop, and lead the small church. In addition to time-honored articles by the editor, other contributors to this volume include Sherry and Douglas Alan Walrath, Gary Farley, Lawrence W. Farris, Loren Mead, Caroline Westerhoff, Steven Burt, Carl Dudley, David Ray, James Lowery, and a host of others known for their work-and love-for the small church. Readers of Inside the Small Church will come away with a renewed love and appreciation for these vital congregations as well as with new skills for ministry.
£23.75
Alban Institute, Inc Not Trying Too Hard: New Basics for Sustainable
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£29.71
Alban Institute, Inc Serving God with Style: Unleashing Servant
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£27.12
Alban Institute, Inc Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church
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£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc www.congregationalresources.org: A Guide to
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£27.31
Alban Institute, Inc Revitalizing Congregations: Refocusing and
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£26.92
Alban Institute, Inc In It for the Long Haul: Building Effective
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£22.70
Alban Institute, Inc Redeveloping the Congregation: A How to for
Book SynopsisWhat makes it possible for a church to reverse course from decline or stagnation into longlasting vitality? How can a church immigrate from a congealing present into a compelling future? What can a congregation do to experience continuous, deep change rather than just temporary, surface improvement? How does a person lead redevelopment? The three authors of this book address these and other questions by building on an eight-step framework for lasting change developed by John P. Kotter, noted former professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School. His work on organizational change is heralded in the secular world as foundational, and Smith, Sellon, and Grossman have found that his findings hold true for congregations as well. Each chapter in this book comprises three sections: mentor, companion and coach. The mentor section discusses principles and concepts to be addressed in each of the eight steps; the companion section gives readers a sense of what leading change is actually like for a congregational leader; and the coach section provides specific ways for leaders to develop the unique change processes that will be effective in their church. Foreword by Anthony G. Pappas. "The authors offer strong spiritual grounding and wise counsel for personal and communal transformation as they lead us through a highly effective process of congregational transformation." -- Barbara B. Troxell "This book does not offer us more exhausting busyness, but focuses on the very heart of ministry in and through the congregation. If you yearn to move beyond the status quo, dive into this refreshing book and expect transformation." -- Julia Kuhn Wallace
£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc Beating Burnout in Congregations
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£17.09
Alban Institute, Inc Projects That Matter: Successful Planning and
Book SynopsisProjects That Matter introduces project leaders and teams to the five basic elements of project design and describes in detail a six-step process for designing and implementing a project evaluation and disseminating evaluation findings. Written for the nonexpert, leaders in religious settings will find Cahalan''s guidance clear and invaluable. Presenting evaluation as a form of collaborative inquiry, Cahalan show how leaders can use evaluation design to develop effective project plans and prepare case statements for donors or grant proposals for foundations. She introduces project planning and evaluation as mission-related practices and invites leaders to consider how their tradition''s particular mission and beliefs influence the way they plan and evaluate. Cahalan concludes the book by making explicit her own theological presuppositions-that the virtues of discernment, stewardship, and prudence are essential for good project planning and evaluation
£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc Completing the Circle: Reviewing Ministries in
Book SynopsisOn his second day as association minister for the United Church of Christ, David McMahill received three phone calls from lay leaders who were looking for resources on "how to evaluate our minister." He knew of several churches in which a poorly constructed process for evaluating the ministers had spun out of control, however, and had gradually come to believe it is probably better for a church not to attempt an evaluation process at all than to do one carelessly or to naively use a design intended for a secular organization. Based on the needs he saw, McMahill began to work with numerous congregations looking for ways to review both leaders and ministries and developed the feedback/reflection process he lays out in this book. Based on sound principles of effective communication, this simple system of asking for descriptive feedback about various aspects of a congregation''s life together takes into account the specific setting and the unique relationship between minister and congregation.
