Congregational Resources for Facing Feelings is a companion collection to Facing Feelings in Faith Communities by William Kondrath. This collection of practical applications for congregational situations in which exercising greater emotional competence will improve both our understanding of what is happening and the effectiveness of our actions and those of others.

Facing Feelings in Faith Communities is based on a simple premise: We have emotions because we need them. God created us as affectively competent beings, William Kondrath argues, to help us understand our world and to give appropriate signals to people around us about what we are experiencing. When we express our feelings clearly, other people can more easily respond in ways that are helpful to us, thus enhancing our relationships and the work we might do together. Kondrath also recognizes that unfortunately, for many of us, our emotional software was infected early on with viruses (early familial and social conditioning) that distorted the way we responded to natural stimuli. Because we are underusing or misusing our emotional capacities, we are missing out on the opportunity to express our full humanity. Fortunately, we can re-program our emotional software. Facing Feelings in Faith Communities help us restore our emotional systems to their original state, or at least invites us to imagine how we would live differently if our emotional expressions were more nearly congruent with the situations and events we encounter. Kondrath invites us to explore six feelings--fear, anger, sadness, peace, power, and joy--through poetry, meditation on an evocative drawing, as well as through his own analysis of each feeling. Congregational Resources for Facing Feelings is a companion collection to this book. For more information, click here.

A period of interim ministry poses unique challenges and opportunities for both congregations and ministers. Much more than a “caretaker” ministry, an interim ministry can help a congregation navigate and get the most out of a time between settled ministers. In this practical and insightful volume, interim ministers and other congregational leaders provide a road map for a transformative and fulfilling interim period. First published in 2013, In the Interim quickly became an indispensable resource for congregations, their leaders, interim ministers, and all involved in transitional ministry. In its second edition, editors Barbara Child and Keith Kron and contributors retain all of the practical strategies and keen insight of the original while also examining how interim ministry is adapting to a rapidly changing world. Included are updates on the advent of developmental and “jump start” transition ministries.

In the wake of misconduct by trusted clergy and lay leaders, members of congregations find themselves adrift. Often there are deep divisions within the church and open, direct, honest communication ceases. Wholeness After Betrayal offers an understanding of these dynamics and a process to help members take the first steps toward reconciling relationships with one another. This specialized instruction is tested and proven, having been used effectively many times in a variety of congregational settings. It holds tremendous value for institutional healing, both immediately following misconduct or even decades later.

Based on an intensive study of five cooperative ministry ventures, this thought-provoking book looks at how each takes a unique approach in addressing its own mission context. From rural ministries in North Dakota and West Virginia, to ambitious community development projects in Alabama and Maine, to intensive urban mission in Milwaukee, these engaging stories will stimulate readers to take a fresh look and new approaches to parish and community issues.

If you’re a minister who is stressed, overwhelmed, and perhaps bewildered by recent changes in your congregation and community, this book can help. It offers insights from 50 congregational ministers and leaders across 19 religious groups, tips for building relationships with other congregations, and study questions to apply to your context.

Churches often realize they need to change. But if they're not careful, the way they change can hurt more than help. In this culmination of his well-received Ministry in a Secular Age trilogy, leading practical theologian Andrew Root offers a new paradigm for understanding the congregation in contemporary ministry. He articulates why congregations feel pressured by the speed of change in modern life and encourages an approach that doesn't fall into the negative traps of our secular age. Living in late modernity means our lives are constantly accelerated, and calls for change in the church often support this call to speed up. Root asserts that the recent push toward innovation in churches has led to an acceleration of congregational life that strips the sacred out of time. Many congregations are simply unable to keep up, which leads to burnout and depression. When things move too fast, we feel alienated from life and the voice of a living God. The Congregation in a Secular Age calls congregations to reimagine what change is and how to live into this future, helping them move from relevance to resonance.