Reflections & Research
Discover what we are learning about what helps pastors thrive
January 14, 2013
Sacred bundle
Every organization has its “sacred bundle” — the collection of symbols, stories and artifacts that confers identity upon a community and determines its social norms. Woe betide the leader who ignores it. Once upon a time, a pastor’s ministry was subverted by applesauce. This young pastor was appointed to a congregation in my home state, […]
read moreabout Sacred bundleJuly 2, 2012
Good beginnings, great teachers
Half of new teachers quit in five years. But the New Teacher Center is changing that with a mentoring program that gives beginning teachers a good start on the path to excellence.
read moreabout Good beginnings, great teachersApril 25, 2011
Everything is about stories
There is no more important thing you can do than to get other people to tell you their stories, says the founder of Radio Diaries. Joe Richman wouldn’t want to document his life for a year with an audio recorder, but that doesn’t stop him from asking others to. As the founder of Radio Diaries, he […]
read moreabout Everything is about storiesJanuary 11, 2010
Storytelling and story listening
Storytelling assumes uncertainty. The Southern writer talks about how teachers, preachers and leaders can use storytelling to engage their audiences — and why he has returned to church. Clyde Edgerton grew up in a family with 23 aunts and uncles and was inspired to be a writer after hearing Eudora Welty read “Why I Live at […]
read moreabout Storytelling and story listening