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Good communication skills help leaders respond to the technical and administrative challenges of congregational life. Learn ways to promote productive, positive relations with staff, boards, executives, vendors, congregations, and the public.
ADMINISTRATION : Communications
  Church Communications Handbook (Book)
Wanda Vassallo, Author.
Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.
This book is a practical "how-to guide" that includes checklists, summaries, tips, and ideas as well as numerous illustrations from churches and groups that have effectively implemented communication tools and techniques.
Getting the Word Out: The Alban Guide to Church Communications (Book)
Frederick H. Gonnerman, Author.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2003.
A resource for anyone responsible for church communications and publications, this book provides practical advice and strategies for developing and implementing a communications plan. Awarded Religion Communicators "Award of Excellence."
Healthy Disclosure: Solving Communication Quandaries in Congregations (Book)
Kibbie Simmons Ruth, Karen McClintock, Authors.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2007.
Consultants Kibbie Simmons Ruth and Karen McClintock discuss the importance of clear and responsible communication in congregational and community life. They also explain communication problems and ways to address them.
Marketing for Congregations: Choosing to Serve People More Effectively (Book)
Norman Shawchuck, Philip Kotler, Bruce Wrenn, Gustave Ruth, Authors.
Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1992.
Marketing can help religious organizations achieve their objectives in the face of current challenges such as a secularized society, changing demographics, competition among congregations, and the practice of private faith rather than church attendance.
Speaking Faith: The Essential Handbook for Religious Communicators (Book)
The Revererend J. Richard Peck, Editor.
New York, NY: Religion Communicators Council, 2004.
This manual from the national organization of religion communicators provides 16 articles exploring all aspects of communications—from strategy to tools to crisis management. Additional information is available on an accompanying CD-Rom.
 Community: The Structure of Belonging (Book)
Peter Block, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008.
Peter Block calls for us to learn how to create and sustain authentic community. He discusses the nature of community, purpose of building community, dynamics of transformation, and approaches to restoring and nurturing community.
The Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks (Book)
Michael Dulworth, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008.
Michael Dulworth explains how to build and maintain a network as well as how to improve networking skills. He also explores various types of networks and their benefits, and relays stories about his own experiences as a network builder.
 Delivra (Software)
Neighborhood Email
(Formerly Neighborhood Email.) Delivra helps congregations launch and maintain email programs such as newsletters, announcements, and discussion forums.
The De-Voicing of Society: Why We Don't Talk to Each Other Anymore (Book)
John L. Locke, Author.
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1998.
The title and subtitle of John Locke’s provocative book express his central argument and indictment: that e-mail, voice mail, the Internet, and technomania are making us into a society of strangers.
Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Life (Book)
William Isaacs, Author.
New York, NY: Random House, 1999.
William Isaacs provides a conceptual framework to get to the heart of conversation. Presenting practical examples, Isaacs integrates the theory and practice of dialogue in a way that stimulates creativity.
The Facilitator's Fieldbook: Step-by-Step Procedures, Checklists and Guidelines, Samples and Templates (Book)
Thomas Justice, David Jamieson, Authors.
New York, NY: AMACOM Books, 1999.
Thomas Justice and David Jamieson have provided an exceptionally thorough set of step-by-step procedures and guidelines for facilitating meetings.
Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations (Book)
Gilbert R. Rendle, Alice Mann, Authors.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2003.
This book, loaded with strategic planning tools, insists that it is not the tools—but the conversations evoked by the tools—that most benefit a congregation.
How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation (Book)
Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Harvard Psychologists Kegan and Lahey describe a common dynamic called “competing commitments” that often keeps us from making the changes in our lives we intend.
The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships (Book)
Michael P. Nichols, Author.
New York, NY: Guilford Publications, 1995.
Psychologist Michael Nichols examines the inner barriers, deficient practices, and emotional reactivity that hinder empathic listening. He also shows how to recognize and take control of habits that hinder relating to others.
Ministry Marketing Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Marketing Your Church Message (Book)
Yvon Prehn, Author.
Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2004.
From worship bulletins to the Internet, this book covers the hands-on how-tos for communication and marketing within—and into the world beyond—the congregation.
 The Networked Congregation: Embracing the Spirit of Experimentation (Web Resource)
Religion writer Andrea Useem offers support for congregations exploring Web 2.0 technologies. She addresses the history of the Internet, defines Web 2.0, examines what it means for congregations, provides practical advice, and recommends resources.
On Dialogue (Book)
David Bohm, Author.
Lee Nichol, Editor.
New York, NY: Routledge, 2004.
Describing dialogue as "a stream of meaning flowing among and through us and between us," David Bohm lays out the theoretical foundations of dialogue and explores the implications of dialogue as a worldview.
Practicing Right Relationship: Skills for Deepening Purpose, Finding Fulfillment, and Increasing Effectiveness in Your Congregation (Book)
Mary K. Sellon, Daniel P. Smith, Authors.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2004.
Mary Sellon and Daniel Smith provide tools for religious leaders to develop and deepen relationships in their religious communities so that everyone may be channels of God’s holy work.
Reaching Out in a Networked World: Expressing Your Congregation's Heart and Soul (Book)
Lynne M. Baab, Author.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2008.
Lynne Baab relays the urgency of considering how new technologies can help congregations communicate their identity and values. She also offers a conceptual framework and practical tips for evaluating some new communication tools.
The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action Through Narrative (Book)
Stephen Denning, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
After outlining the qualities of transformational leaders, Stephen Denning explains the importance and relevance of effective communication to leadership. He also discusses how to communicate compellingly and develop narrative intelligence.
The World Cafe (Web Resource)
This Web site supplies information on—and inspiration for—a process that enables participants to authentically communicate, learn, develop community, and commit to action on those questions that matter most to them.
The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter (Book)
Juanita Brown, David Isaacs, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2005.
The World Cafe presents a unique process for fostering communication, collaboration, community, and commitment—even in large forums and especially when difficult issues are being discussed.
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation (Book)
Deborah Tannen, Author.
New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1990.
The conversations, humor, and research findings presented in this book offer insight into why men and women so often misunderstand each other. The lessons learned here can go a long way toward strengthening interpersonal relationships.
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