Reflections & Research:
Pastoral Transitions
July 7, 2020
There’s a better way to manage pastoral transitions
iStock / PictRider What if we imagined pastoral transitions as a relay race, in which each leader passes the baton to the next? asks a Baptist pastor. On a cold winter day, I was talking on the phone with a colleague about the church where I serve as pastor. I was feeling frustrated. I told […]
read moreabout There’s a better way to manage pastoral transitionsMarch 31, 2020
Our rituals will change this year
Photo courtesy of Donielle Cyprian A holy season marked by pandemic can still bear witness to hope, peace and faith. Was it only Feb. 26 when this Lent began? Was it really only a bit more than a month ago that I invited the faithful to the observance of a holy Lent, marked them with […]
read moreabout Our rituals will change this yearFebruary 18, 2020
Excerpt: ‘Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors’
Detail from the cover of “Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors.” In this excerpt from his recent book, author Robert C. Saler writes about pastoral sabbaticals as a time of reinvigoration and reflection for both church leaders and their congregations. Saler directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs and the Center for […]
read moreabout Excerpt: ‘Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors’August 20, 2019
A multilingual priest connects her congregation and its community through language and listening
By Chris Karnadi, Assistant Editor, Faith & Leadership The Rev. Audra Abt started a Spanish-language Mass and a health access ministry, meeting neighbors’ needs and rejuvenating a small church in Greensboro, North Carolina. In an apartment in Greensboro, North Carolina, fresh fuchsia crepe myrtle flowers brightened the front left corner of a table serving […]
read moreabout A multilingual priest connects her congregation and its community through language and listening