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Dan Hotchkiss

Church and synagogue consulting in the Alban Institute tradition

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Resource Chapter: Ch. 12: Starting the Process

Reorganizing, Now That You’re Smaller

Guiding congregations that have shrunk in size through restructuring staff teams and volunteer structures to match their new reality.

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Why Congregations Sometimes Change

Organizations resist change because their core function is to repeat established behaviors. Change happens when a system believes transformation is essential for survival.

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Life after Governance Change

What happens after a congregation restructures its governance — the new rhythms, challenges, and possibilities of operating under a different model.

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Left Behind

On members and leaders who feel left out or marginalized during and after a governance change process — and how to bring them along.

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Expert support for leaders

Dan Hotchkiss, a long-time senior consultant for the Alban Institute, now works independently with congregations and other mission-driven groups from his home near Boston. Dan's best-selling Alban book Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, now in an expanded and revised second edition, has helped hundreds of churches, synagogues, and non-profit organizations to streamline their structure and become more mission-focused and effective.

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