Category Archives: congregational life

Book review: Seeds for the Future, by Dale

Posted on May 8, 2008 by igalindo

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 igalindo

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 igalindo

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 igalindo

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 igalindo

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 igalindo

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 igalindo

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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Five hazards for second chair leaders

Posted on April 16, 2008 by igalindo

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 ministry to seminarians in my course on “Thriving and … Continue reading →

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Book review: Understanding the Church, by Vogl and Fish

Posted on April 9, 2008 by igalindo

Well into this side of the millennial threshold, wading through the deepening waters of change, the issue of reexamining the nature and future of the church is foremost on the minds of theologians, church educators, ministers, and denominational leaders. What … Continue reading →

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Book review: Becoming a Healthy Church, by Macchia

Posted on April 3, 2008 by igalindo

What are the two greatest gifts given to us? According to Stephen A. Macchia in Becoming a Healthy Church: 10 Traits of a Vital Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books 2003) the Word of God and prayer are the two … Continue reading →

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