Alban Weekly for Monday, 21 July 2014

Alban Weekly for Monday, 21 July 2014
The Alban titles you have read and relied on are available through publisher Rowman & Littlefield. Alban also will publish new books that nurture and support the ministries of congregations - books like Cameron Harder's excellent introduction to appreciative inquiry and asset-mapping called Discovering the Other: Asset-Based Approaches for Building Community Together (2013). 
from Discovering the Other by Cameron Harder
The process of building community is like a treasure hunt - it's about discovering each other. It's a challenge because many things keep us hidden, disconnected from one another. The climate keeps us indoors in hot southern summers and cold northern winters. Geography isolates. Social status brings us into contact with come people but keeps us apart from others. Even things we value greatly as congregations can isolate us. Our buildings can become religious ghettos as the energy for outreach is absorbed in feeding the church building's survival needs.
Of course internal squabbles or declining membership can turn a congregation in on itself. Martin Luther says that this being curved in on ourselves is the definition of sin. Certainly, it dramatically reduces our connections with people outside the church. But it also weakens internal bonds. If Redeemer Church's interest is mostly in Redeemer Church, then holding Redeemer together becomes its primary mission. Conflict threatens that unity. To avoid conflict, people avoid engaging each other at a deep level.
The first move in building community then must be to increase our awareness of each other. We have to hunt for each other, do some research, start listening. Community begins when people seek to know each other. ... This book is an introduction to some tools for seeking and knowing each other that church and community builders have found helpful.  
Monday, 21 July 2014
Ordering Alban Resources
You can now order Alban resources from Rowman & Littlefield. Check out the full catalog here.
Congregational Consulting
The Alban Institute has long been known for the strength and quality of its consultants, most of whom are now consulting independently and can be reached through Congregational Consulting.
FEATURED RESOURCES
Discovering the Other: Asset-Based Approaches for Building Community Together by Cameron Harder
What is God's mission? Simply put, says theologian and field educator Cameron Harder, God's mission is to form communities that reflect and embody the life of the Trinity. Discovering the Other is an introduction to two tools that community builders have found helpful: appreciative inquiry and asset mapping. These tools help congregations see that all of life is saturated by the sacred and give them energy to begin living as if it were so. Instead of asking, 'What's wrong?' appreciative inquiry asks, 'What's right?' Asset mapping asks, 'What resources do you have personally that we could bring to our future together?'
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25% OFF

This Week's Featured Resources

Use code ALWK714 and get 25% off when you order any of this week's four featured resources (print or ebook) through the Rowman & Littlefield website or by calling toll-free 800-462-6420. 
Offer Expires 7/31/2014. (*Discount cannot be combined with other special offers and only applies to purchases made directly from R&L.  Ebooks must be ordered online and cannot be combined with print orders.)
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NEW THIS SUMMER FROM ALBAN
The Power of Listening: Building Skills for Mission and Ministry
by Lynne Baab
Listening skills, and the perspective gained through careful listening, are more important in congregations than ever. Many factors make attentive listening a significant contributor to healthy congregations. As we enter into a post-Christendom culture, the people coming into congregations, as well as the people in the wider community, are less likely to be operating from a shared set of assumptions. With world-wide migration reshaping our communities and congregations, diverse perspectives coming from varied cultural backgrounds are also more common. The breakdown of many support structures in society has created profound pastoral care needs, making listening increasingly significant for both ministers and lay leaders.
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Healthy Churches, Faithful Pastors: Covenant Expectations for Thriving Together
by David Keck
Congregations want to support their pastors, but don't know how. Pastors love their congregations, but they don't know what to ask of their congregations to garner needed support. Everyone wants to thrive together, but so often we get stuck. This clear and engaging guide helps pastors and congregations bridge communication gaps and set mutual goals and expectations. 
Reverend Keck grounds his framework of expectations on both scholarly research and on interviews he's conducted with pastors and lay people. He finds many common difficulties in churches arise from failing to discuss priorities and expectations, and from not effectively working through the problems that arise when expectations aren't met. For pastors and congregants to arrive at common expectations, they need to understand each other-their respective needs, hopes, and distinctive callings.
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When Leadership and Spiritual Direction Meet: Stories and Reflections for Congregational Life
by Gil Stafford
Modern church leaders need to cultivate innovative and creative leadership skills, as they navigate today's post-Christian world, and as their congregations look to them for insight and guidance. Gil Stafford takes a fresh look at this vital need, drawing upon his experience as a college coach, university president, and parish priest, and interweaving them with ancient spiritual practices found within the discipline of spiritual direction. Personal anecdotes help the reader envision their own life-transforming pilgrimage, as they develop into the type of adaptive leader that churches need in today's rapidly changing world. 
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