Congregational administration encompasses many technical details of congregational life, from financial accounting to staffing. But more fully understood, it is the creation, operation, and maintenance of systems to serve ministry and mission. Discover how you can help your congregation become more effective through management support and enrichment.

ADMINISTRATION

All for God's Glory: Redeeming Church Scutwork (Book)
Louis B. Weeks, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2008.
Louis Weeks invites readers to consider the importance of effective congregational administration for preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. In particular, Weeks holds that excellent "scutwork" practices lead directly to pastoral care.

Church Administration and Finance Manual: Resources for Leading the Local Church (Book)
Otto F. Crumroy Jr., Stan Kukawka, Frank M. Witman, Authors.  Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998.
This reference guide provides guidance on the ethical and effective administration and financial management of a church. Forms, sample documents, checklists, and other tools are included to assist readers in implementing the systems described.

Church Administration Handbook (Book)
Bruce P. Powers, Editor.  Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.
This book provides the basics for developing and implementing effective church administrative systems, including leadership and ministry skills, personnel management, planning and budgeting, office administration, and more.

Leadership Handbook of Management and Administration (Revised and Expanded Edition) (Book)
James D. Berkley, Editor.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2008.
The third volume in a comprehensive reference for ministry leaders, this text covers the pastor's personal management, ministry transitions, leadership, supervision of paid staff and volunteers, church management, and finance.

National Association of Church Business Administration (Organization)
With 3000 members and over 70 local chapters, the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) is an interdenominational Christian organization that provides training and resources in the field of church administration.

National Association of Temple Administrators (Organization)
NATA
The association fosters Reform Judaism, provides education in effective temple administration, and distributes administrative and procedural information to members and others.

North American Association of Synagogue Executives (Organization)
NAASE
The North American Association of Synagogue Executives convenes and supports Jewish Executive Directors of the Conservative Movement by developing the profession and by enabling administrators to serve their congregations effectively.

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (Book)
Kennon L. Callahan, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1997.
This book, the cornerstone of Kennon Callahan's "effective church" collection, is designed "to assist local churches in their strategic long-range planning to be effective churches in mission."

The Clergy Journal (Periodical)
Inver Grove Heights, MN: Logos Productions Inc..
The Clergy Journal, targeted to professional clergy, describes itself as a "practical guide to church leadership and personal growth."

Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys (Book)
Kennon L. Callahan, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990.
With the current decline of mainline churches in our pluralistic culture, the “professional” pastor must give way to the “missional” pastor; the book defines and lists the major resources of a missional pastor-leader.

Faith-Based Management: Leading Organizations That Are Based on More Than Just Mission (Book)
Peter C. Brinckerhoff, Author.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999.
This management resource is geared to the needs of churches and other not-for-profit organizations, recognizing that leadership, finances, marketing, and organizational structure take on a distinctive color in the faith-based organization.

Feeding and Leading: A Practical Handbook on Administration in Church and Christian Organizations (Book)
Kenneth O. Gangel, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1996.
Feeding and Leading will be useful primarily to pastors who function not only as spiritual shepherds, but also as leaders, managers, and servants of a diverse staff, a volunteer core, and a congregational board.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Book)
David Allen, Author.  New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2001.
In Getting Things Done, David Allen explains how you can be both more productive and less stressed by following his organizational system. Because the book speaks to the way we think and live, anyone—clergy, laity, staff—will find it helpful.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't (Book)
Jim Collins, Author.  New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2001.
Through a major study of companies that consistently produced great results, Jim Collins has distilled the factors that contribute to organizational greatness.

The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role (Book)
Terry L. Cooper, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.
This book is designed to provide public administrators with a system for making ethical decisions when faced with ethically complex situations offering multiple options for action.

Safety Checklists for Churches and Schools (Book)
James F. Cobble Jr., Author.  Matthews, NC: Christian Ministry Resources, 2001.
This collection offers detailed check lists for issues related to building maintenance, accident prevention, and buildings and grounds. Each module includes overall guidelines, detailed tasks, scheduling considerations, and follow up plans.

Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide, 4th Edition (Book)
Bruce R. Hopkins, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004.
Bruce Hopkins sets out in this fourth edition of Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization to "translate the intricacies of the law (for nonprofits)…and to make them understandable to non-lawyer-managers of 'nonprofits'…"