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Alban Weekly
August 2, 2004
in this issue
- Alban Board Briefed on Marketing, Business Plan
- How sound is your congregation's budget? Take the test
- Places of Worship Grow Tolerant of Casual Dress
- For Lou Nistler and John Janka, Mission Accomplished
- Summer Sidewalk Sale
- Calendar of Events
Alban Board Briefed on Marketing, Business Plan
The Alban Institute Board of Trustees heard briefings on positioning the Institute for competitive
advantage and a business plan to guide the Institute's growth over the next three
years. The Board met at Alban offices in Herndon, VA.
The positioning leverages Alban's reputation for
pioneering research, publications and consulting into a branding program called The
Alban Way. The inaugural Alban Way positioning statement appears in the summer books
catalog. Alban marketing consultant Christopher Bonner, Bonner Consultants, Inc.,
McLean, VA, explained that the Alban Way initiative casts a halo over all of the
institute's products, words and deeds. Bonner outlined plans for ramping up marketing
across the Alban product line and for a pioneering photographic essay about the impact
of Alban's work on American congregations. Alban Director of Finance Lee Nelson
discussed how the emerging Alban business plan is enabling managers to plan for
growth and responsibly build revenues to further the mission. The plan will be
presented in final form to the Board in November.
How sound is your congregation's budget? Take the test
Congregations -- like most organizations -- face the ongoing challenge
of how best to balance their income and expenses. Gauge how your congregation
compares to best practices while deciding how much to spend on facilities, staff
compensation and programs. Dan Hotchkiss, Alban senior consultant and author of
"Ministry and Money: A Guide for Clergy and Their Friends," offers a quick survey
to help a congregation get a snapshot of its finances.
Places of Worship Grow Tolerant of Casual Dress
July 25, 2004 - The Indianapolis Star quoted both Gil Rendle, a senior
consultant for the Alban Institute, and J. Brent Bill, Executive Vice President
of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, Inc. in "Come as you are: Places of
worship gow more tolerant of causal dress" by John J. Shaughnessy.
For Lou Nistler and John Janka, Mission Accomplished
Lou Nistler, director of Information Technology &
Membership Services and John Janka, director of Consulting & Education announced
their resignations from the Alban Institute. Lou Nistler has served the Alban
Institute and the people Alban serves for six and a half years. During his
tenure, he led Alban through a technological make-over that transformed many
of the ways we worked. To name a few, Lou implemented Alban's email system,
centralized data bases, e-commerce, alban.org and Congregational Resource
Guide. He has worked in countless ways to make us a much stronger institution
and one able to work well in the age of the Internet. Lou will be executive
operations officer for Global Impact, a fundraising firm in Alexandria, VA.
John Janka has been with the Alban Institute for almost four years. During his
tenure, John made many contributions to our work. Among them: He focused attention
on clarifying the norms and standards of our consulting work by leading us into
the process of designing a consultant's handbook. John has worked behind the scenes
to create stronger and healthier patterns of interaction between the consultants
and the Alban staff. John also played a pivotal role in bringing our cultural
boundaries work along. During this time, he wrote articles and position papers
that advanced our work in a variety of ways. John will serve as interim minister
of First Presbyterian Church of Howard County, an 800-member congregation
in Columbia, MD. The Alban Institute would like to thank Lou and John for all
that they have contributed and to wish them God's blessings in their new careers.
Summer Sidewalk Sale
The Alban Institute summer books catalog features new
titles along with best sellers, on sale at 10 percent off when buying three or more.
A special Summer Sidewalk Sale within the catalog offers favorite Alban titles for
as much as 50 percent off list price. The catalog was shipped to members and Alban
customers July 30th. If you are new to Alban, please click here
to reserve your copy.
Calendar of Events
September 7-10, 2004: Pastor as Spiritual Leader
In this seminar you will explore the role of pastor in caring for the corporate soul; examine
the difference between power and authority; discover your spiritual type; and study the
differences between leadership and management. Space is limited, so please call Tiffany
Belk at 703-964-2700 ext. 247 or tbelk@alban.org
to make your reservation.
September 13-16, 2004: New Visions for the Long Pastorate
Explore the practical skills one needs to minister effectively at the same
location for a number of years through testing theories and instruments within
the context of personal and congregational insights. For more information and
to register please call Tiffany Belk at 703-964-2700 ext. 247 or
tbelk@alban.org.
Contact Information
email: ktufts@alban.org
web: http://www.alban.org
(c) Alban Institute 2004
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