There is a lot of scary news about declining churches, splitting churches, scandals in churches, bankrupt churches, and despairing churches. There is a lot of sociological studies trying to explain what is happening among our churches. Many are suggesting that the church has to change if it is going to survive. I can’t answer all the questions but I can suggest something we can do if we care about the health of churches.
I firmly believe that healthy clergy make healthy congregations. The form of church may change, but there will still be the importance of community and there will still be a need for spiritual leadership. A key component in our ability to evolve into the form of ministry that will speak to our changing society is to have healthy clergy accompanying us.
A significant step in being a healthy clergy, or in supporting the health of clergy you know, is digging below the surface and having an appreciation for the many challenges and aspects of ministry as it currently is being incarnated in our clergy.
As an experiment in fostering that awareness, I am going to put together at least three volumes of “Clergy Tales–Tails: Who Wags the Dog” and make each volume available for Kindle readership at 99 cents a volume. This is the most inexpensive way I can think of to share material for this conversation. If there is interest in having printed copies later on, I will explore it with Create Space of Amazon.
If you are willing to part with 99 cents, and you enjoy the stories, please pass the word by writing a review on Amazon and sharing the stories with colleagues. Each volume will have a different sub-title such as “Clergy Tales–Tails: Don’t Spell God backwards” or perhaps, “Clergy Tales–Tails: When God begins to Wag Back.”
Join me in the conversation. You can’t even get a cup of coffee for less than a dollar.
