Recommended Reading For Large Congregations
Here is a selection of books that are especially valuable
for the leaders of large congregations. Books available from the
(UUA Bookstore) are
marked with an asterisk (*). Books not carried by the UUA Bookstore are
readily available through Amazon.com 
or, for those books that are out-of-print, from Advanced Book Exchange .
Access the Large Church Library comprising papers by various authors on valuable topics for the leaders of large congregations. To find a wealth of further web resources please see Large Congregations Resources.
General Works
Lyle E. Schaller, J.V. Thomas, and J. Timothy Ahlen, One
Church, Many Congregations (Abingdon Press) - At the heart of
the authors' "key church strategy" is the belief that a church
can be comprised of many congregations, meeting separately yet ministering
together, in a variety of different settings-a strategy that has been
adopted by 300 churches in 27 states
*Lyle
E. Schaller, The Very Large Church (Abingdon Press). One of the most crucial changes in North American
life, Lyle E. Schaller explains, has been the shift from small to large
institutions. Sixty years ago one-teacher, one-room schoolhouses still
abounded, and the average number of students in all American schools was
one hundred. Now new construction on elementary schools is often for facilities
that will accommodate more than twelve hundred students, and average school
size is over six hundred. Similar changes have happened in several other
branches of American life. These changes, Schaller contends, mean that
the rules have changed for everyone involved in organization life. Very
large churches will increasingly come to embody the new rule-book for
congregations. The Very Large Church was written for those congregational
leaders, both volunteer and paid staff, who recognize that their old rule-book
is obsolete and who are eager to learn how to participate effectively
in the very large church in a context that is defined by the culture,
the societal context, clearly defined expectations, a theological belief
system, a passion for evangelism, a high level of competence, creativity,
innovation, and a new and different set of rules, rather than by local
traditions, geographical boundaries, or yesterday's stereotypes.
Covenant Groups and Small Group Ministry
Carl F. George, The Coming Church Revolution: Empowering Leaders
for the Future (Baker Book House) - Carl George offers a model
of ministry that stresses the importance of relationships over programs,
outlining methods for enhancing congregational life through small group
ministry. While written from a conservative Christian perspective, this
book is the one most often recommended by Unitarian Universalists doing
small group ministry.
Thomas G. Kirkpatrick, Small Groups in the Church: A Handbook for
Creating Community (The Alban Institute) - This planning and leader
training handbook offers a distinctive broad-based, small-group approach
to building community. From the Jewish havurot to Christian koinonia,
you will gain a thorough understanding of community, learn how to plan
an effective small-group ministry, how to select and train leaders for
all kinds of small groups, and how to start small groups that are a part
of and not apart from their congregations.
Neal F. McBride, How to Build a Small Groups Ministry (Navpress)
- A management and organizing tool, this book identifies the basic principles
that apply to all small groups and then outlines twelve logical steps
for organizing, administering and evaluating a small groups ministry program.
Corinne Ware, Connecting to God: Nurturing Spirituality through
Small Groups (The Alban Institute) - Although spiritual growth
occurs within an individual, Ware explains that it is the calling of the
congregation to be a community of support and encouragement. Indeed, it
is amidst the support of a group that an individual learns how to live
out personal faith. Ware provides a very practical and accessible model
of spiritual formation for self-directing groups that can be led by clergy
or laity. Includes thorough guidelines, do's and don'ts, and ground rules
for the successful pursuit of spiritual growth in small groups.
Finance
*Michael
Durall, Creating Congregations of Generous People (The
Alban Institute) - Asking parishioners for money is very different from
creating congregations of generous people. In this provocative book, stewardship
consultant Michael Durall argues convincingly that annual pledge drives
inadvertently perpetuate low-level and same-level giving in congregations.
Written with the voice of experience, this book will help clergy and lay
leaders initiate and sustain effective stewardship programs. Durall believes
that asking for money eventually becomes routine, even tedious-but creating
a congregation of generous people becomes ever more meaningful with passing
time. Durall is a Unitarian Universalist.
Growth
Beth Ann Gaede, Size Transitions In Congregations (The
Alban Institute) - Congregations that seek growth are often frustrated
at hitting a plateau-caught in a transition zone between sizes. The Alban
Institute has long been recognized as a leader in size transition research
and learning, and this anthology offers an in-depth collection of resources,
through new articles developed for the book as well as previously published
and highly regarded pieces that inform and provoke. In a new essay, Arlin
Rothauge, director of the Seabury Institute and author of Sizing Up a
Congregation for New Member Ministry, a classic on the subject, offers
his reflections on the state of the research and the models that have
been used to frame discussion about size transitions. Alban senior consultant
Alice Mann describes key findings from her current research on the pastoral-to-program
size transition, perhaps the most common and most difficult to address.
Other new material focuses on size transition in synagogues; the program-to-corporate
transition; and the "awkward size" congregation with the resources
of a pastor-centered congregation, but the desire to be program size.
Carl F. George, How to Break Growth Barriers (Baker Book
House) - Addressing himself to those who are frustrated by declining or
static church membership, Carl George argues that growth occurs when "effective
leadership and delegation skills are working hand-in-hand, when the focus
shifts from the sheepherder (primary caregiver) to the rancher." Part of the book specifically addresses breaking through the 400-in-attendance
barrier and the 800-in-attendance barrier, when congregations tend to
plateau in size.
