There are more parallels between beekeeping and parish ministry than you’d think, argues Libby Davis Manning, who directs the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program. What can you learn from her insights?
Cultivate an Environment for ‘Givers’ to Thrive
It’s been said that people fall into one of three categories — givers, takers and matchers. Because it’s most often the “givers” who help your ministry achieve its goals and advance its mission, you want to be sure to create the conditions for the givers to do their best at what they do best — give. Great insights from Duke Divinity’s Faith & Leadership. (Photo © momius – Fotolia.com)
Encouraging Attitude Change in the Congregation
Why is it that lots of churches and their leaders work hard and pray fervently for a better future, yet never seem to get anywhere? The determining factor in congregational flourishing often comes down to attitudes. Change initiatives can grind to a halt when prevailing attitudes impede movement. But attitudes can change, and leaders who have an understanding of the anatomy of an attitude can help congregants reconsider and revise them. (Photo: Garry Knight, Creative Commons)
Leadership in Scarcity
When I speak with mainline ministers, we wonder if our entire career has been spent in a time of institutional scarcity and decline. Clearly, leadership in a situation of abundance and growth is very different than leadership in a situation of scarcity and decrease. If there is “a time for every season under heaven,” then this is a time for “Leadership in Scarcity,” indeed. Let me try to describe some challenges and gifts and offer a few proposals. (Photo © James Steidl – Fotolia.com)
Habits Are Key to Transformative Leadership
Our church is facing unprecedented challenges, but many of us were never trained or prepared to serve God’s people in the 21st century’s emerging environment. Transformative leadership seeks to help by teaching us how to change ourselves first. This article from Duke Divinity School provides an overview. (Photo (c) 2005 OJ the Photographer, via Bigstock.com)
Clergy Health: Who Cares for the Caregivers?
Clergy’s practice of putting others first can be detrimental to their own health, say researchers at Duke University. Pastors have been found to have higher-than-average rates of chronic disease and depression. But it may be difficult to get pastors to seek care because they typically default to caring for others first. (Photo by Doug McCaughan, used […]