£15.19
Alban Institute, Inc Rekindling the Mainline: New Life Through New
Book SynopsisNot only do new church starts in significant numbers bring systemic change and renewal to mainline denominations, but new church development brings similar change to individual aging congregations in their vicinity. Author Stephen Compton argues that a decline in new church starts in the last half of the 20th century was the major contributor to the decline of mainline church groups-not liberalism or lack of faith, as is often cited. He shows in this book how introducing considerable numbers of new congregations into these old denominations can cause these venerable institutions to revisit the meaning of "church" and "congregation," develop a clearer vision of their collective mission, and grow in their ability to bring about positive change in the world. In effect, he contends, new churches in an aging organization do not merely make it grow. They make it change in ways that make it more effective in its mission and ministries. This book will appeal to leaders across denominational lines, including those not ordinarily called "mainline," and especially to pastors and leaders of older congregations.
£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc A House of Prayer for All Peoples: Congregations
Book SynopsisContrary to the oft-repeated truism, there are churches in America where Sunday is not the "most segregated day of the week," as Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook convincingly demonstrates in her compelling exploration of congregations tackling racial justice issues. Yet the truism continues to haunt many congregations, and Kujawa-Holbrook reveals, through story and thoughtful analysis, what it means to create and live out multiracial community. Focusing on six congregations from different denominations, geographical regions, and settings, the author shows us the joys and struggles in their intentional pursuits of a more diverse and just community. The stories in A House of Prayer for All Peoples will inspire leaders to explore their congregation''s history, study their community''s demographics, and, most of all, search their souls for ways they can develop and celebrate the diversity in their midst. The book is capped by an extensive annotated resource list for readers who want to explore the topic further.
£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc Getting the Word Out: The Alban Guide to Church
Book SynopsisHigh quality publications and public relations will enhance a congregation''s overall ministry by promoting strong stewardship, effective evangelism, and exciting parish education. Getting the Word Out provides all the tools congregations need to create attention-grabbing, informative, and inspiring communications. Frederick H. Gonnerman shows readers how to assess their audience and the competition for the audience''s attention; identify a publication''s purpose; and create useful, readable, and attractive publications-whether print or online, for the congregation or a broader community.
£23.75
Alban Institute, Inc When Better Isn't Enough: Evaluation Tools for
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£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation
Book SynopsisAsset mapping isn''t a new system or theory. It''s a way of thinking, a doorway into an "open-sum" perspective rooted in the Bible and common experience. The Power of Asset Mapping, by long-time community developer Luther K. Snow, shows congregational leaders how to help a group recognize its assets and the abundance of God''s gifts and to act on them in ministry and mission. Congregations will find the book easy to read and immediately useful. Leaders can begin with the tested Quick and Simple Asset Mapping Experience to strengthen and inspire any group in the congregation in as little as an hour. Futher tips, techniques, stories, and lessons drawn from the experience of diverse congregations will help readers discover how asset mapping works. Finally, Snow provides lessons about why asset mapping strengthens faith and community.
£23.75
Alban Institute, Inc 40 Days and 40 Bytes: Making Computers Work for
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£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old
Book SynopsisThe 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.
£18.99
Alban Institute, Inc The Hidden Lives of Congregations: Discerning
Book SynopsisFaced with crisis, lack of direction, or just plain 'stuckness,' many congregations and their leaders are content to deal only with surface issues and symptoms—only to discover that the same problems keep recurring, often in different, and more serious, ways. In The Hidden Lives of Congregations, Christian educator and consultant Israel Galindo takes leaders below the surface of congregational life to provide a comprehensive, holistic look at the corporate nature of church relationships and the invisible dynamics at play. Informed by family systems theory and grounded in a wide-ranging ecclesiological understanding, Galindo unpacks clearly the factors of congregational lifespan, size, spirituality, and identity and shows how these work together to form the congregation’s hidden life. He provides useful tools for diagnosing and understanding how one’s congregation fits into the various categories he names and suggests what leadership skills are necessary to get beyond the impasse of surface issues and help the congregation achieve its mission. The Hidden Lives of Congregations provides one of the most far-reaching looks into the invisible nature of faith communities written in recent years. For seminaries and divinity schools, it provides a standard text for getting a solid start in congregational practices; for experienced pastors, it provides support for renewing ministry; for lay leaders and committees, it offers insight to deepening mutual ministry. Israel Galindo has written an indispensable manual that leaders will return to repeatedly for new wisdom and guidance
£23.75
Alban Institute, Inc Paying Attention: Focusing Your Congregation on
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£25.00
