Positive Deviance Theory moves from the outer edges toward its center rather than assuming the center will tell those on the edges what to … [Read more...] about Positive Deviance Theory- The Church Daring to be Different
About Jim Kitchens
Jim pastored Presbyterian (PCUSA) churches in California and Tennessee for almost 40 years before turning his energy to working with congregations and regional judicatories in transition. He served Sacramento Presbytery as its transitional presbytery executive, helped lead the merger of Stockton and Sacramento Presbyteries, and was part of the staff for the PC(USA)’s national program for first call pastors. He has been a member and chair of the PCUSA’s Committee on Theological Education.
A native of Mississippi, Jim holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Mississippi and an M.Div. from Pacific School of Religion. He was invited to be the Pastor Theologian in Residence at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton and was a Coolidge Fellow at Auburn Seminary.
Jim is the author of The Postmodern Parish published by the Alban Institute. He has written many articles for The Presbyterian Outlook, as well as for CHC.
In 2011, he and his long-time friend and colleague Deborah Wright founded PneuMatrix, a non-profit consulting group that helps congregations and judicatories engage adaptive challenges.
Jim is the coordinator of the CHC-West region. He can be reached at JimK@chchurches.org.
Articles by Jim Kitchens
Opening Ourselves to the Spirit: Collaboration within the Life of a Congregation
When we talk about collaboration in the church, we usually are thinking about how to find partners outside our own congregation to help us address a … [Read more...] about Opening Ourselves to the Spirit: Collaboration within the Life of a Congregation
Learning to Collaborate x 3
When I started out as a young associate pastor, I was deeply aware of how little I knew about ministry. I wasn’t sure how to lead a … [Read more...] about Learning to Collaborate x 3
Learning to See with God’s Eyes
Some years ago, I spent a few days at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, one of my denomination’s most vibrant congregations. The church’s campus, … [Read more...] about Learning to See with God’s Eyes
The Faithful Gift of a Leaving a Legacy
Most of us have read the statistics about how many churches are likely to close over the next 3-5 years. Although the various studies come up … [Read more...] about The Faithful Gift of a Leaving a Legacy
Just the Next Step
In the not so distant past, organizations thought they should do a strategic planning / visioning process about every ten years. Organizational life … [Read more...] about Just the Next Step
Right-Sizing Your Staff
Many churches have been struggling for years to raise the financial resources needed to maintain the staffing model they’ve “always … [Read more...] about Right-Sizing Your Staff
Keeping Worship Safe
When you look back over the tremendous amount of change our churches have gone through since the early days of Covid-19, it almost takes your breath … [Read more...] about Keeping Worship Safe
Speaking the Truth in Love
One of the projects I’m working on these days is to help three presbyteries in the Mountain West think about their future. All … [Read more...] about Speaking the Truth in Love
