Category Archives: congregational life

Should I take the money?

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Over the past several months I’ve talked with various church staff about some money issues. One interesting aspect of these conversations is how they parallel. All of them involved a variation on: (1) a church member wanting to give money … Continue reading →

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Imaginative Gridlock

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Israel Galindo

I’ve been working with a couple of organizations that are “stuck” but motivated enough to get moving toward becoming “healthier.” As I witness the process of working with the leaders and employees of both organizations I’m reminded of some fundamental … Continue reading →

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Book review: Letting Go: Transforming Congregations for Ministry, by Phillips

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Roy Phillip’s Letting Go (Herndon, Virginia: The Alban Institute, 1999) starts with the assertion that ministers need to “let go” of their need to control every aspect of their congregation, and to let the members take charge. Phillips talks about … Continue reading →

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Book review: Seeds for the Future, by Dale

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Opening this “seed catalog,” as author Bob Dale calls his book on organic church leadership (Seeds for the Future: Growing Organic Leaders for Living Churches. St. Louis, MO: Lake Hickory Resources, 2005), you are struck almost immediately by central themes … Continue reading →

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On ideology: two sides of the same coin

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Elections can provide endless entertainment, if you’re into that sort of thing. But there’s enough drama at all levels to provide a source of amusement for most people, not the least of which is to watch ideologues in action. Liberals … Continue reading →

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Book review: The Equipping Church, by Mallory

Posted on May 5, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Pastor led churches often struggle with how to most effectively utilize the time and talents of their pastoral staff without creating burn-out and rapid clergy turnover. Sue Mallory’s book The Equipping Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001) has provided a biblical … Continue reading →

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Why a seminary M.Div. still matters

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Israel Galindo

These are anxious times for theological schools and seminaries, more so than normal, anyway. The plight of several seminaries (closings, downsizing, layoffs) has recently made the rounds in the religious press and newsmagazines. And talk about viability and relevance is … Continue reading →

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It only takes a few of them

Posted on April 29, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Forced terminations of clergy remains one of the most difficult, and often tragic, issues for congregations. A congregation can take years to recover from the forced termination o a pastor—and so also for the pastor. A single episode can become … Continue reading →

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Are you enforcing your church’s child protection policy?

Posted on April 28, 2008 by Israel Galindo

It’s hard to imagine but there are still churches that have no child protection policies in place. That’s just a tragedy waiting to happen. One related issue is that many congregations have adopted child protection policies but fail to ensure … Continue reading →

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The five ‘must do’ things for ministry staff success

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Israel Galindo

Previously we shared some thoughts from Lynn Turner, Associate Pastor of Youth, Career, and Discipleship at the First Baptist Church of Richmond, VA. We asked Lynn to share her thoughts about how to success in ministry with seminarians in my … Continue reading →

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