Churches around the globe are answering God's call to engage the challenging religious, political, and humanitarian crises facing the world today. Based on the public theology of Gary M. Simpson, public church leaders demonstrate in this book how to respond within diverse global contexts with Gospel compassion, courage, and contextual leadership.
The New York Times bestselling author of Chase the Lion reveals seven powerful habits that can help you tackle God-sized goals by turning yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s anxieties into fuel for a better today. “This book will change the trajectory of your life.”—John Maxwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and leadership expert Too many people delay, downsize, or shrug off their dreams just because they don’t know where to start, but playing it safe doesn’t account for the massive cost of a life not fully lived. Win the Day is the jump-start you need to go after your goals, one day at a time. You’ll discover how to: 1. Flip the Script: If you want to change your life, start by changing your story. 2. Kiss the Wave: The obstacle is not the enemy; the obstacle is the way. 3. Eat the Frog: If you want God to do the super, you’ve got to do the natural. 4. Fly the Kite: How you do anything is how you’ll do everything. 5. Cut the Rope: Playing it safe is risky. 6. Wind the Clock: Time is measured in minutes; life is measured in moments. 7. Seed the Clouds: Sow today what you want to see tomorrow. As Batterson unpacks each of these daily habits, you’ll see how simple it is to pursue them with focus and dedication—not someday down the road, but now. Transform your perspective of a single day and you’ll discover the potential waiting to be grasped at the beginning of each new sunrise.
Nearly every church is trying to help their congregants build relationships with others, grow as disciples, and/or engage in meaningful service through small groups. Many have argued that these small groups are the preferred vehicle for relationship building, disciple making, and membership assimilation in the local church, especially in large, multisite churches. Leading Small Groups That Thrive shows small group leaders, step by step, how to plan for, launch, build, sustain, and multiply highly effective, transformational, healthy small group experiences where people grow spiritually together. Based on a large-scale research study of small group pastors, leaders, and members, Leading Small Groups That Thrive gives church leaders both what they want--practical, straightforward, actual small group member voices and experiences, and compelling guidance on how to build transformational groups complemented with real-life examples and data of successful small groups--and what they need--substantial, challenging insights and a data-driven model grounded in the latest research on church small groups.
Why do the demands of leadership often draw leaders away from intimacy with God? What can I do to become a more effective leader? How can I keep from burning out and bailing out? How can we develop effective leaders who are being spiritually transformed as they abide in Christ? Key to answering these questions is the simple but profound truth that we must be the people of God before we do the work of God. That's why The Spiritual Formation of Leaders invites you to deeper intimacy with Christ so, in Him, you will be empowered to enjoy rich community with one another and a life of fruitful ministry. Spiritual leadership formation happens only in God's presence. So come to Jesus. Meet with Him in the Soul Room, walk with Him into the Leadership Room, and watch Him work in you and through you for His kingdom
What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Exploring the qualities of adaptive leadership within churches and nonprofit organizations, Tod Bolsinger deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back, showing how leaders can become both stronger and more flexible.
Imagine what ministry in your church would look like if every member was serving in some way. Now imagine how effective your ministry would be if everyone served with a leader’s mind-set. In Building a Church Full of Leaders, Dr. Jeanne Porter King sets out to help pastors and ministry leaders move from using traditional methods of moving people from the pews to service, to developing strategic and transformative systems for organizing ministry, recruitment, training, and ongoing development that aim to help church members see themselves not just as volunteers but as servants and co-laborers of ministry. Filled with both practical and spiritual tools for developing an effective leadership model, Building a Church Full of Leaders will help you transform the way you shape and deliver ministry at your church—as well as the ones who deliver it.
Ministerial Ethics provides both new and experienced pastors with tools for sharpening their personal and professional decision-making skills. The authors seek to explain the unique moral role of the minister and the ethical responsibilities of the vocation and to provide "a clear statement of the ethical obligations contemporary clergy should assume in their personal and professional lives." Trull and Carter deal with such areas as family life, confidentiality, truth-telling, political involvement, working with committees, and relating to other church staff members. First published in 1993, this edition has been thoroughly updated throughout and contains expanded sections on theological foundations, the role of character, confidentiality, and the timely topic of clergy sexual abuse. Appendices describing various denominational ministerial codes of ethics are included.
Bob Rhoden offers advice on how to advance the growth and maturity of your church by teaching leaders to lead using the principle of the four "faces": Shepherd, Servant, Steward, and Seer.
“Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.” —Beth Moore What is the way forward for the church? Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches—from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth. How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov. In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov—unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.
This book brings the best of leadership theory and research together with biblical reflection and examples of leadership in action to offer a practical guide to Christian leaders. Combining expertise in leadership studies and biblical studies, Justin Irving and Mark Strauss explore how leadership models have moved from autocratic and paternalistic leader-centered models toward an increased focus on followers. The authors show how contemporary theories such as transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and servant leadership take an important step toward prioritizing and empowering followers who work with leaders to accomplish organizational goals. Irving and Strauss organize their book around "nine empowering practices," making it accessible to students, church leaders, and business leaders. Integrating solid research in leadership studies with biblical and theological reflection on the leadership ideas that are most compatible with Christian faith, this book is an important resource for all Christian students of leadership.
