Books @ Leadership Network Blog

One Chapter to Read: In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership

Leadership Network — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:49:00 PST

In this short video, author Mike Bonem responds to the question, "If leaders only had time to read one chapter of your book, which would you recommend?"

To order your copy of In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership visit 100x.christianbook.com

Author: Leadership Network

Topics: Books

Hijacked - When Our Politics Trump Our Theology

Warren Bird — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:33:00 PST

As another pivotal election approaches, there is no shortage of articles on the question of whether pastors are legally allowed to speak out about politics, such as this insightful overview by Jim Garlow. It seems we can.

Likewise many have argued that personal faith must inform the values we bring into public policy, such as this excerpt from Personal Faith, Public Policy by Pastor Harry Jackson and lobbyist Tony Perkins. Others argue strongly that Christians must speak up, such as Tom Minnery’s challenging book, Why You Can’t Stay Silent

Now my friend Mike Slaughter has just co-authored a book that explores the partisan church divide: what happens when Christians are strongly identified with a particular political party -- ANY party. The title is Hijacked because, the book argues, “there has been a growing tendency to conflate one's theological commitments with one's political ideology.” As a consequence, partisan politics has infiltrated our churches and political commitments are creating unnecessary divisions and a political discourse that is growing more rancorous and increasingly uncivil. Of most concern, these trends generally tend to obscure the properly holistic nature of the Gospel of Christ and turn people off to Christianity altogether.

The more biblical approach, according to Hijacked, is that “Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, conservative nor liberal. Jesus refused to sell out to the religious and political systems of his day. He stood in prophetic tension with both, and we as his followers must learn to do the same” (xviii). Throughout the book, the emphasis is on each of us being known as Christian first, and someone identified with a particular political party second, and even as we put our identity in Christ first, to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we may disagree politically.

The three authors are Mike Slaughter, lead pastor of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church ; Charles Gutenson, faculty at Asbury Seminary and former staffer at Sojourners; and Robert P. Jones, on staff with the Public Religion Research Institute.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books

Where Is the Global Church Headed?

Warren Bird — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:06:00 PST

No one is better at stimulating discussion about this question than Patrick Johnstone, editor of six editions of Operation World, and now compiler of The Future of the Global Church: History, Trends and Possibilities. It’s a massive 240-page project, six years in preparation, and richly illustrated on every page. It has almost as many graphics as text. You can spend hours studying it, and then come back another day and spend more time, learning even more. I know because I did, benefitting immensely.

What’s unique about this book is that it not only presents the religious dynamics of each country and region of the world, but it also examines the presence of Christians there, identifying each branch of Christianity country by country, and especially bringing out the role of evangelicals. He also has a major region-by-region section on the unevangelized.

Johnstone is hopeful and optimistic in his conclusions, but equally sobering about all that must happen before “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9 and Habakkuk 2:14). For example, in many countries where the gospel seems to be making good progress, it’s actually disproportionately represented by migrant workers, expatriates, or one particular people group.

Here are a few “did you know?” items that I learned:

- There are 22 mission agencies that each have over 1,000 missionaries in service. Who’s the largest? Answer: For the year 2010, Campus Crusade for Christ International with 9,913 workers in 128 fields.

- In 1900 Britain was the largest sender of missionaries, eclipsed soon by the United States. In 2010, 3 of the top 4 missionary-sending countries were Asian. If USA sends the most in 2010 (95,000), who comes next? Answer: India (82,950), South Korea (21,500), China (20,000), Nigeria (6,644), and then the United Kingdom (6,405).

- What are the top three countries where missionaries were sent in 2000? Answer: to India (42,023), to the USA (20,219) and to Brazil (6,966).

- In how many countries is less than 1% of the population affiliated with any branch of Christianity? Answer: 24. If you exclude Christian “foreigners” living in various countries, the answer is 35. As with all other stats, the book depicts them in a helpful graphic.

- Where are the people groups with the least exposure to the gospel? Answer: North Africa and the Middle East, followed by Asia. This area has been described as the 10/40 Window, and several graphics analyze it.

- Where are the most evangelicals? Answer: USA, followed by China, then Nigeria, India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Congo and Indonesia. On that list, the ranking of China and Indonesia surprised me the most. In a few years China's evangelical population will most likely surpass that of the USA!

The book is well worth the price, and along with the purchase comes free or discounted access to various additional data and visuals available online.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books

Leadership Network Author Notes with Brandon Hatmaker

Greg Ligon — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:05:00 PST

There's got to be more to church than this. Barefoot Church shows us how today's church can be a catalyst for individual, collective and social renewal in any context. Author, Brandon Hatmaker, is pastor of Austin New Church, co-founder of Restore Austin and a missional strategist with Missio. Take a look behind the curtain with Brandon's thoughts on reading and writing.

1. Why is reading important to you, and how do you find or make time to read books and blogs?

I know it’s probably not the norm for an author, but I’m not a natural reader. In fact, it’s more of a discipline for me than it is a pleasure. But my mind is wired in such a way that I love to learn, especially as a problem solver. So as a practitioner, reading to learn has always been my greatest motivation. Early in my ministry career I was challenged to not limit my exposure to people from my own “tribe”. When all we do is hang out with people like us, listen to people like us, and get advice from people like us, and who think like us… we never get outside the box, and never learn anything new. As a church leader and pastor, reading became increasingly important as I felt challenged to expand my thinking in response to our constantly changing context and culture.

As far as the time for reading goes… honestly, I’ve come to the place where I can’t afford not to make time to read books and blogs. I learn so much from them it actually saves time.

2. What books are you currently reading that you would recommend to our readers?

I typically don’t read one book straight through… instead I float between books depending on my mood or what’s on my mind. I have a pretty random list at the top of my Kindle right now. Here’s the top 5: Generous Justice by Tim Keller, Faith of Leap by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, Leadership is Dead by Jeremie Kubicek, AND by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, and The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

3. How do you make time to write books or blog?

I don’t force myself to write. I write when I feel I have something to say. I’m a verbal processor so when I don’t have someone to process something with out loud, I write it down or type it out. Usually by the end I have even more clarity than when I started. When something pops into my mind I need to write about, it takes me over. So it’s less about making time to write and more about expressing my thoughts tangibly so I can process them (or even move on from them). Most of my blogs are written late at night or right before I go to bed.

4. What is the “big idea” of your latest book in a Leadership Network book series?

For a season in my life it seemed like everyone I ran into wanted to do something of significance with their faith outside the church walls but didn’t know where to start. Likewise, many pastors seemed to really struggle with the concept of sending or equipping their people to live on mission without it seemingly becoming a threat to their existing structures. This creates a massive tension within the church on a topic that Scripture is anything but silent about. Barefoot Church emerged out of a heart to see both the seeker and the leader find balance, gain permission, and make a priority out of serving the least as an essential part of living on mission. It does so through providing simple and reproducible practices that could be integrated into any church structure. It’s not about modifying our behavior it’s about learning to live out the gospel as a part of our new identity in Christ.

5. If leaders only had time right now to read one chapter of your book, which one would your recommend... and why?

This is a tough question since the book builds on itself throughout each chapter. But if I had to choose I’d suggest the Chapter entitled “Good news for the Un-churched and De-churched”. In this chapter we address most of the issues and concerns that typically come up when it comes to serving the least. We deal with the idea of a holistic Gospel, address the doctrinal issues on how serving today is different than yesteryears “social gospel”, and we connect the dots to a changing posture of the church that is necessary to reach the increasing demographic of the de-churched and un-churched America.

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Books Learnings

What is Sacrilege?

Stephanie Plagens — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:24:00 PDT

Hugh Halter (author of The Tangible Kingdom and AND) has written a new book called Sacrilege (you can find all these titles here). Most of the books in the Leadership Network series are written specifically for church leaders, but Sacrilege (published by Baker, and part of the Shapevine Missional series) will appeal to a much broader audience. In fact, Hugh forwarded an email to me that I am excepting below, describing what Sacrilege is all about.

Hi friends,

Today marks the opening bell for the release of my latest book called Sacrilege. On blogs, articles, and other public comments, I try to avoid any “self promotion,” but on this one, I’m going to take the risk because I believe it will be of immense help if you are a Christian leader or unpaid saint. If you know me personally, you’ve probably heard me say that I hate to write…but even more, I feel incredible frustration and pain over the state of the church and what may happen to our story of faith if things keep going the way they are. Behind this, is a father’s heart and hope that someday my own children will be inspired enough by the Gospel of Jesus to give their lives for Him. This concern has led me to write a book that transcends the issue of CHURCH, and which centers the conversation at the systemic issue that every leader, every pastor, and every Christian must understand.

This issue? “How are Christians to live in the World?” Said, more theologically… “What does it mean to live an incarnational life?’ Said, more practically…”What does it mean to become like Jesus?”

Yes, I know that the predominant conversation for church leaders has been about being “missional” but that simply means to be “Sent.” But if you’re sent or you go on mission or you have a missional church but your people don’t know what to do, how to do it, or how to be a sent agent of Christ, it will be a bad dream!

This is why Sacrilege could make a difference.

Sacrilege is about the Incarnational life of Jesus. In it, I expose Jesus as the least religious person you would have ever met, and show how his non-churchy ways and his absolute sacrilege with the scriptures, the Sabbath, sin, sinners, and a host of other kingpin issues, were exactly why people were drawn to him. But the book isn’t about Jesus. It’s about us.
If Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” we must conclude, he meant, “Go and develop people into my likeness…make them like I was.” Thus, Sacrilege is my attempt to reframe what it means to be a disciple or apprentice of Jesus’ counter-culture Gospel.

Sacrilege is a walk through the Beatitudes as a grid for Kingdom living and each chapter should begin to erode away some long held beliefs that have made us very ‘unlike,’ Jesus. Yes, there are some pretty hard challenges and you may even find that you’re afraid for your people to really live out what I’m suggesting. You may even find that you have to think through long held practices of Christian leadership.

But as honest and as heartfelt as I can say it, I believe most Evangelicals and Mainline Christians have no clue what true incarnational life looks or feels like and until they get it, our churches, and your church will continue to fail the harvest, including your own children.

Why do I think Sacrilege can make sense out of the mundane Christian paradigm? Because it made sense to my own daughter. This message sent to my church community on Facebook last week.

“So today I went to Starbucks with 3 of my girlfriends and dedicated myself to reading my Dad's latest book, Sacrilege. After just finishing the introduction and the first chapter, I'm already feeling a stronger connection to Jesus. Lately my life has had some pretty rough patches and I haven't been able to be my normal happy, lovin self. At this point I feel so happy and I feel as though maybe things are starting to look up, and I'm finding faith in God to lead me to bigger and better things. I just want to thank my Dad for the amazing life he has blessed me with and allowing me to find Jesus on my own, and I truly believe I have. I love you Dad and I hope you have a safe trip. I'll be praying for you.
Love, Kenna”

How to Use Sacrilege?

The Tangible Kingdom and And..The Gathered and Scattered Church are both leadership books, but the TK Primer, and Barefoot Primer, and Sacrilege are all resources geared to helping normal people live incarnationally and in community.
If your church is a long way down the road of processing missionality, if you’re a church planter, or have a pretty savvy group of Christians, I’d have them all read Sacrilege as a preparation for missional community and cultural engagement. Many folks have used our TK Primer, and Sacrilege would be a great pre-read or after TK Primer experience. We do have a simple “free download” study guide available that you can get on our Missio site. (www.missio.us)

Also, Sacrilege would be a perfect book to give to friends that have had some church background but who have tapped out.

If you’ve already taken your small group or missional community through the TK Primer experience, Sacrilege would be a great read for your people as an ongoing discussion about incarnational life.

If you’re church or small group is a bit more traditional, I’d suggest you only give it to your stout-hearted, missionary minded folks. The concepts may be a bit tough on those whose faith has been centered around the church.

As you consider your own life and faithfulness to Jesus, I pray you’ll become a sacrilegious disciple too!

Thanks,

hugh

I have just started reading it myself, but I am encouraged by what I've read so far, and would encourage you to pick up a copy, read it, and share it with a friend. Here's a short video introducing the book.

Don't miss Hugh Halter next Thursday, Nov. 10 during connectLIVE - a free online event. Pre-register & learn more at connectlive2011.tv

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Barefoot Church is now available!

Stephanie Plagens — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:51:00 PDT

Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture, by Brandon Hatmaker, is now available at most online retailers in paperback and ebook formats. Below is a series of video interviews where Brandon talks about why he wrote the book, and what he hopes people will take away after reading Barefoot Church.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Reggie McNeal Writes to the Heart of Leadership

Stephanie Plagens — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:40:00 PDT

Leadership Network is happy to announce a newly updated edition of A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders is now available. First published in 2000, the updated edition includes a new preface from author Reggie McNeal, sharing his 10-year perspective on the landscape of spiritual leadership. The book also includes questions for discussion or reflection in your personal spiritual leadership journey.

In A Work of Heart Reggie helps leaders reflect on the ways in which God is shaping them by letting us see God at work in the lives of four quintessential biblical leaders: Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul. Reggie identifies the formative influences upon these leaders, which he sees as God's ways of working in their lives: the same influences at work today forming leaders for ministry in our times. He explores the shaping influence of culture, call, community, conflict, and the commonplace.

I asked Reggie to share some thoughts about revisiting A Work of Heart:

How has your perspective on church leadership changed since A Work of Heart was originally published?

I am more convinced than ever that leaders must pay attention to their interior lives in order to be effective spiritual leaders.

In the preface, you mention that of all the books you've written, this book is your favorite. Why is that?

Everyone is interested in their own personal development. Turning people into leaders is an easy thing for God to do. Turning leaders into people is much more challenging. I enjoy observing how he does it.

What's the biggest takeaway you hope to leave readers with?

I want to underscore for leaders that they must become guides in matters of the heart. Spiritual leadership has, as its primary assignment, the responsibility to reflect the heart of God to those in our leadership constellation. This requires that we understand how we co-conspire with God in our own heart-shaping, which in turn helps us become more adept in helping others understand this fundamental process of making meaning out of life.

Which of the four leaders' stories (Moses, David, Jesus, Paul) do you personally most identify with?

I know the right answer is Jesus, but I think that different periods of my life actually identify more with one leader than another. As a young man, I think David was particularly easy to identify with--not because of his murder and adultery--but because of his passion and brashness. He had a heart for God that I wanted. As a church planter, I identified with Moses, especially at the point of helping people transition from one way of life to another and in moving God's people through wilderness experiences. Now, I have a certain kinship with Paul, trying to articulate a movement to people who are investigating it as a way of life. In my case, it is the missional church movement, with its theological and missiological implications that move us from a church-centric to a kingdom-centric pursuit. It is a very challenging assignment, given that our theology and methodology for the past 1700 years has been congregational-centric. We are now in the process of having to redo our theological categories for a movement that has taken to the street. For many, this is as hard to imagine as it was for first-century converts to grasp what the birth of the church meant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reggie McNeal is the missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network. Drawing on twenty years of leadership roles in local congregations and his work over the last two decades with thousands of clergy and church leaders, he counsels local churches, denominational groups, seminaries and colleges, and parachurch organizations in their leadership development needs.

To download a free sample chapter of this book, and to order your copy, visit 100X.christianbook.com

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Help with a Church Merger?

Warren Bird — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:24:00 PDT

Various people contact our department through research@leadnet.org, and my team fields those replies. Here’s a recent one that I think a lot of people would be interested in:

Q: I was reading a magazine article that quoted you speaking about the growing trend in healthy church mergers. I was looking into the possibility of finding another church to merge with in my area. How should I begin?

A: Here’s the entirety of what I wrote:

First step would be to decide whether your congregation would be the “joining church” or the “lead church.” Either way, praying for guidance at each step, the most typical path is to work through the relationships with other church leaders you know. If you’re in the joining church role, is there a church you admire – one that seems to be a good match in doctrine and approach to ministry, but has a level of growth, vitality and momentum that your church doesn’t. Or if you’re wanting to be the lead church, which means you have a healthy level of growth, vitality and momentum, is there a smaller church whom you have relationship with, and who you could ask, “Is there a way we could help you?” And see where the conversation goes.

If you’re looking down the road a bit, then please buy the first book on church mergers to come off the press, slated for late April 2012: Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work, Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird, Jossey-Bass, 2012.

May God give you the guidance and wisdom you seek.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books

Leadership Network Author Notes with Larry Osborne

Greg Ligon — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:59:00 PDT

Pioneer - that's Larry Osborne. When I think of the pioneers of yesteryear I think of individuals that were willing to venture into the unknown while at the same time being fully aware of the realities of each step of the journey. They were high risk leaders with real life sensabilities. That's Larry Osborne. I first met Larry about 8-9 years ago as Leadership Network was launching its first Leadership Community for Multisite Churches. His pioneering work in the development of video venues was, and is, shaping a significant stream of the multisite movement. In his book, Sticky Church, Larry tells the story of the DNA of his church, Northcoast Church in Vista, CA. In this interview, Larry talks about reading and writing. Enjoy!

Why is reading important to you, and how do you find or make time to read books and blogs.

Reading has always been important to me. I grew up loving to read. I used to tell my kids, “If you can read, you can do anything.” I really believe that.

I find that reading opens up a plethora of mentors that I would otherwise never be able to access. Better yet, I can glean from their knowledge at my own pace and on my own schedule. How amazing is that?

Reading also helps me stay abreast of the ever-changing culture I minister in. It helps me understand the workplace and professions that my people toil in. It challenges me spiritually. And finally, it enables me to get outside the boundaries of my own tribe, education, and experiences.

Frankly, finding time to read has seldom been a problem. Putting a good book or journal down to get on with the task at hand is far tougher. Most of my reading takes place in the morning (I don’t do breakfast meetings for that reason). I also tend to read in the evening as a way to wind down.

I love browsing on the Internet. As a kid, I loved libraries, fascinated by all the knowledge contained on the shelves but totally intimidated and unsure as to how to access it all. Thanks to Google, that is no longer a problem.

What books are you currently reading that you would recommend to our readers?

I am enjoying Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and I had some great laughs reading Ir-Rev-Rend by Greg Surratt.

How do you make time to write books or blog?

I write to a deadline. I am one of those rare writers who doesn’t particularly enjoy the act of writing. I’ve never kept up on a journal more than a week or two. I much prefer having written to actually writing.

But having said that, I love to help people and empower leaders. Writing seems to be the best way to leverage the information and insights God has given me. So I write; usually 4-5 days a week for 2-3 hours per day with early morning and evening the most productive time.

I also currently have the advantage of an empty nest. I took a 13 year break from writing between my second and third book because I felt convicted that I needed to focus my attention on North Coast Church and my three kids. Once all the kids were in college, I took back evenings and weekends as my own and started writing again instead of heading off to an endless parade of their school, church, and athletic events.

By the way. It was a great decision. I have some books that will never be written, but I also have three grown kids who love Jesus, love the local church, and think Dad being a pastor is a cool gig.

What is the “big idea” of your latest book in the Leadership Network book series?

Sticky Church is a simple plea to focus on slamming the back door shut instead of always trying to open the front door wider. It’s not a book about growing a bigger church. It’s a book about growing a healthier church – one where people stick around long enough that we can fulfill the second half of the Great Commission; teaching them to obey everything that Jesus taught us.

Sticky Teams is the corollary to that. It’s designed to show how to build the type of team that can lead a healthy and sticky church. It focuses on removing the landmines that sabotage relationships on a board, staff, and within a congregation.

If leaders only had the time right now to read one chapter of your book, which one would you recommend…and why?

I would point to the first chapter of Sticky Church because it’s there that I explain why this too often neglected concept is so important if we want to truly fulfill the Great Commission.

I would point to the eighth chapter of Sticky Teams (Making Room At The Top: Why Young Eagles Don’t Stay) as a chapter that nearly every church leadership team I’ve been around could benefit from. God is generous. There is no shortage of young eagles. But there is a huge lack of understanding of how to groom, empower, and release them for ministry. The lessons and principles in that chapter can make a big difference for the future of any local church ministry.

Stay tuned next week for an inside view on reading and writing with Alan Hirsch, co-author of On the Verge.

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Church Planting Leadership Development Multi-Site Churches Rapid Growth Books Learnings Multi-Site

Books Ministry Leaders Are Reading, So Far

Stephanie Plagens — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:26:00 PDT

Earlier this week, we posted a 3-question poll, asking readers to, "Please list up to 5 books you have read recently that had direct application to your ministry or leadership."

The responses have varied greatly, so here are all the books people have read, in alpahbetical order. (The books listed in bold were mentioned by more than one person.)

Move by Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson
Radical, David Platt
Church Unique (Will Mancini)
On the Verge by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson
Replenish -- Lance Witt
Sticky Church by Larry Osborne
Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne
Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership, Barton
Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard (Heath + Heath)
The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community, by Matt Smay & Hugh Halter
The Truth About Leadership -- Kouzes, Posner
360 Degree Leader -- John Maxwell
Ask Without Fear, Mark Pitman
Bearing Fruit by Tom Berlin and Lovett Weems
Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere
Breakout- Mark Stibbe & Andrew Williams
Building Below the Waterline by Gordon MacDonald
Change Anything (Kerry Patterson)
Chasing Daylight by Erwin Mcmanus
Chuck Swindoll: Moses
Church 3.0: Upgrades for the future of the church, Neil Cole
Clutch, Paul Sullivan
Communicating for a Change
Constants in Context, Stephen Bevans
Counterfeit Gods - Tim Keller
Cracking Your Church's Culture Code (Sam Chand)
Creating a Healthier Pastor, Robert Richardson
Cross Cultural Partnerships (Leiderleitner)
Crucial Conversations (Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler)
Dallas Willard: The Divine Conspiracy
Developing The Leader Within You by John Maxwell
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship
Does Your Bag Have Holes? by Cameron C. Taylor
Drive, Daniel Pink
Eucharistic Communion and the World, John Zizioulas
Exiles by Michael Frost
From Good to Great- Jim Collins
God According To God Schroeder
Good News about Injustice, Gary Haugen
Governing the Tongue by Jane Kamensky
Half the Church - Carolyn Custis James
Half the Sky - Nicolas Kristoff, Wu-Dunn
Humilitas by John Dickson
Hww then should we live
If the Church Were Christian by Philip Gulley
If You Bite & Devour One Another by Alexander Strauch
Ignatian Pathway, Paul Coutinho
Jesus Driven Ministry, Ajith Fernando
Know What You Don't Know by Michael Roberts
Leadership Coaching (Stoltzfus)
Leadership Essentials by Greg Ogden
Leadership Jazz, Max De Pree
Leading from the Second Chair by Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson
Leanne Payne: Crisis in Masculinity
Life Together by Dietrich Bonnoffer
Linchpin: Godin
Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You, The Life Model
Love wins Rob Bell
Maximize, Nelson Searcy
Monday Morning Choices, David Cottrell
More than Conquerors- Simon Guillebaud
Multipliers, Liz Wiseman
Muslims, Christians and Jesus, by Carl Medearis
Mystically Wired (Ken Wilson)
Necessary Endings, Cloud
Not Your Parents Offering Plate by J. Clif Christopher
Nothing To Fear: FDR's Inner Circle and the 100 days that created modern American, Adam Cohen
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell)
Peacemaking Women by Judy Dabler & Tara Barthel
Practice Resurrection by Eugene Petersen
Principle of the Path, Stanley
Prophetic Dialogue, Stephen Bevans
Reviewing Leadership by Robert Banks & Bernice Ledbetter
Right Here, Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everyday People by Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Chambers
Starfish and the Spider
T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution by Steve Smith & Ying Kai
The Bible as Improve, Ron Martoia
The Black Swan (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
The Christian Atheist, Groeschel
The Forgotten Ways, Alan Hirsch
The Glory of Preaching, D. Johnson
The Gospel According to Ruth, Carolyn Custis James
The Invisible Kingdom, Apostle John Eckhart
The Land Between, Jeff Manion
The Mind of Christ (Dennis Kinlaw)
The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons
The Other 80 Percent by Warren Bird and Scott Thumma
The Path Back To The Mind of Christ (Edward Santana-Grace)
The Power of a Whisper, BIll Hybels
The Prodical God, Timothy Keller
The Pursuit of the Holy- Simon Ponsonby
The Radical Disciple, by John Stott
The U-Turn Church by Kevin Harney and Bob Bouwer
The World Upside-Down, Melanie Phillips
The Year of Living Biblically, by AJ Jacobs
To Transform a City by Eric Swanson
Transformational Church (Ed Stetzer)
Twelve Paradoxes of the Gospel by Cameron C. Taylor
UnChristian
Untamed, Alan and Debra Hirsch
Virtue Reborn- Tom Wright
Visoneering by Andy Stanley
What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith
What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary, by James Emery White
When Helping Hurts, Corbett

Have you read any of these books? Are there others that should be added to the list of books that would be helpful for ministry leaders? If so, add your responses in the comments, or take a look at the original post here to submit your thoughts in our poll.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

What books are you reading to stay on top of your ministry game?

Stephanie Plagens — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:53:00 PDT

What kinds of books do pastors and ministry leaders read to keep sharpen their skills? Do they read books from the business section? Or do they stick with books targeted toward Christian leaders? Is there a gap in the publishing world for books that are relevant and helpful for today's church leaders? Our team is wondering the same thing, so we thought we'd invite our readers to give their opinions in the 3-question poll below. It's anonymous, just type in your answers and click "submit" then share it with your social networks. At the end of the survey you'll be redirected to our online bookstore to browse the Leadership Network book series for church leaders.

This survey is now closed - to see the results click here.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Clues about the Next Face of the Church

Warren Bird — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:52:00 PDT

No one doubts that steady change is happening in worship styles, motivations for participation, sizes of congregations, and themes that connect meaningfully with the unchurched. What we do not know is which of these shifts will lead to the biggest impact – and what those implications will be.

Eddie Gibbs, longtime professor at the Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies, is one of the few observers of today’s church who is highly qualified to make savvy guesses about how things will unfold. I recently re-read his 2009 book Church Morph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities, impressed at the helpfulness of his insights.

I like the shifts he identifies that have led to what many call the Post-Christendom era. They include consumerism, spiritual exploitation, delayed adulthood, and individualism.
I don’t agree that “the megachurch movement is largely a boomer-generated phenomenon” (page 91) because the generation that follows is creating new and often faster growing large churches. But I do think his analysis of Willow Creek’s REVEAL self study is insightful in showing how a highly structured and programmatic church is seriously trying to morph. I also think he pegged a trend accurately in what he calls “the decentralized cluster approach” (page 121).
I think he rightly acknowledges the role that worship styles play in today’s church, both its expression and its message. He underscores the underlying theme of fuller congregational expression as the direction of most “alternate worship” today, as he calls it.

He generously credits Leadership Network as a catalyst in stimulating new networks today. He also tries to bring clarity to the term “missional” and also to the now fragmented emerging church movement.

His overall conclusion is that the rising generation is looking for a church “that is less program-oriented and event – focused, and more relational, empowering, incarnational and community engaged.” Time will tell but I think he is right.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books

Help in Becoming a More Authentic Leader

Warren Bird — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:08:00 PDT

This enjoyable book calls leaders to let go of the masks they wear. Well written by a youth worker for fellow youth workers, Pinocchio vs. the Real Boy brings ready application to everyone in ministry. Author Marv Nelson was a youth pastor in the church I am part of, and is now on a youth ministry team doing great things in a downtown Pittsburgh church, which I recently visited. I am convinced he walks his talk.

Here are some of my favorite lines form what the subtitle describes as a “guide to authenticity”:

“God desires that we, and those under our care, become real, authentic, open and honest people”.(page 5) In too many cases, “ the church has become a Petri dish for fake people” (page 6)
“What does the phrase ‘be real’ even mean?… It means being 100% honest with every aspect of your life. It means no fake persons with others, God or even yourself. When we get real, we lay it all out there – the good, the bad, and the ugly for God to see. The great thing about God is that He already knows all our junk; He just wants you to be real about it…. True confession is an act of shedding the wooden Pinocchio and allowing people a peak at the flesh and blood Pinocchio that truly exists”. (pages 32-33)
“The truth of the gospel is that God accepts you as you are but loves you too much to keep you that way! That’s why being real, being authentic with the sin in your heart is so key- so we can be who God has ultimately planned us to be!” (page 35)

Consistent with his message, Marv tells some great personal stories of his journey toward becoming more authentic. Spend some time with these 153 fast-moving pages, and then pass it on to your favorite youth worker.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books Learnings

My Summer Reading List

Bob Buford — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:43:00 PDT

It has been a weird year for weather. Even super sophisticated Tina Brown, of Newsweek, thinks the “rapture guy might just be right.”

Linda and I are headed for our one-month sabbatical in the cool and beautiful mountain oasis of Aspen. There is no place better in the world for reading -- mornings outside in 50 degree weather next to the Roaring Fork River. Within walking distance, there are six four-star restaurants and just down the road is the Aspen Institute for our annual dose of pundits.

People often ask BJ and me “what should I be reading these days?” Here are my recommendations:

Economics

The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will(Eventually) Feel Better, by Tyler Cowen (Kindle price: $3.99)

The most unbiased short, easy to understand common sense e-book on how we got into the current mess and what to expect for the foreseeable future.

Modern World History; The Rise and Fall of Empires

“Civilization takes readers on their own extraordinary journey around the world. It is the defining narrative of modern world history.” – from the book jacket. I agree. Ferguson is my favorite Aspen Ideas Festival resource of the past five years.

Ferguson documents how often it is that once-great empires (British, Ottoman, Russian) decline and fall in as little as a decade. Read first his last chapter titled, “Conclusion,” for this historian‘s evaluation of the current prospects for the U.S. and Europe.

Philosophy of Life

The Book of Ecclesiastes, by Solomon, son of David, King in Jerusalem. Solomon wrote three books in the Old Testament: Song of Solomon in his youth, Proverbs in midlife, and Ecclesiastes at the end of his life. For me, this is the best book of existential philosophy ever written – biblical or secular, ancient or modern. I read Ecclesiastes at least once a year as a personal review and discipline. Solomon indulges himself fully in every temptation known to man – riches, physical pleasure, power and celebrity – he was the rock star of his age. Only in the last two verses does he look back to sum up and tell us the secrets of a rich life. He begins “the conclusion when all has been heard is” _____ (I will let you, the reader, look it up!)

Literature

100 Great Poems of the Twentieth Century. Mark Strand, editor.

My personal favorite anthology. If the purpose of a poem is to bring something more richly to mind, to describe a state of being, to reopen remembrance of an intimate moment, a shared experience, to carry you into multiple worlds, this is your book. My copy is filled with a sea of marginal “talk back” notes of reactions, disagreements and the sheer wonder of words to conjure emotions and experiences.

Shakespeare the Thinker by A.D. Nutall

For me, hands down the most comprehensive understanding of human nature is Shakespeare. This book which I have been discussing with my literature maven, Dr. Larry Allums, for the last three months unfolds all manner of fresh and fascinating insights into Shakespeare’s unsurpassed plays.

Visual Arts

Peter Drucker had an exquisite collection of Japanese painting and calligraphy on scrolls, many housed in museums. Peter took three scrolls out every month to display in his home. We used to stand in front of an ancient Japanese painting with Peter advising me in two words that the way to study art is to “Just Look.”

Twenty years ago, I began doing just that by purchasing used art books from Half Price Books and tearing out three pages every day to pin up on cork board in my walk-in closet where I dress each morning. You can do the same. Just find a used book store (The Strand in NYC) and start pinning up a few reproductions every day or so. Or you can buy a terrific and inexpensive book, titled A Year in Art, which has the great paintings with succinct commentaries. Tear ‘em out and “just look.” It is like a trip to The Met with no excess baggage fees.

Christian Calling

The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The answer that changed my life and just might change the world., by Richard Stearns

The book all my Christian friends are reading today. This is the Halftime story, extremely well told, of a corporate CEO who faced his own struggle to answer God’s call on his life ... at the cost of leaving his high paying, high power job as CEO of Lennox China.

Linda’s Favorite Morning start-the-day-right Book

When I asked about her favorite devotional, Linda said, “Whatever I’m reading now,” then she handed me Jesus by Beth Moore. Beth Moore is the writer and teacher of many Bible studies and best-selling books. She is attractive and accessible. This volume is an up-close-and intimate introduction to Jesus, served up in fifty 3-page one-a-day stories.

My Favorite CDs

Nighttimes in Aspen after dinner, I often sit outside in the moonlit dark. I put on my Bose headphones and listen to my favorite CDs (interesting local phenomenon: one night a brown bear passed about three feet in front of me. Neither of us disturbed one another’s evening.) My five favorite CDs are mostly live concerts:

Keith Jerrett Trio - Standards in Norway

The standards trio is stunning here. The sound on this record is among the greatest of all their recordings, live from Oslo Konserthus (Concert Hall).

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

A studio album, it is said to be the best-selling jazz record of all time.

The Oscar Peterson Trio at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival

This CD contains what is considered by most listeners to be the finest recording of the Oscar Peterson-Herb Ellis-Ray Brown trio, a group that lasted from 1953-1958. Although the soloing was always quite passionate and spontaneous, the very complex arrangements are really what made this unit sound unique.

Dave Brubeck – Jazz Goes to College

Uniformly flawless, heavily improvised, memorable music

Kenny Loggins – Concert in the Red Woods

My favorite rock concert ever.

Parting Words

I may write a little less often, but I will promise to tell you what emerges from the Aspen Ideas Festival. Have a good summer. Life is good.

Author: Bob Buford

Topics: Books

21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

Greg Ligon — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:57:00 PDT

21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read.

Looks like some good reads. I was surprised about how few were on my list of "have read" or "need to read."

The latter just got longer.

What is on your top 21 Books Every Church Leader Should Read List?

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Leadership Development Rapid Growth Books Learnings

Upcoming Events and Author Speaking Schedules

Stephanie Plagens — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:19:00 PDT

NEW LISTINGS:

SIMPLY JESUS, Eugene, OR, July 20-22

Speakers include

John Bishop, author of Dangerous Church
Steve Saccone, author of Relational Intelligence
Wayne Cordeiro, author of Culture Shift

WILL MANCINI, author of Church Unique

Sept. 21-23, Connected Church Conference, Colorado Springs http://www.connectedchurchconference.com/churchunique_mancini/
Everyone who registers for the Connected Church Conference will receive a copy of Church Unique

~~~~~~~

ED STETZER, President of LifeWay Research, co-author of Viral Churches

July 8-9, National Evangelism Workshop, Nashville, TN http://nationalevangelisticassociation.com/category/new-2011
Check out Ed's full speaking schedule here.

~~~~~~~

MARK DEYMAZ, author of Ethnic Blends and Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church

June 22-23, Five Two Wiki Church Planting Conference, Houston, TX http://www.fivetwo.com/wikiconference.html
Oct. 6-9, Urban Leadership Conference, Tampa FL, http://flavorfest.eventbrite.com/
Check out Mark's full speaking schedule here.

~~~~~~~

ERIC SWANSON, co-author of The Externally Focused Quest

Aug. 13-14, McKinney Church, McKinney TX http://www.mckinneychurch.com/
Sept.19-20, Church of God, Columbus OH http://www.1stchurch.net/
Oct. 1, Trinity Church in Lansing, MI http://trinitywired.com/
Oct. 14-15, Manitoba NAMB Conference http://www.namb.net/prayer-conference-calendar/

~~~~~~~

KEVIN HARNEY, author of Leadership From the Inside Out

Aug. 14, Preaching at Daybreak Church in Grand Rapids, MI http://www.daybreak.tv
Aug. 21, Preaching at Central Wesleyn in Holland, MI http://www.centralwesleyan.org
Aug. 27, Cypress Church Worship Conference in Salinas, CA http://www.cypresschurch.org
Nov. 10-12, Keynote speaker at Organic Outreach Conference in Monterey, CA http://shorelinechurch.org

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

On the Verge of A Gigantic Movement

Bill Easum — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:57:00 PDT

Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson have given us a jewel in the book “On The Verge.” Obviously by the title one can assume they sense Western Christianity is on the verge of something big- an apostolic movement of gigantic potential for the Church in the West.

What I like about this book is the blending of a systematic dreamer (Alan Hirsch who has a brilliant mind) and an effective practioner (Dave Ferguson who has an impeccable track record). I’ve known both of these guys for more than a decade and I’ve never been disappointed by either. In fact it’s their coming together that excites me. The collaboration has produced a book you must read at least once and then implement.

I first met Dave in 2000 when one of the stops on our tour was held at his church. I was impressed with his passion for transformation and the development of the Big Idea which has become the backbone of their multisite and church planting efforts.

I first met Alan in 2002 when he attended an event I pulled together on our island with twenty or so people who were probing the edges of what has become a push for an apostolic movement. Among the group were such notables as Len Sweet, Ed Stetzer, Mark DeYmaz, Carl George, George Hunter, Bob Roberts, Dave Travis, Reggie McNeal and a host of other folks you would recognize. I remember talking with Alan during the event and it was clear he had little use for any forms of institutional Christianity.

Since then Alan has moved more to the middle and now accepts the role the institutional church could play in this apostolic movement. At the same time Dave has become one of the leading voices in this movement which appears to be taking shape at this moment. Notice I said “appears.” It’s still too soon to say anything with certainty.

The book is divided into four parts- Imagine, Shift, Innovate, and Move. Imagine a new form of church that is truly Apostolic. Make the Shift to this new form of church by embodying “movement practices.” Let your imagination run wild dreaming about this innovating paradigm. And then move to make the movement happen. The first two sections are written by Alan with a response from Dave; the second two sections are written by Dave with a response by Alan.

The heart of the book is what the authors call the “Apostolic Genius” which every church has within its DNA. The Apostolic Genius is more than just a way of thinking; it is also the intelligence that is found throughout the system the New Testament calls the “ecclesia.” The Apostolic Genius consists of six parts:

Jesus is Lord is the capstone of the movement and is the only element of this intelligence that isn’t found in every other religious movement.
Disciple making is essential because movements grow only in proportion to the number of new disciples. Apprenticing people into the way of Jesus is what defines the Christian movement and what is lacking in so many institutional churches.
The missional-incarnational impulse means that mission is the catalyzing principle of the church and permeates everything the church does and is not just one department among many.
An Apostolic environment is essential for any missional church and movement which means the primary ministry of a church is mission not maintenance.
Organic systems point up our need to return to a people-centered understanding of ecclesia which has been lost in most institutional forms of Christianity.
Communitas doesn’t refer to mere community as we are prone to think of it but more to a profound bond that moves participants from acquaintances to partners and from associates to comrades who are will to risk exploring the edges together.

The last chapter of the book is a thriller that you simply don’t want to miss. Dave shares the nitty-gritty of moving from the status quo to an apostolic movement. Just to give you a taste here are four questions he asks:

“Is your church more interested in quality programs or quality people?”
“Is your church as passionate about sending people out as they are about bringing people in?”
“Is your church content with addition, or does it long to see exponential reproduction?”
“Is your church holding on to control, or are they leading with a harmonious blend of order and chaos?”

While Alan thinks the institutional local church can reach only 35-40% of a population, I’m convinced that missional communities will never reach more than 5 to 10% of the population unless, because of persecution, the Church has to go underground. However, when you couple outward focused churches with small groups that function like missional communities, you have the seeds of an Apostolic, missional movement that has the possibility of reaching more than 60% of the population. This is my hope for the truly New Testament missional movement that may be underway today.

Author: Bill Easum

Topics: Books Learnings

Going Public with The Other Eighty Percent

Warren Bird — Fri, 27 May 2011 07:09:00 PDT

Earlier this week co-author Scott Thumma and I did our first joint workshop with our just-released book, The Other 80%: Turning Your Church’s Spectators into Active Disciples. It was the best-attended event in the last ten years, according to the sponsor, who does workshops like our several times a year. He says it’s because the topic of the book hits a raw nerve and need. We hope other church leaders will feel likewise!

Last week we blogged to announce the book’s formal release.

You can also read a free sample chapter at and buy the book right here...

photo courtesy of Hartford Seminary

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books

Churches of all sizes celebrate Easter!

Stephanie Plagens — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:28:00 PDT

As many of our readers know, Leadership Network does a lot of work with pastors of large churches, but we’re also connected to smaller, house churches as well. Just this weekend, two of our authors were quoted in a news article on USAToday about “simple” churches. Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, is author of several books, including Viral Churches, which he co-authored with our own Warren Bird. And Neil Cole has authored several books as well, including three that are in Leadership Network’s Jossey-Bass Series: Organic Church, Church 3.0 and Journeys to Significance. Read the full story here.

BONUS: If you’re attending Exponential in Orlando this week, be sure to stop by the Leadership Network booth to get these titles and more from Jossey-Bass at a special conference discount. Zondervan will be there as well, with an incredible discount plus a buy 3 and get the 4th book free offer! See you there!

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

What is Being Dangerous?

Stephanie Plagens — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:50:00 PDT

Dangerous churches are willing to put everything on the line for the one thing that matters most; reaching lost people.

John Bishop’s book Dangerous Church: Risking Everything to Reach Everyone is now available at your favorite online bookseller. Click here to visit Leadership Network’s online bookstore.

Learn more at http://www.dangerouschurch.com/.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Leadership Network Author Notes with George Cladis

Greg Ligon — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:55:00 PDT

Next up on Author Notes are some thoughts from one of the early authors in our Leadership Network series with Jossey Bass – George Cladis. As I noted in the first post in this series, we are giving you some insight into our author’s approaches to reading and writing.

George is the author of Leading the Team Based Church.

Why is reading important to you, and how do you find or make time to read books and blogs?

I love sorting through new thoughts like a tinkerer in a room filled with fun stuff, fidgeting with imaginative concepts, turning them over in my mental hands, and seeing what might be adapted to my own world. I read and write in the morning when my mind is most available to be shaken and stirred. You just make it happen: not reading is not an option.

What books are you currently reading that you would recommend to our readers?

The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success by Lon Safko and David Brake. A thorough treatment of the social media phenomenon and how to be a part of it for business, nonprofits and marketing (be sure and get the updated second edition).

The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Kabani,

Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain. A fun and intriguing look at the connection of art and physics from the days of ancient Greece to the present.

In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers by John Chryssavgis. We think so many issues of Christian faith and devotion are new to our generation! Greek Orthodox theologian John Chryssavgis gives insight into early Christian traditions of spirituality that inform our faith practices today. Ancient thinking that is remarkably relevant!

How do you make time to write books or blog?

It’s a daily habit like going to the gym and unlike brushing my teeth. Brushing my teeth is easy, doesn’t take much time and keeps people from being distracted by rotting teeth when I smile. Writing is not like that. Writing is like going to the gym. I hate going and love leaving. Staring at a blank e-page is painful, but as I get going, I feel the blood racing through my veins and I break out into a mental sweat. Finally, when it’s over, I close my laptop and feel wonderful because the dedicated time turned into something worthwhile even if no one ever reads it but me. I only wish I burned as many calories writing as working out!

What is the “big idea” of your latest book in a Leadership Network book series?

I am passionate about collaborative leadership and management. It’s like a bright street light on a hot Mississippi night – and I’m a moth constantly fluttering around it. I love reading about and listening to stories of those who have failed or succeeded leading collaborative teams while attempting wonderful Kingdom goals. It’s exhilarating! I am also working on a new idea drawn from the way God created nature, including human nature, using collaborative bio and geo systems. What can we learn from creation about collaborative leadership and management? The world around us teems with spectacular examples of entities working together to create efficient systems and stunning beauty. I love making the connection between these systems and church leadership and management.

If leaders only had time right now to read one chapter of your book, which one would your recommend... and why?

Chapter 1: “Learning the Circle Dance of God.” This chapter forms the core of all that follows and hopefully sparks creative thinking about imitating God in collaborative fellowship, love and meaningful activity.

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Leadership Development Books Learnings

Leadership Network Author Notes with Sam Chand

Greg Ligon — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:12:00 PDT

Leadership Network is honored to be able to partner with great communicators through our publishing ministry partnerships with JosseyBass and Zondervan. We believe that we have and continue to gather some of the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in the kingdom today.

Over the next several weeks, I would like to take you behind the scenes with several of our authors to give you a little insight into their approaches to reading and writing.

First up – Dr. Sam Chand, author of a recent title in our Jossey Bass series – Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code.

Why is reading important to you, and how do you find or make time to read books and blogs?

My parents instilled a love of reading in me when I was a kid in India. I remember reading voraciously from the age of nine. I can see myself reading adult versions of multi-hundred-page tomes such as Ben Hur, The Robe and the likes. That appetite has continued growing. My travel schedule (time in airports and planes) allows me to read more now than ever before. Reading to me is like Miracle-Grow for the brain. It is not just about what I’m reading but all the tangential thoughts that it generates.

What books are you currently reading that you would recommend to our readers?

As One by Mehrdad Baghai & James Quigley

Walking the Talk by Carolyn Taylor

How do you make time to write books or blog?

Writing is a process. Writing books for me begins with collecting my thoughts on scraps of papers, articles, teachings (mine and others) and other resources. I don’t “sit down” and write a book, I write what I can, then reach for professional help in whatever area that would strengthen the book. From concept to completion it can be 12-18 months.

What is the “big idea” of your latest book in a Leadership Network book series?

The BIG idea behind my latest book Cracking Your Church's Culture Code is that the culture of the church is stronger than any other intrinsic force in the church. Culture is stronger than vision and strategy. A toxic culture will eat vision for lunch!

If leaders only had time right now to read one chapter of your book, which one would your recommend... and why?

Wow! That’s like asking which one of your kids you love the most!! I would recommend Chapter 1 because it unpacks and demystifies church culture and helps the reader diagnose their location on the culture continuum. I would also recommend Chapter 3 because it breaks the concept of culture into seven easily understandable and applicable areas of attention.

Next up … George Cladis, Leading the Team Based Church

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Leadership Development Books Learnings

Video Q&A with Neil Cole

Stephanie Plagens — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:46:00 PDT

In case you missed yesterday’s issue of Advance, here are the links to the video interview questions we asked Neil about his just-released title, Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul. You can order the book today from 100X.ChristianBook.com at 28% off the cover price.

How does your book improve leaders' lives?

What makes Journeys to Significance Unique?

How does Journeys to Significance inform leadership development as it pertains to Organic Church?

What is the most challenging concept in your book?

What is the big idea of your book?

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Do You Have a Mountain to Climb

Dave Travis — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:08:00 PDT

Today’s post comes from my friend, Joe Calhoon. I recently read his new book, The 1 Hour Plan for Growth and we talked for a bit about it. He said he was developing a special tool just for churches. He has a special offer for you at the end of the post. Enjoy

At 29,029 feet, Mount Everest is the highest achievement to climbers around the world. In 1984, Warren Thompson envisioned a climb with men and women from China, Russia, and the United States. With leadership from Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Everest, the international team reached the highest place in the world on Earth Day in 1990. They achieved their vision of putting men and women from all three countries on the top of the world and returning them safely. Their mission to bring greater awareness of environmental issues and international understanding was also accomplished.

Likewise, you and your team have a mountain to climb. Your mountain represents your highest aspirations for your organization. The role of effective leadership is to engage people's talents, passion, and energy to climb that mountain.

Unfortunately, according to Gallup research most people are not engaged. Consider these three types of people.

Percentage of People

Gallup’s Descriptor

Label

28%

54%

18%

Engaged

Not Engaged

Actively Disengaged

Climbers

Campers

Quitters

Climbers are relentless in their ascent. They are constantly learning, growing, adapting to change, and experiencing the abundant life. These individuals are energized by challenges and refuse to be insignificant in their life's work and their relationships.

Campers are often retired climbers. They've lost their edge. They've exchanged their highest hopes and aspirations for the comfort and security of the common life. They put in their time. They're getting by.

Quitters have retired on the job. They're often bitter and depressed. Adversity has shut them down. They resent the climbers. According to Gallup Chief Researcher, Jim Harter, these people destroy their organizations and the people around them.

It has been my privilege to work with more than 500 organizations over the past 25 years – getting people on the same page, accelerating growth, and developing leaders. It is also been my pleasure to visit more than 100 churches. I'm always encouraged to see the diversity in the body of Christ. I often wonder how many people are engaged in the work of the ministry.

Here are seven questions for leaders to more effectively engage the saints in the work of the ministry.

What mountain are you climbing?	Vision
Why are you climbing it?	Mission
How will you treat each other along the way?	Values
How will you measure progress?	Objectives
Where are you now?	Current Realities
What work needs to be done?	Strategies
Who will do what by when?	Priorities

It all starts with vision. An effective vision is inspired (by God) and inspiring (to people). Burt Nanus says that the right vision "is an idea so energizing that it in effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen."

I love the Farcus cartoon that pictures Moses coming down Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments. The children of Israel are partying around the golden calf. The caption reads, "Oh no, not another mission statement". Leadership is not always welcome. However, leadership is always required.

Joe Calhoon is a business growth consultant, author, and keynote speaker based in Kansas City, Missouri. He has worked with dozens of churches and non-profits to create High-Trust, High-Performing organizations. His new book is entitled The 1 Hour Plan for Growth.

To learn more about Joe Calhoon, please go to www.JoeCalhoon.com or call 816-285-8144. To receive a complimentary planning template, please email Joe@JoeCalhoon.com.

Thanks for sharing with us Joe.

Author: Dave Travis

Topics: Books Learnings

A Brushstroke of Rhythm

Stephanie Plagens — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:10:00 PST

Bruce B. Miller, author of Your Church in Rhythm: The Forgotten Dimensions of Seasons and Cycles, shares his favorite quote from the book, which hit bookstores in February.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

What time is it in your church?

Stephanie Plagens — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:39:00 PST

A couple weeks ago, Jossey-Bass released the 37th title in the Leadership Network series: Your Church in Rhythm: The Forgotten Dimensions of Seasons and Cycles by Bruce B. Miller.

This book aims to answer the question, “What time is it in the life of your church?” When you can spiritually discern the organizational time in your church, you are able to maximize your ministry for Christ. Watch the video below to hear the author describe this concept further, then head over to 100x.Christianbook.com for a free sample chapter and to order your copy of the book.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Energy Carriers and Relational Intelligence

Greg Ligon — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:52:00 PST

One of the great young leaders I have had the privilege of connecting with the last few years is Steve Saccone. Steve is the author of Relational Intelligence, a title in our publishing partnership with Jossey-Bass. Steve’s approach is creative, fresh and fun. Hope you enjoy the following post where he discusses energy and leadership.

How to Change the Energy of a Room

Have you ever wondered how certain leaders whom you admire are able to lead with such force of presence and clarity? Have you ever noticed how that leader relates to others in such a way that she virtually alters people’s moods? Have you ever been curious as to how certain leaders can single-handedly change the vibe of a room? Have you ever envied how easy these people make it look, and yet how they do it still remains a mystery to you? It may seem elusive as to how people set the tone, but it comes down to one thing: energy.

I’m convinced that every leader has the capacity to set the tone in a room or a conversation
by how they use their energy. We all have the capacity to be what I call an energy carrier. That is, someone who harnesses an intangible yet potent source of power that originates from within them and knows how to use it to affect those around them. What they choose to do with their internal energy determines how they affect their outer world of relationships. In essence, they can use their inner energy to affect the outer energy—meaning, the tone of an environment, the vibe of a room, the mood of people, and the overall feel of a setting.

Energy carriers set the tone not only in their relational spheres but also in leadership contexts. One single person affects a large number of people because they’ve learned to use the power inside of them to affect their potential impact outside of them. Becoming an energy carrier is a choice that every leader must make and a skill they can develop–it’s
something that can be improved on and as a result will elevate a leader’s impact.

In the presence of the best energy carriers, the tone of a room changes. They embody this in team settings, in large group environments, at staff meetings, and in other leadership or relational settings. When they’re absent, people sense the energy that’s missing. However, when they’re present, the mood of the environment comes alive.

To become a relationally intelligent leader who has the ability to affect the tone of an entire room, it’s essential to begin developing specific skills to carrier energy well.

To start with, we must learn how to accurately assess the tone of a given context.

And second, we must learn how to use relational intelligence to appropriately change the tone among the people we work with, serve alongside, and team with—this includes the audiences we speak to, the movements we’re trying to create, as well as in individual conversations. If we’re unable to do this, we will become victims of our setting rather than
changers of our setting.

As leaders, there’s almost always an opportunity to change our environment for the better, but this is a challenge that’s often overlooked, or even discounted.

In order to assess the tone, you must develop the discipline of noticing. This discipline involves paying attention to non-verbal and “invisible” relational dynamics. In other words, what are people saying with their body language, what is their emotional energy telling you, and what are they saying indirectly with their words? Many leaders are either oblivious to
these dynamics or don’t recognize their significance in the communication process.

Changing the tone involves the way we choose to dialogue. When we remain fully engaged in a moment and attuned to the dynamics in a room, we can better use the skill of guiding and redirecting conversations in ways that both serve others and spark the energy in the moment. Igniting energy can happen through things like steering dialogue with intentional questions, speaking up about something that may be controversial but necessary to address, or stepping into the tension or emotion that exists in a moment in order to face that tension honestly, openly, and authentically.

On countless occasions, I’ve seen people attempting to lead a group but fail to do so because the undercurrent of the group’s energy is stronger than their own. Sometimes they can’t even identify the dynamics of a room, and as a result they remain unable to change the environment. To be able to shift the undercurrent of a given situation in a better direction, our leadership must have force and strength behind it. Leadership without this component is leadership without influence.

If you have not been able to take your leadership to the next level and wonder what may be missing, how you deal with the intangible but potent power of energy can suggest a solution. Our energy, or lack thereof, affects our catalytic efforts, our ability to set transformation into motion, our strength of presence, our capacity to engage with our
surroundings, and even our reputation among those we’re trying to lead. If we want to become better energy carriers, and if we want to be able to harness the potent power within us, we must learn to harness our internal energy and use it to affect the outer energy around us.

To learn more about becoming an Energy Carrier, check out Steve Saccone’s latest book, Relational Intelligence: How Leaders Can Expand Their Influence Through a New Way of Being Smart. You can also go to his website to get a free sample chapter by signing up for his newsletter.

What do YOU think?

Author: Greg Ligon

Topics: Books

Featured Events For Fans of Leadership Network Authors

Stephanie Plagens — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:21:00 PST

So many conferences… so little time! If you’re looking for some events to fill your calendar, here’s a brief run-down of where some of our Leadership Network Authors will be speaking over the next few months. To learn more about the books they’ve written, click the author’s name to go to our online bookstore. To learn more about an event, or to register, click the event title.

EXPONENTIAL 2011, ORLANDO, April 26-29

The Exponential Conference is one of the largest gatherings of church planters in the country. LOTS of our authors will be speaking there, and several of us “regular” folks from Leadership Network will be there as well. Incidentally, today is the last day to register at the special discounted rate of $159 when you use the code “expo2011”. Be sure to check out the Pre Conference Intensives as well!

Dave Browning, author of Deliberate Simplicity and Hybrid Church
Neil Cole, author of Organic Church and Church 3.0
Mark DeYmaz, author of Ethnic Blends and Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church
Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, authors of The Big Idea and Exponential
Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, authors of The Tangible Kingdom and AND
Greg Ligon, VP and Publisher of Leadership Network
Will Mancini, author of Church Unique
Reggie McNeal, author of The Present Future and Missional Renaissance
Larry Osborne, author of Sticky Church
Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson, authors of The Externally Focused Quest
Ed Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research
Geoff Surratt, co-author of A Multi-site Church Roadtrip

MORE EVENTS, LISTED BY AUTHOR:

LARRY OSBORNE, pastor of North Coast Church in Vista, CA and author of Sticky Church

Feb. 16-17, Fresno Pacific University Ministry Forum, Fresno, CA
Feb. 21-22, ChurchPlanters Conference, Atlanta, GA
Feb 25-27, Sermon Based and Multi-Site Video Venue Customized Workshop, Vista, CA
March 11, MIVA Merchant Conference, La Jolla, CA
April 1-3, Video Venue & Multi-Site Customized Workshop, Vista, CA
April 11-12, EFCA North Central District Conference, Minneapolis, MN
April 26-27, Exponential - Church Planters Conf, Orlando, FL
May 16, Sermon Based Small Groups Customized Workshop, Vista, CA

~~~~~~~

ERIC SWANSON, co-author of The Externally Focused Quest

Feb. 26-27, First Presbyterian Church, Columbus, GA
April 8-9, Forest Lakes District of EFC, Madison, WI
April 26-29, Exponential Conference, Orlando, FL
May 27-28, CM&A–Kansas City, MO

~~~~~~~

AMY HANSON, author of Baby Boomers and Beyond

Feb. 19, Baby Boomers and Beyond Conference, New Covenant Bible Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
Feb. 24-25, Evangelical Free Church of America Midwest District Conference, Hastings, NE
April 8, Converge Worldwide, Second Half for Him Gathering, Orlando, FL
April 15-17, Vibrance Conference and Speaking in Weekend Services , LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, CO
May 10-11, Church of God of Michigan, Older Adult Ministries Leaders Retreat , DeWitt, MI (For registration information e-mail Janice Beyers at jbeyers42@yahoo.com)

Amy will also be speaking during Turning Points – a Leadership Network Online Conference – on Mar. 2.

~~~~~~~

KEVIN HARNEY, author of Leadership From the Inside Out

Mar. 27, Community Reformed Marriage Conference with wife Sherry Harney, Zeeland, MI
April 28, Christian Leadership Association (CLA) Conference, Dallas, TX
May 4-5, U-Turn Ministries: Momentum Conference, Dyer, IN

~~~~~~~

DAVE FERGUSON, Author of The Big Idea, Exponential and the soon to be released On the Verge. Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church in Chicago, IL

Feb. 22, Evangelism Celebration: Momentum Conference, Cedarville Univeristy, OH
Feb 28-Mar. 1, Exponential Church Practicum, Orland Park, IL
May 4-5, U-Turn Ministries: Momentum Conference, Dyer, IN

~~~~~~~

MATT SMAY, co-author of AND and The Tangible Kingdom, Co-founder of Adullam and Missio

Mar. 1-2, Missio Intensive, Portland, OR
Mar. 28-29, Missio Intensive, Austin, TX

~~~~~~~

REX MILLER, Futurist and Author of The Millennium Matrix and The Commercial Real Estate Revolution

April 4-5, 4th annual Heartland Lectures and Pastor’s Retreat Kansas City, MO
April 5-6, 3rd Annual Leadership in Capital Projects (LinCP) Forum, Austin, TX
April 14, Cornerstone Knowledge Network, Indianapolis IN
April 29, Design-Build Institute of America SW Region 7th Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX

~~~~~~~

BRIAN D. MCLAREN, former church planter and pastor, author of about a dozen books, speaker/activist

March 4-5, Transforming Christianity, Iowa City, Iowa
March 9-11, Lenten Preaching Series, Richmond, VA
March 11-12, Sandy Springs Christian Church, Atlanta, GA
April 4-5, Colgate-Rochester Div School, Rochester NY
April 8-9, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Dallas TX

Learn more about these events on Brian McLaren’s website.

~~~~~~~UPDATES~~~~~~~

ED STETZER, President of LifeWay Research, co-author of Viral Churches

Check out Ed's speaking schedule here.

MARK DEYMAZ, author of Ethnic Blends and Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church

Check out Mark's speaking schedule here.

Author: Stephanie Plagens

Topics: Books

Is it time for a Reading Day?

Dave Travis — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:28:00 PST

One of my previous careers was as an industrial engineer. On a team of three professionals and an assistant we worked in multiple plants that made carpet.

One of my bosses was James Jarrett and he had a tradition. Once a month or so he announced “reading day.”

This usually occurred after lunch when he appeared out of his office with a stack of journals and magazines. He broke them into roughly equal piles and said “We are going to spend three hours reading and scanning these. Come up with three good, cost saving ideas that will help our work by four o’clock.” And away we would go.

If you finished your pile you could use someone else’s. (This was way before the web era)

Some of the magazines were glorified adverts for new process equipment. Some were more scholarly. Some even reflected industries very unlike ours.

We usually ripped more than three articles from their pages and had to separate the good from the best.

But we always had a good discussion and usually came up with something to save the company money or improve speed or organization.

It was a good focused investment of time.

When was the last time you had a “reading day” for your team? And if you did, (or now plan to) what magazines and journals would you recommend to gain practical ideas?

Put them in the comments to share.

And here is a link to all our latest books in case you need something to read. http://100x.christianbook.com/

Author: Dave Travis

Topics: Books Learnings

Does Your Church Culture Speak Louder Than Its Vision?

Warren Bird — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:53:00 PST

Even if you missed our recent blog tour of Dr. Sam Chand’s excellent new book, Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code, don’t miss the book itself. A pastor friend and I do a Skype lunch every month or so, always reading a book to prepare, and this time we worked through this latest book from an amazing leader and church coach. We both found the book to be outstanding – unique in message, relevant in structure, and practical in tone.

An organization’s culture is about how its people believe and behave. Culture is the context, filter and default point for everything the people process. To lead, I must know how to get my arms around the prevailing organizational culture. To borrow from the title of an earlier book I co-authored named Culture Shift, the leader’s privilege is to shift the culture from where it is to where it needs to be. Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code very capably shows us how to do just that – how to take responsibility because everything from individual morale to effectiveness of outcome rests on it.

Author: Warren Bird

Topics: Books