Development
Diocese of Eastern
Michigan
Ministries
Resource Center
Subject: Congregational/Leadership Development
Topic: Congregational Development
Congregational
Development
Helpful Links: Alban Institute: www.congregationalresources.org
Easum-Bandy
Associates: www.easumbandy.com
The
following items are located at the Diocesan Center, Saginaw:
|
Ministries Resource Center Home Congregational/ Leadership Development Stewardship/Mission and Outreach |
www.congregationalresources.org
– Richard Bass, ed, Alban Institute, Herndon VA; 2005 - 2 copies This is a series of essays on various
aspects of congregational development which are primarily devoted to
explaining resources in the particular area which are available on-line. Each
essay includes a number of resources and an extended bibliography. Congregational Size and Changes The following materials deal
with the sizes of congregations, the particularities of the sizes, and how to
change sizes. Small, Strong
Congregations – Kennon L.
Callahan, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco CA; 2000 A vision of the
church of the future which may be a small but healthy congregation; offer
practical advice for church leaders who wish to strengthen their
congregations; Index New:
How to Break Growth Barriers – Carl F. George, Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI; 1993 Alice Mann, Alban
Institute, Washington DC The In-Between
Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations (Video) What Size Should We Be: Visioning the In-Between Church w/Leader guide Raising the Roof – Alice Mann, Alban Institute, Washington
DC; 2001 This is a process
oriented book to help churches move from the pastoral size to programmatic
size; it talks about what to expect when changing, size characteristics, and
barriers to growth; Mann also gives some exercises to do to help look at
problem areas and how to move forward. 2 copies Congregational
Vitality Series -
Arlan J. Rothauge, Episcopal Parish Services, New York NY; 1985 Reshaping a
Congregation for a New Future Looks at transitions and churches making the transition from one style
to the next; 2 copies Sizing Up a Congregation Looks at the various size churches and how they can encourage new
members; one of the seminal discussions of size and growth situations; 2
copies The Multiple Staff and the Larger Church – Lyle E. Schaller, Abingdon Press,
Nashville TN; 1980 A discussion of
the differences from smaller churches and how the many members-volunteer and
paid-can work together to have an effective ministry in the church. Megachurches
and America’s Cities – John N. Vaughan, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids
MI; 1993 A discussion of how churches can grow in their communities Against All
Odds: Ten Stories of Vitality in Small Churches - Charles R. Wilson and Lynne Davenport,
Jethro Publication; 1982 Examples of
different kinds of small churches Membership
Concerns for Growth: These materials examine membership issues and how they affect health
and growth in a congregation Boiling Point – George Barna, Regal Books, Ventura CA;
2001 Helping members
of the congregation deal with the many changes in their lives. Understanding Generation Next – George Barna, Regal Books, Ventura CA;
1995 In Search of
the Unchurched – Alan C. Klass, Alban Institute Publication, Washington DC; 1996 The Baby
Boomerang – Doug Murren, Regal Books, Ventura CA; 1990 Subtitled: Catching Baby Boomers
as They Return to Church Radical
Welcome – Stephanie Spellers, Church Publishing; 2006 Spellers “welcome” is addressed to anyone coming through the church
doors, but especially to the “Other”, the one who is different from your existing
congregation. She explores the theology behind welcoming the “other” before
pointing out what needs to change in our patterns of welcome and inclusion to
truly make these people members. It is an interesting and important book with
which all congregations should be familiar. How Your
Church Family Works - by
Peter L. Steinke, Alban Institute, Washington DC Explains the need
to understand emotional systems and guides through the emotional forces often
at work in congregations Welcome! – Andrew D.
Weeks, Alban Institute Publication, New York NY; 1992 Subtitled: Tools and Techniques
for New Member Ministry See
also: Worship/Liturgical Planning Holy Hospitality – Clayton L. Morris, Church Publishing, New
York NY; 2005 Morris, the
Liturgical staff officer for the Episcopal Church, has written a book about
how the worship in our churches can be more seeker-friendly and open to all.
While he says little that hasn’t been said elsewhere, he brings ideas
together for congregations to consider in making their own worship welcoming
to both new-comers and those who have been in the church a long time. Growth
in a Healthy Church: These are materials that talk about change
and growth in healthy ways; they provide some new ways of looking at things
even in a healthy congregation. A Church for
the 21st Century – Leith Anderson, Bethany House Publishers,
Minneapolis MN; 1992 The Habits of Highly Effective Churches – George Barna, Regal Books, Ventura CA;
1999 Projects that
Matter – Kathleen A. Cahalan, Alban Institute, Bethesda MD; 2003 Many church projects-from simple to very complex-flounder because they
lack the appropriate planning. This book contains information for the
appropriate planning and evaluation of church projects. Examples of charts
and tables are included. Building Up
the Church - Forward
Movement Publications, Cincinnati OH 13 chapters on
various areas to be examined for church growth, such as: Newcomers,
Liturgy and Worship, Adult Education, etc Brave New
Church – Richard Kew, Morehouse
Publishing, Harrisburg PA; 2001 A look at 10
trends which have tremendous impact on the Church; each chapter includes
discussion question, bibliography, and a list of helpful websites connected
with the particular trend Natural Church
Development – Christian A
Schwarz, Church Smart Resources, St Charles IL; 1996 A guide to 8
essential qualities of healthy churches; Loose-leaf leader’s manual. The Power of Asset Mapping – Luther Snow, Alban Institute,
Washington DC; 2004 Another
instrument for helping congregations and groups focus on the positive and
build from there Alive Again,
Recession and Recovery in the Churches – R Stackhouse, Anglican Book Centre; 1999 Stories of
churches visited by the author that are healthy and growing; provides ideas
and challenges for congregations and shows that pastoral zeal and hard work
are still important The Innovative
Church – Merton P.