*Alice
Mann, The In-Between Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations
(The Alban Institute) - Alice Mann draws on her lengthy experience
in helping congregations deal with the hurdles and anxieties of expansion
or contraction in size. Often, congregations experiencing size change
do not recognize the need to change culture and form as part of the successful
adaptation process. Mann details the adjustments in attitude-as well as
practice-that are necessary to support successful size change.
Loren B. Mead, More Than Numbers: The Ways Churches Grow (The
Alban Institute) - Mead explores what church growth really means in a
time when it is mathematically impossible for every congregation to achieve
significant numerical growth. He argues provocatively that spiritual,
organizational, and missional growth are just as important as numerical
growth, and that all four are needed for a truly healthy and growing church.
Case studies and discussion questions are included.
*UUA
Commission on Appraisal, Belonging: The Meaning of Membership - Examines the reciprocal relationship between members and congregations:
What do people seek when they affiliate with our congregations? What do
congregations owe to their membership, and members to their congregation?
Who are included as members of congregations?
Leadership and Governance
Ronald A. Heifetz, Leadership Without Easy Answers (The
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) - "[This book] should
be required reading for top managers in all sectors-private, public, and
nonprofit," says author M. Scott Peck. Heifetz, director of the Leadership
Education Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, examines the qualities necessary for effective leadership.
Gaylord Noyce, Church Meetings That Work (The Alban Institute)
- Discover how meetings can help build stronger congregations as you explore
the three basic purposes of meetings-decision making, learning, and community
building. Learn the group processes at work in meetings and how to manage
them more effectively, how to move forward when disagreement occurs, how
to encourage full participation, the difference between process and task
and more!
*Charles
M. Olsen, Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual
Leaders (The Alban Institute) - Discover inspiring, practical
ways your board can make its meetings become opportunities for deepening
faith, developing leadership, and church renewal. Research included interviews
with lay leaders; clergy; and seminary, judicatory, and denominational
staff from mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Evangelical
Christian faith traditions.
Gilbert R. Rendle, Leading Change in the Congregation: Spiritual
and Organizational Tools for Leaders (The Alban Institute) - Many
books have been written about leadership and change, but until now none
has focused on the kind of change that tears at a community's very fabric.
Alban senior consultant Gil Rendle provides a respectful context for understanding
change, especially the experiences and resistances that people feel. Rendle
pulls together theory, research, and his work with churches facing change
to provide leaders with practical diagnostic models and tools. In a time
when change is the norm, this book helps to "lead change" in
a spiritual and healthy way.
*UUA Commission on
Appraisal, Interdependence: Renewing Congregational Polity
- While Unitarian Universalists honor our congregational heritage,
we must also strengthen the ways we relate to one another, make institutional
decisions and implement policies. These changes will reform the content
of our teachings and the spirit of our celebrations. The 1997 Commission
on Appraisal report. (Availabe
for online viewing.)
Ministry
Kevin E. Lawson, How to Thrive in Associate Staff Ministry (The
Alban Institute) - A dead-end job? A sure route to burn-out? Congregational
staff ministry is neither according to Kevin Lawson. Rather, he presents
ample evidence that associate staff ministry is a calling with its own
identity, integrity, and exciting possibilities. Based on his groundbreaking
study of 500-plus associate staff members in 16 denominations, Lawson
demonstrates here the communication and self-care skills that people in
these often highly specialized positions can utilize to grow beyond mere
survival into dynamic ministry.
Staff and Personnel
*Erwin
Berry, The Alban Personnel Handbook for Congregations (The
Alban Institute) - Today's congregational leaders increasingly serve as
human resource managers for ordained and lay persons. This new handbook
provides practical and proven strategies for managing church staff, and
addresses the particular ethical issues that faith communities need to
consider to serve as effective stewards of those whom they employ. Invaluable
features include guidelines and forms for conducting hiring interviews
and performance evaluations; providing benefits; dealing with disciplinary
and discrimination issues; and developing personnel policies.
Gary L. McIntosh, Staff Your Church For Growth: Building Team Ministry
in the 21st Century (Baker Books) - Current data show that half
of all churches have some form of multiple staff, and many others are
considering the addition of professional staff in the future. Gary L.
McIntosh has written a comprehensive manual for the twenty-first-century
church, focusing on how, why, who, and when to add staff in a way that
encourages growth. McIntosh, speaking from seventeen years of experience
as a church growth consultant, carefully analyzes the rationale for multiple
staffing. He provides many valuable helps, including: models for team
ministry, keys to productive team ministry, ways to determine what staff
to add, techniques for effective interviews, and steps to managing staff
conflict.
Lyle E. Schaller, The Multiple Staff and the Large Church (Abingdon Press) - Lyle Schaller's first book on the unique dynamics of
large churches is still a valuable resource, two decades after its original
publication. Directed at churches with between 700 and 1000 active members,
this book focuses on models for church staffing, especially the respective
roles of senior ministers and associate ministers (and the relationship
between them). Although out-of-print, this book can often be found in
used bookshops … and hidden away in ministers' libraries.
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