Raising Your Church’s Profile in Your Town By Neal Michell In my role as canon to the ordinary, it was my responsibility to visit all the churches in our diocese on a consistent basis. My standard practice for churches in rural areas and small towns ... Read More...
When You’re Not “In Charge” By Neal Michell What do you do when you’re not the leader of the organization? There are a lot of books aimed at helping the leader to lead, but what of the second- or third-level staff member, particularly ... Read More...
Against Non-Apologies What Sir Paul McCartney Understands About Contrition That Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, and Elvis Did Not (Nor Most Current Public Apologizers) By Neal Michell We live in an age of public apologies. Politicia... Read More...
Celebrating Christmas in Advent By Neal Michell I have a confession to make: I have already put up our Christmas tree... and our outdoor lights... and I was singing Christmas carols while doing so. In fact, they were all put up before the ... Read More...
The “New Normal”? Observations for Church Leaders from the COVID-19 Lockdown By Neal Michell COVID-19 shutdown feels like walking on a frozen pond with cracks all around us. Church leaders are so busy trying to keep their congregants together and adjust to the changes wrought by the ... Read More...
A Lenten Meditation on the Jesus Prayer for the Health of your Soul The aim of the Jesus Prayer is union with God.
The First Ninety Days, Part 3 The new rector should use the first 90 days to establish the new priest as role of a caring pastor of the congregation by spending his or her time listening to as many parishioners as possible. This requires great intentionality on the part of the new rector. By being intentional in these first 90 days the new rector can instill a sense of enthusiasm and develop some early momentum in this crucial time in the life of the congregation.
The First 90 Days (Part Two) The new priest will want to establish herself as the pastor of the congregation. As clergy we lead the congregation, but we pastor individuals. We gain permission to lead not primarily through our job description but through the level of trust our members give us.
