By Deirdre Good

This article is useful to develop strategies for Bible Study in Christian Churches. The author shares different approaches including techniques for enriching the experience plus comments by pastors on how bible study has enhanced the life of their churches and congregations.

By Flora Wilson Bridges

The focus here is to recognize that mainline churches are transitioning out of archaic organizational models to become more inclusive, more diverse, and more open to God’s transforming grace though sound, energetic biblical engagement. Rev. Bridges is urging clergy to reaffirm and reclaim the power of the Spirit that speaks to us through the Bible.

By Remington Slone

This lectionary guide covers Sundays in the months of October 2012 through January 2013.

Collected by Darla Turlington

These quotations, on the general topic of Renewal, were selected from the Bible as well as a variety of authors, and speakers; they may be useful to pastors, theologians, seminary students, and others in their research, writings, or reflections.

By Jin Hee Han

The conference, “A Season for Renewal”, focused on ways that could help stop the fall in membership of U.S mainline churches—perhaps even reverse it! The October issue of The Living Pulpit offers the articles by the Conference speakers.

By Rebeca Radillo

This article focuses on two expressions of ministry crucial to the health and wholeness of the life of a faith community. These are Pastoral Care and Pastoral Counseling. Care is a sacramental expression of tending to parishioners in distress when crises interrupt their lives. This is an article about reality and expectations.

By William J. Sappenfield

A caregiver is a utilitarian without credentials who has an objective but no way to measure progress in achieving it. Therefore, whether the care is for a person, the environment, or God, without a measurable objective, it is a source of frustration for a goal-oriented society. This article offers a profound definition of care giving and receiving: to accompany a person into the presence of God.

By Martha R. Jacobs

Our call is to care for so many with compassion and grace. None of these “calls” are easy, but the hardest is caring for ourselves. As Christian clergy, part of our work involves actively building relationships with others, but if we haven’t provided for our own circle of support, our boundaries can get wobbly. We must be on our guard to maintain our boundaries. There is no wiggle room with our boundaries. This article explores some of the dangers clergy may face.

By Kirkpatrick G. Cohall

In recent years, many mitigating have contributed to institutions emphasizing an ethic of care in educational practice. Education at its best, results in individuals making significant contributions to society’s overall welfare for the benefit of our common humanity. Pastors can bring people together inter-denominationally for community building. This article offers ideas on how to achieve that.

By Douglas S. Stivison

This is a touching remembrance of one of the founders of the Living Pulpit, who died at age 85. Bob was a true visionary and a consummate businessperson with a razor sharp mind, a true understanding of human nature, a gift for organization, and the ability to peer beyond the horizon to recognize trends and opportunities before others saw them. Bob did not do things by halves and so when he was building support for an innovative ecumenical preaching journal his enthusiasm was contagious and his personal commitment to the success of the project at hand was incontrovertible.

By Angella Son

This article diagnoses our society as the “culture of narcissism” and the common way to address narcissism both in churches and society is to treat it as a pursuit of self-gratification. Sermons addressing narcissism often tell people to avoid self-grandiosity. This article points out that the core experience of narcissistic people is not self-aggrandizement but a desperate search to restore their sense of realness of their existence, and it offers new insights into dealing with an important societal problem.

By Anne Lane Witt

Parish life encompasses so many facets that a cleric can become exhausted if not grounded in faith, service to God, and care for God’s people. “In my four years serving (in southern, rural) parishes, I have found that preaching, whatever the occasion, works best when it is an extension of caring for the congregation,” says the author of this insightful look as to how she has creatively approached getting to know and serve elderly congregations effectively.