Listen ‘with your mouth shut’
GREENSBORO, N.C. — I haven’t been to many elders’ meetings, but I have watched the turmoil, stress and pain of good friends who are elders…
Siburt Institute for Church Ministry
Organizations offer struggling churches resources for the future
LA MESA, Calif. — When The Christian Chronicle staff met in March to talk about the “Where have all the churches gone?” project, I told…
Best practices for dismissing a minister
Somewhere in the unwritten but badly needed handbook for elders are three rules: 1. Do hard things well. 2. Do painful things kindly. 3. If…
‘If this is ever not going well … would you please tell me?’
Ministers don’t come with a "good church-keeping seal of approval" or a money-back guarantee. They make mistakes, which should surprise no one. If Moses, Jonah,…
