By: Harry Fritzenschaft on May 12, 2019
Roth in his review of The Coddling of the American Mind declares that Lukianoff and Haidt diagnose the problematic effects of the commonly accepted “false” belief that young people are fragile. “Safetyism,” is the symptom of the “paranoid parenting” styles that the authors claim reached a peak in the 1990s. Lukianoff and Haidt do an…
By: Mary Mims on May 11, 2019
Nine-eleven is the universal number used in the United States when someone is in serious trouble, or in danger of dying. Sometimes people wait too long and try to solve the problem themselves only to later frantically call 911. The excuses for waiting are usually that people do not realize how close the person was…
By: Dan Kreiss on May 11, 2019
Change is challenging regardless of the context. Change regarding a community or institution that one holds particularly dear and/or one that is believed to be an integral aspect of the Kingdom of God seems so much more painful. From the numerical heights of church attendance in the U.S. of the 1950s there has been a…
By: Colleen Batchelder on May 11, 2019
Self-awareness usually yields to self-actualization; however, that’s not always the case within Christian leadership. Dr. Diane Zemke, the author of Being SMART about Congregational Change, challenges her readers to understand their nuances, their personalities, and their spirituality in light of transformational culture within the church. Many churches are caught in the mentality of fortress-mode. They…
By: Kyle Chalko on May 11, 2019
Diane Zemke’s book Being Smart about Congregational Change was nice change in pace from other books we have read. I felt this book was very academic and calculated in its delivery of well-rounded ideas. But also I felt this book was deliver with a vocabulary that is not littered with academic jargon, but a real…
By: Tammy Dunahoo on May 11, 2019
I was recently asked by a fairly new pastor to consult with their church leadership team in order to develop and articulate their mission, values and vision for the future. Having worked through Robert J. Clinton’s Leadership Emergence Theory for many years I wondered if the same process could be similarly effective for a church.[1]…
By: John Muhanji on May 10, 2019
Is there a church that has no conflicts among its members, leaders, pastors and leaders and any other pet conflict despite praying and fellowshipping together on a common goal on God? Since I started becoming severe in church leadership, we have been dealing with very many church conflicts in various categories. However, something interesting is…
By: Trisha Welstad on May 10, 2019
Reading Diane Zemke’s text, Being SMART about Congregational Change has me in knots. Part of me wishes I would have read this a year ago, and part of me feels its timeliness in the present. The idea of change is something that is at the same time exciting and anxiety producing. As Zemke says multiple…
By: Rhonda Davis on May 10, 2019
I am sure I echo the sentiment of many of my cohort-mates who desire to bring change in their contexts, that this was a refreshing look at a complicated matter. Diane Zemke uses her expertise in leadership studies, combined with a clear passion for the church, to provide an informed, insightful look at congregational change.…
By: Jason Turbeville on May 9, 2019
When we were in South Africa for our first semester in the LGP program I was having trouble nailing down my problem and how to come at it in a way that would be effective. Dr. D, my advisor, had a great deal of influence on how I was going to address the problem but…
By: Sean Dean on May 9, 2019
I had an interesting discussion last month with several pastors. We were discussing the way churches and parachurch ministries interact with each other. Several of the pastors mentioned that there is an unspoken tension or competition when a non-profit comes into the church and needs funding. Most people only have so much money to use…
By: Rev Jacob Bolton on May 9, 2019
This book was a fun one to read. Being SMART about Congregational Change by Diane Zemke was incredibly applicable to my immediate ministry context and my dissertation research. For anyone working in a parish setting I would highly recommend this succinct, well researched, and fascinating text. Zemke, a Gonzaga trained expert in Leadership Studies lays…
By: Andrea Lathrop on May 9, 2019
Dr. Zemke’s well-written book on congregational change is timely given the shifting landscape of the Church in America. Most U.S. denominations are experiencing declines in attendance and engagement. She has spent her life trying to understand churches and offers wisdom to navigate a way forward through the necessary change. Everyone can gain from being more…
By: Jay Forseth on May 9, 2019
Some churches need to die! This sounds harsh, but it’s true. The past 30 days, our Conference has closed 2 churches (out of 30). Both of these churches should have died! Thankfully, this year we planted one church and are being joined by up to three more… My newest gauge for an “effective church” is simply this: If your church disappeared tomorrow, would it leave…
By: Digby Wilkinson on May 9, 2019
Losing the will to live is a rather common experience of pastors in transitional ministry. If not that extreme, living on the edge of “losing your mind” is a routine occurrence. Consequently, Diane Zemke’s book, Being SMART about Congregational Change, could easily be something of a godsend to church leaders, assuming they read it early…
By: Jean Ollis on May 9, 2019
It is a privilege to personally know – and to have interacted with – this week’s author, Diane Zemke. Diane writes a pragmatic text which is a helpful guide to not just the pastor, but also to lay leaders invested in congregational change. Having been a member of the United Methodist Church my entire life,…
By: Jenn Burnett on May 9, 2019
“Appreciating difference is not easy.”[1] Most people have a tendency to gravitate to people who are more like themselves. In fact, “[f]amiliarity is the most powerful predictor of friendship.”[2] It’s easier being around people who are like minded because we can predict their actions, which decreases fear and stress.[3] Given the amount of stress in…
By: Mark Petersen on May 9, 2019
Diane Zemke, in her book Being Smart About Congregational Change, advances strategic and clear thinking around how one can influence change within a system. While her research was specifically focused on the local church context, it has high applicability to any organizational environment. In my case, with my focus on the changing landscapes within private…
By: Dave Watermulder on May 9, 2019
I was standing in front of about one hundred people in the Social Hall of my congregation. As I looked around the room at the folks who had stayed after worship to hear my presentation, I could sense their excitement. Afterall, I had promised them a slide show of pictures from South Africa and Hong…
By: Greg on May 9, 2019
Stories produce the narratives and foundations of our life. They set the tone of our families. They help us understand our worship of God and the way we are influenced in making decisions. Stories shape how we see the world or how we make sense of it and how we adapt to it. I hate…
