David Brubaker – författare

How does the local church rise to the community engagement challenges of the current context, as we face major socio-cultural change, accelerated by the global pandemic, amidst deeply polarized societies? Just asking the same old “church questions,” such as how to fill empty pews, is no longer enough. We have to ask the “God questions,” such as how God is already at work in our local neighborhoods.What does it take for local churches to engage in more mutually respectful ways with our neighbors and local organizations? This book offers theoretical and theological reflections, distils wisdom from recent research and connects this with local case studies—which tell powerful stories drawn from both the US and UK.The authors provide a vision of Christian community engagement which places God’s reconciling work at the center. Successive chapters address the full spectrum of how congregations engage their communities—from meeting felt needs, to raising awareness, to advocating for change, to organizing with multiple organizational partners and community residents. This book resources congregational and non-profit leaders, in rural, suburban, and urban settings, to listen more deeply to the people in their local context, and to unearth new treasure together.

How does the local church rise to the community engagement challenges of the current context, as we face major socio-cultural change, accelerated by the global pandemic, amidst deeply polarized societies? Just asking the same old “church questions,” such as how to fill empty pews, is no longer enough. We have to ask the “God questions,” such as how God is already at work in our local neighborhoods.What does it take for local churches to engage in more mutually respectful ways with our neighbors and local organizations? This book offers theoretical and theological reflections, distils wisdom from recent research and connects this with local case studies—which tell powerful stories drawn from both the US and UK.The authors provide a vision of Christian community engagement which places God’s reconciling work at the center. Successive chapters address the full spectrum of how congregations engage their communities—from meeting felt needs, to raising awareness, to advocating for change, to organizing with multiple organizational partners and community residents. This book resources congregational and non-profit leaders, in rural, suburban, and urban settings, to listen more deeply to the people in their local context, and to unearth new treasure together.

The best way to change the world may be one organization at a time. With this ambitious claim, the authors of this highly readable primer provide insightful analysis for evaluating and improving the health of any organization. They advocate a "systems approach," which views organizations as living systems, interconnected in their various departments, and interfacing with their environments.      Leaders of organizations from all sectors will find sound advice concerning the four major components of organizations -- their structure, leadership, culture, and environment. Find out: What the classic dispute over "who gets the corner office" is really about. The difference between a good leader and a great one. What new hires may know about an organization that longer-term employees don't. How organizational change and conflict are not only inevitable, but survivable.           Each chapter contains examples from the authors' varied experiences with organizational change and conflict, written from a spirited, hopeful approach for creating a better world. A title in The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series.

Congregations cannot exist without finances, priorities, leadership, worship, and decision making, yet these five aspects breed the most conflict between church members and clergy. These conflicts unfortunately tend to bring about the most negative consequences: drops in giving, resignation of leaders, and, perhaps most pointedly, loss of members. The importance of congregations and their effect on our lives is clear, yet what is less clear is what makes conflicts in faith communities inevitable. In Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations, David Brubaker brings the tools of organizational theory and research to the task of understanding the deeper dynamics of congregational conflict. With a doctorate in sociology and more than twenty years working with congregational conflicts, Brubaker helps to explore the causes and effects of conflicts on a wide range of congregations. This book will help congregations avoid the pitfalls of conflict and instead head toward a healthy relationship between and among church staff and members.