in Vestry Papers and filtered by Conflict, Discernment, Endowments
By Demi Prentiss
Sometimes, the obstacle to creating an endowment is simply, “we don’t have the money.” In “Building a Legacy,” Demi Prentiss shares the story of how a smaller church, made smaller by a church split, found a way to build a legacy for future generations. Their experience might inspire others.
By Carmen Guerrero
Transition and change is part of our personal as well as our corporate lives. “A Bridge to Change” by Carmen Guerrero shares her story of learning to recognize how God was calling her to change as she responded to various calls to ministry.
By Carmen Guerrero
La transición y el cambio son parte de nuestra vida personal y laboral. En “Un puente para el cambio” Carmen Guerrero comparte su historia de cómo aprendió a ver que Dios la estaba llamando a cambiar mientras respondía a varios llamados al ministerio como misionera, sacerdote, parte del personal diocesano, y como Directora del Centro de Jubileo de la Iglesia Episcopal.
By Scott Petersen
What can a church learn from a soccer referee? In “title” Scott Peterson, priest and a soccer referee, draws our attention to the ways an experienced referee, in the heat of the moment restores order and engenders trust in his/her decisions. He offers the referee’s steps as a guide for reacting to conflict when it flares up in a church setting.
By Bonnie Anderson
Speaking up is important in congregations headed down the path of – or embroiled in – conflict and angst. In “The Courage to Speak” Bonnie Anderson reminds congregational leaders of the promise we made in our baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being. She offers approaches for clergy and laity to consider that might head off these difficult situations.
By Richard Simpson
Are you conflict averse? Most of us learn at an early age to sometimes give the expected answer – rather than a truthful answer - as a way to avoid conflict. In “Overcome Being Conflict Averse” Rich Simpson names this phenomenon and invites leaders to help their congregations move past this conflict avoiding behavior and instead discover how having difficult conversations may instead lead...
By Kay Collier McLaughlin
Can we learn new ways of dealing with conflict? Kay Collier McLaughlin’s “Trying To Get Along In A Really Strange, Big Family” offers an approach to help congregational leaders identify destructive behaviors and replace them with healthier alternatives.
By Anna Olson
“One size fits all” never fits anyone well. Anna Olson identifies two dominant norms for managing conflict that, given the cultural context of a congregation, may undermine attempts to support healthier communication.
By Jerry Keucher
Leadership and finances are the areas most cited by Episcopal churches as sources of conflict. Jerry Keucher shares why leaders need to address the underlying problem(s) fueling that conflict.
By C. K. Robertson
We start by looking back to the early days of Christianity. In “From Factions to Families: Lessons from 1 Corinthians,” C.K. Robertson reminds us that Paul’s advice to the Corinthians has stood the test of time. He suggests we have a choice: Unlike the Corinthians who ignored Paul’s advice, we can choose to listen and take seriously the challenge he offers us.
Save Search