This is an excerpt from The Self-Renewing Congregation by Isa Aron. Aron argues that the effectiveness of an organization is dependent on the synergy of its members. She identifies acumen, resilience, and flexibility, as characteristics of “self-renewing” organizations, and defines four other capacities that contribute to congregational self renewal:
- Thinking back and thinking ahead—being both reflective and proactive.
- Enabling leaders to follow and followers to lead—practicing collaborative leadership.
- Seeing both the forest and the trees—creating community among diverse individuals.
- Honoring the past while anticipating the future—balancing tradition and change.