The Power of Listening: Building Skills for Mission and Ministry

Lynne M. Baab

doi:10.5771/9781566997126

Summary

Listening skills, and the perspective gained through careful listening, are more important in congregations than ever. Many factors make attentive listening a significant contributor to healthy congregations. As we enter into a post-Christendom culture, the people coming into congregations, as well as the people in the wider community, are less likely to be operating from a shared set of assumptions. With world-wide migration reshaping our communities and congregations, diverse perspectives coming from varied cultural backgrounds are also more common. The breakdown of many support structures in society has created profound pastoral care needs, making listening increasingly significant for both ministers and lay leaders. Polarization over so many issues and the increasing emphasis on story-telling in the journey of faith are two additional reasons why listening matters today. Careful and loving listening nurtures care, connection and depth, which contribute to congregational life and health.

Listening to God is another aspect of listening which is gaining increased attention today. Many congregational leaders have become weary of church as a business and are looking for authentic experiences of God’s guidance. Congregations are increasingly engaging in communal discernment. Many listening skills used in human interactions are also building blocks for listening to God.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2014
Copyright Year: 2014
ISBN-Print: 978-1-56699-753-9
ISBN-Online: 978-1-56699-712-6
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 181
Product Type: Monograph

1. Contents No access
2. Preface No access
3. Acknowledgments No access
1 A Call to Listen No access Pages 1 - 14
2 Listening to the Unspoken No access Pages 15 - 32
3 Listening within the Congregation No access Pages 33 - 50
4 Listening for Mission No access Pages 51 - 64
5 Listening in Consensus and Discernment No access Pages 65 - 80
6 Listening to God Together through Scripture No access Pages 81 - 92
7 Listening to God Together through Spiritual Practices No access Pages 93 - 106
8 The Listening Toolbox No access Pages 107 - 126
9 Anxiety and Listening No access Pages 127 - 142
10 Humility and Listening No access Pages 143 - 156
11 Listening, Receptivity, and Speaking Up No access Pages 157 - 168
Notes No access Pages 169 - 176
For Further Reading No access Pages 177 - 180
About the Author No access Pages 181 - 181