Books
Pathway to Renewal: Practical Steps for Congregations
The
Alban Institute, 2008
Mary (Sellon) Huycke and Daniel Smith lead congregations through the process of renewal, breaking down into understandable components what happens in the people themselves that makes renewal effortts successful.
Pathway to Renewal offers pastors and congregational leaders a framework for understanding and addressing the deep cultural shifts facing the people of a congregation during congregational rneal. It helps leaders make sense of where their congregation could get stuck and guide them in thinking through what needs to be addressed as a congregation seeks renewal.
“Pathway to Renewal carefully distinguishes three phases of the wilderness journey: building the readiness of leaders to lead, developing a vision, and aligning the congregation’s life with the vision it has discerned. In their description of these phases, the authors integrate wisdom from many sources into a coherent stream of guidance.”
– Alice Mann, Senior Consultant, Alban Institute
Practicing Right Relationship: Skills for Deepening Purpose, Finding Fulfillment, and Increasing Effectivenesse in Your Congregation
The Alban Institute, 2005
"Sellon and Smith combine profound research on relationships with practical examples from congregations to create a handbook on building faith-based communities. The book takes the reader on a journey of development, from right relationship with self, to other, and finally with Spirit. We all know we should 'love our neighbor,' but this book give us a step-by-step map for how to do that!"
— Faith Fuller, co-director, The Center for Right Relationship
"Have you ever walked away from a meeting with the sense that God had been in the conversation powerfully? This book helped me understand why. To the extent that our relationships are right, our interactions manifest God's love and care. Both novice and advanced practitioner alike can improve their skills for right relationships by practicing the simple exercises in this book. Thanks be to God for this very wise book!"
— Susan W. N. Rauch, director of conference spiritual leadership development, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church
Redeveloping the Congregation: A How-To for Lasting Change
The Alban Institute, 2002
"This book does not offer us more exhausting busyness, but focuses on the very heart of ministry in and through the congregation. If you yearn to move beyond the status quo, dive into this refreshing book and expect transformation."
-Julia Kuhn Wallace, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church
"Here's an excellent resource for those leading the work of congregational redevelopment. Redevelopment takes time and requires the heroic persistance that grows out of a compelling desire to live into God's future. To undertake this journey, the redeveloper will want an insightful pocket guide - like this one- to describe the path, the obstacles, and the opportunities. The redeveloper will also want to take along journey partners who can speak with wisdom, care and encouragement. The reader will find in this book three such partners—a mentor, a companion, and a coach—and along the way, much meaningful conversation about helpful ideas and key questions, collegiality and commiseration, and a strong sense of the holiness of both the task and the destination."
- Stanely J. Meyer, Bishop Assistant, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amercia