This comprehensive guide, from two experienced and thoughtful churchmen, treats each aspect of congregational governance as a sacred calling with an overriding religious mission.

The thesis helps the reader understand that the Yahweh of Israel and the God who raised Jesus, often appearing throughout history to be down for the count, has an amazing come-back-ability. In the current postmodern context, where many despair of faith and seem to circle back to the 1960s conclusion that God is dead, the book will hold forth a reason to believe and a pathway to probe more deeply in contemporary images and language the age-old truth and traditions of faith

Describes practices such as: preaching and public speaking, teaching, leading liturgies, conducting ceremonies, counseling and offering pastoral support for persons undergoing life transitions, and serving as organizational leaders in congregations, chaplaincies, social ministries, and in the public arena.

For religious communities to have integrity and credibility they must flourish as places of love and respect. Every aspect of church life is defined and protected by essential boundaries: boundaries around space, time, thought, speech, will, emotion, and behavior--both for clergy and church members. Lack of awareness and attention to boundary keeping diminishes the integrity of the church and harms its mission, whereas insight and vigilance about best practices lend freedom and energy to the calling of the church to care for others and to reach out to the world. In a flourishing Christian...