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
Forming the Leader's Soul: An Invitation to Spiritual Direction encourages Christian leaders to recover the much-needed ancient discipline of spiritual direction as a pathway to nurture spiritual and emotional health amid the challenges of leading a ministry.Many Christian leaders are finding the nature of ministry to be unsustainable in today's culture, and are searching for help. They realize their initial enthusiasm and ministry training are simply not enough to reach the finish line. Leaders are discovering spiritual direction as a proven pathway to recover spiritual life and the sustainable ministry that follows.Several years ago spiritual direction was almost unheard of in the Protestant world. Today, this ministry is referred to in articles and books as well as highlighted at conferences. This book seeks to give the reader a starting point from which to explore the ministry of spiritual direction. It offers an inside look at the history, theological foundation, and the praxis of this spiritual discipline creating a desire for further exploration and participation.The author seeks to strengthen the reader's appreciation of spiritual direction by drawing upon the his own experience as a pastor for over three decades. He uses his personal journey into spiritual direction (both as a directee and director) as a window and an invitation to discover more. Each chapter ends with a short, real-life story from a leader who participates in spiritual direction.
In this expanded edition of her spiritual formation classic, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Barton explores topics such as facing the loneliness of leadership, leading from your authentic self, reenvisioning the promised land and more.
When we choose retreat we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. Seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God, guiding us through seven invitations to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.
In our postmodern, experience-oriented culture, people are longing for greater authenticity, integrity, and depth in their pastors and leaders. Board directors, church members, and staff alike are all eagerly seeking leaders who effectively integrate their spirituality and leadership. Pastors and executives, however, often struggle with knowing how to integrate their spiritual values and practices into their leadership and management roles. Designed for pastors, executives, administrators, managers, coordinators, and all who see themselves as leaders and who want to fulfill their God-given purpose, The Spirit-Led Leader addresses the critical fusion of spiritual life and leadership for those who not only want to see results, but who also desire to care just as deeply about who they are and how they lead as they do about what they produce and accomplish. Geoffrion creates a new vision for spiritual leadership as partly an art, partly a result of careful planning, and always a working of the grace of God
Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.
We've all been let down by so-called community. Why is it so hard for us to connect and grow together for the long haul? Veteran spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton helps us get personal and practical about experiencing transformation together. This interactive guide allows us to grow through and by the experience of transforming community.
Ray Anderson offers an inspiring call for Christian leaders to view Jesus as a model for their own ministry today. The Soul of Ministry explores the idea of ministry across denominations and discovers its soul in God's love for the world. Designed for pastors of all denominations, this book combines social biblical theology with numerous real-life anecdotes from Anderson's teaching and ministry.
Mindy Caliguire introduces us to the concept of soul care (the spiritual discipline). Soul Care Resources are designed to be simple, but not simplistic, guides to maintaining or recovering the life and health of your soul, that essential personhood created by God as you.
“Deepak Chopra lights the way to twenty-first century leadership, where consciousness, love, and compassion redefine the locus of power in relationships and organizations.”—John Mackey, co-CEO Whole Foods Market Bestselling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites you to become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader with vision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teaching leadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, and the path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to any business, but the same principles are relevant in every community and area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship, and neighborhood. “At the deepest level,” Chopra writes, “a leader is the symbolic soul of a group.” With clear, practical steps, you are led through the crucial skills outlined in the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S: L = Look and Listen E = Emotional Bonding A = Awareness D = Doing E = Empowerment R = Responsibility S = Synchronicity After identifying your own soul profile and the core values you want to develop, you can use these seven skills to allow your potential for greatness to emerge. Only from the level of the soul, Chopra contends, are great leaders created. Once that connection is made, you have unlimited access to the most vital qualities a leader can possess: creativity, intelligence, organizing power, and love. The Soul of Leadership aims to fill the most critical void in contemporary life, the void of enlightened leaders. “You can be such a leader,” Chopra promises. “The path is open to you. The only requirement is that you learn to listen to your inner guide.” In this unique handbook you are shown how to do just that, in words as practical as they are uplifting. The future is unfolding at this very minute, and the choice to lead it lies with each of us, here and now.
