Miscarriage and Support
Dealing with death and grief is part of becoming a cleric. But dealing with miscarriages and the accompanying grief is too little discussed in many religious circles. Fortunately, that’s beginning to change.
Congregations and the Curation Nation
What would happen in clergy became, again, curators? Not so much the leaders of the congregation, but theological hosts to the banquet of resources that would enable congregations to live abundant lives for the common good?
Forming Faith for 2020 and Beyond
by Tim Shapiro What will faith formation look like in the year 2020? That is the question that John Roberto poses and answers in his book Faith Formation 2020. Actually, Roberto’s question is something more like, What should faith formation look like in the year 2020? Roberto is the president of LifelongFaith Associates. And for [...]
Oscars and Congregational Life
Sunday is Oscar night. Whether you’re a fan of flicks or not, rest assured the congregants you lead are learning as much about faith from film as they are the local congregation. A need for worry? Not if you know how to use film.
Disengagement: Try It!
In the overworked world of a clergy-person’s life, dis-engaging can not only save your soul, but be a model for those you lead to bring balance to their own lives.
Being a Voice for Disenfranchised Children in Your Neighborhood
Children with learning disabilities have a right to an appropriate education. But those who come from disadvantaged families often don’t get anything close to what they deserve. One big reason: they need a capable advocate, and they don’t always have one. For disadvantaged children, congregations can be that advocate. For parents without money, battling school [...]
Protestant by Death: Discovering Congregational Vitality
I’m a Presbyterian minister but come by my interest (and my ignorance) of the Jewish faith honestly. My father died when I was six. My mother’s Protestant faith won out. I tell people I’m Presbyterian by death.
Congregational Resource Guide
The Congregational Resource Guide (CRG) is a project of the Alban Institute. The abundance of resources available for congregations and their leaders can be overwhelming. The CRG is constantly sifting and mining these materials for those that demonstrate a high likelihood for usefulness in congregational life. With the assistance of our affiliate organization, the Indianapolis Center for Congregations in Indiana, the staff of the Alban Institute, and our board of advisors, we strive to point leaders to those materials that can assist them in aiding their congregation's efforts to become healthy bodies of worship and agents of transformation in the communities they exist.
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Contributing Scholars
Prashant ParikhAn Industrial Engineering Graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, now working as a Systems Analyst, Prashant considers himself first and foremost a student of traditional Advaita Vedānta, from the Ārsha Vidyā Gurukulam. Born and brought up in Mumbai, India, he has been living in USA since 2005, thereafter gaining a subtle appreciation for the Vedic scriptures and Indian/Hindu culture.
In the face of myriad faulty interpretations of the Vedic scriptures, Prashant recognizes the imminent need of not only promoting, but also preserving these teachings. This, he believes, can be achieved by unfolding them in a traditional manner, as this kind of nuanced treatment alone can ensure posterity.
Additionally, he is involved in writing articles, facilitating study groups- online or otherwise- and always looking for new opportunities to share his enthusiasm for the subject.
Trey PalmisanoTrey Palmisano was a 2012 participant in the State of Formation National Seminar on Narrative & Interreligious Cooperation. He holds a B.S. in English with a concentration in Writing from Towson University and an M.A. in Theology with a concentration in Systematic Theology from the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, MD. He received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theological Studies in 2012. His M.A. thesis work defended a methodological approach in the ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with particular attention to the concepts of peace and violence. He is a member of the International Dietrich Bonhoeffer Society, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and the Evangelical Theological Society. A writer by trade, his work has appeared in such diverse publications as the Anglican Theological Review, Sojourners, The Baltimore Sun, and he served for a period of time as a faith columnist for the Baltimore Examiner. His past experience as an educator includes Carver Center for the Arts & Technology, a secondary education magnet school in Towson, MD, where he taught poetics and world literature, and Towson University, where he worked as an adjunct professor of English. He has worked as a curriculum developer creating original lessons and testing material for major educational publishers. He currently works as a process and procedures analyst in the Baltimore-Washington area. Trey is currently pursuing a second M.A. in Jewish Studies at Towson University, and his forthcoming book based on his thesis work is scheduled to be published through Wipf & Stock in 2013.
Kathryn RayI'm a first-year M.Div/AM Schloerb Fellow at the University of Chicago Divinity School and School of Social Service Administration. I enjoy dancing and the theology thereof (also called embodiment or incarnational theology).