A Generous Presence is a collection of story-driven essays about the philosophy, tools, and work of coaching that is designed to support all spiritual leaders in deepening and enriching their personal and professional relationships. By practicing the coaching tools Rochelle Melander offers, spiritual leaders will be better equipped to guide those they work with toward accepting […]
Thompson and a team of contributors-Beverly Thompson, Harvey K. Newman, and Jim Watkins-explore the nature of power and the challenges it proposes to pastoral ministry. By using the metaphor “Alligators in the Swamp,” they illustrate the complexity of power and how it can be used effectively. The text presents and explores the nature of power […]
In this latest and most accessible work from church historian, futurist, and best-selling author Leonard Sweet, church leaders will discover the leadership arts that are essential in today’s ever-changing culture. The author provides thought-provoking yet practical skills that will elevate the scope of ministry from mere survival of daily challenges to thriving in today’s culture! […]
Pastor and author N. Graham Standish describes how a church that is open to God’s purpose, presence, and power can claim God’s blessing. Standish shares the story of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, and its journey to become a spiritually deep congregation, one that is inwardly and outwardly healthy: spiritually, psychologically, physically, and relationally. […]
This definitive handbook can help church leaders to understand the powerful tools available that lead to continuous improvement in ministry. Charts, diagrams, statistics, and ‘quality jargon’ are kept to a minimum. An appendix on Total Quality Management will aid leaders who wish to explore more carefully the literature on the quality movement.
God gave Moses the vision to build a tabernacle, but Moses did not do that by himself. Church leaders engage in a similar endeavor. They a) see what is inside other potential leaders, b) use leadership, discernment, and management skills to bring the potential out, and c) avoid standing in front of the future leaders […]
Leadership? What for? Here is a workbook for a four-week study course – for clergy and laity – which seeks to answer this question from a specifically biblical and New Testament point of view. The author probes the biblical understanding of issues such as power and authority, and seeks to make clear why Jesus’ approach […]
Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work through […]
The statistics documenting pastoral unhappiness and frustration are everywhere. Most surveys indicate that eight out of ten pastors consider themselves discouraged in ministry. What s more, most pastors have heard the super ministry success stories and have tried to implement many of the same principles in their church only to see the same failed results […]
In If This Is the Way the World Works William O. Avery and Beth Ann Gaede ask two primary questions: First, what principles from science are so broadly accepted that scientists themselves are willing to say, ‘This is the way the world works’? Second, how do congregations and their leaders behave when they operate in […]