Why Congregations Sometimes Change
Systems resist change because their core function is to ensure people repeat established behaviors. However, systems can change when they believe it’s essential for survival…
Author
Dan Hotchkiss
Dan Hotchkiss, long-time senior consultant for the Alban Institute, now consults independently on strategic planning, board governance, and staff development. He can be reached through his website or the Congregational Consulting Group. Dan’s most recent book is Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, Second Edition.
Learning to Underreact
Overreacting to the criticism and complaints that are an inevitable part of ministry leadership only ups the emotional ante. Dan Hotchkiss says learning to underreact…
Staffing When You Can’t Afford to Staff
Dan Hotchkiss explains how congregations can build their staffs by “hiring” unpaid volunteers. He explains how this approach can make fuller use of a volunteer’s…
5 Lies We Like to Tell About Church Growth
Church consultant Dan Hotchkiss exposes some of the reassuring lies that cause many churches to stagnate at a comfortable size while ignoring well-established truths about…
What’s Good about That?
Dan Hotchkiss writes that churches need to ask themselves “What’s good about that?” in relation to established programs and ministries. He shares an example of…
Principles for Sound Staff Evaluation
Many people flinch at the mention of evaluation, and with reason. In congregations, staff evaluation often is conducted as a popularity poll with anonymous respondents…
Should a Church Staff Member Report to a Committee?
When board- and committee-centered congregations engage paid staff, they sometimes struggle to find language to describe how staff members should relate to one another and…