by Tracy Hartman | Feb 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
Our Methodist colleagues in Minnesota made national news this week as they made the difficult decision to close and relaunch the Cottage Grove campus of the Woodbury United Methodist Church. The decision, which left the church’s older members feeling disenfranchised,...
by Tracy Hartman | Dec 10, 2019 | Adapting
Adaptive leadership, it’s all the buzz these days. From early work by Ron Heifetz, to more recent books like Sailboat Church by Joan Gray and Canoeing the Mountains by Todd Bolsinger, everyone is talking about the reality that many of our old ways of doing things...
by Tracy Hartman | Aug 14, 2019 | mission
Yesterday I was with a group of inter-faith pastors and educators. When we introduced ourselves, we shared our names, where we served, and the greatest challenge we faced in ministry. The answers to the last question surprised no one: “My church has been declining –...
by Tracy Hartman | Nov 20, 2018 | change
I am a member at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. In 2008, we began to welcome refugees from Burma into our congregation, many of whom spoke little or no English. Today, we serve together, side-by-side, learning from and teaching each other. On any given...
by Tracy Hartman | Aug 21, 2018 | conflict
Conflict. Just the word gives many of us a sinking feeling. And it seems to be everywhere these days: in our homes, our churches and other ministry settings, and in our national and global interactions. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of spending a week in Israel...
