You may have read earlier this year from our new director, Beth Kennett, that we are headed in some new directions as The Center for Congregational Health. In recent years, we have found ourselves in the same place many of our congregations have. The realities around...
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Transition Consultant Training FAQ
Who will benefit from this training? What will I be able to do on the other side? This training is ideal for someone with pastoral experience who is looking to begin consulting with congregations in ministerial transition. If you are a trained intentional interim,...
We Need Peace
I have been struck by the dichotomy of news in recent days—Buddhist monks, and their dog, walking for peace and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents activating chaos and terror resulting in the unnecessary deaths of people. With either side or pole...
The 2016 Trend
The 2016 Trend If you are on social media these days, you may have seen the 2016 trend. People are flashing back to 2016 by sharing pictures of themselves ten years ago, sharing details of their lives, reminiscing about what life was like. There are also those...
Which Training is Right For Me?
The Center for Congregational Health has always consulted with congregations to gain clarity for strategic planning and visioning, helping churches through conflict, etc. But a critical portion of our work has always been quality, research and experience-based...
Postponement in Building Maintenance and Usage
Over the past few weeks, we have been asking you about postponement — "What have you been, as a faith community, postponing?" Several responses have been around building maintenance and building use. What happens when we postpone maintaining? We are usually faced...
The Trend of Postponement
You ever had an injury? Something just stops working like it’s supposed to. You wake up one morning with a pain and you may not even been sure where it started but now you know something is not right. But you decide to wait. Just see if it takes care of itself. Making...
Ireland: The Bonnie Boat
by Craig Schaub For some fifty years, often my bumbled life steps have been marked by the bright keening of Van Morrison. Steps are sometimes numb, but also often taken with misty eyes, and many states in between. Always with slippery intuitions about the bonnie boat,...
Ireland: A Journey of Spirit, Story and Connection
by Tarsha Banister When I walked the rugged coastlines and stood among the ancient stones of Ireland, I could feel the weight of the past beneath my feet. From monastic ruins to famine memorials, the Irish carry their history with a deep reverence — not to be trapped...
Lessons from Northern Ireland: What a Peace Retreat Taught Me About Helping Congregations Thrive
by Michael Cheuk Last month, my wife and I, with others from the CCH, attended a retreat in Northern Ireland focused on peacemaking and reconciliation. What I didn’t expect was how much it would teach me about helping congregations navigate uncertainty and change....