Strommen, Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis MN; 1997 A look at
innovation and change, followed by 7 steps to bring about positive change in
a congregation The Five Star Church – Stan Toler and Alan Nelson, Regal
Books, Ventura CA; 1999 Gives ideas for
how a congregation can be truly welcoming Places of Promise, Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce,
Westminster/John Knox Press; 2008 Woolever and Bruce take a look at the idea that the location will have
significant consequences on whether a church can grow or not. They look at
location with broad brush strokes-region of the country-to very fine
strokes-the demographics of a 3 mile radius around the church. Their work is
quite thorough and divides the Church into Roman Catholic, Mainline
Protestant, Conservative Protestant, and Other. Their final conclusion is
that the actual location has little effect but they do point out things that
will help a church grow in a particular location. Lots of maps and charts,
and there’s a discussion of the data collection in the appendices. Change: Change-a dreaded activity but one that is
often necessary for the health of a congregation; these books will help
change to occur in a managed way Kicking
Habits: Welcome Relief for Addicted Churches – Thomas G
Bandy, Abingdon Press; 1997 The Second Coming of the Church – George Barna, Word Publishing,
Nashville TN; 1998 (Video) The Permission Giving Church: Sacred Cows Make Gourmet
Burgers - E-B Assoc;
1977 [Located in “oversize
material”] 2 two hour videos
w/34 pg workbook; (240 min) Strategic
Strategies for Change – William
A Easum, Easum-Bandy Associates, Port Arkansas TX; 1998 Pouring New Wine into Old Wineskins – Aubrey Malphurs, Baker Books, Grand
Rapids MI; 1993How to change a church without destroying it; worksheets to
copy Reclaiming the
Great Commission – Bishop
Claude E Payne &Hamilton Beazley, Jossey-Bass How to transform
our dioceses Congregational
Vitality Series -
Arlan J. Rothauge, Episcopal Parish Services, New York NY; 1985 Parallel
Development Discusses how
change can be encouraged but managed within a congregation See
also: Music and Worship – Worship Resources Starting a
Seeker Sensitive Service – Ed Dobson, Zondervan Publishing House; 1993 A discussion of how churches can reach the unchurched by starting
small, nontraditional services; the appendix gives practical suggestions Church
Plants: Information about starting a brand new
church [Located in “oversize
material”] (Audio Cassettes) Clear Vision Conference 1999 – Episcopal
Diocese of Texas 2 – Church Planting 10 – One Foot Planted, One Foot Stepping
Out 13 – Diocesan Perspective on
Church Planting 14 – Effective Coaching of
Church Planters 15 – How to Start a Church,
How to Gather People 20 – The Missioner’s Perspective on Church
Planting Workshop 2 – Church Planting and
Redevelopment The Church
Planting Toolkit –Robert
E Logan & Steven L Ogne, Church Smart Resources A self study
resource kit: a notebook outlining each of 12 lessons, w/cassette tape for
each lesson; lessons include check list, action planning list, work sheet,
and prayer focus (2 copies) Right Start: A Notebook for Church
Planting – George Martin,
Seabury Western Seminary; 2000 Classical Studies of Church Growth:
Challenge for
Change – Wesley
Frensdorff and Charles R. Wilson A look at the function
of the clergy in various size congregations and discussions of the function
of the clergy vs the ministry of all the baptized; 6 copies How to Grow a
Church and Ten Steps for Church Growth – Donald McGavran and Win Arn Two foundational
books in discussing church growth, the authors’ ideas may have been updated
by more recent authors, but still good stuff New Hope for
Congregations - Loren B.
Mead, Seabury Press Using real
examples, the author shows how churches can turn themselves around by using
group dynamics; 2 copies Your Church
Can Grow – C Peter Wagner Another of the
foundational studies Disaster
Planning: One of the most sudden changes that must be faced is a disaster of some
kind: fire, flood, etc. Several groups have begun to develop disaster
response plans. [Located in “oversize
material”] Disaster Response Plan – Episcopal Diocese of New York; 2004 Following the terrorist attacks on New York
on 9/11/01, the Diocese of New York began to build an effective disaster plan
to cope with both manmade and natural disasters. It includes what happens in
a disaster, how to build a disaster plan, and guidelines for pastoral care
during and after a disaster as well as a list of resources. It also includes
a CD on crisis intervention. Disaster Management in the Church and
Synagogue Library – Nadia
J. Martin; 2000 A discussion
about how to protect your library, media center, or resource center from a
disaster and how to recover from one |
|
|
See also: Music and Worship – Worship
Resources Starting a Seeker Sensitive
Service – Ed Dobson, Zondervan
Publishing House, A discussion of how churches can reach the unchurched by starting small,
nontraditional services; the appendix gives practical suggestions |
|
|
|
For more information or to borrow a
particular item, contact
Coordinator,