The Alban Institute. As previously announced, Alban sold its book publishing assets, inventory and operations to Rowman & Littlefield in January. Alban Books are available directly from Rowman & Littlefield or from online sellers such as Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Rowman & Littlefield has established a special website for Alban customers. Please visit: . We are pleased that Rowman & Littlefield will continue to publish books with the Alban imprint. Alban’s longtime Director of Publishing, Richard Bass, has joined Rowman & Littlefield as a consulting editor. We are exploring ways to continue the Alban weekly publication and the Congregation mMagazine. Congregations Without Conflict Engage in Avoidance - George Bullard's Posterous. Churches in Conflict Often Make Unhealthy Choices on EthicsDaily.com. After one particularly frustrating performance by his Green Bay Packers, legendary coach Vince Lombardi called his team together. He was determined to get them refocused on the things that made for winning.
As they knelt before the coach, he held up a football. "Gentlemen, today we start over. This is a football! " I feel the need to call the local church around me and make a similar pronouncement: "Brothers and sisters in Christ, when we disagree, Jesus said we are to talk to one another, not about one another! " Matthew 18:15 has not been excised from Scripture: "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. " In the midst of a series of direct teachings about how his followers are to relate to one another and the world, Jesus gives us crystal-clear instructions on how to manage conflict. Unfortunately, we rationalize and justify ourselves as exceptions to this foundational component of New Testament community.
Why not? Building Up Congregations and Their Leaders.