Beth Gaede

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  When A Congregation Is Betrayed

  $25.00

  Other books have been written about clergy misconduct and its effects on congregations. Some are by victims. Others are written by professionals for a professional audience. Until now, however, there hasn’t been a book for the congregational leaders who must deal with the fallout of prior clergy misconduct. This collection is for the “afterpastors”-interim or settled pastors-who follow misconducting pastors. And it’s for lay leaders who may themselves have witnessed or been victimized by the misconducting pastor. Both groups of leaders need guidance about how to assess and effectively respond to the misconduct, how to care for the victim/survivor, and how to carry out the mission and ministry to which the congregation has been called.

  The contributors to this volume have all consulted, taught, and written about clergy misconduct. In this book, they provide non-technical guidance for the those on the front lines in congregations where misconduct has occurred-not only the people who are professionally interested in the subject, but also the people who must deal with it on a day-to-day basis. They give readers tools to engage congregation members in the issues surrounding clergy misconduct, so that real healing can occur; they help congregations understand the victim’s/survivor’s experience; and they offer strategies to help afterpastors and other leaders manage a difficult situation, serve effectively, and even thrive.

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  Ending With Hope

  $21.00

  “Why is it we do funerals so well but often balk at even recognizing the death of a congregation? Couldn’t we do grief ministry and funerals as well for social groups as we do for individuals?” challenges Gilson Waldkoenig, in his seminary classes. Waldkoenig, associate professor of church in society at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, contributes his special insights on the subject of church endings, in this unique and important book.

  Ending with Hope grows out of the understanding that although closing a congregation is in many ways about dying, it can also be about new life. Closing a congregation does not have to be about failure but can be about redirecting resources for new ministry.

  Contributors represent eight denominations and include more than a dozen pastors, lay leaders, judicatory staff, and others who have “been there”-who have helped congregations through the painful closing process. Resources include models for assessing whether a congregation should close; reflections on members’ and pastors’ experiences during closing; case studies; guidance for deciding what to do with a building; suggestions for selecting and preserving documents and artifacts; rituals for healthy closings; a survey of historical trends regarding closings; and other helpful materials.

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  Size Transitions In Congregations

  $21.00

  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.

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  Congregations Talking About Homosexuality

  $16.00

  Gaede skillfully weaves together the stories of many congregations and how they faced and dealt with the issue of homosexuality. A helpful resource for assisting congregations that seek to engage in dialogue about one of the most difficult faith issues today, the book does not take a theological stand, but rather draws on the experiences of others who have struggled with how to address this issue from a position of respect for all views.

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