Church and synagogue consulting in the Alban Institute tradition
DanH for participants in “Predicting and Shaping your Church’s Future”a workshop on 10/5/2022 with Dan HotchkissAssociation for Interim Ministers, Illinois & WisconsinDisciples of Christ & United Church of Christ Thank you for participating in this workshop. If you’d like to continue learning about any of the subjects we touched on, here are some options for you. … Read more
by DAN HOTCHKISS When hiring staff, congregation leaders often ask, “Should we consider members?” Members have some obvious attractions. They are apt to be familiar with the congregation and its program, committed to its mission, and accustomed to working hard without pay. Furthermore, most staff roles pay too little to attract many strong candidates from … Read more
by Dan Hotchkiss “The ayes have it.” Curt put down his hand and looked across the table at Priscilla, who had also voted “no.” Priscilla smiled, shrugged, and joined the chatter about how to ask the membership to ratify the board’s decision. Curt was not smiling. By five to two, the board had voted to … Read more
It’s harder to size up a congregation than it used to be. It’s still worth trying, though, because no one fact says more about a group of human beings than its size. A group of 20 people behaves differently from a group of 200, or 400, or 800. The question is: which number tells what … Read more
2015. Perspectives for Church and Synagogue Leaders.
by Dan Hotchkiss
Few projects excite and galvanize a congregation more than a new building or a major renovation. People complain about construction delays, capital campaigns, and the general din and dust, but their blood pumps, their wallets loosen, and their enthusiasm rises. Lyle Schaller went so far as to generalize that congregations that build capital are happier than those that spend it. (read more)
by Dan Hotchkiss
The work of the Alban Institute continues—you just need to know where to look for it. Like rich man’s fortune in the Parable of the Talents, Alban legacy has been divided into three parts, each carried forward by a different group. (read more)
by Dan Hotchkiss
A church or synagogue always is two congregations at the same time. One is the formal institution, governed under bylaws by elected officers and ministers and staff. This congregation has procedures, rules of order (whether Roberts or some new alternative), and stated decision-making methods. Each newcomer who joins has the full rights and privileges of membership. If you want to know how this congregation runs, you read its bylaws, policies, and job descriptions.
The other congregation is more like a family. Its leaders are selected for charisma and respect, and remain indefinitely in office. Decisions are made informally, according to unwritten rules. Newcomers are accepted slowly, and until they are accepted have little or no voice in the deliberations of the group, even if they hold high office. Some things are “done” and others are “not done,” and there is no introductory brochure to clue the stranger into the folkways of the tribe. read more
by Dan Hotchkiss
Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that are the most useful. I am continually struck by the way multiple priorities, distractions, interruptions, and alternative perspectives cloud my view each day. It is part of ministry, of course, to be “accessible”—which is to say, open to interruptions—but over months and years it is important to maintain sufficient focus to be able, at the end, to say, “This is what we did.”
The Short List is a concept I use to keep myself on track. The basic idea is that no one can keep in mind more than three or four major priorities at once…. (click to read more)
by Dan Hotchkiss
Why should congregations worry about governance and ministry? When there’s so much important work to do, why spend precious time defining boundaries, tinkering with bylaws and policies, delegating power, assigning duties, setting goals, and holding one other to account?