The Reformation-era writings that make up the Lutheran Confessions remain lively resources for Christian ministry and mission today. Because each of the documents within the Book of Concord was written with a specific context and rhetorical purpose in mind, each has its own compelling story and objectives. Luther's catechisms present the faith for daily life at the grass-roots level, with teaching elements that we might now view as typical of social media and multimedia. The Augsburg Confession and its Apology provide an adaptable foundation for preaching, teaching, church organization, and dialogue that is rooted in the promise of Christ, received through faith. Fifteen years after the Diet of Worms, the Smalcald Articles reveal yet another "Here I stand" moment for Luther. Finally, the Formula of Concord shows how the next generations of Lutherans used collaboration and consensus as they wrestled with important themes of faith and life. In summary, as these texts engage us with their stories, they invite us to consider what is most important about our journeys of faith and Christian witness in today's twenty-first-century contexts.
Inspired by President Obama’s call to national service, Spirit of Service is a daily devotional that will stir the soul and inspire every reader to meet the challenge of helping others with hope, energy, personal resources, and innovation. Offering 365 ways to serve, this self-help experience allows readers to look at all the ways that theycan get involved in service to others, from serving the person sitting next to them to their communities as a whole, from national service to actions that impact the world.
Michael Fullan and Mark Edwards capture a powerful way forward Today’s challenges have led to a loss of hope at all levels of education leadership. Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration advocates for the development of two qualities that will bring back hope: "spirit work" and the “science of collaboration”. Built on eight school district cases of success spirit work inspires leaders and community members to join to create a positive powerful culture. The authors delve into new developments in neuroscience to show how spirit and collaboration represent revolutionary potential for education. Readers will find: A lifeline amid overwhelming and exhausting conditions Hope for themselves and the future of education Ideas for building cohesion throughout school communities
From INSIGHTS ON LEADERSHIP . . . Robert K. Greenleaf from "The Servant as Leader" "The servant-leader is servant first. Becoming a servant-leader begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. . . . The best test is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?" Stephen R. Covey from "Servant-Leadership from the Inside Out" "You may be able to buy someone's hand and back, but you cannot buy their heart, mind, and spirit. And in the competitive reality of today's global marketplace, it will be only those organizations whose people not only willingly volunteer their tremendous creative talent, commitment, and loyalty, but whose organizations align their structures, systems, and management style to support the empowerment of their people that will survive and thrive as market leaders." Ken Blanchard from "Servant-Leadership Revisited" "With the traditional pyramid, the boss is always responsible and the staff are supposed to be responsive to the boss. When you turn the pyramid upside down, those roles get reversed. Your people become responsible and the job of management is to be responsive to their people. That creates a very different environment for implementation. If you work for your people, then what is the purpose of being a manager? To help them accomplish their goals. Your job is to help them win." INSIGHTS ON LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTORS Stephen R. Covey * Larry C. Spears * Robert K. Greenleaf * Ken Blanchard * Elizabeth Jeffries * Joe Batten * Lawrence J. Lad and David Luechauer * Jack Lowe Jr. * Ann McGee-Cooper * Peter Block * Susana Barciela * John J. Gardiner * Richard P. Nielsen * Jill W. Graham * Bill Bottum with Dorothy Lenz * Robert E. Kelley * Judith A. Sturnick * Parker J. Palmer * Diane Cory * Diane Fassel * Thomas A. Bausch * Christine Wicker * James Conley and Fraya Wagner-Marsh * Joseph Jaworski * John P. Schuster * Ken Melrose * John S. Lore * James A. Autry * Irving R. Stubbs * James M. Kouzes * Jeffrey N. McCollum * Margaret J. Wheatley * Don M. Frick "It is one of the great ironies of our age that we created organizations to constrain our problematic human natures, and now the only thing that can save these organizations is a full appreciation of the expansive capacities of us humans." --Margaret J. Wheatley from "What Is Our Work?" Leadership without hierarchy? Organization in a whirlwind of change? Community and shared responsibility in a global village? Soul in a free-enterprise world? Robert Greenleaf's visionary theory of Servant-Leadership continues to engage many of the best minds in and out of business. Greenleaf's prescriptions for employee empowerment and organizational change continue to achieve nothing short of miraculous results in organizations worldwide. As one enthusiastic observer wrote in Fortune magazine, "Once the consensus is forged, watch out: With everybody on board, your so-called implementation proceeds 'wham-bam.'" In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Reflections on Leadership, many of today's most respected business thinkers share their insights into key aspects of Robert Greenleaf's revolutionary thinking. Over the course of 33 essays, a dream team consisting of such luminaries as Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Peter Block, Margaret Wheatley, John Schuster, and James Autry explore how Greenleaf has influenced today's business leaders and discuss a range of leadership principles at the heart of his philosophy, including stewardship, the spirit of the workplace, and the concept of healing leadership. A source of inspiration and instruction, Insights on Leadership is required reading for senior executives, community leaders, and managers in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
In the twenty years since its publication, Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. For this special twentieth anniversary edition, Richard J. Foster has added an introduction, in which he shares the story of how this beloved and enduring spiritual guidebook came to be. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration, bring us nearer to one another and to God. Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities-and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help motivate Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.
The Spirit of Hospitality takes readers on a journey of passion for purpose that empowers the missing ingredients of hospitality into a proven leadership style that works. Time has sped up to the point where technology has surpassed the last few thousand years by only a generation. What happened to kindness, humility and the human touch vs. having our face buried into a laptop or IPhone? A life dedicated to excellence does not come by chance, or with age, but by choice and commitment. Larry Stuart strives to give The Spirit of Hospitality to others who are called to a life of prosperity and significance. He provides the tools, attributes and real-life examples of what works when it comes to serving up a memorable guest service delivery and describes the necessary ingredients of hospitality. There is hope only if individuals bring back the missing ingredients of kindness, humility, integrity, encouragement, generosity, team and accountability. Only then is the spirit of hospitality empowered to provide the right leadership approach in building relationships to a new level of expectation, and allows those who embrace that spirit to accomplish whatever they strive to achieve.
This beautifully illustrated book takes a journey through the majestic continent of Africa, exploring people, places, and animals in greatly contrasting habitats.
The ultimate guide to today’s exciting gin revival with a nod to the spirit’s rich history, featuring a comprehensive review of gin distilleries, ingredients and accoutrements, distilling methods, cocktail recipes, international bar guide, and creative contributions from industry leaders. The Spirit of Gin is a comprehensive and entertaining illustrated guide to the classic spirit, with a sharp focus on the modern gin revival led by innovative craft-gin distillers, new ingredients and infusions, and growing interest in bars across the United States and overseas. The book details the colorful history of gin from its invention in eighteenth century London to today’s worldwide resurgence; provides detailed coverage of the methods, ingredients, and accoutrements of modern makers and purveyors; gives coverage to popular gin bars and classic cocktails with eclectic sidebars and interviews; and provides a complete catalog of commercial and craft distilleries worldwide.
This text introduces a customer service programme that has been applied, refined and customized in many top businesses. It explains in practical terms how you can build a service culture into your business.
