Kathleen S. Smith, Stilling the Storm: Worship and Congregational Leadership in Difficult Times. Alban Institute, 2006.
Referenced in: Church Conflict – Leadership, Preaching, and Worship in Times of Conflict
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is the sixth and final installation in a series published by Alban Institute in association with the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship, the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations Series. While the focus of the series is worship renewal, this volume is also very insightful on how congregations deal with difficulties.
The thesis of this book: “When congregations go through different times, those difficulties will affect the worship life of the congregation, and the practice of worship will itself be a key part of the congregation’s healing process.” (xxi) As the congregation’s main event, worship is both affected by and potentially impacting for the congregation’s experience traumas such as tragic death, fire, natural catastrophe, conflict, schism, difficult transitions, loss of beloved members or leaders, change, worship wars, etc. To address this, the writer draws from emotional systems theory, appreciative inquiry, and biblical theology to address four very common transitions of leadership, space, membership, and vision.
Chapter 1 tells the story of six congregations who faced three categories of difficult times: crisis, transition, and conflict. Chapter 2 looks at congregational dynamics through the lens of emotional systems and biblical ecclesiology, focusing on how congregations typically react to the stress of difficult situations. Chapter 3 discusses the purpose and function of worship in congregational life in general and in difficult times in particular, using helpful questions and case studies. “It also reveals the potential of worship to be a means of healing and a primary occasion for the congregation both to stop and lament, and then to move through and beyond the turbulence of the difficulty.” (xxii) Chapters 4 -6 each address the specific effects of each type of difficulty: crisis, transition, and conflict. This includes the role of worship in providing pastoral care, navigating transitions in areas such as leadership, space, membership, or vision, and addressing conflict through confession and reconciliation. Chapter 7 addresses the peculiar nature of congregational leadership in difficult times.
Although Smith writes out of her tradition in the Christian Reformed Church in North America with its evangelical Protestant and Calvinistic roots, her insights translate quite well into other faith traditions.
From the Publisher
When congregations go through difficult times, worship will both reflect and influence those difficulties. The practice of worship itself can be a key part of the congregation’s healing process.
Teacher and consultant Kathleen Smith successfully demonstrates this truth in Stilling the Storm, a book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the ways that worship intertwines with the life and health of a congregations. There are three main types of difficulty congregations can face: times of crisis, transition, and conflict. Smith considers their differences, similarities, and implications for worship, and explains the congregational dynamics that accompany such times and the roles that leaders play. She reviews basic principles of worship and the ways that unique moments and regular habits of worship shape the congregation. For each type of difficulty she suggests important themes for congregations and their worship planners. Smith explores the wide range of liturgical resources available for congregations going through difficult times and how those resources can best be shaped to fit the specific situation they are experiencing. A perceptive guide to the worship we offer to God in all times and situation, Stilling the Storm is an important resource for all congregations of all worship traditions.
About the Author
Kathleen S. Smith is the Director of Continuing Education for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She leads workshops on worship and leadership for pastors and congregations and teaches ministry courses to seminary students.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
Related Areas
See Other Resources on Church Conflict:
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: