Download or read book Unfreezing Moves written by Bill Easum and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prepares Christian congregations to fulfill their basic function - to make disciples who make disciples for Jesus Christ. This book is about helping "stuck" and "unstuck" churches either become unstuck or constantly improve their ministry of making disciples. This book is designed to help church leaders make profound changes in the way they do ministry or constantly practice methodological innovation/improvement to be effective in creating disciples churches.

Download or read book The Forgotten Ways written by Alan Hirsch and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alan Hirsch's paradigm-shifting classic remains the definitive statement of the church as dynamic missional movement. The bestselling first edition ignited a conversation about how to harness the power of movements for the future growth of the church. In this major update, Hirsch shares significant insights gained along the way, provides fresh new examples of growing churches, and reflects on the last ten years of the missional movement. The new edition has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout and includes charts, diagrams, an expanded glossary of terms, new appendices, an index, a new foreword by Ed Stetzer, and a new afterword by Jeff Vanderstelt. Known for his innovative approach to mission, Hirsch is widely acknowledged as a thought leader and mission strategist for churches across the Western world. He considers The Forgotten Ways the guiding work to all of his other writings. The book explores the factors that come together to generate high-impact, exponentially explosive, spiritually vibrant Jesus movements in any time and context. This extensive update to Hirsch's influential work offers a system of six vital keys to movements that will continue shape the future of the missional movement for years to come.

Download or read book Missional Moves written by Rob Wegner and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2012-09-25 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From saved souls to saved wholes, from transactional to transformational, this book describes fifteen paradigm shifts in how gospel-driven Christian leaders are thinking about churches and ministry in today's world. The church was never designed to be a fortress for the righteous, but a flood of revolutionaries, bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to broken lives and broken communities in a broken world. Today, millions of Christians are awakening to the holism, or wholeness, of the gospel call, expanding their understanding of church from an institution to a movement. Recognizing the Church's past missteps and re-envisioning its role in modern society, Missional Moves, will fundamentally alter your understanding of the church and how its mission is lived out. Rob Wegner and Jack Magruder are church founders and Christian thought-leaders who will walk you through three distinct categories of changes that today’s churches have to understand in order to have the greatest, positive impact: The paradigm shift of our missional imagination. The centralized shift of our local church mission field. The decentralized shift of the global family of Christ. If this calling toward movement and transformation is to be realized, it will require some earth-shaking shifts in our concept of the evangelistic mission: "Missional Moves." This book provides a plan of action for your church that will empower you to unleash each member on a mission, both locally and globally.

Download or read book A Second Resurrection written by Bill Easum and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many congregational and denominational leaders, the goal for churches experiencing declining worship attendance is to turn those congregations around. The “turnaround church” is one that has stagnated or is in decline. The old trends are reversed, new members are added, and everyone rejoices in this story of a congregation restored to health and vitality. But what if the metaphors of decline, stagnation, and loss of health just aren’t getting to the problem? What if the situation is much worse than what those ways of describing it imply? What if the congregation is spiritually dead? The only solution is resurrection. Churches that have lost their sense of mission, that exist only to provide fellowship for the “members of the club,” that expect their leaders to focus solely on ministering to the members’ personal spiritual needs; these churches have died to the purpose of the New Testament church, to make disciples of Jesus Christ. They cannot be turned around; they must come to life again. The key to that resurrection is leaders who are not afraid to diagnose the problem for what it really is, and who realize that resurrection is what being a Christian is about. The goal of this book is to guide the leaders of these churches through the painful, yet ultimately life-giving work of leading a church to new life in the Spirit. If you want to find new life for your church, read on . . .

Download or read book The Theory and Practice of Change Management written by John Hayes and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-12-29 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technological advances, an increasingly globalized workforce and seismic global events mean that change is a constant feature of business life today. The consequences of not managing change effectively can be devastating for businesses. How can managers deal with change brought about by unpredictable events? How can they embrace change and communicate its benefits to stakeholders? How can organizations ensure the ongoing success of change? John Hayes's bestselling textbook equips you with the practical tools and academic knowledge to tackle these questions and many more. Offering unrivalled breadth, it will guide you clearly through all stages of the change process, from recognizing the need for change to ensuring its successful implementation. Its unique underpinning framework, based on a process model of change, will help you to view change as purposeful and ordered, rather than something chaotic and unmanageable. This sixth edition covers all of the key theories, tools and techniques of organizational change, and offers everything you need to know about organizational change today: - Brand new international case studies and examples allow you to understand change in context - Coverage of 'big-bang' disruptions, offers you a framework for dealing with unforeseen global events like pandemics, economic instability and climate change - Updated research reports show you the latest theory in the field - New learning objectives, reflective questions and experiential exercises help you to consolidate your learning and revise effectively - Increased coverage of SMEs, public sector and family businesses shows you change in diverse sectors

Download or read book Reaching People under 30 while Keeping People over 60 written by Edward H Hammett and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seasoned church consultant Edward H. Hammett shares his latest insights and suggestions for churches seeking to serve all generations. This is an updated version of Hammett's 2007 book Reaching People Under 40 while Keeping People Over 60 that expands the reach another decade and emphasizes diversity with insight from new contributors Paul L. Anderson and Cornell Thomas. A TCP Books title.

Download or read book Preaching for Church Transformation written by Bill Easum and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before he was one of the best-known church consultants in the country, Bill Easum served a lengthy pastorate in San Antonio, Texas. When he arrived at the church it was in serious decline, with the possibility of having to close its doors beginning to loom over it. By the time he left it was the most vibrant, fastest-growing congregation in its city and region. Shortly after he arrived, Easum preached a series of sermons on the book of Acts that challenged the congregation to become an authentic New Testament church. He called on parishioners to step out of their comfort zones, stop expecting their pastor to be a personal chaplain, and join together to reach their city with the message of Jesus. Preaching for Church Transformation provides updated versions of the sermons Easum preached as he issued this challenge to the congregation shortly after his arrival. Interspersed with the sermons is commentary telling the reader how to adapt them for her or his own situation. Anyone wanting to lead a congregation from the status quo to growth and faithful witness will find Preaching for Church Transformation an indispensable resource.

Download or read book If It Could Happen Here written by Jeffrey H. Patton and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are small membership churches--as the conventional wisdom says--simply places where pastors bide their time while they wait for something better to come along? Are they places where long-standing family relationships are maintained, but little else? Are they places where attendance is dropping, the building is out of date, the programs are boring, and people don't want to change? If you believe this conventional wisdom, then this book is not for you. But if you see small-membership churches, especially those in rural areas, as opportunities for the radical message of Jesus to transform lives and communities, then this is a book you want to read. Jeff Patton knows from firsthand experience as pastor of a small-membership congregation whose life turned around under his leadership that small, rural churches can become explosive centers of witness and mission. In this informative book he describes 6 "levers" for transforming a small membership church : prayer, discerning a clear vision, indigenous worship, growth groups, membership recruitment, and lay pastoring. Includes a foreword by Bill Easum.

Download or read book Organizational Assessment and Improvement in the Public Sector written by Kathleen M. Immordino and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-09-25 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Calls for performance measures and metrics sound good, but public sector organizations often lack the tools required to assess the organization as a whole and create true change.In order to implement an integrated cycle of assessment, planning, and improvement, government agencies at all levels need a usable framework for organizational assessment that speaks to their unique needs. Organizational Assessment and Improvement in the Public Sector provides that framework, an understanding of assessment itself, and a methodology for assessment focused on the public sector. The book introduces the concept of organizational assessment, its importance, and its significance in public sector organizations. It addresses the organizational theory that underlies assessment, including change management, organizational and individual learning, and organizational development. Building on this, the author focuses on the processes and demonstrates how the communication that results from an assessment process can create a widely accepted case for change. She presents a model grounded in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program criteria but adapted for the culture of government organizations. She also addresses the criteria that form the basis for assessment and implementation and provides examples and best practices. Facing decreasing budgets and an increasing demand for services, government agencies must increase their capabilities, maximize their available fiscal and human resources, and increase their effectiveness and efficiency. They often operate in an atmosphere that prizes effectiveness but measures it in silos assigned to individual programs and a structure that encourages people to do more with less while systematically discouraging efficiency. Stressing the significant and important differences between a business and a government, this book supplies the knowledge and tools necessary to create a culture of assessment in government organizations at all levels.

Download or read book Crossroads written by Robert J. A. Doornenbal and published by Eburon Uitgeverij B.V.. This book was released on 2012 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Go BIG written by Bil Cornelius and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bill Easum and Bil Cornelius are two strikingly different, yet surprisingly similar pastors. One undertook to revitalize a moribund mainline church; the other, to plant a new nondenominational congregation. Coming from different generations, their ministries took place under dissimilar circumstances. Yet both have experienced substantial, even explosive, growth in congregational mission and membership. Along the way they learned some important lessons, such as the centrality of strong pastoral leadership, the need for an unhesitating pursuit of excellence in all areas of the church's ministry, and the requirement that you picture an audacious vision for your church and live into that vision. Regardless of the current size of your church, you will find here inspiring, ready-to-implement ideas to help your church go BIG.

Download or read book A New Day in the City written by Donna Claycomb Sokol and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2017-05-16 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many urban congregations remember days of fame and fortune—days when their prominence downtown or in city neighborhoods mattered. Population shifts, the decline of congregations and neighborhoods, and demographic changes depleted the dreams of many urban churches. But not all churches gave up hope. Many congregations are struggling to survive, but thousands of urban churches are thriving again. Churches with revived hope learn to let go of nostalgic dreams and tired habits and to walk with God into a new day of vibrant mission and ministry. Donna Claycomb Sokol and Roger Owens share lessons they’ve learned on the job and from other urban pastors. Along the way, they challenge clichés about church leadership and strategic planning by showing what congregational renewal can look like and how it can become a reality. Each chapter features a set of practical guidelines for leading a congregation to address the questions that matter most. “The urban church can be quite a challenge. I know because I’ve served a couple. Now, two thoughtful pastors with actual urban church experience take an affectionate, positive, honest, and hopeful look at the urban church and give practical wisdom for the revival of languishing urban congregations. There’s a remarkable revival of the urban church in North America. Donna and Roger can help you be part of it!” —William H. Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC; retired bishop, The United Methodist Church “Three things excite me most about this book: First, these two young pastors understand the strategic importance of urban ministry and are passionately committed to it. Second, they show that when you turn from tired ‘church growth’ and corporate paradigms, choosing rather to model your ministry on Jesus, new life happens. And third, they explain that transformation is about journeying faithfully with the questions rather than looking for quick-fix techniques. This book could change your ministry.” —Peter Storey, South African church leader; W. Ruth and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC

Download or read book Cultivating a People for God written by Enoch Kwan and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2019-04-09 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is not just another book. It is a long but timeless message better described as a theology of Discipleship. I wish God had used someone else who is smarter to write this book, and it may have come out sooner. It took God 25 years for me to capture the bits and pieces while God taught me in time. This book will show you God’s heart and get you excited about fulfilling His plan. You will find the simple way of integrating spirituality and ministry while pleasing God in all areas of your life and ministry. The wide Scripture supported fresh philosophy and framework presented in this book will help you feel God’s heartbeat. It will elevate your perspective and build a stronger motivation for your church to engage with Christ’s Great Commission. You will discover the God-inspired strategy for discipleship in the Commandments for the Great Commission. You will discover how we may effectively cultivate and offer daily to God a People God awaits. Your congregation will have time to enjoy life and God while fulling the Great Commission and maturing as Christians in God’s inspired ways. You will be glad to allow this book to jump to the front of your reading list as it may inject transformational elements to your other reading. It is possible that the message presented in this book will spark a new movement for God’s people. Come, join me in fellowship through this book and decide for yourself to see if you can be a part of this new and exciting journey.

Download or read book Open Source Church written by Landon Whitsitt and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2011-04-08 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Open source software makes the basic program instructions available for anyone to see and edit. An 'open source church,' likewise, is one in which the basic functions of mission and ministry are open to anyone. Members feel free to pursue their callings from God that are consistent with what God has called the congregation to be and do. But what does 'open source church' look like? In Open Source Church: Making Room for the Wisdom of All, Landon Whitsitt argues that Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that anyone can see and edit, might be the most instructive model available to help congregations develop leaders and structures that can meet the challenges presented by our changing world. Its success depends, he demonstrates, not on the views of select experts but on the collective wisdom of crowds. Then, turning to the work of James Surowiecki in The Wisdom of Crowds, he explores the idea that the body of Christ itself--when it is intentionally diverse, encourages independence of thought, values decentralization, and effectively captures and aggregates the group's collective wisdom--is an open source church. Together, these phenomena show us what an 'open source church' looks like. It is the body of Christ at its best.

Download or read book Ministry in Hard Times written by Bill Easum and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In hard times, you can either panic, decline, or grow. Which do you choose to do? This is not a time to tweak your church budget. It is not a time to slash and burn it indiscriminately across the board. Nor is it the time to hunker down in the bunker and wait things out. Now is the time is exercise wisdom and to act strategically. In fact, it's a great time to be the church. People need us to live out our mission as radically as we can possibly imagine. This book will help you make wise decisions about how to weather the economic storm and emerge on the other side of it a much stronger congregation. It’s a simple book with a simple message: you don’t get to choose when you go through hard times, only how you respond to them.

Download or read book The Church of the Perfect Storm written by Leonard Sweet and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The church is heading into a “perfect storm” of cultural forces. Will you sink beneath the waves, or ride the winds of the Spirit? An array of cultural forces is coming together to present the church with unprecedented challenge and unequaled opportunity. Such “category 5" realities as postmodernism, postChristendom attacks on belief in God, and the threat of global warming have coalesced to make a “perfect storm” that will leave people uncertain of their place in the world, and all they have previously believed in. Like the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm, the church can cower and cry out for relief. Or, when everything is spinning and whirling in the wind, the church can go out to meet the storm, embrace the gale, . . . and pass out kites. From the Circuit Rider review: "Like other books Sweet has written and compiled, The Church of the Perfect Storm is thought-provoking and compelling. The material flows in such a way that allows readers to grasp the gravity of the situation. However, as with most futuristic material, there is also a sense in which readers may want to know: 'Okay, now what? Where do we need to steer this ship? Are mainline and evangelical churches so off-course as to fail to weather the rising tides that are here and soon coming?' Readers of this volume may enjoy the description of a post-Christendom world, but they may also want to know more about the prescription for the days ahead. (Click here to read the entire review.)

Download or read book Organizing Church written by Tim Conder and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 21st century is the age of community organizing, from rallies in the streets to online movements for change. What if congregations embraced community organizing? Organizing Church offers a unique perspective that blends proven principles of community organizing and research on socially active congregations into a formula that will revitalize and empower churches as change-agents. Seasoned pastors and community activists Tim Conder and Dan Rhodes will help pastors and other church leaders build healthier congregations, create a deep culture of discipleship in their community, and respond to the challenges presented by the global culture of the 21st century. Organizing Church is the essential field guide for joining the social justice movement today.